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Senior Citizens from Grant County recently brought home a total of 40 medals from the New Mexico Senior Olympics in Roswell.  Mario Quintana earned seven medals and three ribbons, and was honored as the Golden Male Athlete of the New Mexico Senior Olympics.  Quitana earned two gold medals, two silver medals, and three bronze medals, but was more impressed with the 40 medals his team came back with.  The Grant County Senior Olympics have now qualified to compete at the national Senior Olympics next summer in Minnesota.

Residents of Silver City should expect to see some road work beginning in August, according to Town Manager, Alex Brown.  Among the roads to be worked on is a bridge on Highway 90 between Broadway and Richard Street.  Work on the bridge is expected to last eight months to a year, and will require traffic to be redirected.  Other roads include11th and 12 streets near Pope, 16^th and 17^th Streets between Swan and Silver Heights, 21^st, 23^rd, and 25^th near Juniper, Broadway from Hudson to Gold, Cactus, Corbin, Juniper and Yucca Streets near Silver Heights Boulevard, Main Street starting at 21^st, Swan Street from Broadway to 12^th Street, and Pope Street beginning at 19^th Street.

In cooperation with the Silver City Public Library, the Silver City Museum will be transferring its library of resource materials to the Public Library’s reference section for use by the general public.  The move is scheduled to take place through August with an anticipated completion by mid-September for most of the materials.   It is anticipated that the reference book collection will be cataloged and fully accessible to the public by December of this year.

The Lordsburg City Council decided to cancel its contract with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Agency at a council meeting earlier this month.  Despite cancelling the contract, the city of Lordsburg will continue its participation in Operation Stone Garden.  With the assistance of the Operation Stone Garden Grant, the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Department has received new body cameras for deputies.  The equipment is intended to provide indisputable evidence and will be used at all times when a deputy makes contact with the public.

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Western New Mexico University Museum and the Francis McCray Gallery of Contemporary Art will be the joint venues for Neo-Mimbreño 2014, a Silver City Clay Festival exhibition, on Saturday, August 2. Neo-Mimbreño 2014 is a juried fine art exhibition of contemporary works influenced or inspired by designs of the ancient Mimbres potters of the Southwest. Artists entering the exhibition were encouraged to creatively reinterpret, personalize, or carry the Mimbreño vision into new formats and media.  Neo-Mimbreño 2014 will run from August 2 through August 30, 2014, and is made possible in part by contributions from the New Mexico Humanities Council, Western New Mexico University Museum, the Town of Silver City, and Western New Mexico University. Western New Mexico University Museum is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and closed University holidays.

Dozens of residents gathered at the Cliff High School Gym to hear the final reports from the Bureau of Reclamation concerning the decision on whether or not the Gila River will be diverted as part of the Arizona Water Settlements Act.  The report focused on the three main diversion plans from the Gila Basin Irrigation Commission, the City of Deming, and the Hidalgo County Off-Stream Project.  Many citizens feel the analysis is not complete enough to go to a preliminary decision next month.  For example, none of the reports have taken evaporation, climate change, or endangered species impact into consideration.

Horizon Hospice is making plans to step up and take on those who will need care once Gila Regional Medical Center closes its hospice and home health care programs.  Wanda Hall, owner of Horizon Hospice, was with the hospice program at GRMC at the start of the program, believes her staff is up to the task of taking on many of the patients from GRMC.  GRMC and Horizon Hospice are continuing to work together to make the transitions as easy as possible for the patients.

Grant County Commissioners met on Tuesday to approve Charlene Webb as the new County Manager.  Webb is currently the County Manager for Roosevelt County, but accepted the position recently after negotiating a contract with the interim manager, Abbey Robinson.  Robinson has been serving since the May resignation of former County Manager Jon Saari.  Also at the meeting, the Commissioners voted to appeal the US Forest Service’s Gila National Forest Travel Management Plan.  The reasons for the appeal state the Forest Service did not cooperate with local agencies, and some roads closed by the Forest Service were not included in the travel management plan.

