Here’s a look at today’s news:
Grant County Commissioners are holding a public meeting tonight at 6:00 P.M. in the Grant County Veterans Memorial Conference Center to provide an update on the partnership exploration process of Gila Regional Medical Center. Members of the community are encouraged to participate. Meetings with physicians and GRMC employees have also been held. The Grant County Board of Commissioners announced the completion of presentations from potential GRMC partners and GRMC leaders. The commissioners heard presentations from Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center, LifePoint Health and GRMC leaders. The presentations were an opportunity for the organizations to outline their vision for GRMC and ensuring Grant County’s healthcare future. No decision has been made about GRMC’s future. In addition to the community meeting, the commission has established a public website, GRMC Forward dot org, to provide timely updates and give the community a chance to ask questions and make their voices heard.
The Deming Police Department has adopted a retro look for its newest police units. The department is returning to the classic black-and-white squad car look for the two recently purchased 2018 Dodge Chargers. The new vehicles were budgeted for this fiscal as squad car replacements in addition to a new truck and detective’s unit. Police Chief, Bobby Orosco intends to keep with the classic look for future department purchases.
The Cobre School Board received its district audit report unmodified with four findings at a meeting on Monday at San Lorenzo Elementary. The findings included: Cobre has been late sending their yearly audit; some schools were sending late bank deposits; an employee purchasing high grade fuel for a maintenance vehicle; and some missing personnel information. In addition, two findings from last year have been resolved that included staff qualifications, payroll documentations. Meeting attendees were also briefed on the school backpack program that provides for students over the weekends. The next school board meeting is scheduled for May 14th, at 6:00 P.M.
The Western New Mexico University Friends of Clay and the Institute for Rural Social Work Research are collaborating on the Barbara Peppey Memorial Plants People and Pots Project to bring potted plants to area assisted living facility residents in memory of former School of Social Work faculty member Barbara Peppey. To kick off the project and remember its namesake, the groups held a brief ceremony on campus last week. Now, the pots and plants will be distributed to local seniors. Before her tragic death in 2016, Barbara Peppey, was an avid potter at the university’s ceramics program and a Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Rural Social Work Research, an independent not-for-profit corporation informally affiliated with Western New Mexico University. As a professional social worker, Peppey had worked extensively with senior citizens in Maine. Research has suggested that many positive benefits result from seniors engaging in plant care.
