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Public hearings have been set up in locations in Arizona and New Mexico to receive feedback on the proposals.

Information on the purpose of the environmental impact statement, with a map can be read in the following PDF. Also included is a list of libraries where one can find the full EIS. Also included is the website where the Draft EIS is available for review and can be downloaded on the project website: www.ArizonaRegionalAirspaceEIS.com.

The last chart in the PDF shows the dates, times and locations of public hearings.

By Mary Alice Murphy

I have learned today that at least two people have NOT received the mail-only ballots for the school bond election. If two contacted the Beat, I suspect that many more have not received their ballots.

If you are a registered voter, you should have received the mail-only ballot sometime last week, if you live in the Silver Consolidated Schools Districts.

However, according to the Grant County Clerk's Office, if you have not received your ballot, yours may be in the inactive pile, which includes the ballots that were returned due to inaccurate addresses.

By Mary Alice Murphy

I thought it had been made clear by all the speeches that Silver Schools Superintendent William Hawkins made to many organizations that the ballot is a Mail-ONLY ballot.

However, in the past couple of days, I've had two people ask me when voting day is.

The mail-only ballot has been sent to every registered voter in the Silver Schools District.

You have only two choices for returning the ballot. In either case you vote for or against each question on the ballot.

[Editor's Note: This is the fifth of a series of articles on the June 11, 2024 Commission meeting and the June 13 regular meeting. It begins the review of the regular meeting agenda and decisions made at that meeting.]

Recognition of those who participated in saving the life of a Mimbres Valley senior citizen

Photo and article by Mary Alice Murphy

County Manager Charlene Webb, at the June 11, 2024 work session began the review of the Commission regular meeting.

Before public input at the regular meeting, District 1 Commissioner and Chair Chris Ponce recommended tabling the Wildlife Services contract until the special meeting toward the end of June. Commissioners approved tabling the contract.

From left are Ami Evans, DOT public information officer in Deming, and Andreas Linnan, Technical Support Engineer

Photo and article by Lynn Janes

New Mexico Department of Transportation representatives held a public meeting on July 24, 2024, at the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center to address any questions the public had on the safety lighting project. Andreas Linnan, technical support engineer and Ami Evans, public information officer,  presented the scope of the improvements. The project number CN1102291 will be listed in the state improvements program.

ROAD ADVISORY:
LANE CLOSURE – Silver City Area
US 180 westbound lane at milepost 111 to 112 will be closed due to a water main break. Motorists are asked to reduce speed, obey posted signs, and be cautious of personnel and equipment in the area.

By Frost McGahey and Mary Alice Murphy

(please also see https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/two-questions-on-the-special-election-ballot-causing-confusion )

The Mail-In ballot has caused a lot of confusion. The two Bond Questions have different impacts on property taxes. Jarrod Mason, an experienced accountant who has worked on the audits for Silver and Cobre schools was contacted to explain the ramifications.

Mason first addressed the shorter ballot question that asks for $25,000,000. “This is going to raise people’s property taxes next year by 23 ½% to 25% depending on exemptions. Voters need to know this. Unfortunately, the school district hasn’t been very forthcoming. Many elderly in our county are on fixed income and can’t afford this increase. On a $150,000 house, that costs an extra $205 a year.

By Roger Lanse

As Silver City Police Department officers were on foot patrol inside Walmart on Friday, Aug, 2, 2024, at about 4:30 p.m., they came in contact with Matias Marquez, 23, of Silver City, who they knew had a criminal trespass warning for Walmart, which was issued June 4, 2024, by a SCPD officer.

According to a SCPD incident report, Marquez was placed under arrest, handcuffed, and placed in the rear seat of a SCPD patrol vehicle while a citation was written. Marquez was subsequently released on a citation to appear.