An NMSU Chemical Engineering student recently designed and developed water filters to be installed in houses and schools in Palomas.  Palomas Mexico and Columbus, New Mexico, draw their water supplies from the same arsenic and fluoride contaminated aquifer.  Columbus has installed a reverse osmosis system to provide residents with clean water, but Palomas’ water supply is only disinfected with chlorine.  The NMSU student developed a combination of activated alumina and activated carbon to create a filter which reduces the amount of arsenic and fluoride levels in the water, and also serves to improve the waters’ taste.  He also taught members of Border Partners, an area non-profit, how to build and install the filters.

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The Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest will hold a workshop for girls who were in grades 1 through 5 for the last school year.  “It’s Fun to Be Me” will help girls learn about self-esteem, how to make friends and keep them, and what good deeds are.  The workshop will be held at the Girl Scout Office, 302 West 11^th Street, on July 29^th through the 31^st.  Space is limited, and the workshop is free to all girls, whether registered or non-registered Girl Scouts.  RSVP to Annette at 538-2481.

The Silver City Ranger District implemented a temporary closure for Cherry Creek and McMillan Campgrounds due to flooding as a result of the Signal Fire.  The low-water crossing entrances at these campgrounds pose a flooding safety hazard to visitors.  All other campgrounds on the Silver City Ranger District remain open.  Visitors are encouraged to check with local ranger district offices for conditions and closures before going into the forest and recreation areas.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack reminded producers yesterday that changes mandated through the 2014 Farm Bill require them to have on file a Highly Erodable Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification.  The Farm Bill re-linked these certifications with eligibility for premium support paid under the Federal Crop Insurance Program.  For more information, visit: www.usda.gov/farmbill

There will be an advocacy and legal training for non profits on July 29^th.  During the training, non-profits will learn how the organization can advance its mission by advocating for or against public policy issues, build an organizations capacity, learn how to get community members engaged in elections, and maintain compliance with IRS advocacy rules and regulations.  The training will be at the Commons, 501 East 13^th Street on July 29^th from 8:30 to noon.

The Silver City Town Council had a meeting last night, where they listened to concerns during the public input portion of their agenda.  Concerns were raised about the passage of stringent regulations regarding the trailer park near Market and Montana streets.  Another resident brought up the deteriorating conditions of Starsky Ridge and Ursa Major.  The council also selected Tim Heidrick as the new Silver City Fire Department Chief.  The council then reported that many town streets are scheduled for chip-sealing during the month of August.  After approving a preliminary budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year, the Town Council adjourned until the August 20^th meeting, set for 6 pm.

A lightning strike from recent thunderstorms cause the Tige Fire in Catron County near the New Mexico and Arizona state line.  The fire was reported at 63 acres last night and is burning in ponderosa pine forest on the northwest rim of Bear Canyon.  The nearby Sycamore Fire on the Apache National Forest in Arizona is contributing to smoke in the San Fransisco watershed that is visible to the communities of Alma, Glenwood and Pleasanton.  Contact the Glenwood Ranger District office for further information.

Deming will hold a series of two amateur rodeos as part of the New Mexico Rodeo Association’s 2014 circuit.  The first evening performance will be September 19^th at the City Arena, and will coincide with an NMRA rodeo in Duncan Arizona.  The second will be the two-day state finals rodeo on November 14^th and 15^th.    The hope is that the rodeo will bring people into Deming and positively impact the city’s economy.  The city arena dates back to the 1970’s, and will likely see some maintenance and an upgrade before the September show, including parking, stables and bleachers, as well as adding lighting and shade canopies.

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According to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, Grant County experienced a major increase in unemployment last month.  The jobless rate in June was reported at 7.6 %, up from 5.8% in May.  The unemployment rate for May was the lowest it has been in years.  Grant County had the 12^th highest unemployment rate in the state for the month of June, but Luna County topped the list with a 14.6% unemployment rate.  In Hidalgo County, 6.4% of people are reportedly looking for work.

July 25 marks the anniversary of the day the Colorado River was officially re-named from the “Grand” to the “Colorado.” Silver City will be one of 5 western cities hosting a celebratory event and day of action as part of Colorado River Day, a region-wide movement to honor the waterway that serves as the backbone of the West’s economy and a critical drinking source for millions.  The event will be held this Friday from 1:30 to 6 pm at Gough Park, and will have a focus on the Gila River, the last free-flowing river in New Mexico.

