Here’s a look at some of today’s local news:
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham, signed Senate Bill 672 that provides voter registration at polling locations on Election Day and at early voting sites for the primary and general elections. In addition, Senate Bill 672 includes amendments that require a qualified elector to sign an affidavit under oath that the elector has not voted in the election before registering to vote. In addition, the amendment specifies the acceptable documentation a qualified elector must provide to establish the elector’s identity and residence before voting.
On Saturday, a 50-year old Taos man became separated from his kayaking group and got stuck in a canyon along the Gila River. According to Mark Levesque, New Mexico State Police Search and Rescue, Marcos Grado, ended up in a narrow canyon with high bluffs on each side. Search and Rescue deployed a drone that spotted the man’s kayak on a sandbar and later the U.S. Border Patrol helicopter found the man downriver. He was dropped some supplies and later pulled out by a National Guard crew. Sources reported that Grado did not suffer any serious injuries and was flown to Gila Regional Medical Center for treatment.
Silver City Town Manager, Alex Brown, has announced that interim police chief, Freddy Portillo, is now officially the chief of the Silver City Police Department. After the retirement of Chief Ed Reynolds, a committee was set in place to interview prospective candidates that was eventually narrowed down to five individuals. Portillo has served on the Silver City Police Department since 2006.
Bill McCamley, with the state’s Department Secretary of Workforce Solutions, visited Deming last week and met with officials from: the Deming Public Schools; Western New Mexico University; the Deming-Luna Chamber of Commerce; Deming Mainstreet; and officials from the City of Deming; to discuss economic development. Recently, the New Mexico Department of Labor reported that Luna County has the highest unemployment rate in the state with a projected rate of 17.6 percent. Topics covered during the meeting included the need of additional teachers in technical education, and how to prepare a better workforce and create more opportunities for students. Newly appointed Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, John Richmond, shared his goals of local businesses networking with the Department of Workforce Solutions for the future.
