The Village of Santa Clara has announced the return of the “Beautiful Yard of the Month” contest. This initiative recognizes residents who take pride in maintaining clean, neat, and well-cared-for properties. In addition to general upkeep, creativity is encouraged—unique features such as whimsical yard art, yard sculptures, bird feeders, birdbaths, and other distinctive touches will be considered in the judging process. Yards will be evaluated during the last week of each month.
The Bayard City Council received a presentation from Better Cities outlining a long-term vision plan for recently acquired property aimed at expanding housing, creating jobs, and developing community gathering spaces. The proposal emphasizes affordable and market-rate housing, new retail and business opportunities along U.S. 180, a downtown plaza celebrating the area’s mining heritage, recreation trails, and a potential workforce training center in partnership with Western New Mexico University. The concept is intended to attract private investment while addressing Bayard’s housing shortage, economic challenges, and future growth.
Grant County residents are encouraged to sign up for free emergency text alerts to stay informed when severe weather, road closures, evacuations, wildfires, or other emergencies occur. The alert system delivers critical safety information directly to subscribers’ phones, helping residents respond quickly when conditions change. Sign up by texting GRANTCO to 80946 to receive timely emergency notifications at no cost.
In other news:
National Wildland Firefighter Week of Remembrance is observed annually from June 30 through July 6, connecting two of the deadliest wildland firefighting tragedies in U.S. history: the Yarnell Fire in 2013 and the South Canyon Fire in 1994. The week honors firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty while encouraging reflection, discussion, and learning from past incidents to improve future wildfire response and safety. The U.S. Forest Service supports these efforts through the interagency Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, which compiles lessons from fire seasons, fatal incidents, close calls, and aviation accidents to promote a culture of continuous learning and help prevent future tragedies.
