During the Grant County Commission Work Session, the Public Works Director provided an update on several ongoing and upcoming projects. The department is actively cleaning the grounds of the Old Aldo Leopold School, removing 330 cubic yards of brush and trees, along with 33 cubic yards of waste. Additionally, work at the jail included the replacement of door sliders, with one already completed. Future projects outlined by the director included upgrades to the laundry room washers, a reconfiguration at the Detention Center and an electrical service upgrade at Bataan Park.
In Hidalgo County, the local DARE program, the Army National Guard and the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Department worked with Hidalgo County 5th graders to deliver the DARE curriculum, which focuses on preventing the use of controlled substances, gang involvement, and violent behavior. As part of the program, the Juvenile Justice Continuum of Services (JJCS) awarded bicycles to the top four essay winners. Congratulations to all the winners and students who participated.
The Gila National Forest, Black Range Ranger District, is preparing to implement prescribed fire operations at several locations throughout the district between now and the end of February. Approximately 200 acres of National Forest System lands are slated for prescribed fire treatment, including slash piles in the Kemp Mesa area off Forest Road 150 (North Star Road), the Beaverhead administrative site, areas near Poverty Creek along New Mexico Highway 59, the Poverty Creek community slash disposal site, the Kingston administrative site, and the Kingston community slash disposal site.
In other news:
The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) and the Department of Public Safety have secured $7.5 million in funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s State Electronic Data Collection Grant Program. This funding will be used to enhance New Mexico’s crash data systems through the implementation of the Crash Data Improvement Plan, which focuses on improving evaluation, storage, and data-sharing processes. The enhancement of these systems will enable the state to better identify high-risk areas and implement targeted road safety measures, including statewide road safety audits. This initiative is a key component of NMDOT’s Target Zero program, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities in New Mexico by 2050.
