Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
The Hurley Police officer who was wounded in a motorcycle accident at the end of July is recovering from his head injury, according to Hurley Police Chief Pete Ordonez. Officer White was airlifted to El Paso on July 23rd due to the severity of his injuries, and had been in an induced coma. Since then, he has been brought out of the coma, and is now able to say a few words and take some steps, with assistance. White’s family is looking to move him to a rehabilitation center, and he should be released from the hospital soon.
Thousands of people who signed up under the new health care law risk losing their insurance due to unresolved questions of citizenship or immigration status. The government warns that still hundreds of thousands of cases still have some sort of discrepancy. People living in the country illegally are not allowed to get coverage. Letters have been sent out in both English and Spanish to notify enrollees with unresolved issues that they still need to upload their documents to the HealthCare.gov website by September 5th or mail them in. Otherwise, health care coverage will end on September 30th.
The Gila National Forest Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team announced the completion of emergency treatment and stabilization of areas burned as the result the Signal Fire, which started May 11, 10 miles north of Silver City. The BAER Team has completed installing water erosion bars on Signal Peak Road and Lockney Road to provide drainage, have finished cleaning and clearing road ditches, removed drainage culverts and replaced them with low water crossings, installed a closer gate on Signal Peak Road and Meadow Creek Road for public safety during monsoon rains, installed warning and hazard signs at entry points and completed aerial seeding of high severity burn areas. Visitors are reminded that an Emergency Area Closure for public safety remains in place for the Signal Fire area.
The Bayard City Council on Monday approved its 2016 Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan, which identifies projects for which officials will seek funding. The Plan is a list of projects that city councilors consider their top priorites. Currently, the list includes completion of the town cemetery, to erect a “Welcome to Bayard” sign on Highway 180, and improve drainage of city streets. The cemetery is expected to be completed in September, but additional work still needs to be done to prepare the site for use. Also on the agenda included the need for additional lighting in a residential area, the proclamation of Walk for the Heroes Appreciation Day, web-training expenses for City Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Ortiz, and the city’s Beautification Committee.
