Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
In an upcoming community meeting, Silver City Ranger District personnel will provide information about the 2,100-acre wildlife habitat improvement project and the estimated time for implementation. The Cameron Creek Prescribed Fire project area is approximately five miles northeast of Silver City within the Fort Bayard Wildlife Refuge.
A 69-year-old female who was struck by a pickup truck at the intersection of Bullard and Broadway Friday evening succumbed to her injuries and passed away over the weekend. The female and an elderly male were walking when a 21-year old female attempted a left hand turn onto Broadway and struck the couple in the crosswalk. The male was taken to Gila Regional Medical Center, treated and released. The female was transported by Native Air helicopter to an El Paso hospital, where she later passed away. The investigation is ongoing.
The IRS is warning consumers that scammers are changing tactics again. Aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents remain a major threat to taxpayers, but now the IRS is receiving new reports of scammers calling under the guise of verifying tax return information over the phone. The latest variation being seen in the last few weeks tries to play off the current tax season. Scam artists call saying they have your tax return, and they just need to verify a few details to process your return. The scam tries to get you to give up personal information such as a Social Security number or personal financial information, such as bank numbers or credit cards.
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is cosponsoring S.2621, the Biotechnology Food Labeling Uniformity Act, a bill introduced by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) to ensure that consumers can find genetically modified organism (GMO) ingredient labeling on food packaging, while ensuring that food producers are not subject to confusing or conflicting labeling requirements in different locations. The legislation presents an alternative to a Senate Agriculture Committee bill being debated on the floor this week that would preempt state GMO labeling laws.
On Friday the New Mexico Environment Department called upon the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reimburse $1,505,155 for short-term emergency response activities associated with the Gold King Mine spill. On August 5 an EPA work crew triggered the Gold King blowout near Silverton, CO that released three million gallons of contaminated water into a creek that flowed into the Animas, then San Juan Rivers. New Mexico’s initial response and monitoring costs of $1.5 million encompass 14 New Mexico state agencies, academic organizations, and communities.
