Community News

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.

TheActrix Studio's Beloved Summer Drama Camps Return to The Hearth in 2025

Silver City, NM — This summer, local families can look forward to a vibrant season of imagination, laughter, and community as TheActrix Studio LLC  brings its 2025 Summer Drama Camps back to The Hearth, located at 1915 N. Swan St.  The Hearth is a mission-driven community space in Silver City dedicated to cultivating connection, rest, and restoration in Grant County.

Hosted July 7 - August 7, these dynamic camps offer morning, afternoon, and full-day options, giving families the flexibility they need while engaging young performers in hands-on, high-energy theatre experiences. Campers will dive into themed sessions that spark collaboration, confidence, and a whole lot of fun—from character-building games to mini-performances that showcase each child's unique voice and spirit.

"Our summer camps are more than just theatre," says Wendy Spurgeon, founding teacher of TheActrix Studio. "Summer theatre camps are where magic and mayhem meet — and I absolutely love guiding young actors through both! The community space at the Hearth is the ideal venue for our theatrical shenanigans."

New Mexico National Guard personnel move into WNMU housing, June 23, 2025. The personnel are in Grant County to support the community during the Trout FireSILVER CITY, NM—As Grant County grapples with the Trout Fire, Western New Mexico University has opened its residence halls to displaced students, faculty and staff and to New Mexico State Police and New Mexico National Guard personnel who are in southwest New Mexico to help with public safety and recovery efforts.

The Trout Fire, which began June 12, 2025, on the Gila National Forest, has burned over 47,000 acres as of June 24.

New Mexico State Police have been working with local law enforcement agencies to identify evacuation zones and to evacuate residents.

The 2025 Nancy Champlin P.E.O. Foundation Scholarship recipients are Ila Rose Duffy ($1000) and Kianna Murillo ($1400). Both young women are recent graduates of Silver High School where each was on the "A" honor roll.

Not only maintaining an impressive g.p.a., Duffy also was a three year member of the National Honor Society and captain of both the soccer and cross country teams for three years. She additionally was involved in school media productions, held part-time jobs and provided community service at the Commons. Ila Rose will be attending New Mexico State University where she plans to obtain a degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

Kianna Murillo was a valued member of the girls' basketball and valley ball teams as well as participating in the school work study program. Interested in a health care field, she served as president of the Health Occupation Students of America organization. Murillo too will attend New Mexico State University where she will pursue a Bachelor of Nursing degree.

The Grant County 4-H Horse Program has grown tremendously this year thanks to a local who is also a former agricultural education teacher with a passion for both "all things equine" and youth. Katee McSpadden taught high school agricultural education in Duncan, Arizona prior to moving to New Mexico twelve years ago with her family to expand on the family business of ford dealerships – she and her husband own and operate Smith Ford in Lordsburg with an anticipated expansion of their Ford dealership to Silver City. 

With expansion comes change and that led the McSpadden family to move to the White Signal area, leading them to join Grant County 4-H, which is where this great story begins.