Grant County Commission held work session 121223 and regular meeting 121423 part 7

[Editor's Note: The Grant County Commission held a work session on Dec. 12, 2023. This part 7 continues the work session regular meeting agenda review and decisions made at the Dec. 14, 2023 regular meeting.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

At the Grant County Commission regular meeting on Dec. 14, following presentations, commissioners heard from the elected officials.

Clerk Marisa Castrillo had no report.

Treasurer Patrick Cohn reported that taxes collected for the month of November totaled $5,241,672.51. "So far for the 2023 tax roll, $5,606,891.84 has been collected, which left the county at a collection percentage rate to date of 40.34 percent. For the 2023 tax roll, $8,291,882.74 remain uncollected."

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Grant County Commission held work session 121223 and regular meeting 121423 part 6

[Editor's Note: The Grant County Commission held a work session on Dec. 12, 2023. This part 6 continues the Dec 14, 2023 regular meeting agenda review and decisions made at the regular meeting. It covers presentations at the regular meeting. ]

By Mary Alice Murphy

In the work session review of the Dec. 14, 2023 County Commission meeting, Grant County Manager Charlene Webb said Sixth Judicial District Attorney Michael Renteria had requested doing a presentation in reference to the MOU (memorandum of understanding) for his office to coordinate and oversee the DA prosecution diversion program for veterans. She said the report was in the packet for review before the meeting.

At the regular meeting, on Dec. 14, 2023, a woman from the D.A.s office, Jennie Becerra, said she would be giving the report, because Mr, Renteria was out sick and sent his regrets for not being there.

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Grant County Commission held work session 121223 and regular meeting 121423 part 5

[Editor's Note: The Grant County Commission held a work session on Dec. 12, 2023. This part 5 continues the Dec 14, 2023 regular meeting agenda review and decisions made. It covers public input at the regular meeting. ]

By Mary Alice Murphy

At the Grant County Commission regular meeting on Dec. 14, 202, several individuals gave public input. The first ones to approach the podium were Jake Benavidez and Sean Carrasco, the president and vice president of the local AFSCME Council 18 (American Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees) union.

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Grant County Commission held work session 121223 and regular meeting 121423 part 4

[Editor's Note: The Grant County Commission held a work session on Dec. 12, 2023. This part 4 continues with county director reports and gets into the regular meeting agenda review and decisions made.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

Internet Technology Director Adam Baca was unavailable to attend the the Grant County Commission work session on Dec. 12, 2023, but his report in the commissioners' packet noted that the new website is due to go live in mid-January. It also said that the Incode Cloud migration was complete and the network vulnerability management is in place. Infrastructure installs continue at the Grant County Airport.

Randy Hernandez, Planning and Community Development Department director, gave his report.

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Missing Endangered Advisory – Deming Police Department – Wilma Hessler

hesslerDeming, NM – The following information is for the distribution of a Missing Endangered Advisory from the Deming Police Department. Please refer all media inquiries and questions to the Deming Police Department at (575) 546-3011.

The Deming Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Wilma Hessler, (90) who is 4 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs approximately 97 lbs with brown eyes, and white hair. She was last seen on November 11, 2023, at her residence on E Walnut Street in Deming. Her clothing description is unknown. Wilma may be in Grants, NM in a gold 2009 Ford F350 pickup truck bearing NM license plate of FXB-459.

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Gila National Forest celebrates 100 years of Gila Wilderness in 2024

The Gila is the birthplace of Wilderness

SILVER CITY, NM, January 2, 2024 – The Gila National Forest kicks off 2024 as a year of celebration of the world’s first Wilderness. The Gila Wilderness was designated on June 3, 1924. The forest will host events and observations honoring all that is wilderness, in recognition of the centennial anniversary of the Gila Wilderness.

“One hundred years ago, Aldo Leopold held with conviction that wilderness is a value unto itself and a precious resource to be protected. He also had the influence and power of persuasion to effect change,” said Gila National Forest Supervisor Camille Howes. “He argued for large swaths of land to be set aside for ecosystem function and recreation, where man is only a visitor. Convinced of his wisdom, the Southwestern Region of the Forest Service answered the call for protection by designating the Gila Wilderness.”

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Man with multiple warrants arrested

By Roger Lanse

As a Silver City Police Department officer was on the way to assist another officer with a traffic stop on Cecilia and Pine streets at about 2:17 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, the officer noticed a white flatbed Ford truck parked in a bay of the carwash on Pine Street. According to a SCPD incident report, when the officer cleared the traffic stop about 30 minutes later, he and a Grant County Sheriff's Office deputy made contact with the driver of the Ford truck at the carwash. The driver stated his name was Carl Underwood and his birthdate was '6/17/74.' However, when officers checked with the Grant County Regional Dispatch Authority and with the Arizona and Texas Dispatch Authority's no record could be found with that name and birthdate.

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Bullet penetrates restaurant window

By Roger Lanse

On Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, Silver City Police Department officers were dispatched at about 8:09 p.m. to the La Familia restaurant in reference to a shooting call. The reporting person advised that someone had just shot through the window of the restaurant, almost hitting one of her employees. According to a SCPD incident report, when an officer arrived, he observed a hole in the east side window near the entrance the size of which was consistent with a bullet hole.

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