Front Page News

Change your clocks before you go to bed Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. 

By Roger Lanse

Grant County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to Gila Regional Medical Center on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2024, at about 11:19 p.m., in reference to a juvenile who had shot himself at an unknown address in Bayard. According to a GCSO offense report, deputies made contact with the juvenile male,14-year-old Quintin Hodges of Silver City, and the victim's 28-year-old brother, Xavier Padilla, who had driven Hodges to the GRMC-ER.

Hodges stated he was at a friend's house in Bayard and was "messing with" a semi-automatic handgun when it discharged. Deputies determined Hodges had been shot with a 9mm handgun, the bullet entering the inner side of his left knee and exiting on the outer side of that knee.

By Roger Lanse

On Saturday, Oct. 16, 2024, witnesses reported to the Grant County Regional Dispatch Authority a blue car that was swerving as they followed it, the car ending up high centered on a rock wall in a yard at 1201 N. Alabama Street. A Grant County Sheriff's Office deputy responded to the scene, according to a GCSO offense report, at about 1:01 p.m., and observed a blue Ford Fusion high centered on a rock wall – the front half of the vehicle on the rock retaining wall and the rear half roughly 3-4 feet in the air.

By Roger Lanse

On Monday, Oct. 4, 2024, at about 4:16 a.m., a Grant County Sheriff's Office deputy was en route to a call involving a vehicle vs deer accident on Highway 180 at MM 103 (1 mile east of Mangas Terrace), when he observed a black sedan parked on the side of the road at MM 106 (4 miles east of Mangas Terrace) covered in dust. According to a GCSO offense report, the female driver sitting inside the vehicle appeared to be passed out and was unresponsive to the deputy's attempts to gain her attention.

Finally, after several minutes of yelling at her and banging on the windows, the report said, the driver sat up and unlocked the door. As soon as the driver's side door was opened the deputy could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the interior of the vehicle and from the driver's person. The driver also exhibited slurred speech, bloodshot and watery eyes, and seemed dazed and confused.

Construction to start on 11/11

SILVER CITY - The New Mexico Department of Transportation District One, in partnership with Mountain States Constructors, Inc., is pleased to announce the $41M construction project to begin on US 180.

This project includes widening US 180 from a 2-lane to a 4-lane, realignment of roadway over the existing railroad tracks, removal of the Hurley overpass to be replaced with an at-grade roadway crossing at Pit Access Road, rehabilitation of pavement and widen shoulders from 8 foot to 10 foot, and improvement of intersections along the corridor, lighting improvements, and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). The project will take place from milepost 123.13 in Bayard to milepost 128.27 in Hurley.

Starting Monday, November 11, 2024, drivers should anticipate daytime lane closures in both the eastbound and westbound lanes as necessary. The contractor's sequence of construction will be the area of the railroad track, westbound lanes then into the eastbound lanes. Work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This reconstruction project is expected to take just over a year to complete, depending on weather conditions.

The New Mexico Department of Transportation is committed to the safety of the traveling public and thanks you for your cooperation during this work. For updated information go to: New Mexico Department of Transportation at www.nmroads.com  or call 511.

[Editor's Note: This is written using the minutes from Silver City Executive Assistant Randy Hernandez.]

Members in attendance:
Alex Brown, Town of Silver City
Charlene Webb, Grant County
Harry Browne, Grant County
Sheila Hudman, Village of Santa Clara
Martha Salas, City of Bayard
Ed Stevens, Town of Hurley

Alto Attending:

Randy Hernandez, Town of Silver City; Diana Temple, SWSWA Office Manager; 
Rheganne Vaughn, Universal Waste Systems
; and Kristy Ortiz, USDA Rural Partners Network Community Liaison

Chairman Brown called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m.

Photos by Mary Alice Murphy

The annual Hurley Pumpkin Patch set up on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. The pumpkins this year were found at The Patio, games for kids were set up out front. Inside The Old Hurley Store, owner Don Spann had several train displays, two of which were operating to the delight of adults and children visitors. Back outside, a horse cart carried passengers for a ride up and down the street. [Author's Note: While she was writing down names of the horse and cart driver and owner, Ronan, the horse became curious about what she was doing, and in the middle of writing, the author had this large nose start sniffing her pen and notebook. Then, Ronan accepted a nose rub.]

Photos by Mary Alice Murphy

On Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, the Silver City Jacob Bennett Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution presented a flag that had flown over the Washington D.C. DAR headquarters . 

The flag pole for La Capilla was donated by First New Mexico Bank. 

Lorraine Anglin sang The Star-Spangled Banner to open the ceremony.