Española teens win robot contest in China

Before Zachariah Apodaca and Brandon and Benjamin Sandoval arrived in China for an international robotics competition, the Española-area teenagers worried about weight limits. Together, their robot -- designed to water rows of plants in a greenhouse, and all of the motors, pumps, and tools that go with it -- were well over the 100-pound threshold for extra airline baggage fees. So the team secured as many fragile parts that could fit into the heavy-duty travel case donated by the Española Fire Department and separated the less-delicate but still precious cargo in an assortment of suitcases. Once in a Beijing hotel room, they nervously opened everything. To their relief, nothing was broken.