Time Correction: Candidates filing deadline dates for the local primary 2024

All local candidates who plan to file for the June 4, 2024 primary must file at the Grant County Clerk's office ON March 12, 2024 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

If candidates miss the first filing date or prefer to file as a write-in candidate, the date for filing at the Clerk's office is March 19, 2024 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cobre board fills both positions

By Lynn Janes

The Cobre Consolidated School Board held a special meeting on February 12, 2024. Board members in attendance included Gabriella Begay, Gilbert Guadiana, and David Terrazas. Angelina Hardin and Emmarie Heredia joined after their appointment and swearing in. Acting superintendent Michael Koury also attended.

New business

The board has two vacancies to fill and two applicants. One of the applicants had been interviewed February 9, 2024

Read more ...

Silver City town manager agrees to extend contract

By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Town Council held a regular meeting February 13, 2024. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ken Ladner, council members included Nicholas Prince, Guadalupe Cano, Rudy Bencomo, and Stan Snider (phone).

Council comments

Snider said he had been contacted by a few residents that rents have been increasing faster in Silver City. He suggested some form of stabilization that would be fair. He had researched state statues and they prohibit rent control. A bill had been introduced last year and this year to revoke that, both failed. "I have asked our representatives to support it next year." He also asked the tenants downtown if they thought the rents had been fair. "I do not see this as a councilor being a disparaging statement but a part of my duties." On another note, he addressed the Grant County Senior Village and said it would be a great program.

Read more ...

WW II Veteran Bill Harrison receives early birthday present

img 0194Bill HarrisonPhotos and article by Mary Alice Murphy

World War II Veteran Bill Harrison, who served in the Navy in the Pacific Theater during World War II, will turn 102 on June 22, 2024.

Harrison said he was pleased to receive this early birthday gift, a flag flown at the national monument of the USS Arizona, which was sunk by Japanese forces during the attack on Pearl Harbor from the commander.

Read more ...

Correctional officers involved in scuffle

By Roger Lanse

According to a Grant County Sheriff’s Office offense report, on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, around 9:45 p.m., as Grant County Detention Center female correctional officers were attempting to return Nolene Sanchez, 33, to her cell, the officers were hit by Sanchez. Video footage of the incident, the report stated, showed Sanchez standing at the door to her cell putting up her hair and disregarding verbal commands from a female officer. After using OC spray, female officers attempted to gain control of Sanchez, who resisted, striking one of the officers with an open hand several times and kicking her, and “headbutting” another. All received medical attention and were cleared by medical personnel.

Read more ...

Fatal accident in Arenas Valley 022424

By Roger Lanse

According to a New Mexico State Police spokesman, on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2024, NMSP officers responded to vehicle crash on Highway 180 near the intersection of Morales Road in Arenas Valley. As a Chevrolet pickup was traveling east on Highway 180 approaching the intersection, a GMC pickup failed to yield to oncoming traffic and pulled out in front of the Chevrolet pickup causing a collision.

The driver of the GMC pickup, Jesus Flores, 78, was airlifted to an area hospital where he died from his injuries, the spokesman said. The driver of the Chevrolet pickup was transported to an area hospital with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries.

Read more ...

Employee Problems at the District Attorney's Office

mrenteria 683x1024Sixth Judicial Court District Attorney Michael RenteriaBy Frost McGahey, Investigative Journalist

When Michael Renteria was elected as District Attorney for the 6th Judicial District, he inherited a DA's office of 34 people that were doing 27 criminal and 5 civil trials a year. Of those 34 people, 27 have left and that office, now staffed with 60 people, is doing only 6 trials a year.

On top of that, three Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lawsuits were filed by women in the office who have subsequently left.

One of the complainants is Anjulie Vega who started in the DA's office in 2014 and whose last position was senior legal secretary to Cynthia Clark. "I heard Renteria screaming at Cynthia over the phone. He made her life so miserable she quit under duress. Quitting was the last thing she wanted to do." (Clark later filed an EEOC complaint.)

Read more ...

Grant County Commission work session 020624 and regular meeting 020824, part 5

[Editor's Note: This is the fifth of a series of articles on the Feb. 6, 2024, Grant County Commission work session and Feb. 8, 2024, regular meeting. This continues with the work session review of the regular meeting agenda and elected officials' reports.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

The first elected official report at the regular meeting on Feb. 8, 2024 came from Treasurer Patrick Cohn, after Clerk Marisa Castrillo said she had no report.

Cohn talked about the tax maintenance report as of Jan. 31, 2024.

Read more ...

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.