Local News Releases

The Western Institute for Lifelong Learning spring semester Lunch and Learn program will kick off on Wednesday, January 15 when Wilderness Fire Management Officer, Aaron Jones will speak on the subject of fire history and management on the Gila.

Jones will discuss the history of fire management on the Gila with an emphasis on wilderness and how different management philosophies since the 1960s have affected fire behavior and severity. He will touch on the natural fire return interval for our area and how this area is different from other areas of the southwest. Aaron will use maps of historic fires across the Gila and the effect on fire severity.

The presentation will be held in the ABC classroom of the Besse-Forward Global Resource Center on the Western New Mexico University campus from noon to 1:15 pm. Admission is free and open to the public.

 At noon, Wednesday, January 22, Jeff Parker, owner of Explore in Focus, presents the role that nature photography has played in promoting and even stimulation conservation. The Lunch and Learn event of the Western Institute of Lifelong Learning (WILL) is part of free public programs by WILL and the Silver City Museum in the ABC room of the Global Resource Center, Kentucky and 12th Streets.

Parker, a voracious reader from age 6, first encountered nature in reading about his then favorite animals—dinosaurs. He spent a lot of summer time with his grandparents in Texas state parks. "I would feed all of the critters," he recalls. "I would stay stock still watching wildlife for hours."

The Silver City Friends of the Library (FOL) is holding its January Booksale on Saturday, January 11, at the FOL Bookstore, 1510 Market Street, from 10:00am-2:00pm.
Hardback and trade paperback books are priced at $1.00 each and paperbacks at $0.50 each. In some cases, books may be priced higher. Weather permitting, clearance item sales take place in the FOL parking lot where visitors can purchase a bag of books (special bags are provided in the parking lot) at $2.00 per bag. There is no limit on the number of bags a visitor can buy.

Chrys Masuda and David Bunnell with mended cat toteThe Southwest Women's Fiber Arts Collective (SWFAC) in collaboration with the Future Forge Makerspace, is offering community members free mending of clothes and teaching how to mend clothes. This free program will be held at the Future Forge located at 307 East College Ave on Saturday, January 18, 2025 from 10 am to 12 noon.

Did you know that 66% of unwanted clothes and textiles wind up in the landfill? Or that less than 15% are recycled and the rest, 19% are burned? Mending Our Ways is a program to help reduce clothing waste by teaching community members how to mend and offering free mending of clothes. On the 18th, community members can bring one item that needs a simple repair like replacing a button or a tear in a shirt or pants.

Mending clothes is one of the methods we can all do to keep good clothing out of our landfill. SWFAC members will be on hand to mend the items, and community members who learn how to mend with the SWFAC members, will receive a small sewing kit.

Law Enforcement and Dispatch are transferring to a new system this week. No longer will they have the CAD system. Getting blotters will be different for the Beat. Today we have the Grant County and the Tri-City blotters, but it was too late for Silver City's. Hopefully all will be resolved by Friday.
Grant County Sheriff's Office – Jan. 3 through Jan. 5, 2025

Bayard Police Department

Friday, Jan. 3

Criminal damage to property
N. Franey Street
Caller reports possible damage to door.

[Editor's Note: Law Enforcement and Dispatch are transferring to a new system this week. No longer will they have the CAD system. Getting blotters will be different for the Beat. Today we have the Grant County and the Tri-City blotters, but it was too late for Silver City's. Hopefully all will be resolved by Friday.]

Friday, Jan. 3

Accident-property damage
E. Highway 180 and Yucca Valley Drive
Vehicle vs deer/deer is alive. Deputy – one shot fired.

Welfare check
Geronimo Mountain – Hurley
Two named subjects have caller up on the mountain and they are beating him up and stealing his cards. Deputy – closing it out.

January 12, at 10:00 am, 3845 North Swan Street – "Climate Change Lobby Update"

Martha Martinez Del Rio will describe her volunteer work with Citizen Climate Lobby (CCL) and explain what the organization does to create political will for climate solutions. Their mission is to enable individual breakthroughs in the exercise of personal and political power to create a livable world, and to address climate change.

The organization focuses on empowering individuals to respectfully reach out to local officials, friends and neighbors, to inform and build partnerships in support of climate change solutions and promote a transition to a renewable energy economy. CCL advocates for effective climate legislation, including a "carbon fee and dividend" approach to pricing carbon pollution from fossil fuels.

Bayard Police Department

Tuesday, Dec. 31

Domestic disturbance
Orchard Street
No report.

Suspicious vehicle
Cobre High School
Ran one vehicle.

Wednesday, Jan. 1

Reckless driver
N. Yucca Street and Central Avenue
Officer had negative contact with any vehicle matching description.