This is your weekly news roundup, which takes a quick look at some developments in government, politics, education, environment and other topics across El Paso.
UTEP announces 2024 Distinguished Alumni, Gold Nuggets
The University of Texas at El Paso recently announced its two Distinguished Alumni and 10 Gold Nuggets who will be recognized during 2024 Homecoming festivities Nov. 3-9. These recognitions are the highest honors the university and its colleges can bestow.
The Distinguished Alumni are Dick Myers, who earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on management in 1967, and Oscar E. Venegas, who received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1973.
Myers is a retired business analyst who worked for 20 years at Farah Manufacturing in El Paso, before he became an administrator with Coach New York. He retired in 2007 as a vice president of planning after 14 years with Coach.
He is a member of the 1966 Texas Western College (now UTEP) national championship men’s basketball team. Myers and his wife, Elsie, are longtime supporters of the university’s athletic programs and the Woody L. Hunt College of Business.
Venegas is an engineer who founded VEMAC, LLC, one of the region’s most successful construction management firms, in 2003. He served as its president until 2019. He has been a frequent donor to UTEP athletics and the Department of Civil Engineering
The retired businessman mentors many students and advocates for UTEP graduates. He helped establish the Alumni Association for Civil Engineers, which supports department activities. The College of Engineering selected Venegas as its Gold Nugget in 2012.
The 2024 Gold Nuggets are Ida Almanza, B.S. medical technology, 1979, College of Health Sciences; Alfredo Carbajal, B.A. journalism, 2000, College of Liberal Arts; Jaswinder “Jassi” Chadha, M.S. industrial engineering, 1992, College of Engineering; Punya Prakash, M.S. electrical engineering, 2009, and Vikram Jayaram, M.S. electrical engineering, 2004, and Ph.D. electrical and computer engineering, 2009, College of Engineering; Susan Moreland, BSN, 1981, MSN nursing maternal child, 1992, and Jack Moreland, BSN, 1981, and MSN medical surgical, 1992, College of Nursing; Margie Salazar, BBA management, 1997, Woody L. Hunt College of Business; Lewis Teal, B.S. and M.S. geological sciences, 1977 and 1979, College of Science, and Tita Yanar, M.Ed. curriculum and instruction, 1971, M.Ed. in education, 1975, College of Education.
El Paso Electric seeks to issue refund for Texas customers
El Paso Electric is asking Texas regulators to OK a refund for its customers in Texas that would lower bills in November and December. For the average household customer, the refund would be worth about $2.60 per month – a 3.75% reduction to residential bills.
In all, EPE is refunding $21.1 million – which includes $197,000 of interest – to all of its Texas customers because the utility has been collecting more money for power plant fuel than it has spent. When EPE asks the Public Utility Commission of Texas for a rate increase – like it did in 2022 – EPE has to estimate variables such as how much electricity customers will use in future years, and the amount of fuel for power plants the utility will have to buy to meet customers’ demand. When there’s a gap between the amount that EPE is spending on fuel and the revenue it’s collecting from customers, it has to issue a refund.
EPE is asking the PUC to approve the refund in the coming weeks so the utility can tack it on to bills for the next two months.
The post UTEP honors alumni; El Paso Electric refund request appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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