Grant County commissioners will hear from the developer of a proposed large-scale data center in southern Grant County during Thursday’s meeting. Site Layer One is proposing the facility near Playas, as the New Mexico Environment Department calls for additional community engagement before considering an air-quality permit. Commissioners are also considering a one-year moratorium on new data centers and related infrastructure in unincorporated areas. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at the Grant County Administration Complex in Silver City.
Animas Public Schools has been awarded $40,000 through New Mexico’s Outdoor Equity Fund. The funding will support multi-day outdoor trips for middle and high school students, providing opportunities for outdoor recreation, leadership and team-building activities, as well as learning about New Mexico’s history and ecosystems. The program is designed to expand access to outdoor experiences while helping students build connections to the state’s natural and cultural resources.
Western New Mexico University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program has been ranked No. 1 in New Mexico for 2027. The program is part of Western New Mexico University’s 60-credit, fully online Master of Counseling degree and became Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP) accredited in 2025, a national accreditation for counseling education programs. The program prepares students for careers in community mental health centers, clinics, hospitals and private practice, with training that includes telemental health services.
In other news:
PNM has been selected to receive up to 29.4 million dollars in federal funding to improve New Mexico’s electric grid. The funding will support the utility’s 65.8-million-dollar ORBIT project, including transmission upgrades, stronger infrastructure and advanced grid technology designed to move more electricity across existing lines. The U.S. Department of Energy says the investment is part of a broader effort to improve reliability and meet growing electricity demand. PNM is one of 31 projects selected nationwide through the federal SPARK initiative.