Need something to do this Presidents Day? The Gila National Forest will be offering a fee-free pass day on Monday, February 19th to help encourage the public to spend time outdoors and visit public lands. The Forest Service offers six fee-free days per year, one of them being President’s Day, making the Catwalk Recreation Area a free site for all visitors on February 19th. 

Beginning today, February 16th, The New Mexico Department of Transportation District One office in cooperation with La Calerita LLC will be continuing the bridge rehabilitation project on New Mexico 26 at milepost 47.7 over Interstate 25. Travelers wishing to enter Hatch will need to use the Rincon detour at milepost 35. Traffic exiting Hatch via New Mexico 26 onto northbound Interstate 25 will be allowed. The contractor’s daytime hours of operation will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Access to the bridge and interstate will reopen overnight. 

The National Honor Society (NHS) recently announced that Deming High School Senior, Yazmin Garcia was selected as an NHS Scholarship semifinalist. While at Deming High School, Ms. Garcia has assisted in Coats for Kids fundraising events, the My Little School Fall Festival, is the host of her own podcast and is currently working on producing a documentary that she will be submitting to Film Prize New Mexico. This Fall, Ms. Garcia plans on attending New Mexico State University. Congratulations and good luck at NMSU. 

Last in Our News:

Yesterday marked the close of the New Mexico 2024 legislative session. An historic $10.2 billion budget was passed by the legislature, but the Governor still has time to line-item veto funding she does not support. Some of the highlights summarized by the New Mexico Chamber of Commerce include:

  •  $1.7 million to the Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources Department to match federal funds for grant programs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
  •   $10 million for the Local Economic Development Act.
  •     $16 million to the Tourism Department for national marketing and advertising.
  • $1.7 million to the Early Childhood Education and Care Department for low-interest loans to increase infant and toddler care in the state’s childcare deserts.
  • $40 million to pilot programs for career technical education, career technical student organizations, innovation zones, work-based learning initiatives and equipment, and summer internships.
  •  $30 million for a summer reading intervention program for students based on the science of reading.
  •     $5 million to train secondary educators in evidence-based reading instruction.
  •  $25 million for new research projects at higher education institutions directly related to economic development.
  •  $30 million for a new workforce development and apprenticeship trust fund.
  •   $2 million, for three years, to the Department of Workforce Solutions to continue the NMCC Foundation’s public-private partnership statewide mobile career technical careers awareness program for high school students.
  • $20 million, for three years, to the Higher Education Department for workforce training courses, not currently eligible for other state financial aid. 

Other key takeaways from this year’s 30 day session resulted in the Paid Family Medical Leave and HJR4/SJR8 not passing. Some key bills that passed included SB271, the Repeat Felony Offender Bond Hold,  HB195, Housing Fund and Changes, SB15, and the Healthcare Access Act. To view all the status of legislative action, go to website to learn more.