Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
The Baca Fire 6 miles northeast of Quemado Lake grew marginally yesterday, reaching an acreage of 672 acres. Command of the incident today transferred to an incident 4 commander. The fire received a moderate amount of moisture, however; heat remains within the perimeter and it is anticipate smoke and fire activity may increase over the next couple of weeks as the area begins to dry out. CDT hikers are no longer discouraged from using the trail. FR 13D and FR 323 are closed until a hazard assessment can be completed.
The Kerr Fire on the Reserve Ranger District is 6,804 acres and remains 38% contained. Resources will bone pile and burn heavies along FR 289 where ignitions occurred yesterday and continue to patrol southern, eastern, and northern flanks.
New Mexico State Police are investigating a local high school teacher after a student’s mother contacted police concerning a possible sexual relationship between her son and the teacher. Yesterday the teacher, Tiana Sanchez, was arrested and booked into the Grant County Detention Center. The investigation is ongoing.
Hidalgo Medical Services (HMS) is gearing up to take over operations of the four Grant County Senior Center sites, effective July 1, 2017. State and Federal budget cuts continue to impact several programs in New Mexico, and programs funded by the Aging and Long Term Services Department are no exception. If funds are reduced, most rural communities will not be able to provide services to meet the need of this growing population. In an effort to adjust to budget cuts, HMS will make modifications to the current program model. Modifications include closing the Hurley cater site, while turning the Mimbres and Gila sites into cater sites. Learn more in a separate post on our website.
