Kate Powell brings you local news at noon. 

An Ohio ultra-marathoner is on a mission to provide clean drinking water and sanitation for people in Ethiopia. Daren Wendell is running the equivalent of a marathon a day for 100-straight days going coast-to-coast on his fund-raising effort. Wendell took off from the California coast on New Year’s Day and crossed from Arizona into New Mexico late last week. Wendell expects to reach Albuquerque tomorrow. He spoke with KSFR’s Tom Trowbridge, who asked him how his trek has been going up to now. 

After 47 years of Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories on the West Bank, and 21 years of negotiations with Israel under the auspices of the United States, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has embarked on what Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab (dah-OOD kuh-TAHB) told KSFR's Dave Marash on HERE AND THERE, is a new diplomatic strategy.  But its aims, he said, are still a Palestinian state and peace.

Yesterday, over three weeks of testimony before the Public Regulations Commission regarding PNM’s new energy plan came to an end. KSFR's Zelie Pollon spoke with Public Regulations Commissioner Pat Lyons and New Energy Economy’s Mariel Nanasi about the hearings.

Wednesday morning's top news stories from KSFR.