Pictured from left to right are Walk for the Heroes committee members Liz Lopez, Raul Turrieta, Mayor Ken Ladner, Peggy Tavizon, and Damon Martinez.Silver City, NM – Western New Mexico University is hosting the 7th Annual James H. Pirtle Walk for Heroes, which starts and ends at Old James Stadium on Saturday, September 30.

This year's participants will walk three miles around campus and through the historic downtown Silver City area and then enjoy speakers and food together afterward.

Registration starts at 9:00 a.m. on the day of the event and costs $25 per person or $30 per couple. Registered participants will get a T-shirt and lunch. The remaining funds go to local charities.

While the walk began as a grueling and lightly attended trek along the highway between Hurley and Deming, it has evolved into a more community-focused event that benefits locals in need. The fundraising event also brings awareness to local military organizations such as the Vietnam Veterans Chapter 368, which co-sponsors the event.

Local veteran Mike Lopez founded the event and, along with his wife Liz, still organizes it today.

After a couple of long and invasive back surgeries, Mike was wheelchair bound for a time. While driving to see a doctor in Las Cruces, he had a moment of inspiration. "I told my wife I'm going to walk this road from Hurley to Deming one day. She looked at me like, 'Yeah right.' It took me about two years to start walking again, but I ended up doing it. We did it."

Joining Mike on that first Walk For The Heroes were Marine Pete Masal; Vietnam veteran Wayne Brown; and Damon Martinez, who served in the Navy. Kay Beaman showed up with a picture of her son James H. Pirtle, who was killed in Afghanistan, and she requested the men carry the photo with them on the journey. Now, the Walk For Heroes is named in James H. Pirtle's honor.

"It just started with veterans, but people would come up to us, and for one reason or another, they wanted to walk for their family member," Mike says.

He opened the event to the community and started giving the registration donations to charities.

With 150 participants on average, the Walk raised about $3,000 last year. Mike hopes to raise at least as much during the 2017 walk. This year's money will go toward buying baskets of food to give to those in need at Thanksgiving.

Mike hopes the Walk grows through its involvement with Western. "Dr. Shepard is really into the community. He's trying to get his students out there in the community, too," he said.

Holding the Walk at a centrally located institution in town will help increase involvement, too, Mike said. "Everybody who walks that day or helps in any way is a hero. If you help people in need, you're basically a hero, man. To me you are."

For the weekend beginning Friday September 15, 2017 at 4:00 pm and ending Monday September 18, 2017 at 8:00 am Officers of the Silver City Police Department responded to 56 calls for service and had 138 self-initiated activity, and made 6 arrests. Including 2 for DWI.

Included in the above calls for service are 1 Fight call, 1 Domestic Disturbance, 1 Intoxicated Person, 2 Stolen Motor Vehicles, 1 Breaking & entering, 1 Criminal Trespass, 1 Loud Music, 2 Harassment, 6 Welfare Check, 2 Information Complaint, 3 Reckless Driver, 1 Custodial Interference, 1 Injuring – Tampering With a Motor Vehicle, 5 Citizen Assists, 2 Child Exchange, 1 Accident Property Damage

Sept. 24 at 10 am, 3845 North Swan Street – "Jewish High Holidays" This active participatory service will recognize the two High Holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The 10 days between Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 21 and Yom Kippur on Sept. 30, are a time of charity, prayer and repentance during which people are encouraged to right the wrongs they have done and to forgive those who have wronged them. In the traditional liturgy, the Angel of Life opens the Book of Life on Rosh Hashanah inviting the faithful to reflect on their destinies. At the end of the 10 days, the Angel inscribes their fate for the following year into the Book. Since this is a time of charity, attendees are asked to bring non-perishable goods for the food donation basket. It will also be a Family Program Sunday and families are invited to participate. There will be coffee and conversation after the service, and visitors are welcome. If you'd like to find out more about the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Silver City, email uufellowshipofsilvercity@gmail.com or visit our website at www.uufsc.com.

Artwork in a variety of media and styles highlight the range and talent of area Chicano artists. Ruben Gonzales, now deceased, worked in the mines and turned to art later in life. He became artist-in-residence at Western New Mexico University and influenced the students and faculty there. Assemblage sculptures created with found materials are among his best known works.

