Local News Releases

Desiree DiazThe board of directors of PFLAG Silver City is pleased to announce the latest recipients of the Nancy Kailing Memorial Scholarship.  They are all students at Western New Mexico University.

Desiree Diaz of Rio Rancho, NM is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Sociology and Rehabilitation Services.  "Our community is experiencing heightened vulnerability, especially under the current political climate.  The time for advocacy and activism is now, and I am excited to be part of the change and to honor those like Nancy Kailing who paved the way," she shared.

Photo of a jaguar from a game camera at Cuenca Los Ojos - Photo credit: Cuenca Los OjosGNPS Program October 16th: "Cuenca Los Ojos: Restoring and Rewilding One of North America's Great Wildlife Landscapes" – Presentation by Peter Winsor

To kick off its fall/winter season of evening programs, the Gila Native Plant Society has invited Peter Winsor of Cuenca Los Ojos to describe his organization's efforts to restore and rewild a great North American landscape. The program will be held in Room 111 of Harlan Hall on the WNMU campus at 7:00 pm on Friday, October 16, 2026.

Cuenca Los Ojos is both a conservation organization and a large nature reserve in the Sky Islands region of northern Mexico. The end goal of Cuenca's restoration and rewilding efforts is to have functional ecosystems where bison shape the grasslands, beavers restore streams and wetlands, pronghorn race across open plains, wolves reclaim their ecological role, and jaguars once again roam a connected borderlands landscape.

Silver City Pick It Up-Toss No Más Invites Community to Join Spook-tober Cleanup on Saturday, October 17th, 9 am-12 pm 

The Silver City Pick It Up-Toss No Más program is inviting community members to get into the spooky spirit at a Spook-tober Community Litter Cleanup on Saturday, October 17th. This October, the fall temperatures feel terrific and the monsoon rains have created an explosion of wildflower blooms on the hillsides and in creek bottoms. Volunteers of all ages will enjoy celebrating this beautiful fall season and giving back to their community during a community cleanup. Just a few hours of effort can add up as we all work together to keep Silver City's streets, parks, waterways, and public spaces clean and litter-free. 

October 18, at 10:00 am, 3845 North Swan Street  – "Health Through Community Action"

Emma Eileen McKinley will talk about the Grant County Community Health Council and the Youth Substance Awareness and Prevention Coalition. They are diverse and dedicated groups working towards a healthier Grant County. This program will cover the current projects of these programs, including prescription safety, overdose prevention, safe medication storage, suicide prevention, mental health, and more!

McKinley will also discuss what social determinants of health are, how collective justice is essential for healthy living, and what UU's can do to advance public health. 

Emma Eileen McKinley is the coordinator for the Grant County Community Health Council and the Youth Substance Awareness and Prevention Coalition, both programs of the Center for Health Innovation - Public Health Institute. She has a background in harm reduction, violence prevention, and community organizing. When she is not advancing public health by inspiring social change, she enjoys volunteering, nature, crafting, and spending time with her menagerie of pets. 

All ages are welcome to attend the Sunday program.

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Join us on Thursday, October 22nd, from 5-7 PM for our next cooking class!

Jennifer, our Senior Community Engagement Manager, will be teaching participants how to make a delicious variety of soups featuring seasonal garden vegetables. We'll be preparing:

• Beet Borscht
• Curried Roasted Butternut Vegetable Soup
• Roasted Tomato Pepper Soup
• Creamy Fall Veggie Chowder
• Homemade Crackers

Participants are welcome to bring their own pint-sized containers or jars to take home some soup to enjoy later.

This class is family-friendly! We just ask that children be accompanied by an adult who can supervise them throughout the class, as we'll be working with sharp knives and high heat.

Southwest Catch of the Week

Bill Evans Lake: Eric Kennburg caught this unique albino catfish before dawn using cutbait. 

Southwest Fishing Report

Bear Canyon Lake: Closed to the public Monday–Thursday starting Oct. 5. The lake will remain open Friday-Sunday. Regular use projected to return in Jan. 2027.

Bill Evans Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using cutbait. 

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:

The regular monthly board meeting of the Grant Soil and Water Conservation District will be held Monday, October 26, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the conference room of the Natural Resources Conservation Service/Grant SWCD office located at 3082 32nd Street Bypass, Suite C, Silver City, NM.  To request a copy of the agenda or for more information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The meeting is open to the public. 

Friday : October 23, 2026, 5:00- 6:00PM. ::

In the Telling: A Poetry Reading by Larry Olliver:: Arts 

Larry considers himself a poet of place, his work is rooted in the natural surroundings. He focuses on the specificities of bird and animal life, the plants and their life phases as the circle of the seasons turns, the complex, infinitely beautiful workings of the cosmos. There's a little philosophy, even a bit of politics, all wrapped up in immediate personal experience. The natural surroundings are the heart and substance of his creative -- and spiritual -- practice.