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By Mary Alice Murphy
At the Grant County Commission work session on Aug. 6, 2024, commissioners heard two presentations. The first was from Boutique Air, a former essential air service provider to the Grant County Airport, and the second from Advanced Air, the present EAS provider.
Eitan Spiegal and Nadim El Khoury presented for Boutique. The company began in 2009. It is a "reliable daily air service with 100 employees across the country." They cited safety, reliability, customer service and technology as their focus. They fly Pilatus PC-12s, which are 8-passenger planes, with two passengers that can be put in the back. The cabins are pressurized and climate controlled. They cruise at 300 miles per hour. They have in-cabin storage space and a large TSA secure cargo compartment. and an enclosed lavatory. They had two proposals, the first with 24 roundtrips to Albuquerque and the second proposal with 18 weekly round trips to Albuquerque and eight weekly round trips to Phoenix, which could be expanded to 12 weekly. Their reliability for the past two years has been 99.66 percent and no fatalities. Their objective is to provide consistent air service year round. The goal would be to have 70 percent load factor by their second year in Silver City. The airline has a voucher program for purchasing multiple tickets at a lower price and uses robust marketing for their flights..Their flights are available on all major global distribution systems and travel agencies. It also has a interline agreement with American Airlines with baggage transfer.
By Lynn Janes
The Silver City Consolidated Schools held a work session and regular meeting December 16, 2024. Members in attendance Ashley Montenegro, Michelle Diaz (came an hour into the meeting), Patrick Cohn, Mike McMillan and Kimberly Klement. Superintendent William Hawkins also attended.
Work session
Peter Morrison, Goodside Health chief strategic officer , had a presentation for outlining the services they will provide. They have over a thousand schools in Texas and have been expanding into New Mexico and now have 50 schools here.
Goodside Health provides pediatric services in partnership with UnitedHealth Medicaid program. They also work with other insurance providers. The nurses will have the ability to use their telehealth kiosk to connect with their health care providers for students and staff. Parents will have the option to join in on the visit, making it a three-way call. They will also come on to the campuses periodically for wellness care services.
By Lynn Janes
The Cobre Consolidated School Board held a regular meeting on November 18, 2024, at Central Elementary School in Santa Clara. Board members in attendance included Gabriella Begay, Gilbert Guadiana and David Terrazas. Superintendent Michael Koury, Angelina Hardin, and Emmarie Heredia did not attend.
Begay started the meeting by congratulating the girls volleyball team and their state championship win. Terrazas said he had watched it online and they played a phenomenal game. He added it had been the first time Cobre had gone to the state championships. Guadiana said he had been watching the games and had watched the girls grow from being a strong team to and even stronger one. It had been a testament to their coaches and their willingness. "You guys are incredible, and it was the most exciting sports at Cobre this year." He congratulated them and said second place is still an honor.
Photos by Mary Alice Murphy
Monday morning saw a large influx of family members and friends at the swearing in ceremony at the Grant County Administration Center. Most chairs were filled, as District 2 Magistrate Judge Hector Grijalva swore in the re-elected County Treasurer Patrick Cohn, the newly elected Clerk Connie Holguin, newly elected District 3 County Commissioner Nancy Stephens, newly elected District 4 Commissioner Eddie Flores, newly elected District 5 Commissioner Harry Browne, and NM District 28 Senator Gabriel Ramos. Incumbent NM District 39 Rep. Luis Terrazas arrived too late for the ceremony, so he will be sworn in on the House Floor at the upcoming 60-day Legislative session.
Norm Wheeler and Judge Jarod Hofacket before Wheeler was sworn in as DA
Wheeler being sworn in as NM Sixth Judicial District Attorney
Photos and article by Lynn Janes
Many in the community came together to witness the swearing in of Norm Wheeler as the new district attorney. Wheeler will be starting his term on January 1, 2025. Sixth Judicial District Judge Jarod Hofacket swore Wheeler into the District Attorney position. Before he was sworn in, Wheeler thanked everyone for their support and invited them to a get together.
Wheeler will replace Michael Renteria as the district attorney, after having been elected in the November 5, 2024 election. Wheeler will serve a term of four years and can be reelected to the office at that time.
Author’s note: It’s the policy of the courthouse to not allow cameras or phones in the courthouse and the writer had been initially denied the right to have a camera for the event. Later before the ceremony ,Judge Hofacket granted special permission to bring a camera in.
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