Artist and activist Peter Garcia is a former resident of Silver City, currently residing in Las Cruces. He is known for papel picado and works on paper more generally. He also creates digital art from scans of work he starts on paper.

Read more ...

Bayard Police Department

Friday, Sept. 15

Request officer
1101 Tom Foy Blvd.
Caller advised that the other party for his child exchange did not show up with his child.

Criminal trespass warning
1101 Tom Foy Blvd.
Caller advised that a named male is in the parking lot asking customers to buy him alcohol. Officer had negative contact.

Read more ...

Friday, Sept. 15

Game and Fish
Kohdy Lane – Arenas Valley
Injured deer with broken leg in the ditch. Deputy advised NMSP of the call/will be discharging weapon.

Welfare check
Hudson Plaza
Male wrecked on his bicycle or he is sleeping. Caller called back advising male got up and is walking away/he appears to be intoxicated. Deputy has contact on south end of bridge/everything is okay/he just cannot pedal uphill so he is pushing it.

Read more ...

Friday, Sept. 15

Larceny
315 N. Texas Street
Walk-in reported his bicycle stolen.

Larceny
218 N. Bullard Street
Caller advised last Saturday the ‘burrito lady’ took some items from her store/unknown what was taken.

Read more ...

Bayard Police Department

Tuesday, Sept. 12

Burglary
Hurley Avenue
Caller advised that someone broke into his business and damaged the wall and stole some property

Hot pursuit
Highway 180 – Snell to Hurley
66 miles/brown Chevy pickup. Bayard and NMSP officers at MM 126-127 advise slowing down.

Domestic disturbance
Park Street
Female and male arguing/female ran to Blake’s. Officer advised with one female and one child en route to address off Fahey.

Burglary
Orchard Street
Caller advised he just got home from out of town and back door is open/unknown if anything taken.

Wednesday, Sept. 13

Harassment
100 Hurley Avenue
Caller advised that her previous landlord is there, threatening her. Caller advised the female left in an older model car/negative contact.

Thursday, Sept. 14

Breaking and entering
S. Franey Street
Caller advised someone may have broken into residence and still be in the basement. No one was found inside the home/everything was okay.

Hurley Police Department

Wednesday, Sept. 13

Domestic disturbance
HPD
Officer advised one under arrest at officer’s location.

Request officer
Cortez Avenue
Caller advised her son’s phone getting smashed. Officer advised the incident occurred at Cobre High School.

Disturbance
C Street
Caller advised a named male and another male are physically fighting. Officer advised one in custody in his unit and two on the ground.

Santa Clara Police Department

Monday, Sept. 11

Domestic disturbance
N. Cleveland Street
Caller advised that a couple has been outside arguing all day. Officer made contact and advised clear/verbal only.

Welfare check
S. Hutchinson Street
Officer out with a vehicle with its lights on/everything is okay.

Tuesday, Sept. 12

Request officer
Stone Street
White 4 door 99 Dodge Stratus last seen around 3 p.m. yesterday. Vehicle located on 9/14 by officer on Bayard Street.

Wednesday, Sept. 13

Criminal damage to property
S. Bellm Street
Caller advised that someone knocked down his back fence and there is a knife in the backyard.

Domestic disturbance
N. Mineral Street
Caller advised that his grandson is trying to hit him and a female in the background is saying he is going to hit her too/he is upset because caller is unable to buy him a car. He just hit caller in the head.

Criminal trespass warning
W. Encino Street
Caller advised that a named female was just on her property and she’s not supposed to be there. Female is no longer there.

Thursday, Sept. 14

Suspicious vehicle
W. Cedar and S. Cleveland streets
Black older model Toyota Corolla with two females sitting in the vehicle/no one in the driver’s seat and several items of clothing are in the vehicle. Officer made contact and advised they are waiting for the mother for shade.

Shoplifting
Santa Clara Dollar General
Caller advised that a couple just shoplifted from the store/the female probably has merchandise in her purse. Officer has contact at the intersection/two are in investigative detention/en route back to the store/deputy en route to store to help officer out.