Silver High School has received $5,000 through T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights program and is also in the running for a potential $1 million football field transformation. The program selected 40 schools for $25,000 awards, with four division champions eligible for $250,000 and one grand-prize school receiving $1 million for football facility improvements. The Top 40 finalists are expected to be announced October 8, with the $1 million grand-prize winner announced on November 12.
Hidalgo County commissioners have approved an ordinance regulating data centers and other large-scale digital infrastructure facilities. The action followed a public hearing, where several amendments were added to Ordinance 2026-01. Residents raised concerns about potential impacts on water resources, electrical infrastructure, utility costs and land use. The regulations are intended to guide future development while protecting local resources as Hidalgo County considers potential data center projects in the region.
Santa Clara residents will see an increase in their monthly landfill fee beginning in November. The fee will rise from $9.13 to $18.26 per month following a 100-percent increase in rates charged to Grant County communities by the Southwest Solid Waste Authority. The authority says the increase is needed to cover higher costs of operating and maintaining the regional landfill. The new charge will appear on November utility bills, with Santa Clara passing the higher landfill costs on to customers.
In Catron County news:
Catron County has temporarily closed a portion of Heap Ranch Road because of unsafe road conditions. Emergency Management and the County Road Department say existing flood damage, combined with additional rain forecast for the area, could further affect the roadway. The closure is effective immediately and applies to the section of Heap Ranch Road past the subdivisions near the Red Hill area. County officials say the closure is intended to protect both motorists and road crews, and conditions will continue to be monitored before the road is reopened.