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By Frost McGahey, Investigative Journalist
Michael Renteria was elected as District Attorney for the 6th Judicial District in 2020. No Republican ran against him. In the Democrat primary Norman Wheeler, then assistant DA, was his only opponent.
In 2023 Michael Renteria's office tried only 6 criminal cases with 60 employees. Using pre-Covid 2019 in comparison, 27 criminal cases were charged along with 5 civil cases using a staff of only 34 people.
While having a larger staff, Renteria's reduced charging of criminal cases in the past three years has had a harmful effect on Grant County. This effect is outlined in a letter from the Silver City Police Officers' Association (SCPOA):
By Lynn Janes
The town of Bayard held a regular meeting January 22, 2024. Attendance included Mayor John L. Ojinaga, Mayor Pro Tem Eloy Medina (phone), Councilors Frances Gonzales, Eloy Gonzales, and Jose Diaz. Gabriel Ramos, city clerk, also attended.
The council approved the MOU (memorandum of understanding) for the Fort Bayard residential evacuation mutual agreement. Ramos explained they do this every year, and the agreement says in the case that Fort Bayard cannot be used in an emergency Bayard would open the community center.
The council approved the police reports for November and December 2023.
The council approved the accounts payable report as of January 22, 2024. Frances Gonzales asked what the $669.92 to Ace Hardware had been for. Ramos said they have an account, and this included paint, cleaning supplies, and miscellaneous items. Another question had been about the fire fund and Ramos said he would check into it and get them the information.
By Lynn Janes
The town of Bayard held a work session and regular meeting January 12, 2024. Attendance included Mayor John L. Ojinaga, Mayor Pro Tem Eloy Medina councilors, Frances Gonzales, Eloy Gonzales, and Jose Diaz. Gabriel Ramos, city clerk, also attended.
The work session allows the council to ask questions about items on the agenda.
The council had questions about several consent agenda items.
Ramos said that the training for him and Michael Paez for T-LPA 0tribal/local public agency) has been made a requirement for any federal transportation project. The more people they have certified the more points they would have and that gave them higher priority. Diaz asked if they could send others and Ramos yes and he wanted to send Tanya Ortiz, soon to be deputy clerk, next.
[Editor's Note: This is the second and final of two articles on the GRMC Board of Trustees meeting on Jan. 24, 2024.]
By Mary Alice Murphy
After considering agenda items and hearing other reports and updates, Gila Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees at its regular meeting on Jan. 24, 2024, heard the Chief Financial Officer report from the outgoing Interim CFO Leonard Binkley, whose replacement, William Ermann, was also in attendance, having come on board two days prior. The transition was under way.
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