Front Page News

By Lynn Janes

The town of Hurley held a budget workshop April 30, 2024. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ed Stevens, councilors Nanette Day, Keana Huerta, and James Langley. Reynaldo Maynes didn't attend.

Lori Ortiz, clerk/treasurer, started addressing everything on the budget and explaining it to the council. She had given them the basic budget but had added professional services that would be needed and new financial software. They have had the current software cause problems on the audit resulting in findings. The new software that will eliminate that problem will cost $30,000. They have been asked to use a software that has been built for governments and allows the proper notations and adjustments needed to avoid findings.

Friday, May 10

Domestic disturbance
Chukar Drive
Caller advised a male was trying to hang himself with a cord but is now leaving on foot/he is still outside banging on the door/caller disconnected the line. Deputies advised male left in caller's vehicle/ATL for Highlander.

Stolen motor vehicle
Cottage San Road
Chinese dirt bike stolen off the porch.

Fraud/embezzlement
Burke Loop
Caller advised her computer was hacked yesterday and they have her banking information. Deputy made contact with caller.

By Lynn Janes

On April 25, 2024, the Grant County Water Commission held a regular meeting at the city annex building.

Karl Pennock of RCAC (Rural Community Assistance Corporation) attended to give the commission an update on the revenue and financial analysis he had done for the water security project. He has been working on the project for a few years. For the past six years, he has worked on the financial end to do analyses of many other projects. The presentation he provided outlined the costs associated with the project based on Stantec's preliminary engineering report (PER) and the next steps.

State Representative District 39 Candidate Questionnaires from Gilbert Guadiana and Gabrielle Begay
By Frost McGahey

[Editor's Note: This is the last article on the Primary Candidates, which has been done through an emailed questionnaire. Articles will resume for the General Election.]

The Grant County Beat asked Candidates questions so voters can determine who they want to vote for. Early voting has started and election day is June 4, 2024. The primary is only partially closed. Independents and Declined to State, as well as those who belong to minor parties, can vote in it using Same Day Registration and picking to vote as a Democrat or Republican.

Clay works by ceramics current and post-bacc students at McCray Gallery will continue from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. through Wednesday, May 15, 2024. If you have not yet visited, you are invited to do so to see the creativity of world in clay.

Three artists are featured. Allyson George creates fantasy characters in clay and animation. Hugh Remar has ceramic mugs, bowls and pots, as well as hanging sculptures. Victoria Prejean is inspired by French Renaissance work. Her displayed work, to honor her family's roots in New Mexico for at least the last seven generations, features terra cotta pottery with copper embellishments to reflect the state.

To pause the slide show, mouse over the image.

[Editor's Note: This is part 5 of the Grant County Commission first work session of the month held April 9, 2024. It continues county reports.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

The next county report at the Grant County Commission April 9, 2024 work session came from Planning and Community Development Director Randy Hernandez.

[Editor's Note: This is from his report, which is always so long and he speaks so fast, that it's impossible to get good notes.]

Funded by Colonias:
• BOP: Trail Ridge, EOP: Tanglewood Circle.
• Crum Road (Design): Design fee proposal will be submitted by April 12.
• Franks Road (Design): Design fee proposal will be submitted by April 12.
North Hurley Road Phase 3 (Const.): Bid documents are being prepared. Anticipated bid release by April/May 2024.

By Lynn Janes

The Village of Santa Clara held a meeting April 25, 2024. Mayor Arnold Lopez called the meeting to order. Trustees, Olga Amador, Peter Erickson, and Ralph Trujillo attended. Mayor Pro Tem Albert Esparza didn't attend.

Mayor's report

Lopez had attended the Tommyknocker, mountain bike event at Fort Bayard, and said he had met some great people and people from other parts of the country. At the same time a softball game had been going on there. "I have not seen that many people out at Fort Bayard in years and it was good to see." May 11, 2024, Fight Like A Girl will be having an event at Fort Bayard and Lopez said he had been asked to speak. Freeport McMoRan will be having a two-day picnic event at Fort Bayard coming up and will have about 1,500 people participating."

Independents Can Vote in Primaries using Same Day Registration.
Frost McGahey

The Grant County Beat was given incorrect information about how Independents and Declined to State can vote in the primaries. An election official from the Secretary of State's office said that only Democrats could vote in the Democratic Primary. That person failed to add that if an Independent used Same Day Registration, they could vote.

"Each polling place must have a Same Day Registration clerk to process voters who wish to change their registration in order to vote in the primaries. If you are not a Democrat, Republican, or Libertarian, you can re-register and vote," said Janice Arnold Jones, a former legislator who was a head of the Voter and Elections Committee.

Same Day Registration (SDR) can be used during early voting, which began May 7,2024, or on Election Day, June 4, 2024. A voter needs to go to their polling place and state that they want to use SDR and RE-REGISTER as a Democrat or Republican.

Two Grant County races have no Republican running in them so the winner of the Democrat primary will be elected. The races are for County Clerk and Magistrate Judge.

Randy Hernandez and Connie Holguin are running for County Clerk.
Patrick Snedeker and Matt Runnels are competing for Magistrate Judge.

A member of the League of Republican Women sent the Beat the link to find the information on SDR at the Secretary of State's website. It was extremely hard to find otherwise. Putting in the words Same Day Registration yielded nothing in the search engine. A voter had to put in SDR.

Also, in the brochure sent out by the Grant County Clerk's office there is a section on Same Day Registration that only mentions DTS (Declined to State), not Independents. However, another panel shows Closed Primary and states only Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians can vote.