Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument closed effective December 23rd due to a large section of the access road being washed out by powerful floodwaters of the West Fork of the Gila. The closure will remain in effect until further notice to protect the safety of the public. New Mexico Highway 15 will be closed at mile 42.1, one mile south of the cliff dwellings, until the Monument reopens. Access to the Scorpion campgrounds, Woody’s Corral, and TJ Corral is also closed to vehicular traffic at this time. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument will not reopen until safe access by car is available. The Visitor Center, museum, park store, and some trails remain open. Call 536-9467 for information on the latest conditions.
On Christmas Eve, Border Patrol received a call for assistance from the New Mexico State Police concerning four hikers that were reportedly trapped in a canyon near Silver City, New Mexico. An area rescue team located the group, but due to adverse weather conditions, they were unable to reach the group. CBP Air and Marine Operators along with Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) Agents quickly responded for fear of the possibility the hikers might succumb to hypothermia. Due to the combined effort, Border Patrol Agents were able to extract the group and bring them to safety the following morning.
Gila Regional Medical Center’s board of trustees held a meeting on Tuesday to interview three final candidates for interim CEO. The post will likely be filled by former GRMC CEO Alfredo Ontiveros. The interim CEO’s responsibilities will include assessing the hospital’s needs to get out of its current financial struggle and help choose the permanent CEO.
Candidate packets are ready for the Town of Silver City Regular Municipal Election. Councilor District 1 and District 3, both 2-year terms, are up for election. Declaration of Candidacy is Tuesday, January 10th between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm only. Precinct workers are needed for the election, which will be held on March 7th, 2017. To be eligible to work as a precinct worker, you must be a registered voter that resides in the Town of Silver City, be able to read and write, have the capacity to carry out the functions of the office with acceptable skill and dispatch, execute the oath of office, and cannot be related to any candidate running for office.
The Silver City Police Department responded to a structure fire a little before 2 pm on Christmas Day. According to the report, no one was hurt and nobody was inside the home at the time. The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but may have something to do with a faulty surge protector.
Today, the New Mexico Department of Health announced that the state’s drug overdose death rate improved from 49th worst in the nation to 42nd. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New Mexico also saw a 7 percent decline in overdose deaths from 2014 to 2015. Meanwhile, overdose deaths increased nationwide by nearly 11 percent.
