Front Page News

By Frost McGahey, Investigative Journalist

On June 13, 2023, Chief Hector Carrillo of the Bayard Police filed a formal complaint with the State of New Mexico Ethics Committee against City Councilwoman Frances Gonzales. The impetus for this was the pending charge of False Reporting, but there had been other incidences.*

The first incidence was on July 30, 2022 at the Cobre Consolidated School District's Summerfest. Annette Acosta, the school official and the event coordinator, had received a complaint from Sami Morales. Morales explained she had been walking by the city council tent when she overheard Councilwomen Gonzales state she was very unhappy that the Republican Party tent was so close to her party's tent.

By Roger Lanse

A Santa Clara Police Department officer was dispatched to 610 N. East Street on Saturday, Mar. 16, 2024, at approximately 5:19 p.m. to a disturbance call. When the officer arrived at the address, he was met by the 48-year-old male victim, who stated his nephew, Matias Marquez, 23, of Santa Clara, was "destroying his house," declaring his nephew "threw a crazy and started breaking things in his house." The victim told the officer, Marquez had lived at this address prior but had been kicked out a 'few months ago' and had been living at the homeless shelter. He returned yesterday.

Photos by Lynn Janes
Article by Mary Alice MurphyNM MFA representative Julie Halbig was featured speaker.

Chamber Biard Member Sabrina Pack served as emcee.The Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce held its monthly luncheon on March 7, 2024. Julie Halbig of the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority served as featured speaker.

Halbig, NMMFA director of compliance and initiatives, said the agency is reaching out all over the state "because we know that housing, and affordable housing in particular, is impacting all our communities. It will take all of us together to be the solution."

By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Town Council held a regular meeting February 27, 2024. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ken Ladner, council members included Guadalupe Cano, Rudy Bencomo, Nicholas Prince, and Stan Snider.

The council approved the agenda with one change. They will table the mayor's appointment to planning and zoning commission. Snider wanted to know why, and Cano said they had changes coming and wanted to hold off. Snider voted against the change.

Proclamations

Photo and article by Mary Alice Murphy

Honor Flight representatives, from left, Linda Widber, John Poland and Dustin Martinez.
At an Allingham-Golding American Legion Post 18 meeting on March 13, 2023, the Beat learned from Art Sierra of the Fort Bayard Disabled American Veterans Chapter 1 that the organization had been the charity of the month at The Silver City Food Co-op.

Sierra said they had received more than $1,000 from the Rounding up program, which rounds people's cash register totals up to the next dollar.

The investigation of the death of a five-year-old child, is still underway by the Grant County Sheriff's Office. The Grant County Sheriff's Office, due to respect of the family of the decedent, minimal information was released. There are multiple factors that could have caused this tragedy to take place.

All these factors are taken into consideration within the active ongoing investigation. Relevant information will be released to the public at the appropriate time as to not have certain information compromise the investigation. The Grant County Sheriff's Detectives are working diligently on this case.

By Lynn Janes

The town of Hurley held a regular meeting March 12, 2024. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ed Stevens, councilors Nanette Day, Reynaldo Maynes and James Langley. Keana Huerta didn't attend.

The council did not approve the agenda therefore the meeting could not continue. Lori Ortiz, city clerk said they could add a discussion but not take any action or if they had something on the agenda, they did not want to address it could be stipulated to be tabled in the approval. The council still would not approve the agenda.

By Lynn Janes

The town of Bayard held a regular meeting February 26, 2024. Attendance included Mayor John L. Ojinaga, councilors, Frances Gonzales, Eloy Gonzales, and Gilbert Ortiz. Gabriel Ramos, city clerk, also attended. Mayor Pro Tem Eloy Medina did not attend.

Public input