Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
Silver City Mainstreet Project is pleased to announce that the 24th Annual Lighted Christmas Parade was a big success. At the Awards Reception, MainStreet announced the following parade winners: Individual first place award Alyssia Carrillo, Civic/School first place award Guadalupe Nontessori, Nonprofit first place award El Grito Head Start, Commercial First Place award Silver City Daily Press, and the Grand Prize award for the float receiving the most votes was First New Mexico Bank. Congratulations to all the winners.
The driver of the vehicle who struck Twin Sisters Cycling and Fitness owner Annie Crawford at the end of October has been charged with great bodily harm by vehicle, a third-degree felony. Kathy Serna told police Crawford was not in the crosswalk and had appeared to be bent over picking something up off the street when she struck Crawford, but surveillance video of the scene showed Crawford was walking upright and clearly within the crosswalk. Crawford had to be airlifted from the scene and was originally listed in critical condition at an El Paso hospital.
Maria Marrufo of Santa Fe recently claimed a $100,000 prize from the New Mexico Lottery. Marrufo bought her winning ticket at a Smith’s on Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe, which has so far sold 11 large prize-winning lottery tickets. Since its inception in 1996, the New Mexico Lottery has raised $626 Million for education and more than 90,000 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships. More information about Legislative Lottery Scholarships is available at www.nmlottery.com.
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined a bipartisan coalition urging Senate leaders to fully fund the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program and Secure Rural Schools (SRS) in any end-of-year legislation. PILT provides federal payments to local governments to help offset losses in property taxes because of nontaxable federal land within their boundaries, and these resources are critical to rural counties across the country, which use the funding to provide services, such as police, fire protection, and emergency response. The SRS program, which benefits rural counties near national forests, supports public schools, public roads, forest health projects, and other county projects. Along with PILT, rural counties rely heavily on SRS to help provide essential services to residents. Funding for both PILT and SRS has expired, and unless the programs are renewed, counties across the country will see major budget cuts. Annually, PILT and SRS combined provide more than $700 million to rural counties across the country.