An Albuquerque man recently found a New Mexico Lottery ticket worth $385,000 in the backseat of his car.  Dennis Romero had been driving around with the winning ticket in the backseat of his car since May 29^th, not even knowing it was worth anything.  He claimed his prize yesterday and vowed to “check his tickets more often”.  All profits for the sale of New Mexico Lottery games fund the Legislative Lottery Scholarship, an in-state college tuition assistance program.  New Mexico Lottery has raised $610.4 million since 1996.  To learn more about the scholarships, visit www.nmlottery.com.

Youth from Grant County’s 4-H program recently competed at the 91^st Annual New Mexico State 4-H Conference in Las Cruces.  The nine students who competed earned first place in Hippology, second place in Ag Presentations, third place in the wildlife category with an individual fourth place in wildlife, a fourth place individual in Entemology, fifth in Horticulture with a sixth place individual winner, and sixth place in Horse Judging.  Congratulations to Grant County 4-H members!

Southwest Bone and Joint will offer $5 sports physicals for high school student athletes this Friday from 1 to 3 pm.  Pick up a physical form for your student at Southwest Bone and Joint Institute, 1268 E. 32^nd Street, or download the form from “southwest bone and joint dot com.”  Students are asked to wear shorts and a T-shirt, and complete the medical history before arrival at the physical.  Call 534-1919.

The Silver Youth Leadership Team held a pool party last Friday evening to help raise awareness on teen dating violence.  The Silver Consolidated Schools received a grant of $30,000 last year from the New Mexico Public Education Department to combat teen dating violence.  The money is used for activities by the Silver Youth Leadership Team, who can lead their peers in raising awareness of this problem.  According to reports, 1 in 9 New Mexico teens reported being hit, slapped or intentionally harmed by their dating partner in 2009.  The Silver Youth Leadership Team has been taught how to recognize the signs of teen dating violence and can help link teenagers who need help to the appropriate resources to help them end a violent relationship.

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Silver City Police arrested Jeff Rivers during a home invasion early Thursday Morning.  Rivers was charged with aggravated burglary, larceny, false imprisonment, and one count of resisting, evading or obstructing and officer.  When the suspect fled the scene after police surrounded the area, he was chased on foot and headed off by an additional police patrol in a car and finally caught and arrested in a nearby ditch.

The Silver High School Auditorium was filled with about 80 local citizens as people of Silver City turned out to listen and address their concerns at the school board meeting.  In attendance were Representative Rudy Martinez and Senator Howie Morales, as well as retired Silver Schools Superintendent Dick Poole.  After a public input session, the school board discussed the 3 % raise granted to school employees on July 1^st.  The school board was not able to meet with teachers to discuss their issues with G.W. Stout principal David Lougee because state law limits the school board in personnel matters.

WNMU is hosting an Economic Development Course to train certified economic developers.  There are currently 12 in the state now due to several recent retirements, but the state normally has 20 Economic developers.  The Economic Development Council’s mission with the Course at Western is to help improve the educations level of economic development practitioners in the field.  Most students are from around the state of New Mexico, but others are here for the week from Kansas and Nevada.

George Vargas, the VA Service Officer from Las Cruces, will be at the Silver City Gospel Mission this Thursday.  Vargas will be here to assist veterans on an individual basis and to advise on VA matters.  Veterans and their families are invited out to visit with Vargas – that’s this Thursday, July 24^th at the Silver City Gospel Mission, 111 South Texas Street.

Registration is now open for the fifth annual James H. Pirtle Walk for the Heroes.  The fundraiser will take place Saturday, September 13^th and will raise funds for military charities supported through the Gary Sinise Foundation and the Local Marine Corps League Gaffney-Oglesby Detachment 1328 and other military groups.  Participants can register through “walk for the heroes dot com”.  Registration is $20 per person and includes an official event shirt and lunch.  The 14.6 mile route for walkers and bikers begins at the Gateway Motel in Hurley at 8 am on September 13^th.  A smothered burrito fundraiser for the event will take place August 1^st from 8 to 4 pm.  Stay tuned to Silver City Radio for more information.

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The 39^th annual National Institute for Social work and Human Services in Rural Areas Conference held at WNMUs campus this week is wrapping up today after last night’s banquet.  15 lectures have been offered across the campus to over 70 visitors from across the US.  Silver City was proposed as host town for the National Conference at the 2012 conference, and has drawn visitors from as far away as Vermont.

