Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
The Silver City Town Council at its Tuesday meeting approved a resolution adopting the Town of Silver City Bicycle Master Plan. Also at the meeting, Silver City Police Chief Ed Reynolds stated that 35 citations have been issued for the new hands-free mobile device regulation, which went into effect July 23rd. Council approved two public celebration permit applications and a waiver of the rule prohibiting dispensing of alcoholic beverages within 300 feet of a church or school for the first Silver City Gay Pride Festival. Council also approved a resolution authorizing the submission of an application for financial assistance and project approval to the New Mexico MainStreet Program to improve visitor access from the Visitor Center to downtown.
The Universidad Tecnologica de Camargo (UTCam) based in the state of Chihuahua, recently signed an agreement of understanding with WNMU. The agreement has four points of cooperation including the exchange of faculty members and students for study and research; the practice of joint research activities and publications; the exchange of scholars to participate in conferences and symposiums; and the exchange of information in fields of interests to both universities.
NMSU was recently awarded a $4.4 million grant from the US Department of Agriculture for research and extension to support American farmers. The goal of the project is to breed more productive pecan trees that will lead to improved production of pecans. According to NMSU Research Associate Professor Jennifer Randall, they are “going to start pin-pointing genes that are important for disease resistance and salinity tolerance, and look at flowering and tree architecture.”
The New Mexico Department of Health’s Women, Infants and Children program was recognized nationally for supporting breastfeeding mothers. New Mexico’s program was one of only eight in the nation to receive the Loving Support Award of Excellence from the USDA.
The US Department of Agriculture recently announced plans to purchase approximately 11 million pounds of cheese from private inventories to assist food banks and pantries across the nation, while reducing a cheese surplus that is at its highest level in 30 years. The purchase, valued at $20 million, will be provided to families in need across the country through USDA nutrition assistance programs, while assisting the stalled marketplace for dairy producers whose revenues have dropped 35 percent over the past two years.
