Here’s a look at today’s news:
The Grant County Community Health Council has been discussing how to continue the organization after funding is depleted later this year. Members of the council are distributing community assessments to residents in order to obtain new data on community needs. A minimum of 400 responses is required to get a reliable sample, although they wish to collect a much higher amount. Members of the health council will be collecting surveys from the public at the Jump Into Summer Event and July 4th celebration on Gough Park this summer in order to complete the study by August 1st. Surveys can be completed online, go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/FSZBWJH.
The Bureau of Land Management has announced the update of their free mobile maps of New Mexico. The maps were built through a partnership with the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish and have been designed for big-game hunting and recreational use. The BLM program allows users to store the maps on their mobile devices and access them regardless of cellular coverage. In addition, the maps provide up to date spatial information of the state and will assist users to effectively navigate public lands. To download the maps, and for more information, visit the BLM website at blm.gov/nm/huntingmaps to accept the conditions.
Students graduating from Deming High School and the newly-branded alternative high school, Mimbres Valley High, celebrated their first joint commencement ceremony. Principals Marlene Padron of DHS and Bryan Simpson, of Mimbres Valley opened the ceremony in English and Spanish, which continued an evening of bilingual presentations. 242 students Deming High School graduated 242 students and Mimbres Valley High School graduated 45. The ceremony took place on the field of Memorial Stadium.
The Silver City Town Council has approved a preliminary budget for the 2019 fiscal year that will include as increase to gross receipts tax due to the Hold Harmless repayment phaseout. As part of the phaseout, local governments are allowed three increments of one-eighth of a percent where they can decide to raise local gross receipt taxes, which the Town of Silver City had declined to do so thus far. The first Hold Harmless increment will start on January 1st, 2019. Gross receipt taxes are paid on goods and services other than groceries and hospital care.
The Silver City Women’s Club presented scholarships to two Western New Mexico University students. Recipient Amanda Mondello, is working on her Bachelor of Science in nursing and plans to graduate next year. Zaige Perry, the second scholarship winner, is working on her requirements for a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and plans to apply to the WNMU the nursing program in the fall of 2019. Congratulations, students!
Two area high schools will be conducting their graduation ceremonies this evening. Both Lordsburg High School and Cobre High School will hold their commencement exercises tonight at 6:00 P.M. Congratulations graduates!