A recent string of burglaries has hit Grant County.  So far, four residences have been burglarized.  Stolen items include firearms, appliances, computers, alcohol and cleaning supplies.  The burglaries may be unrelated due to the variety of locations, but anyone with information regarding these crimes is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Department, Grant County Regional Dispatch, or Crime Stoppers.

New Mexico saw a very dry June, but the onset of monsoons has led to an-above average precipitation in the first two weeks of July.  Still, most of New Mexico has reported receiving less than 50% of average precipitation so far this year.  Despite a drop in water storage at Elephant Butte lake, storage in New Mexico stands at 23 percent of capacity, which is greater than the 17 percent it was last year.  Despite the increased rains, most of New Mexico remains under moderate to exceptional drought – 77 percent of the state is designated as severe, and most of Grant, Luna and Hidalgo Counties are in extreme drought.  Thankfully, however, forecasts point to above-average precipitation for the next three months.

A small two-seater plane went down seven miles north of Columbus yesterday morning, but thankfully both passengers were spared.  The pilot walked away from the crash, and the woman with him was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.  The plane reportedly began having engine problems before it went down.  The pilot reportedly made every effort to land at the nearby Hacienda Sur Luna air park, but crashed in the desert nearby.

The Kiwanis Club of Deming needs your help to keep the Christmas Light Parade going.  Help keep the lights on by going to Pepper’s Supermarket this Saturday, July 19th from 8:30 to noon for Kiwanis Christmas in July Bake Sale.  They will also be accepting donations to help pay for the goodie bags Santa gives to each child.  Any donations are appreciated.  Show your support of Kiwanis by going to the Christmas in July Bake Sale, this Saturday from 8:30 to noon at Pepper’s in Deming.

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The Deming Rotary Club held their installation of officers recently at the Rio Mimbres Country Club.  The incoming president is Mary Lou Cameron, Deming Public Schools Associate Superintendent for Support Services and Community Resources, President-elect is Steve Westenhofer, Mimbres Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home Chief Executive Officer.  Retiree James “Doc” O’Connel will continue to serve as treasurer, and Ruth Stallard of Deming’s United Country Downtown Real Estate will remain as secretary.  The Deming Rotary Club is active in events supporting the local youth and community, and meets each Thursday at the Rio Mimbres Country Club.

Earlier this month, a Deputy US Marshall shot and killed a former Deming resident who allegedly threatened the Marshall with a BB gun.  Anthony Chavez was on probation on a conviction for transporting people illegally into the US from a 2010 arrest in Luna County, and also had a pending criminal case of vehicular homicide from a 2013 fatal accident.  The Albuquerque Police Department is leading the investigation into the shooting, but police did reportedly disclose that Chavez had threatened the officer with the BB gun in his hand.

The Luna County Commissioners will have a regular meeting tonight at 6 pm.  The meeting will be held in the Commission Chambers on the 3^rd floor of the County Courthouse, and an Agenda is available in the Luna County Manager’s Office in the Luna County Courthouse.  Several items on tonight’s agenda includes creation of a Luna County Community and Economic Advisory Committee. Also to be discussed combining four volunteer fire departments into two main fire departments.

Nicholas Grijalva Jr. of Mimbres pleaded guilty last week to on count of child abuse resulting in the death of a child under the age of 12 for the death of 3 year old Alizandra Jasso.  As part of his plea agreement, seven other charges were dropped, and Grijalva has agreed to a sentence of life in prison.

The Silver City Gospel Mission has a new case worker on staff thanks to a grant from the United Way of Southwest New Mexico. Christina Wolford holds a BS in Social Science and is working on a Masters Degree in Social Work at WNMU.  Wolford will be giving Gospel Mission clients one-on-one attention, as well as teaching life skills classes, counseling, helping them fill out various applications and assisting them with job training and employment opportunities.

The Silver City Town Council recently awarded $200,000 in Lodgers Tax Money to local events and organizations.  Those who received the tax funds include: the Silver City Arts and Cultural District, the Mimbres Region Arts Council, the Tour of the Gila Bike Race, the Fort Bayard Historic Preservation Society, the Silver City MainStreet Project, the Gila River Festival, the Grant County Rolling Stones, the Silver City Arts Association, the Silver City Fiber Arts Festival, the Copper Country Cruizers, and the San Vicente Artists.