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Bataan Elementary School in Deming is celebrating World Down Syndrome this Saturday in observance of World Down Syndrome Day.  The March 21 date marks the 10th anniversary of World Down Syndrome Day. World Down Syndrome is observed every year on this date because what causes Down syndrome is the triplication of the 21st chromosome in the human body. Triplication means three, the third month of the year is March, and the 21st day represents the 21st chromosome.

More than 1,000 additional New Mexico children could receive government-funded child-care assistance if their parents or guardians ask for it.  The state’s Children, Youth and Families Department is clearing a waiting list of 1,119 children, saying it now has the funds to offer assistance for child care.  The move, a temporary fix, comes as the Martinez administration says it is working to improve the quality of child care in New Mexico and beef up resources to investigate child abuse and neglect cases.  But some activists and lawmakers, including Sen. Howie Morales, a Silver City Democrat, think CYFD should use available federal money to permanently increase spending on child-care assistance, eliminating future waiting lists.

In legislative action:

The New Mexico House of Representatives passed job-creating legislation that will raise the minimum age to $8 per hour and give workers the right to choose whether they financially contribute to a union.  The bill is the result of hours of debate and compromise which raises the minimum wage to the third highest in the region.  The legislation will now head to the Senate.

The State Legislature’s Committee on Compacts will be taking public comment Saturday on the proposed new gambling compacts negotiated between Governor Susana Martinez’ office and the Navajo Nation, the Mescalero and Jicarilla Apache tribes and the pueblos of Jemez and Acoma. The proposed agreement would increase the casinos hours of operations on weekdays. The proposed compacts would also give casinos more flexibility in offering complimentary food and lodging. The compacts have several government hurdles to clear before the end of June, including approval by the U-S Interior Department.

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According to CEO Brian Cunningham, “On March 2^nd, GRMC will open a Family Practice Partnership.  This will support our physicians and our community.”  GRMC already operates practices in psychology, cardiology, pain management, and surgery.  Adding the Family Practice will provide residents with more quality health care options.

In legislative action:

An Albuquerque State Senator introduced a bill that seeks to save taxpayers money while at the same time encouraging family bonding and supporting the needs of newborns.  The measures seeks to maximize the health and bonding benefits for children of incarcerated women.  The Senate Public Affairs Committee last week approved a substitute for the bill that now moves on to the Senate Judiciary panel.

The New Mexico House of Representatives has approved a $6.2 billion spending proposal for the next fiscal year that includes pay raises for new teachers and state police officers.  The House voted 42-25 Tuesday after three hours of debate. Five Democrats sided with 37 Republicans in the majority. The bill now moves to the Senate.  While most department budgets remain largely flat, the bill boosts spending for education, the state’s child welfare agency and tourism.  The amount of spending in the bill is nearly the same as that outlined by Gov. Susana Martinez and the Legislative Finance Committee earlier this year.

Today, during a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing on the U.S. Department of the Interior’s fiscal year 2016 budget request, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) advocated for the continuation of forest restoration projects at the Valles Caldera National Preserve in northern New Mexico to help reduce the risk of catastrophic fire.  Senator Heinrich joined Senator Tom Udall in championing legislation that was signed into law last year to transfer the management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve from the current Board of Trustees to the National Park Service to increase public access. The proposal was developed after extensive input from local residents, sportsmen, veterans organizations, business owners, and elected officials.

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The Marine Corps League Gaffney-Oglesby Detachment 1328 honored three local veterans who took part in the Battle of Iwo Jima 70 years ago.  The three marines who were honored were Curtis Maxwell, Felipe Ortego, and Gene Lewis.  Representatives from Congressman Steve Pearce and Senator Martin Heinrich’s offices were at the luncheon, and were among the speakers who honored the three Marines.  Each Marine was also presented with a proclamation from the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services and a photo of the Iwo Jima Memorial, taken at night by Marine Larry Himes.

The La Plata Middle School Science Olympiad Team attended the state tournament in Socorro over the weekend, and returned with the following awards: 10^th place Bio-Process Lab, 7^th Place Green Generation, 4^th Place Entomology, 4^th Place Crime Busters, 4^th Place Bridge Building, 3^rd Place Fossils, 3^rd Place, Road Scholar, and 1^st Place Wheeled Vehicle.  Congratulations to all of the participants who competed in the Science Olympiad.

A small, human-caused fire burned a quarter of an acre about one mile north of Bear Creek Cabins in Pinos Altos last week.  The fire was the first of the year of what could be an early fire season.  While it’s earlier than usual, significant fires can pop up before the common fire season on May, June and July.  Though it is too soon to tell, officials suggest that, thanks to good rains and grass growth last summer, in addition to the fact that snow is melting and winds are picking up, conditions look ripe for an early season.

In legislative action:

Legislation that makes it illegal for minors to buy e-cigarettes passed the House floor by a unanimous 52-0 vote.  Currently, state law does not prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, while 39 other states do.  This legislation will prevent minors anywhere in New Mexico from buying e-cigarettes.  The bill will now move to consideration in the Senate.

Legislation that will allow industry professionals to teach part time in the classroom without having to go back to college to receive their teaching degree passed the House floor by a 31-21 vote.  To qualify, the professionals will need a bachelor’s degree; three years of documented work experience in the subject field; a passing score on the appropriate teacher license assessment; and successful completion of a pedagogy class.  They will also be subject to an evaluation process and, if rate ineffective, they will lose their certificate.

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The US Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture announce the availability of more than $160 million in funding for research, education, and extension projects that address key challenges affecting US agriculture production.  The Initiative was created to find innovative solutions to challenges faced in society; including hunger and food security, health, climate, food safety, and bioenergy.  See available applications and application deadlines at www.nifa.usda.gov.

The Silver City Town Council passed a notice of intent ordinance to raise the gross receipts tax by one-fourth of one percent at its Thursday meeting.  According to Assistant Town Manager James Marshall, “the quarter percent would basically bring the town back to revenue neutral, which means we don’t have to cut services, we’re able to maintain our police, fire, library and museum.”

Tanah Lowe of Silver City was recently inducted as a 2015 4-H diplomat during the annual 4-H Senior Leadership Retreat in Albuquerque.  Diplomat responsibilities include assisting with livestock shows at the State Fair, planning and conducting the senior leadership retreat, and assisting with the State 4-H conference.

VFW Post 3347 in Arenas Valley named Elieen Piercy, a third-grade teacher at Jose Barrios Elementary School as the 1^st place winner of the Smart/Maher VFW National Citizen Education Award.  The post said the community needs to honor those teachers who are deeply concerned about America and its children. The teachers concerned about the perpetuation of America’s noblest traditions and highest ideals. Prime candidates for this award are teachers who teach citizenship education topics regularly, and who promote America’s history and traditions effectively, along with civic responsibility, flag etiquette, and patriotism.

In legislative action:

Legislation that would significantly reduce workers’ compensation in cases when the employee’s death or injury is the result of being drunk or high on the job passed the House floor by a bi-partisan vote of 64-2.

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The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture today announced the availability of $9 million in funding to assist low-income individuals and communities in developing local and independent food systems through the Community Food Projects Program.  Community Food Projects involve the entire food system. Projects assess strengths and establish connections among existing food systems, resulting in improved food systems that support self-reliance.  Grants are intended to help eligible, private, nonprofit entities in need of a one-time installment of federal assistance to establish and carry out multipurpose community food projects. Projects are funded from $10,000 to $300,000 and up to 36 months. All grants require a dollar-for-dollar match in resources.

Nominations are now being accepted for the first annual Governor’s Environmental Awards. The new program is a cooperative effort of the New Mexico Environment Department, Energy Minerals, and Natural Resources Department, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Office of the State Engineer, and Office of the Governor.  The purpose of the program is to support, recognize, and celebrate the hard work of those New Mexicans dedicated to restoring and protecting the natural heritage and environmental health of our state. Successful candidates will have demonstrated commitment, collaboration, and innovation through projects resulting in measurable environmental benefits for the state of New Mexico.

In legislative news:

Legislation that would increase the punishment for making any attempt to offer or hire a child for sex has passed the House floor by a unanimous 64-0 vote.  With this bill, anyone convicted of sexual exploitation of a child under the age of 13 will face a first degree felony instead of a second-degree felony as it is under current law. If the victim is between the ages of 14 and 16, then it is a second-degree felony.

Legislation that would require child-proof packaging for all nicotine liquid products used in e-cigarettes passed the House floor on Wednesday by a unanimous vote of 66-0.  This bill will help protect New Mexico’s children from accidentally ingesting and overdosing on nicotine.  To enforce these new rules, the Attorney General will have the ability to pursue a civil action, and a fine of up to $1,000 for failing to comply.

Other bills currently in the works include a bill that would help law enforcement officers injured in the line of duty, a bill that would improve the process for kids in foster care, and a bill that would have offenders convicted of three violent crimes facing mandatory life sentences.

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The USDA’s Farm Service Agency reminds producers of upcoming important deadlines for the new safety-net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill.  The final day to update yield history or reallocate base acres is February 27, 2015, and the final day for farm owners and producers to choose coverage is March 31, 2015.

Gila Regional Medical Center, through continuous assessment and monitoring of services provided to the community, has made the decision to return the Air Ambulance First Right of Refusal Agreement to Air Methods/Native Air.  According to CEO Brian Cunningham, “quality and safety are of utmost importance to (GRMC).  We continuously monitor key activities with all of our major vendors and we will make changes whenever necessary.”  Both TriState and Native Air provide services to the area, so the transition will be seamless as far as the community and patients are concerned.

Work on the Hudson Street Bridge is scheduled to begin the week of April 1, 2015 with surveying, placement of traffic control, and relocation of utilities.  By the second week of April, message boards for detours will shift traffic to the County Truck Bypass Road so the contractor can begin demolition of the existing bridge.  The new bridge is scheduled to be opened to traffic by mid-January of 2016.

In legislative action:

On Monday, the New Mexico House passed House Bill 121, which provides funding for nurses who want to pursue higher degrees and teach nursing at schools in rural New Mexico.  This legislation could increase the number of nurses across the state and increase access to healthcare in rural areas.  Another bill that passed the House cracks down on welfare fraud by toughening penalties for those who sell food stamps and EBT cards.

Yesterday, every female lawmaker in the New Mexico House signed onto a bill that cracks down on domestic violence by giving police officers leeway to arrest the offender within 24 hours.  Under current law, someone who commits domestic violence can flee the scene, and an officer is required to obtain a warrant before arresting the suspect.  If the legislation becomes law, police officers will have 24 hours to arrest the offender without having to obtain a warrant.

The House also passed a bill allowing the state’s best teachers to advance through the ranks faster.  “Highly effective” or “exemplary” teachers would progress through the three-tier system in just four years and be able to earn a minimum of $50,000 per year instead of having to wait six years or more as they do under the current law.  The bill will now head to the Senate.

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As a reminder, there will be a public meeting to discuss the Highway 90 Bridge Project tonight at 6 pm at the Grant County Convention Center.  Residents of Grant County wanting information about this project and plans for traffic diversion should attend this meeting.  The re-routing of traffic will have a direct affect on downtown Silver City residents and businesses.

Five new board members were elected to serve at the Thursday meeting of the Grant County Community Foundation.  Joining the nine current members are Deborah Frasca of Life Quest, Priscilla Lucero of the Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments, Sandra Riva of International Transactions, Susie Trujillo of the Grant County Health Council, and Justin Wecks – Operations Specialist at Gila Regional Medical Center.

The Deming Headlight office suffered a break-in Saturday evening at the downtown Maple Street address.  The night crew of carriers and Headlight Circulation Manager discovered the west cargo bay had been partially opened and what appeared to be ashes from the newspaper were scattered around the building.  A suspected arson started small fires around the back shop.

In legislative action:

The House passed a bill that will streamline the New Mexico teacher licensing process, making it easier for quality teachers to become school administrators much faster.  The bill, which passed by a bipartisan vote, would allow quality educators to secure an administrative license in a shorter period of time.  This legislation will allow Level-Two teachers who complete a Public Education Department-approved preparation program the ability to seek an administrative position.  The current six-year licensing process – the longest in the nation — discourages quality teachers from becoming school administrators or even staying in the profession.

The Senate Education committee unanimously passed a bill intended to keep students in school or risk losing their drivers’ licenses if they exceed 10 unexcused absences.  The Senate’s Education Panel approved a substitute for Senate Bill 85 after the Committee added a clause that allows for hardship exemptions.  The state of Georgia, after passing similar legislation, has seen huge drops in truancy rates as well as a major boost in graduation numbers.

New Mexico lawmakers are seeking compensation for families affected by the July 16, 1945 atomic bomb explosion that happened in the New Mexico desert.  Everyone downwind of the blast site paid a heavy price.  Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich introduced a bill this month to get New Mexico residents their fair share of compensation.  The bill would allow anyone who can prove that they were impacted downwind of an actual above-ground explosion to apply to be compensated.

