Here’s some local news:

Luna County will be holding four public meetings from June 26th through 28th regarding the Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan for 2020-2024. County staff will be available to answer questions and receive comments about future capital projects in Luna County. The meetings will be held in the basement conference room of the Luna County Courthouse, 700 South Silver Avenue in Deming on Tuesday. Residents can additional information by calling 575-546-0494.

Silver City residents Caroline Baldwin and her daughter, Lydia will be competing in the “Air Race Classic” to be held in Sweetwater, Texas next week. The “Air Race Classic” is an annual transcontinental air race for female pilots. Women’s air racing started in 1929 with the Women’s Air Derby. Twenty pilots raced from Santa Monica, California to Cleveland, Ohio, site of the National Air Races. The current race routes are approximately 2,400 statute miles in length, and the contestants are given four days, flying Visual Flight Rules in daylight hours, to reach the terminus. Each team will be carrying a Spot tracker, and in addition, a live broadcast of radio calls is available at liveatc.net. The race begins next Tuesday, June 19th.

The Water Well Trust, a national nonprofit group that aids low income residents in obtaining access to a clean and safe water supply, was awarded a $200,000 matching grant last year from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The monies have been used for projects to increase potable water availability in eleven New Mexico counties in addition to providing long-term, low-interest loans to applicants seeking new or improved water wells. To be eligible to receive a Water Well Trust loan, applicants must be the owner and occupant of the home as their primary residence and the applicant’s household income can’t exceed $52,300.  The eligible counties for the program include: Catron; Chaves; Curry; Dona Ana, Grant; Hidalgo; Luna; Otero; Sierra; Socorro; and Valencia. Prospective applicants can download an application form at the Water Well Trust website at waterwelltrust.org. The program closes on September 30th of 2019.

Students from across the United States have gathered near Cliff to learn about preservation archeology and field techniques for six weeks through a program from the Archaeology Southwest/University of Arizona Preservation Archaeology Field School. This year, the 12 participating students have come from Arizona, Utah, Michigan, New York, Tennessee, and of course, New Mexico. The students are working that the Gila River Farm site that is located on the Nature Conservancy’s property bear Cliff.