GRMC Governing Board holds regular meeting 032323

img 6410 copy GRMC Cardiologist Dr. Norman Ratliff, center, is recognized for his 10 years of service to the hospital. From left are Governing Board member Chris Ponce, CFO Patrick Banks, Chair Alicia Edwards, Governing Board member Harry Browne, Ratliff, Interim CEO Margie Molitor, and Governing Board members Eloy Medina and Billy Billings.

Photo and article by Mary Alice Murphy

Governing Board Chair Alicia Edwards, at the beginning of the monthly Gila Regional Medical Center board meeting on March 23, 2023, introduced HealthTech Regional Chief Clinical Officer Carolyn St. Charles, who would later give the HealthTech update in place of Regional Vice President Scott Manis.

Edwards also introduced the new GRMC Interim Chief Nursing Officer Cynthia Lewis, who said she looks forward to working in the community and in the progression of changes at the hospital.

Read more ...

Silver City Recreational Center contract awarded

By Lynn Janes

Silver City held a regular meeting March 14, 2023. The meeting started with Mayor Ken Ladner calling the meeting to order. He led the Pledge of Allegiance and salute to the New Mexico state flag. Council members attending the meeting included Lucian Farmer, Jose Ray, Nicholas Prince, and Guadalupe Cano.

The council approved the agenda with the exception of tabling an amendment to the cannabis ordinance that Cano said would not be ready to vote on.

Ceremonies none currently.

Proclamations none currently.

Council comments

Cano said a couple of years ago they had engraved name tags and she thought it would be nice for them to have them again. Alex Brown, town manager said he would look into it.

Read more ...

Bayard looks at planning and zoning

By Lynn Janes

The town of Bayard held a regular town meeting March 13, 2023. The meeting started with Mayor Chon Fierro calling the meeting to order. Attendance at the meeting included Mayor Pro tem Raul Villanueva councilors Jose Diaz, Eloy Medina, and Frances Gonzales. The Pledge of Allegiance and salute to New Mexico flag took place.

The council approved the agenda with one change. The council will postpone the police chief evaluation.

Public input

James Irving wanted to ask some questions about planning and zoning. The council could not answer them in public comment. He provided them with copies of the questions he had. "I understand that under municipal ordinances you are supposed to have a planning and zoning commission." He questioned if they had one and if so, who worked on it. Irving said he had the impression they should have five and the public needed to know who. The commission should also have a zoning officer for people to reach out to. They need some clarity, and it should be on the next agenda and have it all on the public record. He read the ordinance to the council.

Read more ...

Snell Middle School making strides

By Lynn Janes

The Cobre Consolidated Schools held a Special board meeting at on March 6, 2023. President Serena Murillo called the meeting to order. Other board members in attendance included Gabriella Begay, Gilbert Guadiana, Elizabeth Dean, and David Terrazas. The Pledge of Allegiance and salute to the New Mexico flag took place. Dr. Jeff Spaletta also attended.

Reading of the board norms took place with each board member reading a norm. The norms consist of five rules the board strives to adhere to during the meeting. They are listed as actively listen to all perspectives, respond to concerns and questions as a unified board, professionalism expected, assume positive intent, and be positive and responsive.

Public input on agenda items none currently.

Read more ...

Homeland Security vehicles in town

By Roger Lanse

Silver City residents reported what appeared to be several unmarked law enforcement vehicles, including an armored vehicle and one pulling a flatbed trailer, in Silver City, the morning of Tuesday, Mar. 28, 2023.

Silver City Police Department Chief Freddie Portillo confirmed to the Beat today, March 29, that the SCPD did partner with the Department of Homeland Security to form a task force on the 28th but would not provide further information. He stated a press release describing the operation would be forthcoming.

Portillo said the rumor circulating that the increased police presence on Tuesday was related to the discovery of bodies in a building on Bullard Street was false.

UPDATE -2: Fatality on the Gila River

By Roger Lanse

Monday afternoon, Mar. 27, 2023, around 2 p.m. five individuals in a raft capsized in the Gila River about 10 miles south of the Grapevine Campground. According to Search and Rescue Coordinator Mark Levesque, one person drowned and four were rescued by helicopter. The condition of those four are unknown at this time.

The Beat is reaching out to other agencies investigating the accident and more information will be reported as it is received.

UPDATE:
Five adult men of "near, or at, retirement age," from Lubbock, Texas, according to Laurie Wlosinski, Grant County Search and Rescue/New Mexico State Police Incident Commander of this Mission, entered the Gila River at the Grapevine Campground planning a multi-day float trip ending downstream at the Mogollon Box on Tuesday, Mar. 28, and then returning home. One man was in a canoe, one each in two kayaks, and two in a raft.

UPDATE-2: According to New Mexico State Police staff, the ages of the four surviving men were 58, 60, 61, and 63. The man pronounced deceased by an Office of Medical Investigation official was Tregg Granato, 55.

The group, with the canoe leading, encountered a fallen tree across the river some 10 miles downstream at the bottom of an estimated 200' deep canyon, Wlosinski said. The canoe overturned and that man was swept underwater and drowned. The other four were able to make it to shore and using an emergency communicator device they had with them sent out an SOS ultimately notifying the NMSP.

Read more ...

Fatality on the Gila River

By Roger Lanse

Monday afternoon, Mar. 27, 2023, around 2 p.m. five individuals in a raft capsized in the Gila River about 10 miles south of the Grapevine Campground. According to Search and Rescue Coordinator Mark Levesque, one person drowned and four were rescued by helicopter. The condition of those four are unknown at this time.

The Beat is reaching out to other agencies investigating the accident and more information will be reported as it is received.

Silver City Town Council has debate about proposed legislation

[Editor's Note: This article got misplaced in transit, so apologies for it being so late.]

By Lynn Janes

Silver City held a regular meeting February 27, 2023. The meeting started with Mayor Ken Ladner calling the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance and salute to the New Mexico state flag. Council members attending the meeting included Lucian Farmer, Jose Ray, Nicholas Prince, and Guadalupe Cano.

The council approved the agenda as is. Prince wanted to table resolution 2023-04 and the rest of the council did not agree.

Ceremonies none currently.

Proclamations none currently.

Council comments

Read more ...

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.