Good morning, this is El Paso Local Pulse for January 25, 2025. We're starting off with some breaking news from the past few days. President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency on the border with Mexico, citing "America's sovereignty is under attack." This comes as active-duty military arrived in El Paso and San Diego as part of an initial deployment of 1,500 troops. However, it's worth noting that arrests for illegal border crossings have plummeted more than 80% to about 47,000 in December from an all-time high of 250,000 the same period a year earlier[4].

Moving on to our job market snapshot, El Paso employment increased an annualized 0.8% from August through November, with education and health services experiencing the largest gains. The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 4.6% in November, higher than both the state's and the nation's jobless rates. On a brighter note, the cybersecurity job market in El Paso is rapidly expanding, with a projected growth rate of 22% by 2024 and professionals earning an average salary of $112,199 annually[2][5].

In real estate news, there haven't been any major commercial or residential property sales reported recently. However, the city is looking to revamp the downtown area with the El Paso Central Business District Phase IV project, which includes a 1.8-mile roadway reconstruction and parkway improvements. The city council has authorized the submission of a grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation for $21,917,993 to fund this project[3].

From city hall, the city council has approved a resolution declaring an amnesty period for outstanding parking citations from February 17 to March 8, 2025. During this time, violators who pay their citations will have their delinquency fees and collection fees reduced to zero. Additionally, the city council has rescheduled their regular meeting from February 18 to February 25 due to El Paso Days in Austin[3].

Weather-wise, it's a chilly morning today, but we're expecting clear skies and a high of 58 degrees. Perfect weather for outdoor activities like visiting the El Paso Mission Trail or taking a hike at Franklin Mountains State Park.

In new business activity, there haven't been any major openings or closings reported recently. However, Microsoft is set to create over 1,000 high-paying jobs by 2025 with their new data center project in El Paso[5].

Looking ahead to community events, the El Paso Chamber's El Paso Days in Austin event is coming up, and the city council has authorized the expenditure of discretionary funds to support this event. Additionally, the University of Texas at El Paso is hosting various events and exhibitions throughout the month[3].

In local school achievements, the University of Texas at El Paso's cybersecurity program has an impressive 85% job placement rate within six months of graduation. And in sports news, we'll have to wait for the weekend's games to get underway.

On a feel-good note, local volunteers like Karen Parker are providing support and medical attention to migrants in the mountains, treating broken ankles, cuts, and parasite wounds. Her efforts are a testament to the kindness and compassion of our community[4].

Finally, in today's crime report, two young men were arrested for aggravated assault and evading police on January 13th at 3910 Doniphan. The El Paso Police Department is urging anyone with information to come forward[1].

This has been El Paso Local Pulse. We'll see you tomorrow with more local updates.

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI