Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
The New Mexico Department of Transportation closed a portion of NM 152 from mile marker 22 north of San Lorenzo to mile marker 39 near Kingston on Saturday morning due to roadway erosion from the heavy overnight rainfall and flooding in the area. The NMDOT will be clearing and repairing this section of roadway, and the closure will be lifted once the roadway is deemed safe. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and proceed with extreme caution. Updates will continue to be posted at www.nmroads.com.
According to New Mexico Veterans Affairs officials, the personal identifying information of thousands of New Mexico Veterans may have been compromised. Officials are notifying over 2,600 veterans that a folder with their names and Social Security numbers was found in a women’s restroom at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque in July. No reports of criminal activity has been made so far, but veterans whose information was in the folder will be offered free credit monitoring services for a year. Any veterans with questions or concerns can contact the agency’s privacy office.
A project to replace the bridge over the West Fork of the Gila River started today, and is projected to end early in the spring of 2015. The project will involve building a new bridge just downstream from the current one, demolishing the old bridge, and eventually rerouting traffic to use the new bridge. The bridge provides the only road access to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, and there are currently on-going costs associated with making repairs to the bridge abutments due to floods and stream bed shifts.
The Aldo Leopold Charter School has established the Memorial Scholarship Fund in memory of the three students who passed away tragically in a plane crash this summer: Ella Jaz Kirk, Ella Sala Myers, and Michael Sebastian Mahl. The fund will provide selected graduationg Aldo Leopold Charter students the opportunity to reach their own potential. Interested supporters can learn more by visiting the Aldo Leopold website: http://www.edline.net/pages/ALHS.
The National Guard recently announced plans to close the armory in Santa Clara on the north side of US 180. The National Guard is consolidating its armories in the state, and plans are being considered for future use of the building. Current options include a youth center or a private school. During last week’s regular monthly meeting of the Santa Clara Board of Trustees, the trustees voted to expand the roll of the village’s Beautification Committee to include the planning of community events and activities, similar to that of the Hurley Pride Committee. The Board also amended a village ordinance pertaining to the “repair, closing, and demolition of structures found to be public nuisances.” The new ordinance calls for property owners to have time to do repairs or clean-up, then the trustees will decide what action to take.
Residents and visitors alike turned out at Gough Park this weekend for the Mimbres Region Arts Council’s Pickamania! 2014. Despite cool cloudy weather, people continued to pour into the park. Music played, park-goers danced, and good food and vendors filled the area. At nearby Penny Park, children and adults alike turned out on Saturday for the Red Hot Children’s Fiesta. The fiesta offered many activities, including the planting of the butterfly garden by local 4-H and FFA students, face-painting, games, crafts, and all-around fun for the whole family.
The Lions Club in Deming is one of many in the state taking part in Operation KidSight. The goal is to screen children, ages 3 to 7, throughout the state for risk factors and to fund eye exams and treatment for referred children whose families cannot afford it. The screening process is non-invasive, simple, and quick. If the screening detects the possibility that the child may have a vision problem, the parent is notified by the school nurse or the screening Lions Club. The New Mexico Lions expect to screen over 30,000 children during the 2014-15 school year. The Deming Lions Club meets at noon on Tuesdays, and volunteers are needed to keep this valuable program in Deming. Call 546-0775 for additional information.
