Luna County voters will have an opportunity to hear directly from candidates during a candidate forum hosted by the Deming-Luna County Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, October 6, at 5:30 p.m. at the Mimbres Valley Special Events Center. The forum will cover races for Luna County Assessor, Probate Judge, Magistrate Judge, Sheriff, and County Commissioner Districts 1 and 2. Doors open at 5:15 p.m.
Gila Regional Medical Center has been selected as the regional hub for a rural healthcare initiative that could bring up to $15.2 million to improve healthcare access across seven southern New Mexico counties, including Grant, Luna, Hidalgo and Catron. The Healthy Horizons initiative is part of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program and focuses on expanding specialty, maternal, behavioral and chronic-disease care. Gila Regional will coordinate healthcare providers and community partners, while a regional board evaluates projects and the New Mexico Health Care Authority approves funding. The money will go directly to participating healthcare organizations for approved projects.
The Gila National Forest’s Silver City Ranger District will begin mechanical thinning in the Bear Mountain Road area October 19 as part of an effort to reduce wildfire risks. The work will remove mostly smaller trees and shrubs, increasing the spacing between remaining trees and reducing the chance of wildfire spreading from ground vegetation into tree crowns or from tree to tree. The project is part of the larger Bear Creek to Signal Peak Joint Chiefs project, which is aimed at improving wildfire resilience and firefighter safety in the area.
In Election News:
Early voting for the November 3 General Election begins tomorrow, October 6, with voters able to cast ballots through October 31. In Grant County, early voting is available at the Grant County Clerk’s Office, 1400 Highway 180 East in Silver City, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the Bayard Community Center, 209 Hurley Avenue, opening October 17 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Luna County voters can vote at the County Clerk’s Office at 700 South Silver Avenue in Deming, while Hidalgo County voters can vote at the County Clerk’s Office at 300 South Shakespeare Street in Lordsburg. In Catron County, early voting is available through the County Clerk’s Office at 100 Main Street in Reserve, with additional early voting locations planned at the Quemado Community Center, Datil Fire Station and Glenwood Community.