Community News

Brig. Gen. Matthew Henry of the NM Air National Guard presents WNMU Provost and Acting President Jack Crocker with a lithograph depicting some of the aircraft the organization has flown over the years, June 30, 2025.

SILVER CITY, NM—Brig. Gen. Matthew Henry and members of the New Mexico Air National Guard were on the WNMU campus June 30, 2025, to thank Provost and Acting President Jack Crocker for the university's housing of service members during the Trout Fire.

The Trout Fire began June 12. NM National Guard personnel were deployed to Grant County after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared an emergency due to the fire.

Image by Rachel Burke JassoLight Art Space is pleased to present two exhibitions of clay art.  Perception, a juried clay exhibition, features forty works by twenty-seven artists from across the United States. 

Invited clay artists Billy Bilbro, Lori Swartz, and Rachel Burke Jasso will be featured in the front window.

It's a Fine Line Between…, work by juror Bianka Groves, is on display in the Flash Gallery. 

These exhibitions run from July 3rd to 20th, with an opening reception on Friday, July 4th.  A closing reception on Saturday, July 19, 5 – 7 will take place during the CLAY Festival. 

CLAY Festival events include a demonstration and sale of Mata Ortiz work by Anna Trillo in the Light Art Space Garden. Friday, July 18th 11 am – 4pm and Saturday, July 19th 11 am – 3 pm. Anna will demonstrate the traditional painting of pottery using human hair. Her pottery will be available for purchase.  Visit https://clayfestival.com/  for more events.

Thanks to the generous support of the Grant County Community through heir purchase of New Mexican grown pecans, two recent graduates of county high schools will each receive a $1500 scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year from the Chapter AG, P.E.O. Foundation Scholarship account. This annual fall pecan fundraiser has been a successful chapter project for over 60 years, enabling scores of young women to realize their educational goals.

This year's local scholarship recipients are Shea Barentine and Cheyanne Medrano.

As a National Honor Society member at Cliff High School, Shea Barentine has served as secretary for FCCLA and as the basketball team manager. She also has interned in the Grant County Treasurer's Office. Shea will be attending Eastern Arizona College where she will pursue a degree in Psychology.

SILVER CITY, N.M. - WNMU student-athlete Noah Bugayong isn't just putting in miles for Mustang Cross Country this summer, he's out on the fireline protecting New Mexico communities from one of the state's most active wildfires.

Bugayong, a senior runner for the Mustangs, is currently serving as a Squad Leader on the Gila Regulars Crew, a 23-person Type 2 Initial Attack team. The crew is made up of three combined modules: the Wilderness crew (based out of Mimbres), the Glenwood crew, and the Escondido Wildland Fire Module from Quemado.

Right now, their focus is the Trout Fire, a lightning-caused wildfire burning north of Silver City in the Gila National Forest. As of June 29, the fire has grown to over 47,000 acres and is approximately 69% contained.

Cowgirls and cowboys with flags lead the annual parade. Photo by Cheryl ThornburgGlenwood is the place to be for this year's Fourth of July Celebration. The parade begins at 5 p.m., honoring 250 years of service of the Army, Navy and Marines.

The old-fashioned, hometown parade features equestrian units, ranch kids, locals and out-of-town guests, all decked out in red, white and blue to honor America. Grand Marshalls Hugh B. and Margie McKeen are being honored for their more than 60 yearsof service to the Glenwood Horse-drawn wagons and colorful floats are always popular at the parade. Photo by Cheryl ThornburgCommunity.

Following the Parade, the Glenwood Park is hosting an evening of fun for all. Several food vendors will provide tasty meals. The Bouncy House will be in action for children to enjoy as well as the newly refurbished playground area. D.J.

Silver City's new Parks and Recreation Manager Julian Madrid stands on one of three basketball courts at the new, Henry V. "La Burra" Morales Recreation Center, scheduled to open in mid-July.Silver City -- Silver City son Julian Madrid is the new manager of the town's recently reorganized Parks and Recreation Department, which will be housed in the new, Henry V. "La Burra" Morales Recreation Center, scheduled to open in mid-July. Julian is the youngest of four sons of Mike Madrid, who served as a recreation center coordinator when the department was under the direction of Peter Peña, Silver City's director of Public Works. 

Town Manager Alex Brown explained that his decision to separate all functions related to town parks and recreation from Public Works was based on several factors, including an overburdened Public Works Department, which had been responsible for streets and sanitation, as well as Memory Lane Cemetery, maintenance and scheduling for all town parks and recreation center programming, the municipal pool, and other responsibilities. He said his decision is also based on increased demand for parks and recreation services from beyond town boundaries.

"Silver City is a service hub for the entire region, and we've seen a big increase in demand for our parks and recreation services and amenities," said Brown. "With the new recreation center opening soon, the many new programming and services that will be offered there, and the need for a one-stop reservation process for our parks and sports facilities, it seemed like a good time to separate parks and recreation from Public Works, where staff are already stretched just taking care of streets and sanitation.

Joseph Colter MassengillThe Grant County Copper Cowbelles are pleased to announce they have awarded two scholarships.  Joseph Colter Massingill received a trade scholarship to attend Western Welding Academy in Gillette, Wyoming and Trey Greeman received an academic scholarship to continue his studies at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM.

Joseph is a 2025 graduate of Silver High School and plans on pursuing a job in pipeline welding in the oil and gas industry.  He also feels that welding is a useful skill in life, and he hopes to one day start his own construction company and give back to his community.

Trey is a 2024 graduate of Silver High School who is a sophomore at NMSU majoring in Agriculture Business and Economics. He hopes to continue his family legacy as a beef producer to help feed the world.

Copper CowBelles wish both Joseph and Trey much success in their educational journeys.

 Recognizing the STAR Scholar are (L to R) Mary Cowan, Education Chair, Jessi Crocker, Susan Moody, Chapter AG President, and Dayana Patterson, Past PresidentJessi Crocker, a May graduate of Aldo Leopold Charter School, was selected to receive a $2,500 STAR Scholarship from the P.E.O. Sisterhood.  She was recommended by P.E.O. Chapter AG of Silver City.

This scholarship was established in 2009 to provide recognition and support for exceptional women in their final year of high school to attend a postsecondary educational institution in the U.S. or Canada in the next academic year.  The competitive STAR Scholarship is for women who exhibit excellence in leadership, academics, extracurricular activities, community service, and potential for future success.