Front Page News

Ashley Cano, administrative assistant and notary, swearing in the newly appointed Hurley town Councilman, Pete Ordonez

Pete Ordonez, newly appointed councilmanPhotos and article by Lynn Janes

The town of Hurley held a regular meeting October 8, 2024. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ed Stevens, Mayor Pro Tem Nanette Day, councilors, Reynaldo Maynes and Keana Huerta.

Stevens said they had received eight letters of interest for the open council position. The council would hear from each person, and at the end he would make a recommendation, and then the council would have to approve it. They spoke in the order of the sign in sheet.

By Frost McGahey, Investigative Journalist

In a press release received by the Grant County Beat, the Silver City Police Officers' Association (SCPOA) calls out District Attorney Michael Renteria for Weak Plea Agreements and Lack of Accountability.

In it, 25 officers voice serious concerns regarding Renteria's weak plea agreements for offenders who perpetrate violence against police officers. The letter states, "This leniency undermines the safety of our community and the dedicated officers who serve it.

By Lynn Janes

The Village of Santa Clara held a regular meeting September 26, 2024. Mayor Arnold Lopez called the meeting to order. Mayor Pro Tem Albert Esparza, trustees, Peter Erickson, Olga Amador and Ralph Trujillo attended.

Mayors report

Lopez had met with Freeport McMoRan (FMI) for their monthly meeting along with the mayor of Hurley and Bayard. They went over the projects for the next year each would be wanting to do. FMI has these meetings to see how they can assist and help  the communities.

Voter Machine Certification 100324By Lynn Janes

The Grant County Clerks Office certified voting machines on October 2 and 3, 2024. This certification had been for the machines that would be used for the in-person election sites. The absentee voting machine certification for absentee ballots had been done the previous day, October 2, 2024.

The testing of the machines was done by Robert Zamarripa, senior county service specialist (technician), Elizabeth Trujillo, bureau of election director. and Brendan Salgad, a temporary employee for the election.

Photos by Mary Alice Murphy

Lois Duffy with her self-portrait

Lois Duffy,  a Silver City artist for the past 20 plus years, was honored Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, with an Edwina and Charles Milner Women in the Arts Lois Duffy Retrospective at Western New Mexico University. A lecture at Light Hall preceded the McCray gallery showing, which quickly filled with many of her friends and owners of her work. 

Duffy developed her artistic style from her youth in New England to years spent in Florida and now works out of a home studio  after closing her Silver City downtown gallery in 2023. Her works vary from the realistic with a touch of surrealism to her more surrealistic large paintings and her cube paintings. The show will continue at the WNMU McCray Gallery through Nov. 14, 2024.

By Roger Lanse

According to the New Mexico State Police, a fatal crash occurred today, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024,

at about 9:45 a.m. in the eastbound lane of Highway 180 – MM 104 (2 miles east of Mangas Terrace).

The accident is still under investigation, so no other information was immediately available.  

By Roger Lanse

According to the New Mexico State Police, a fatal crash occurred today, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024,

at about 9:45 a.m. in the eastbound lane of Highway 180 – MM 104 (2 miles east of Mangas Terrace).

The accident is still under investigation, so no other information was immediately available.  

By Roger Lanse

On Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, around 8 a.m., an employee of La Bonita Bakery, located at 3110 N. Silver Street, arrived to open up only to discover broken glass near a back door that had been broken. Entering the building the employee described the scene as "a total disarray."

According to a Silver City Police Department incident report, officers arrived at about 8:07 a.m. and immediately cleared the building for anyone who might still be inside. They observed several beverage refrigerators open with the contents scattered across the floor. Shelves normally packed with various food items were bare, the food products and packages also scattered across the floor. Other miscellaneous items were thrown to the floor and in another room a bed had its mattress and box springs moved off the bedframe.