Santa Clara ready for grand opening of bike park

By Lynn Janes

(Writers note: this article was written using the minutes provided by the Village of Santa Clara)

The Village of Santa Clara held a regular meeting May 28, 2026. Mayor Arnold Lopez called the meeting to order. Mayor Pro Tem Albert Esparza, trustees, Peter Erickson, Olga Amador and Ralph Trujillo attended.

The council approved the agenda and past meeting minutes.

Mayor's report

Lopez said they had two ICIP (Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan) workshops and explained the changes from the previous year. They had also done a walk through to the new bike park project. It will be completed and will have a grand opening June 26, 2026. Music in the park will start June 12, 2026.

By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Town Council held a regular meeting June 9, 2026. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Simon Wheaton-Smith, Nicholas Prince, Stan Snider, Victor Nanez and Angela Salaiz.

The council approved the agenda.

Ceremonies

The employee of the month had been submitted by Ken Dayer, director Silver City Public Library. Lorraine Runnels had done an outstanding job with dedication and has been an exceptional worker. She has a positive attitude and commitment that has made a significant impact. Dayer said they had been undergoing a renovation project and as part of the planning process Lorraine had worked with him to ensure minimal impact on the public and staffing during the process. She had picked up this responsibility and still continued her normal job responsibilities.

Proclamations

Due to Increased Containment, Set Status Lifted for Residences Near Bear Fire 

Acres: 7,769 acres
Start Date: June 9, 2026  
Location: 18 miles southeast of Quemado, NM
Personnel: 298 
Containment: 91% 
Cause: Lightning 

Map below [Editor's Note: I am trying to make it smaller, so it will show up. Thanks for your patience!  I gave up, so if you want to see the map, please choose the download arrow and you should be able to download it and view it.]

Summary: Containment on the Bear Fire increased to 91% on Thursday.  

A small portion of the fire perimeter on the east flank remains uncontained. Control lines are in place along the fire's edge, and forward progress has been stopped, though some heat remains in this area. Private property located immediately to the fire's east is no longer in imminent danger. Following the recommendation from the Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Incident Management Team, Catron County Emergency Management lifted SET status for residences within zones 2, 3 and 4 as of Thursday, June 18, at 4:45 p.m. 

Andrea Brown

Andrea Brown is found guilty by Luna County jury for High-Speed Pursuit, Fleeing with child.

June 18, 2026 Luna County I Sixth Judicial District Attorney Norman R. Wheeler announced today that Andrea F. Brown, 46, was found guilty by a Luna County jury. The jury convicted Brown on:
Count 1: Aggravated Fleeing a Law Enforcement Officer, 4th Degree Felony;
Count 2: Abuse of a Child (Does not result in Death or Great Bodily Harm), a 3rd Degree Felony; .

The Honorable Jennifer Delaney of the Sixth Judicial District Court presided over the hearing. This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Garet Kartchner.

DEMING, NM -On June 18, 2024, Luna County Sheriff's deputies initiated a traffic stop on a passenger vehicle operating without registration. The driver, identified as A. Brown, initially pulled over but accelerated rapidly and fled the scene as the deputy approached the vehicle.

[Courtesy photos below]

Reserve, N.M. – On June 15, 2026, a 74-year-old man reported to family members via text message that he had become lost while hiking in Catron County. The man advised that he had been separated from his truck for approximately 40 hours and could only describe its location as being near a campsite with a large ponderosa tree along NM 28.

A Search and Rescue (SAR) mission was immediately launched, bringing together volunteer responders from Mesilla Valley SAR, Doña Ana County SAR, Socorro SAR, Cibola SAR, Grant County SAR, Albuquerque Mountain Rescue Council, and Catron County SAR, with additional support provided by Catron County Dispatch and the Catron County Sheriff's Office.

Twenty-eight volunteer SAR members responded to the call, dedicating their personal time and resources to assist in locating the missing hiker. Search efforts included thermal drones, UTVs, a scent-tracking dog, and extensive ground searches conducted by volunteers on foot. With no air support available, search teams methodically searched the rugged terrain in hopes of locating the lost hiker.

Suppression Repair Underway on Bear Fire 

Acres: 7,769 acres

Start Date: June 9, 2026  

Location: 18 miles southeast of Quemado, NM

Personnel: 358 

Containment: 82% 

Cause: Lightning 

Map below

Summary: Firefighters focused on strengthening and securing containment lines yesterday as hot, dry, and windy conditions presented an increased threat for fire activity across the incident. Crews extinguished hot spots near the fire's edge to keep the fire within its current footprint. As containment continues to increase, resources and personnel assigned to the Bear Fire will be strategically reduced.