Community News

Catherine Fierro is making her dreams come true after graduating from WNMUSILVER CITY, NM — For Catherine Fierro, completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Western New Mexico University (WNMU) last December was not a finish line, but the launchpad for a high-stakes career in trauma and emergency medicine. While her academic record is distinguished—graduating as an honors student with straight "As"—Fierro's focus is now fixed on the intensive clinical requirements necessary to achieve her ultimate ambition: becoming a flight nurse.

Fierro's journey to the RN designation was defined by a decade of grit and determination. After beginning her career as a certified nursing assistant in 2012 and later earning her LPN in Tennessee, she returned to her hometown of Silver City to advance her scope of practice. 

"I love working under pressure, and I'm always looking for greater challenges," Fierro said. "Flight nursing provides that. You must complete a combination of three years in the ER and ICU to qualify. It is one of my main priorities." 

While many students find the leadership transition daunting, Fierro embraced it, serving as Vice President of the WNMU Student Nursing Association (SNA) in 2024 before being elected President in 2025. This experience, combined with her Capstone project at Memorial Medical Center's telemetry unit—where she monitored critical cardiac rhythms for patients being prepared for flight transport—bridged the gap between clinical skill and decisive leadership.

Brennan Shock

The Copper Cowbelles are pleased to announce that Brennan Shock, a graduating senior from Cliff High School, has been selected as a recipient of Copper Cowbelles Trade Scholarship. Brennan will be pursuing training in the HVAC/Plumbing trade at the New Mexico State University Dona Ana Campus beginning this fall. Along with this training he will also be taking classes in general business to help prepare him in his endeavors.

The Copper Cowbelles are proud to support students like Brennan who choose to develop valuable skills that benefit our community. Brennan's commitment to a career in the skilled trades reflects the values of hard work and dedication that we need in our area. He states that during COVID he and his friends "offered construction services" to help out. During this experience he recognized a need, and states that he plans to "serve New Mexico and offer affordable but quality HVAC and plumbing services."

SPARTA, Illinois—Chase Dobrinski of Silver City, NM, has been selected to the 2026 Sub-Junior (under the age of 15) All-American trapshooting first team, according to the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA), which determines the teams. More than 100 years old, trapshooting is a competitive sport of shooting at clay targets with a shotgun.

The ATA hosts both the Grand American (the 11-day world tournament which in August drew more than 4,000 contestants to the World Shooting & Recreational Complex, in Sparta, Ill.) and a series of "Satellite" Grands (smaller, regional tournaments providing Grand American-style trophies and competition). The association also sponsors five zone shoots.

Bill Norris displaying some of the urban flora found in and around Silver City during researchSILVER CITY, NM — At a university dedicated primarily to teaching, pursuing high-level research requires a rare degree of dedication. Highlighting this commitment to academic excellence, Western New Mexico University (WNMU) Professor of Biology in the Department of Natural Sciences, Bill Norris, Ph.D., recently presented findings from a massive, multi-year study exploring the flora and fauna of Silver City.

Since 2022, Norris has led a diverse team of 15 collaborators—ranging from botanists to expert photographers—to document the municipality's botanical landscape. This ambitious project is set to become the first published urban flora study of a municipality in the Western United States, joining a select group of only 5 such studies nationwide.

While the current study began in earnest four years ago, it builds upon a legacy of botanical curiosity dating back to 1851. Over the last century and a half, various researchers have collected approximately 9,000 specimens within the region. However, Norris' team has accelerated this work at an unprecedented pace.

"We have doubled the collection of specimens in our herbarium since 2021," Norris stated, noting that the team has identified over 500 plant species within city limits to date.

Lucy Whitmarsh accepting proclamation from mayorSILVER CITY, NEW MEXICO:  Volunteers in colonial dress from the Jacob Bennett Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in Silver City accepted an America 250 Proclamation from the Town of Silver City at the Town Council meeting on February 10, 2026. 

Mayor Wheaton-Smith proclaimed that the Town of Silver City will fully engage in commemorative activities leading up to and through July 4, 2026 and urged all community members to observe the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence by coordinating commemorative events, planning historical activities, creating new educational opportunities, and seeking opportunities for historic preservation. The Town of Silver City has pledged to uplift, support, and generate commemorative opportunities. 

SILVER CITY, NM — The Associated Students of Western New Mexico University (ASWNMU) is formally seeking state funding to establish the ASWNMU Learning Hub. This initiative represents a comprehensive effort to modernize the university's academic infrastructure and revitalize the robust student support systems that have historically served as a cornerstone of the Mustang experience.

The proposal for the ASWNMU Learning Hub emerges as a direct response to the evolving needs of the student body. While previous funding requests focused on specialized high-tech laboratory systems, student government has identified a more pressing need: creating a centralized, holistic environment dedicated to academic retention and peer-to-peer connections. The Hub is designed to revive the successful integrated support model of the former Center for Student Success, which played a vital role in campus life before the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you haven't checked out our newest exhibit, step into the story of the building that became your museum. 

Built in 1881 by prospector-turned-banker H.B. Ailman, this Mansard-Italianate mansion has housed health-seekers, city councilmen, and firefighters—and since 1967, nearly six decades of community memories as the Silver City Museum. But the story goes back further, to San Vicente de la Ciénega and the land before the house. 

"A Place in History: The Legacy of the Ailman House" tells that full story. 

SILVER CITY, NM —The acquisition and renovation of the historic Sixth Street School is a primary focus of WNMU as part of its 2026 legislative priorities. The university is seeking $8 million in state funding to transform the local landmark into the permanent home for the New Mexico Center of Excellence for Early Childhood Education.

The proposal emphasizes modernizing an existing community asset rather than new construction, a strategy university officials say maximizes taxpayer investment and accelerates the delivery of critical educational services.

The project centers on the principle of adaptive reuse. By utilizing the "embodied energy" of the existing Sixth Street School—the energy and materials already invested in its original construction—WNMU aims to deliver a 12,000-plus-square-foot facility with a smaller environmental footprint.