During the Hurley Town Council meeting, the council appointed Aron Phillips to the position of mayor pro tem on the recommendation of Mayor Maynes. The council also filled its remaining vacant seat by appointing Grant County Animal Control Officer Jason Cox. In addition, Darlene McBride was reappointed as town clerk/treasurer, Kevin Vigil as police chief, and Jay Madrid as fire chief. The council also approved a resolution outlining Hurley’s governing body rules of procedure, including guidelines for how meetings are conducted and who presides over them.
The Gila National Forest intends to implement prescribed fire operations on the Black Range, Quemado, and Reserve Ranger Districts. Planned activities include the burning of slash piles in the Indian Cienega area along New Mexico Highway 59, machine piles from previous logging operations south of Luna near Sawmill Road and similar machine piles in the Sign Camp area near Forest Service Road 141. Fire personnel will continue to monitor weather and environmental conditions over the coming month and will carry out targeted prescribed burns when conditions are appropriate.
The Mayor of the Village of Columbus announced a series of community improvement projects currently underway throughout the village, to help enhance infrastructure, support economic development, and improve public spaces. Ongoing initiatives include roadway improvements on Taft Street, the installation of public murals to enrich the community’s visual character, the extension of electrical infrastructure to serve the new Industrial Park, and the demolition of the former Columbus public pool to make way for future redevelopment.
In other news:
The New Mexico Lieutenant Governor announced that a top priority for the 2026 session of the state legislature is a significant upgrade of roads across New Mexico to support a thriving economy, attract future jobs, and create a sustainable environment for businesses and residents. As part of this effort, the Lieutenant Governor assisted in presenting the proposed New Mexico Department of Transportation infrastructure budget, Senate Bill 2, to the Senate Finance Committee. The proposal includes a $1.5 billion transportation bonding package designed to fund critical state-managed road projects and free up additional resources for local road improvements.
