Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
The Grant County Youth Advisory Council met this week to hear an update of the past year’s educational programs, including the JPO School and Learning Lab, the Truancy Prevention Program, the Drug and Alcohol Substance Abuse Program, and the Community Youth Building Project. Also on the agenda was a report on the grant application asking for about $95,000. The Council also heard report about the expected cuts to come as the state reduces budgets across the board to attempt to handle the budget crisis.
The Grant County Community Health Council at its recent meeting reported on the success of the 15th Annual Red Hot Children’s Fiesta, which took place on Saturday. After hearing other reports including statewide funding, the Council heard a report on Tu Casa, the substance abuse treatment facility that county commissioner Ron Hall has been working on for most of his term. The facility will only be able to offer outpatient services, which will be provided by HMS. Hall hopes to break ground on the site sometime in October. In order for the facility to offer inpatient services, it would require a minimum of 16 beds, a kitchen, restrooms, and people on duty 24/7.
The Silver City Police Department on Tuesday evening responded to a reported vehicle/pedestrian crash with injuries in the area of Broadway and Hudson. According to the preliminary investigation, a 38 year-old female was walking across Hudson from the Visitor’s Center when she was hit by a 2004 Chevy car, driven by a 25 year-old female. The pedestrian was reportedly not in the crosswalk when struck. She was air-lifted from the scene to an El Paso Hospital. No impairment was detected on the part of the driver. The investigation is ongoing.
New Mexico author Rudolfo Anaya will be honored with the National Humanities Medal today in a ceremony at the White House. Anaya is one of 12 recipients of the National Humanities Medal. He has previously been awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2003. In 2008, Bless Me, Ultima was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts as one of 12 classic American novels.
After a price increase of the EpiPen to over $600 for a pack of two, there has been a cry for the Food and Drug Administration to utilize all available resources to “build a robust pipeline” of EpiPen alternatives. The EpiPen has become so expensive that families in New Mexico and across the country are struggling to afford it, even though their doctors say they must carry it in the event of an allergic reaction. But Mylan, the manufacturer, has increased the price of EpiPens in the United States by over 480%, since 2009.