Here’s a look at today’s headlines:

Farm owners and producers now have until April 7th to choose between Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage, the safety-net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill.  If no changes are made to yield history or base acres by the deadline, the farm’s current yield and base acres will be used.  If a program choice of ARC or PLC is not made, there will be no 2014 crop year payments for the farm and the farm will default to PLC coverage for the 2015 through 2018 crop years.  Producers need to contact the Farm Service Agency before April 7th.

Fire managers continue to evaluate current and forecast conditions in order to initiate the Bar Six Prescribed Fire on the Silver City Ranger District. This project is a 650-acre broadcast burn, less than one mile southwest of the Flying A subdivision and approximately 12 miles southwest of Silver City, N.M. off  Forest Road (FR) 851, also called Red Rock Road, and FR 118.  Operations may begin as early as April 1, 2015. Once the project is started, ignitions could continue two to four days.

The Silver City Town Council approved a bid to being the second phase of a reconstruction project on Silver Street that will run between Pine Street and Lamb Street.  The work is being funded through a Colonias Grant for $489,623.  Phase one of the project included Americans with Disabilities Act features, drainage improvements, and bike lanes, and covered an area from 32nd Street to Pine Street.  With approval of additional funding, the second phase may be able to extend to 19th Street.

County Commissioners will discuss the option to adopt a resolution expanding the size of the board from three to five commissioners.  The change would bring Grant County in line with the New Mexico Constitution.  The Commissioners will vote on the ordinance in July after public meetings in April, May, and June to give the public an opportunity to comment.

The Public Regulation Commission signed a resolution designating April as Safe Digging Month within the state of New Mexico.  The resolution won the support of all five commissioners from the Pipeline Safety Bureau, Transportation Division’s Pipeline Safety, the US Department of Transportation and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.