Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2010 Headlines

(KRQE NEWS 13) - An Albuquerque bus rider got so upset over a crying toddler that he stabbed the mother's friend , police reported Tuesday.

As of 5:50 p.m. - A state transportation officer curious about a big rig in a no-parking zone found a cargo of cantaloupes concealing nearly half a ton of marijuana , the New Mexico Department of Public Safety reported Tuesday.

As of 4:29 p.m. - Some 48 percent of likely New Mexico voters are backing Democratic incumbent New Mexico Attorney General Gary King, while 33 percent support his Republican challenger, eastern New Mexico prosecutor Matt Chandler, according to a poll released Tuesday .

As of 3:04 p.m. - Palestinian gunmen opened fire Tuesday on an Israeli car in the West Bank and killed four passengers on the eve of a new round of Mideast peace talks in Washington. The Islamic militant group Hamas claimed responsibility.

As of 2:45 p.m. - Funeral services will be held this week for the Oklahoma couple killed in New Mexico allegedly at the hands of a prison escapee.

As of 2:14 p.m. - Veteran ABC newsman Sam Donaldson will be the grand marshal of the 2010 New Mexico State Fair parade next month.

As of 1:45 p.m. - Midday Webcast :  Kristen Van Dyke's forecast. Funeral services schedule this week for Oklahoma couple murdered in New Mexico allegedly by a prison escapee and two accomplices. Los Alamos National Lab employee to be sentenced today for stealing radioactive gold.

As of 1:43 p.m. - The Santa Fe County sheriff said he believes it was a 22-year-old man already in trouble with the law who called in the threat against a judge that closed a courthouse Monday.

As of 1:10 p.m. - Federal officials urged U.S. residents to prepare for possible evacuations and islanders in the Turks and Caicos braced for high winds Tuesday as powerful Hurricane Earl howled over open seas toward the East Coast of the U.S.

As of 12:54 p.m. - Pet of the Week: Gato is this week's Pet of the Week. If you're interested in Gato or any other furry four-legged friend, call Animal Humane at (505) 255-5523. Meet Gato .

As of 12:30 p.m. - A Texas-born fugitive known as "the Barbie" who allegedly led a violent smuggling network grinned as he was paraded in handcuffs before reporters on Tuesday — the third suspected drug lord to fall in Mexico in the past 10 months in a coup for President Felipe Calderon's war on cartels.

As of 12:21 p.m. - Several federal agencies have joined together to create a single website listing product recalls .

As of 11:06 a.m. -  All is not well in Iraq as the U.S. closes down its combat mission, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday, warning that political paralysis and continued violence cloud that country's future.

As of 10:53 a.m. -  A 70-year-old woman in Niagara Falls fended off an attacker going after her purse. "They took off...when I was screaming. I said the best weapon I had was my bloody mouth," joked Hazen.

As of 10:36 a.m. -  The long, flowing black hair that tumbles out of NFL star Troy Polamalu's helmet and down his back has been insured for $1 million by Head and Shoulders.

As of 9:56 a.m. -  When President Obama addresses the nation on Iraq Tuesday night, his Oval Office setting will be sporting a new look and one that pays homage to Martin Luther King Jr. and four previous presidents.

As of 9:34 a.m. -  As President Obama prepares to officially end the lengthy U.S. combat operation in Iraq, he'll thank some of the soldiers who fought there for their service to a mission he opposed from the start.

As of 9:12 a.m. -  Americans' confidence in the economy improved slightly in August, but the mood is still gloomy amid job worries, according to a monthly survey.

As of 8:51 a.m. -  Home prices rose in June for a third straight month as now-expired tax credits inspired a burst of home-buying. But prices are expected to fall through the rest of the year now that demand has faded.

As of 8:25 a.m. - New Mexicans will find about 100,000 acres of private land available for dove hunting this season because of a program operated by the state Game and Fish Department.

As of 8:17 a.m. - Border agents working at a checkpoint on I-10 west of Las Cruces seized more than $168,000 in two separate incidents, including the discovery of $154,000 inside a suitcase on a bus.

As of 8:01 a.m. - Hurricane Earl, now a powerful Category 4 storm, barreled toward the U.S. coast early Tuesday after battering tiny islands across the northeastern Caribbean with heavy rain and winds.

As of 7:50 a.m. - KRQE's meteorologist Kristen Van Dyke took her first hot air balloon ride on Saturday. Kristen just uploaded her photos from her ride this weekend.

As of 7:21 a.m. - Two men arrested in Amsterdam may have been conducting a dry run for a potential terrorist attack, after a cell phone taped to a Pepto-Bismol bottle, a knife and box cutters were found in the luggage.

As of 7:07 a.m. -  After conducting a traffic stop at 5 a.m., police discovered a mobile meth lab in the van.