Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
Black Range Ranger District fire personnel are planning to conduct the Area 74 Prescribed Fire beginning in early April and continuing through the spring as conditions allow. The 10,000-acre project is located east and south of Beaverhead Work Center and south of Highway 59 on the Gila National Forest. The objectives of the burn include reducing hazardous fuels accumulation, improving wildlife habitat and reintroducing fire into the ecosystem.
The Cobre School Board at their Monday meeting heard a report from Snell’s MESA, or Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement group and the instructor, Cindy Lee. One student reported on MESA;s prosthetic work in third world countries in which the team had raised money each year to donate arms and legs, budgeted the parts, and taken an active role in the work they were donating. This year, the students donated four legs to people who couldn’t have had the limbs otherwise.
Western New Mexico University’s nationally recognized School of Nursing is growing its bachelor’s degree program in nursing (BSN), working to better prepare nurses for healthcare careers. More than 40 students are admitted each year into the School of Nursing, which has been offering an associate degree program since 1998. Students traditionally become nurses after graduating from the associate degree program and passing a licensure exam. The new focus is to graduate nurses with a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN), better preparing them for a career in nursing and transitioning into administrative roles.
USDA Rural Development State Director Terry Brunner and Dr. Michael Patrick, of New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service announced today the Stronger Economies Together (SET) program is seeking applications from rural communities wanting to strengthen existing regional development efforts. Today’s announcement is the sixth SET initiative as part of the Department’s efforts to strengthen rural economies by providing training and technical assistance.
A recent report was made by safewise.com on the 2016 Safest Cities in New Mexico. The 20 safest cities were selected based on data from the most recent FBI Crime Report statistics and population data. Only cities with 1,500 or more people and those who submitted a completed crime report to the FBI were considered. The cities are ranked based on the number of reported violent crimes and property crimes per 1,000 people. In the southwest corner, Hatch was ranked at number 9, Bayard at 10, Anthony at 13, Lordsburg at 15, and Santa Clara at number 16. The full report can be viewed here: http://www.safewise.com/blog/safest-cities-new-mexico-2016/
U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced more than $7.3 million for nonprofit providers and local governments in New Mexico to combat homelessness throughout the state. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the funding through the Continuum of Care Program, which supports efforts to quickly rehouse homeless individuals and families, minimize the trauma associated with losing a home, and help families become self-sufficient following their relocation.
