Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
The Baca Fire located 6 miles northeast of Quemado Lake has grown in size to 5,588 acres and is currently 12% contained. A type 3 incident management team is currently in command of the fire. Yesterday fire personnel initiated the planned aerial firing operation along the southern fire perimeter. Today, personnel will resume holding along containment lines and may implement firing operations as needed. The objective is to confine and contain the fire within natural and manmade features to limit exposure to fire personnel and the public.
The Kerr Fire located 17 miles northeast of Reserve is 11,886 acres and 75% contained. Command of the fire was transitioned to a type 4 organization over the weekend. Fire growth is not expected within the planning area. This will be the final update on the Kerr Fire unless significant changes occur.
Construction for the new Deming High School is on schedule to open in time for the 2017-18 school year. In addition the two-story high school with updated technology for the students, the campus is also slated to include new sporting fields, which will be installed where the current main campus currently stands. A new intermediate school is also being funded under the same project. The total estimated cost is $73,500,000.
Governor Susana Martinez announced the appointment of Timothy Aldrich of Silver City to Division I of the Sixth Judicial District Court, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge H. R. Quintero.
In legislative action during the special legislative session, Governor Susana Martinez sighed legislation that restores higher education funding, among others that received cuts after the regular legislative session. Roughly $745 million was returned to the general fund for the state’s colleges and universities, schools for the deaf and blind and state-supported medical research facilities. Martinez also used a line-item veto to prevent the tax and fee increase. The cost of restoring funding was offset by suspending capital improvement projects and using severance tax bonds to balance expenditures with revenues.
As a reminder, the Wild, Wild West Pro Rodeo begins tomorrow night in Silver City. Wednesday through Saturday there will be nightly lane closures on the Highway 180 east bound driving (right) lane due to rodeo traffic. Motorists are asked to reduce speed, obey posted signs, use extreme caution, and be cautious of personnel in the area. Closures will be in effect from 9 pm to midnight.
