Front Page News

 FIRE RESTRICTIONS NOTIFICATION

Silver City, NM, Apr. 25, 2025—With continued windy, dry weather and increasing heat, the Gila National Forest will move to Stage 2 fire restrictions on Monday, April 28. The purpose of the restrictions is to protect public health and safety, as well as National Forest System lands, resources, and facilities by reducing the risk of human-caused wildfires during the current period of extreme fire danger and severe weather conditions.

"These fire restrictions allow for the use of liquid-fueled stoves with shut-off valve, within an area at least 6 feet in diameter that are cleared of vegetation or other flammable materials," said Gila National Forest Supervisor Camille Howes. "We are coordinating this closure with our state, county, and federal partners. With your help, we can all work together to prevent human-caused wildfires."

Photos by Paul Michaud

The Tour of the Gila Stage 3 Inner Loop race started at Fort Bayard and headed up toward Pinos Altos before turning right onto NM 35, hen right onto NM 152,  right onto Hwy 180 and finishing at Fort Bayard. 

Photos by Mary Alice Murphy and Courtesy video of most of the UCI men riders going up the hill on NM 15 toward Pinos Altos.

[Editors Note: Photos of the starts and the award ceremonies are coming later.]

The Stage 3 UCI Men peloton heading up toward Pinos Altos, with a group of about four near the top of the visible road.

 Photos by Paul Michaud

Stage 2 of the Tour of the Gila leaves from Gough Park in Silver City and finishes in Mogollon. These photos are of the start of the two races. The UCI Women start out first, followed later by the UCI Men.

Lunch for Tour of the Gila volunteers and staff members

 Some photos and article by Mary Alice Murphy Some photos by Kim Montoya

On Wednesday, April 23, 2025, the first day of the Tour of the Gila, featured the Time Trials on New Mexico 90, south of Silver City, with the beginning and the finish at Tyrone.

In 2000, the Tyrone Property Owners Association decided to offer lunch to the volunteers and staff that work the time trials each year. The tradition continues under the Tyrone Community Association, which replaced the TPAO.

By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Town Council held a regular meeting March 11, 2025. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ken Ladner, Mayor Pro Tem Guadalupe Cano, and Councilors Nicholas Prince, Rudy Bencomo and Stan Snider.

Alex Brown, town manager, introduced the new town attorney Charles Kretek. He works with New Mexico government law and municipal law out of Albuquerque but actually lives in Deming. He has over 30-plus years of government law experience.

Ceremonies

By Lynn Janes

The town of Bayard held a special meeting April 3, 2025. Attendance included Mayor John L. Ojinaga, councilors, Frances Gonzales (phone), Eloy Gonzales and Gilbert Ortiz. Martha Salas, city clerk, also attended.  Mayor Pro Tem Eloy Medina didn’t attend.

New business

The council approved the video surveillance and access control improvements for the public safety building and community center to be done by APIC Solutions. Salas said she would be presenting projects that have funding that will expire in June 2025. She wanted to have these moving forward right away so the funding would not be lost. 

April 24,2025 I Sixth Judicial District Attorney Norman R. Wheeler announced today that Frank Anthony Vega, Sr. was held without bond in a pre-trial detention hearing and judges' consideration on April 23,2025 by Sixth Judicial District Court Judge James B. Foy. Vega is charged with Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon, Resisting, Evading, Obstructing an Officer, Aggravated Burglary [Commits Battery], Aggravated Battery [household member], Child Abuse [intentional or recklessly], False Imprisonment, and Interference with Communications.

District Court Judge Foy in his written explanation stated that Defendant Vega has demonstrated violence against a loved one and an acquaintance on two occasions within the past two weeks. The first being choking the mother of his child and telling her he was going to kill her. In a second altercation Vega chased a man down the street in downtown Silver City brandishing knives in both hands, in broad daylight.