Don’t forget to head out to the Grant County Convention Center tonight at 6 pm for the Highway 90 Bridge Project meeting.

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It has been about one month since Town of Silver City ordinance 1231 went into effect. This ordinance restricts the use of single-use plastic carryout bags at retail merchants within town limits. All of the major retailers are complying with the ordinance by providing paper bags, boxes, heavyweight reusable plastic bags, or eliminating bags altogether.  There are some stores that in the past provided used plastic bags to their customers. To fully comply with the ordinance these stores should not continue to hand out the single-use plastic bags but they can have a bin in the store for customers to leave such bags for other customers to use.   For additional information contact the Office of Sustainability at 519-8987.

Luna County Farm Bureau and Lune County 4-H clubs, along with the Deming-Luna County BorderBelles, went on a benefit shopping spree last week thanks to discount shopping at Peppers Supermarket.  The shopping carts were filled with food and household items that were then donated to the Healing House, Luna County’s shelter for survivors of domestic violence.  Luna County Farm Bureau and 4-H councils both donated $500 to the cause, and the BorderBelles donated $200 worth of beef for the pantry.

In legislative action:

The right-to-work bill was amended on Friday to increase the minimum wage to $8 an hour in order to promote job-creating legislation.  The compromise legislation cleared the House Judiciary Committee and will now head to the House floor.  Raising the minimum wage to $8 an hour will make New Mexico’s minimum wage the third highest in the region.  In addition to giving workers the freedom to choose whether they join a union or financially contribute to one, the legislation would also make New Mexico’s business climate more competitive. States with similar protections are doing better than states without them.

Senator Sue Wilson Beffort of Sandia Park has introduced a bill aimed at saving lives by removing the fear businesses have of placing heart defibrillators in their shops over the threat of being sued.  The hope of the legislation is to eliminate such fear and lead to more widespread placement of the life-saving devices.  400-thousand people suffer an out of hospital cardiac arrest every year in the United States. The survival from such an incident in most cities across the country is less than 10-percent. However, in cities like Seattle where there is widespread placement of defibrillators, survival is more than 50-percent. Currently businesses, educational institutions, religious organizations and others are not willing to have the automated external defibrillator or AED because of the fear of being sued.

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State District Judge Denise Barela-Shepherd recently heard a lawsuit filed by an Albuquerque man on behalf of New Mexico’s 250,000 registered Independent voters that would change the state’s two-primary system.  David Crum is seeking to allow people the right to pick a party on the day of the primary so they can vote, without having to be registered Democrat or Republican Party.  The other side of the argument, states that allowing Independents to vote in Primary Elections would hurt the purity of the election and possibly elect candidates who don’t represent the party.

In legislative action:

Members of the Regulatory and Public Affairs Committee tabled a bill that would require background checks on buyers at gun shows, effectively stalling the bill from moving forward.  Those who testified against the bill said it would weaken the Second Amendment of the US Constitution and open the door to gun registries.

Legislation that will allow industry professionals to teach part time in the classroom without having to go back to college to receive their teaching degree has cleared the House Education Committee.  This will allow experts in their respective fields to share their knowledge with students.  To qualify, the professionals will need a bachelor’s degree, three years of documented work experience in the subject field, a passing score on the appropriate teacher license assessment and successful completion of a pedagogy class.  The bill will now go to the House floor.

Legislation that would crack down on sexual predators attempting to secretly view or record a person’s intimate areas has passed the House Safety and Civil Affairs Committee.  Under the current law, voyeurism is defined as viewing, photographing, videotaping, filming, webcasting or recording the intimate areas of another person without their knowledge.  It is a fourth-degree felony when the victim is a minor and a misdemeanor when the victim is over 18.  Attempting to commit voyeurism, however, is only a misdemeanor if the victim is a minor and there is no punishment when the victim is over 18.  The proposed legislation would change the definition of voyeurism to include attempting to secretly view or record a person’s intimate parts, even if the predator fails to do so.

A new bill regarding the New Mexico Act for Family and Medical Leave, modeled after New Mexico’s unemployment and worker’s compensation systems, would provide something that the federal law doesn’t – pay.  The bill would impact firms that employ more than ten workers, whereas the federal law only protects people who work at firms that employ 50 or more.