Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) reports the death of a 61-year-old San Juan County man from West Nile virus (WNV). His death is the state’s first known West Nile virus death of 2017. In addition, four Bernalillo County residents have tested positive for West Nile virus and have been hospitalized, bringing the total number of lab confirmed cases of WNV in the state this year to seven. With continued rainfall around New Mexico, mosquito populations are expected to grow and potentially create more cases of West Nile virus in both people and in horses. New Mexico typically sees most of its West Nile virus cases in August and September, but can see cases through October and until the first hard frost.
A Universal Breakfast and Lunch Program is being adopted to benefit students of the Reserve Independent School District No. 1 for the 2017-18 school year. Breakfast and lunch will be available at no charge to children that attend any school in the district. The school breakfast and lunch program follows U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines for healthy school meals and is available to all students regardless of eligibility status.
The Village of Columbus in collaboration with New Mexico Department of Transportation, Deming Public Schools, Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments, Luna County and the City of Deming will hold a public meeting to provide information on the current NM 11 36-Mile Corridor Study, from the U.S./Mexican Border to NM 26. The meeting will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., this Wednesday, August 23rd at the Mimbres Valley Learning Center, 2300 East Pine Street in Deming. The Village of Columbus and a representative from Wilson & Company, Inc., Engineers and Architects, will be available to discuss the progress of the corridor study during this past month. The Village of Columbus and it’s collaboration steering committee is inviting residents and businesses to come and view the project outline, and will answer any questions the public may have regarding this project. For more information contact Vince Pena, Project Manager at Wilson & Company, 575-652-1358 or vince.pena@wilsonco.com.
The Fort Bayard Historic Preservation Society hosted a party with informational exhibits and talks, including a banquet last Saturday, to celebrate the 151st birthday of Fort Bayard, which was founded on August 21, 1866. The event was opened by the raising of the American Flag near the fort’s former headquarters building and included Apache drumming, an information talk about two Buffalo soldiers that received the Medal of Honor, birthday cake and homemade ice cream, a Ft. Bayard tour, and a banquet later in the evening. This event is one of several events celebrating Ft. Bayard this year.
