Here’s a look at today’s headlines:

The New Mexico Department of Transportation and Interstate Highway Construction held a meeting Wednesday night to update residents about the NM90 Bridge Construction Project.  According to Johnny Macias, project superintendent for the contractor, the Interstate Highway Construction will be placing concrete on the first half of the full length of the bridge next week –weather permitting.  Macias said they hope to have the bridge at least partially open by December 24th.

PNM recently recognized six local businesses that went above and beyond in saving energy in 2014 by participating in PNM Business Energy Efficiency Programs. The Silver City and Bayard Business Energy Efficiency Stars are: Shell Food Mart – highest energy savings in the Small Business category, the Town of Silver City – highest energy savings in the Nonprofit/Government Organization category, Western New Mexico University – highest energy savings in the Most Innovative category, CVS Pharmacy – honorable mention in the Large Business category, Home Furniture – honorable mention in the Small Business category, and W & N Enterprises – highest energy multi-location savings in the Small Business Category.

The New Mexico Department of Health has seen an increase in clusters of gastrointestinal illness. Over the past couple of weeks, there has been increased activity seen in Bernalillo County, particularly in schools. Investigations so far suggest that the illnesses may be caused by norovirus.  Norovirus is highly contagious and causes more than 21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis in the U.S. each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastrointestinal illness and foodborne-related illness in the U.S.

The New Mexico State Game Commission approved an easement agreement between the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the New Mexico State Land Office for hunting access on State Trust Lands. The easement is for next year’s hunting season, and the Game Department will pay $1 million for access. The previous easement was only $200,000, which equates to just two cents per acre. The additional $800,000 will benefit New Mexico’s public education – which is the primary beneficiary, receiving approximately 95% of the money collected by the Land Office.