Front Page News

Photos by Lynn Janes
Article by Mary Alice Murphy

The monthly Silver City-Grant County Chamber took place late in June to accommodate the speakers.

The first speaker, Abri Gomez of the Southwest New Mexico ACT serves as coordinator for the Grant County Co.Starters program. She said the Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments helped bring the program to Grant County.

The program allows small businesses that wish to start or grow to access knowledge, resources, skills and planning services.

Gomez said the Co.Starters CORE program lasts 10 weeks with facilitators helping the businesses learn about marketing, financial processes, legal requirements and accounting. "We always have great speakers from around the county."

She explained the program also supports a network of other small businesses. "It's important to know yourself, your working style, potential obstacles, building blocks and who to hire for growth."

By Lynn Janes

The Village of Santa Clara held a meeting August 8, 2024. Mayor Arnold Lopez called the meeting to order. Mayor Pro Tem Albert Esparza, trustees, Olga Amador, Peter Erickson and Ralph Trujillo attended.

Mayor’s report

Lopez apologized for not being at the last meeting and thanked everyone for stepping in. He had been asked to be the safety officer in Missoula, Montana. He said it had been a good refresher for him.

The sidewalks looked good, and Lopez said he had gone around to check on the other projects and how they had been going. Music in the park will continue until the end of August. He told everyone to enjoy the new lawn at the city office. It never has to be watered and stays green all winter. They will have trees coming in to be planted and that would help provide shade for many areas.

By Lynn Janes

On August 8, 2024, the commission held a regular meeting at the city annex building.

Raymond De La Vega, Stantec project manager, introduced the engineers that would be working on the project. Richard Maynes works for Stantec locally. Barbara Herrera and Tracy Anderson, senior project engineer from Denver office, attended for the kickoff of the project. He wanted everyone to meet who would be working on the project and have them tour the area where the water lines would be put.

They had put together a presentation. It the past they had discussed the needs of the stakeholders and looked at what would make it the most functional for everyone. Stantec has been looking at the best way to operate the system and avoid having to flush the system due to water aging. Multiple modeling simulations for the project had been done. This will be just to start the conversation.

By Lynn Janes

The Cobre Consolidated School Board held a special meeting on July 29, 2024. Board members in attendance included Gabriella Begay, Gilbert Guadiana, David Terrazas, Angelina Hardin, and Emmarie Heredia (phone). Superintendent Michael Koury also attended.

The board approved with changes, if appropriate, to the Cobre High School student and parent handbook after some discussion. Guadiana pointed out that he didn’t see any consequences on page 9 for cell phone usage. Koury said they would be using the discipline matrix for the school. First, they would be asked to put it away, second time the phone would be taken away and the third time they would be sent to the office. Guadiana said it did not appear clear in the handbook. Koury said if he continued to read on page 9 it would explain. Guadiana wanted to know if the offenses would be cumulative, go from class to class or just be for that classroom. Koury said they could not make it cumulative, but the third offence would send them to the office.

The session addressed planned treatments in the area

By Mary Alice Murphy

The purpose of the meeting was for the agency representatives of the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, State Forestry and Soil and Water Conservations Districts to point out how they collaborate on prescribed burns, use of herbicides for thinning and the reseeding of fire areas.

Available were maps of planned prescribed burns in the Pinos Altos area, specifically in the Cross Mountain area, which might take place in October. Another map showed the Rico Fire area and grass seeding target areas to rehabilitate the area.

By Roger Lanse

On Aug. 13, 2024, a Silver City Police Department officer was dispatched to the Silver Consolidated Schools Administration Building, 2810 N. Swan Street, at about 4:15 p.m. The Grant County Regional Dispatch Authority stated Louis Alvarez, Silver Consolidated Schools Associate Superintendent, had a Silver High School teacher in his office who had admitted to an "inappropriate relationship" with a female SHS student. According to an SCPD affidavit for arrest, a SCPD detective identified the teacher as Felix "Orland" Thompson, 23, of Silver City.

Alvarez said information that Thompson was having an inappropriate relationship with a student came through an anonymous complaint system. Alvarez told the detective he had been conducting an investigation based on the anonymous tip he had received, but through an examination of phone records determined that Thompson hadn't been texting the 17-year-old female victim during the time the victim had claimed. Thompson was allowed to return to work.

Photos by Lynn Janes
Article by Mary Alice Murphy

At an invitation-only presentation at the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center, Levi Stockton, president and pilot of Advanced Air, which provides essential air service to the Grant County Airport, and other members of his team were on hand to get input and hear from those who utilize the service.

Lt. Gov Howie Morales said: "I want to say how much I appreciate Advanced Air and its wonderful service. Sometimes, I'll be down here at home, and I get a call from the governor that she wants me back up there the next day. I can always get on the flight back north to Albuquerque."

Barbara Hunt, Advanced Air vice president of operations, said another guest would be speaking from Washington, D.C. She introduced District 39 State Rep. Luis Terrazas, who attended via Zoom.

On August 20, 2024 at 1549 hours, Officers were dispatched to the 1300 block of Alabama Street in reference to a female later identified as Marie A. Gonzales, with a gunshot wound to her upper left leg.

Initially, Marie was uncooperative and stated she had been shot and just needed to be transported to the hospital. Marie did not want to tell Officers anything about the incident.