Front Page News

By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Town Council held a regular meeting July 14, 2026. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Simon Wheaton-Smith, Nicholas Prince, Stan Snider, Victor Nanez and Angela Salaiz. 

The council approved the agenda with some changes. Because of the high number of people coming to speak for public input the time allotted was decreased to three minutes as opposed to the usual five minutes. Salaiz made a request that did not pass to remove an agenda item (number 14) pertaining to actions with the museum. She said they had already addressed it and voted twice June 15, 2026, and June 23, 2026. She said it would be inefficient of council time. 

Ceremonies

Bicyclist struck by vehicle

By Roger Lanse

UPDATE: The cyclist was a 48-year-old male from Silver City. According to NMSP, he has been released from the hospital.

*********************************

The New Mexico State Police were asked to respond Tuesday, July 28, 2026., at 7:07 a.m., to a vehicle-bicycle crash According to NMSP personnel, a Grant County Sheriff's Office deputy had struck a bicyclist in the area of 4360 Highway 15 in Grant County.

The cyclist's condition is not known at this time, and the NMSP, along with their Vehicular Crimes Unit, continues to investigate the incident.

By Lynn Janes

On June 25, 2026, the board of regents held a board meeting. The board consisted of Steven Neville, chair, Joseph "Dean" Reed, John Wertheim, Gregory Trujillo and WNMU student regent Keana Huerta. Trujillo attended online and all other attended in person. Dr. Chris Maples, interim president, and Dr. Jose Coll, incoming president also attended.

The board meeting started with their entering into executive session. They would be discussing legal matters subject to attorney client privilege. The cases included state attorney general Torrez vs Shepard, state ethics commission vs Shepard and Shepard vs WNMU.

The board came back into open session.

The board approved the agenda for the meeting and past minutes with a slight change on line 46, Neville had asked for any public input.

Public comment.

By Roger Lanse

The New Mexico State Police were asked to respond Tuesday, July 28, 2026., at 7:07 a.m., to a vehicle-bicycle crash   According to NMSP personnel, a Grant County Sheriff's Office deputy had struck a bicyclist in the area of 4360 Highway 15 in Grant County.

The cyclist's condition is not known at this time, and the NMSP, along with their Vehicular Crimes Unit, continues to investigate the incident.

By Mary Alice Murphy

[Editor's Note: This is part 2 a series of articles of a memorial reception that gook place on June 28, 2026, to honor Private Jose G. Jaurequi. He died in the Philippines in connection with the Bataan Death March, as well as the 200th and 515th Coastal Artillery Regiments, which included many New Mexican soldiers in their ranks. To understand the history, it is best to read Part 1 first at https://grantcountybeat.com/home/news-articles/memorial-reception-for-private-jose-g-jaurequi-062826-part-1-and-photos-of-the-event ]

"I'm going to give you a little bit of background," Larry Jaurequi continued."Now we go to the Philippines. The documentary we filmed in the Philippines this year is about the forgotten Gen. Jonathan Wainwright. What happened was in March of 1942, President Roosevelt tells Douglas MacArthur to get out. "This is a no-win situation. Leave the Philippines." MacArthur leaves on around March 17 late at night on a PT boat and goes and gets close to Australia. At that point, he says to Johnathan Wainwright, 'It's yours.'

A fast‑moving real estate scam has surfaced in Southwest New Mexico, targeting vacant land and unoccupied properties—especially parcels with no mortgage and owners who live out of state. Local real estate professionals are sounding the alarm after a recent incident in which a supposed seller contacted a​ broker using an email address that looked almost identical to the name on the deed. When the ​broker asked for a phone number to verify details, the individual refused to speak and quickly disappeared.

That pattern, experts say, is becoming increasingly common nationwide. Scammers impersonate legitimate property owners, advertise land for sale, and attempt to push transactions through quickly. Their goal is to direct closings to remote title companies and collect wired proceeds before anyone realizes the seller was an impostor.

To download a PDF of the release, please visit the following link: Freeport Reports Second-Quarter and Six-Month 2026 Results

Click Here for a complete listing of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. press releases.

Grant County 4-H members earned numerous team and individual awards, capturing a state championship, and qualifying for national competition. Their achievements reflect the hard work, dedication, and leadership that define the Grant County 4-H program.

The annual New Mexico State 4-H Conference brings together youth from across the state to compete in leadership and skill-based contests that highlight the knowledge and experiences they have gained through their involvement in 4-H. Members also have opportunities to build friendships, develop leadership skills, and represent their counties at the state level.

Leading the way was Areena Rogers, who earned High Point Individual honors in both the Hippology Contest and Horse Judging Contest. Her outstanding performances earned her two $1,500 scholarships from the New Mexico State University Department of Animal & Range Sciences, recognizing her exceptional knowledge and skill in the equine sciences.