News 12-22-14
Congratulations is extended to Silver High Fighting Colts as they finish third in the Pojoaque Tournament this past weekend. Silver High went 2-1, in basketball edging out Monte Del Sol and Mora, but lost to Laguna Acoma.
Gila Regional Medical Center, according to Kaiser Health News, is being hit with a penalty. Gila Regional Medical Center is one of several New Mexico hospitals to loose Medicare payments because of hospital acquired infections. In fact, the action is so large that one out of every seven hospitals in the national will have their Medicare payments lowered by 1 percent over the physical year that began Oct. 1 and continues through Sept 2015. For Gila Regional Medical Center that could mean a loss of $900,000. Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicare can cut payments based on issues such as frequency of infections caused by hospital equipment. These conditions include infections from catheters, blood clots, bed sores and other complications that are considered avoidable. Nationwide the penalties are estimated to total $373 million.
If you are looking to get out any enjoy some beautiful Christmas decorations around Silver City. The winners of the Sun Valley Do-It-Best Home Decorating Contest included the following: 1st place-Jack Dalton’s home at 2112 Delk Drive in Sunset Estates in Silver City. 2nd place went to Jeff Hobb’s home at 1316 North Loop Drive in Silver City. 3rd place goes to Pedro Mondragon’s home at 102 Malachite Avenue in Tyrone.
In other news, Tom Vaughan, president of Grant County Art Guild, presented donations to area art teachers Leslie Crumbley, from Cobre School District, and Le Ann Cook, from Silver School District. The annual donations are made for the purchase of additional art supplies to be used in school art classes and in fulfillment of the Grant County’s Art Guild’s mission to support art education.
The Silco Theater Restoration project in Silver City is hoping to raise more funds by the yearend. Overall, Silver City Mainstreet is trying to raise $500,000 to fully restore and renovate the Silco historical theater that first opened in 1923. The Silver City Mainstreet Project has received a donation match challenge grant donation of up to $3000. The challenge match grant was made by an anonymous donation. Donations are tax deductible. If you are where you can, help the historic theater be restored. With the additional matched donation challenge, this can be a great way to help.
In Deming news, this past week The Southwest New Mexico Transition Center, welcomed its new executive director, Polly Esparza. The transition center is a non-profit organization providing food, clothing, housing assistance, and other transition services to veterans. The Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico also partners with the transition center to provide food for the homeless and near-homeless veterans in Luna County, which according to the Roadrunner Food Bank is the neediest county in the state in regard to food.
This past week, in Deming, many honored the Virgen of Guadalupe. Two celebrations have been held. One was hosted by St. Ann Catholic Church at Milo’s park and another one at a private home. City Councilman Joe Butter Milo commented on the new statue that is located on the corner of Viramontes Park, also known as Milo park, on Deming’s north side. He said, the new statue is “In honor of the original settlers.”
In WNMU news, more than 150 students from Mexico completed their month-long study of English at WNMU. Students of the WNMU Language Institute’s English as a second language program completed their course this past Thursday. This intensive four week course in English was completed by students from 15 different campuses in Mexico.
