Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
After months of detours and orange road cones, the NM 90/Hudson Street Bridge is once again open to traffic. Crews still have a few weeks of work to do on the pedestrian walk and the path underneath the bridge, but the bridge is once again open to traffic.
According to the National Weather Service of El Paso, a High Wind Warning is in effect through 11 o’clock tonight. The area affected includes most of southwest and south-central New Mexico and far west Texas lowlands, including the lower Gila River Valley, the bootheel, eastern Black Range foothills, including Lordsburg, Animas, Deming, Columbus and Hachita.
A strong Pacific Storm System has brought snow to much of southwest New Mexico. Snowfall totals are expected to range from 4 to 6 inches around Silver City with up to a foot possible above 7500 feet. Affected areas include the southern Gila Highlands and Black Range, including Silver City, Lake Roberts, Kingston and Fort Bayard.
On Saturday students from middle schools and high schools throughout the region competed in tests at Harlan Hall and in engineering feats at the Brancheau P.E. Complex at Western New Mexico University. 13 middle school teams and 17 high school teams took part in the competitions.
In sport action: WNMU Mustang Basketball lost to University of Colorado-Colorado Springs 85-73 on Friday night, and suffered a 60-100 loss at Metropolitan State University of Denver on Saturday. The Mustangs will play at home against Colorado Mesa University at 7:30 on Friday, and Westminster College on Saturday night.
The Lady ‘Stangs also lost to University of Colorado-Colorado Springs by a margin of 65-80 on Friday, and lost to Metropolitan State University of Denver 55-99. The Lady ‘Stangs will play at 5:30 before the men’s games this weekend.
The Western New Mexico University softball team opened the 2016 season on Friday and after falling in the opener to Lubbock Christian University, 11-0, the Lady Mustangs fought back and nearly defeated Midwestern State University before coming up just short, 11-8. On Sunday, the WNMU softball team took a 9-5 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State University. WNMU will now prepare for the Desert Stinger that will take place this Friday through Sunday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In legislative action: Legislation to improve student reading passed the House of Representatives on Saturday by a bipartisan 35-27 vote. The bill, HB 67, would provide early identification of struggling readers, make intensive reading intervention and instruction available to these students, and end the practice of promoting students who cannot demonstrate basic reading skills by the end of third grade.
Saturday, HB 145, a bill that would allow adjunct teachers, passed the House with bipartisan support on a 37-25 vote. The bill would allow New Mexicans with at least a bachelor degree to teach part-time without having to go back to school and get a teaching degree. The proposal would help bring much-needed expertise back to the classroom and make it easier for dedicated professionals to invest in New Mexico students.
A veteran state lawmaker is back this session with another attempt to get a proposed Constitutional Amendment through the legislature that would ask New Mexico voters to legalize recreational marijuana.
New Mexico could soon be the first state in the nation to award veterans and active duty members of the military with college credits towards an actual degree, rather than simply “elective” credits, for their military coursework, training and experience.
