[{{{type}}}] {{{reason}}}
{{/data.error.root_cause}}{{{_source.displayDate}}}
{{/_source.showDate}}{{{_source.description}}}
{{#_source.additionalInfo}}{{#_source.additionalFields}} {{#title}} {{{label}}}: {{{title}}} {{/title}} {{/_source.additionalFields}}
{{/_source.additionalInfo}}This category will feature news releases from out-of-area government agencies and representatives, as well as events that are not taking place in the four-county area of Grant, Catron, Hidalgo or Luna. For local events please visit Local News Releases.
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has announced the rescheduling of its annual leftover license sale after technical issues prevented customers from purchasing licenses through the Department's online license system on Wednesday morning.
The sale will now be open to New Mexico residents beginning Wednesday, July 16 at 10 a.m. MDT. Any remaining licenses will then be made available to nonresidents beginning Thursday, July 17 at 10 a.m. MDT.
"We understand we had a technical failure," Department director Michael Sloane said. "In order to be fair and equitable to all, we are going to re-run the license sale."
Details regarding available licenses will be released to the public in the coming days.
Taos, NM — Yesterday, the members of the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) received a spotlight report about orphaned oil & gas wells in New Mexico. However, this report was subsequently flagged by lawmakers as being biased against our state's extractive industries. Concerns around the report arose from data reported by the Oil Conservation Division of the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department that lacked input from industry partners and experts. Though the publication was intended to provide policy options to legislators, it failed to acknowledge the compliance efforts of industry leaders across New Mexico and omitted any mention that the industry plugs over 95% of their wells and the billions of dollars that are contributed to the state economy.
LFC member Senator Steve Lanier (R-Aztec) issued the following statement:
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Health is investigating measles infections at the Luna County Detention Center in Deming after five detainees tested positive for measles.
"The cases at Luna County Detention Center are a stark reminder that the measles outbreak in New Mexico is not over," said Dr. Chad Smelser, a medical epidemiologist with the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH). "We urge everyone in New Mexico, especially Luna County residents, to ensure that they are fully vaccinated against measles."
Taos, NM — Today, members of the Child Welfare & Early Childhood Subcommittee were presented with a quarterly agency report card for the Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD). This Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) report card reflects a continuation of poor performance and outcomes for youth. Furthermore, CYFD has again failed to meet the requirements for additional federal funding for evidence-based prevention programs because the department does not have an approved Family First Prevention Services Act plan. Additionally, members of the Child Welfare & Early Childhood Subcommittee unanimously approved a motion from Senator Nicole Tobiassen to issue a letter to the Attorney General and State Auditor requesting an investigation into CYFD for the misappropriation of funds.
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has scheduled two public meetings regarding the proposed creation of a non-resident shed hunter license.
Members of the public are invited to attend either public meeting in order to provide comments.
July 17, 2025, Albuquerque, 6 p.m.
Attend in person at 7816 Alamo Rd. NW, Albuquerque, NM
Rio Grande: Michael Martinez had a successful day on June 19, catching a number of carp and catfish using pack bait and worms.
Highlights: Crews continue to maintain and improve containment lines on the Desert Willow Complex Fire. Containment on Cotton 1 has been raised to 80%, and Cotton 2 to 50%. The public should continue to avoid the bosque where heavy machinery and firefighters are working.
Update: Today, response crews will continue their work mopping up in the bosque. Mop-up activities include continuing to secure fire line, removal of hazardous trees, and tackling interior heat. As the day's sunshine moves over the area, fuels may become hotter as they dry. Within the Cotton 2 area, these fuels may produce small drifts of smoke as the embers contained in them begin to dry out following yesterday's rains. These drifts of smoke are not cause for concern.
Air assets were released yesterday from the fire, however drones should not be flown over the fire area to ensure firefighter safety on the ground during the coming days. The public should continue to avoid the bosque area while crews engage in suppression activities.
Good progress has been made by firefighters over the last days. At the end of today's shift, the Incident Management Team may consider downsizing for tomorrow and releasing some resources.
The Desert Willow Complex fire is 237 acres and is located in the bosque area of Los Lunas on the west and east sides of the Rio Grande, near the Main Street bridge. The fire was discovered at 3:23 p.m. on Saturday, June 21.
Returning to Homes: Phos-Chek MVP-fx was used as a fire retardant during initial attack and is non-toxic. Residents should consider using personalized protective equipment such as long sleeves, eye protection, and gloves for cleaning purposes. Use water to clean exterior surfaces and a wet-vac for any retardant exposure within the interior of the home. A safety data sheet about Phos-Chek is available here.
Community Information: Daniel Fernandez Center is available as a community service center for the rest of the week.
Donations are available for residents impacted by the fire. The Village of Los Lunas will accept monetary donations through a partnership with United Way: https://give.uwncnm.org/campaign/699958/donate.
Community information on the fire and services is available on the Village of Los Lunas website: https://www.loslunasnm.gov/1347/Desert-Willow-Complex-Fire-Information
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Farmers' Market Nutrition Program returns Tuesday, July 1, providing nutritious, locally-grown foods to income-based eligible seniors, Native American elders and WIC families.
WIC Families must be actively enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Participants should contact their local WIC clinic to check their eligibility and access benefits.
"This program gives people access to healthy, fresh local fruits, vegetables, herbs and honey in their communities," said Veronica Griego, New Mexico Farmers' Market Program Manager, which oversees the multiple programs covering all ages. "Healthy food makes for a healthier life and helps stretch food budgets at a time when every little bit helps."
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.
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.
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.