Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
A Red Flag warning is in effect through 8 pm tonight for low humidity and strog winds for fire zones 111 and 112, which includes the southwest deserts and lowlands, and the south central lowlands and southern Rio Grande Valley. A Fire Weather Watch is in effect through Tuesday evening for low humidity and strong winds for fire zones 111 and 112.
The National Weather Service in El Paso has issued a wind advisory for Tuesday from noon to 8 pm. Winds of 20 miles per hour will increase to 25 to 35 miles per hour Tuesday with gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour. The wind advisory is in effect for the southern Gila Highlands/Black Range, the southern Gila Foothills/Mimbres Valley, southwest desert/lower Gila River Valley including Silver City, Lordsburg, Truth or Consequences, Deming, Las Cruces, El Paso and surrounding areas.
The Kiwanis Club of Silver City held their annual Community Free Easter Egg Hunt at Penny Park on Saturday. Parents were lined up to register children of all walking ages before the first hunt began at 9 am. Also at the Hunt, children took photos with the Easter Bunny, painted leaves for a mural, signed up for the Imagination Library, painted masked, and girls were able to sign up for Girl Scouts.
The Gila Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees held a meeting last Friday. The Board heard from the president of the GRMC Auxiliary on the Masquerade Jewelry fundraiser, from CEO Brian Cunningham on the hospital looing to fill an ear, nose and throat position, as well as openings in neurology, anesthesiology and pediatrics. Chief Operations Officer Jed Rudd shared information on hacks in health care and what GRMC is doing to combat it, and Chief Financial Officer Mike Metts shared that, although the hospital reported a loss for the month of February, the loss was less than in previous months.
In sports action, the WNMU softball team split a pair of games on Saturday in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action. The Lady ‘Stangs earned a last-at-bat comeback for a 6-5 victory against UC-Colorado Springs, then lost 6-2 against Colorado Christian. At the end of the two games, WNMU was 17-22 for the season and 13-11 in RMAC play. WNMU will play at home against Colorado State University-Pueblo with doubleheaders both Saturday and Sunday.
The New Mexico Department of Health is reporting the flu vaccine for this season appears to be a good match with circulating strains. Preliminary data from the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) shows that overall influenza vaccine effectiveness is nearly 60 percent. In other words, getting this season’s flu vaccine will reduce the risk of going to a doctor due to flu by nearly 60 percent. Widespread flu activity is being reported across the state, and the Department is urging anyone who did not get a flu shot this season, to get vaccinated.
