By Roger Lanse

At 9:12 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, Silver City Police Department officers were dispatched to the 200 block of W. 11thStreet to an accident with injuries call. According to an SCPD accident report, when officers arrived, they found a 62-year-old female and her blue 2012 Hyundai. The female told officers she was inside the vehicle and observed she had a low tire. She exited the vehicle but failed to put the transmission in Park, leaving it instead in Reverse. She stated she vehicle rolled back but was unsure if it ran her over, although the blotter entry had her advising she “ran herself over.”

The report said the vehicle struck the female with its driver’s side and continued to roll on 11th Street striking a mailbox also with its driver’s side.

The female was transported to Gila Regional Medical Center by EMS3 for injuries to the back of her head, her right thigh, and back. A neighbor parked the vehicle in front of the female’s address.

[Editor's Note: This is the eighth of several articles on the Grant County Commission work session on Nov. 16 and the regular meeting Nov. 18, 2021. This article gets into a discussion on the industrial revenue bond ordinance, which took place at the work session.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

The first presentation of the Grant County Commission work session on Nov. 16, 2021, which covered the redistricting of the commission maps can be read at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/68669-grant-county-commission-hears-first-of-five-presentations-at-work-session-111621-part-1. The following link covers the update on the Grant County Outdoor Recreation and Trails Master Plan: https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/68672-grant-county-commission-hears-second-of-five-presentations-at-work-session-111621-part-2 . The third link leads to the discussion of a proposed disc golf course on state trust land: https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/68699-grant-county-commission-hears-third-of-five-presentations-at-work-session-111621-part-3 . The fourth link covers a presentation from Air Methods: https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/68748-grant-county-commission-hears-fourth-of-five-presentations-at-work-session-111621-part-4. The fifth and final presentation discussed a proposal for a new HMS Clinic in Mimbres: https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/68766-grant-county-commission-hears-fifth-presentation-at-work-session-111621-part-5 The sixth article addressed county reports at the work session: https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/68795-grant-county-commission-hears-reports-and-updates-at-work-session-111621-and-regular-session-111821-part-6 The seventh part covered the GRMC monthly report: https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/68799-grant-county-commission-hears-of-past-due-grmc-account-balance-sale-at-regular-meeting-111821-part-7

The next discussion at the work session on Nov. 16, 2021, addressed the industrial revenue bond proposed to finance The Great Divide Wind Farm in southwestern Grant County.

By Roger Lanse

At approximately 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, Grant County Sheriff’s Office deputies were on routine patrol in Hurley, when contact was made with a blue sport-utility vehicle. According to a GCSO news release, deputies were familiar with the passenger in the vehicle, 29-year-old Joshua Jake Padilla, and knew he had outstanding warrants for his arrest.

Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle, but the vehicle continued to lead them on a slow-speed pursuit through town. Padilla then fled on foot and deputies pursued and were able to place him under arrest, and three outstanding warrants were confirmed; one for being in possession of a controlled substance and concealing his identity, a second for allegedly bringing contraband into the Grant County Detention Center, and a third for traffic offenses.

According to GCDC staff. Padilla remains in custody as of this writing.

Bayard man arrested in Hurley on warrants

By Roger Lanse

Answering a request from the Hurley Police Department for assistance, Grant County Sheriff's Office deputies responded on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, at about 11:30 a.m., to 203 D Street in Hurley. When deputies arrived they learned that William Ray Welcome, 34, of Bayard, was hiding inside a camping trailer on the property. Knowing Welcome had outstanding felony warrants, deputies contacted him and, according to a news release, about 30 minutes later, Welcome came out of the camping trailer. He was arrested without incident and booked into the Grant County Detention Center.

Welcome had two warrants, one for two counts of forgery and one count each of receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle and tampering with evidence. The second warrant, the release stated, was for three counts of forgery and one count each of receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle and tampering with evidence.

Silver City Main Street has announced the winners of the 2021 Lighted Christmas Parade.

Please see PDF below:

Grant County Commission hears reports and updates at work session 111621 and regular session 111821, part 7
[Editor's Note: This is the seventh of several articles on the Grant County Commission work session on Nov. 16 and the regular meeting Nov. 18, 2021. This article covers the Gila Regional Medical Center monthly report at the regular meeting.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

The first presentation of the Grant County Commission work session on Nov. 16, 2021, which covered the redistricting of the commission maps can be read at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/68669-grant-county-commission-hears-first-of-five-presentations-at-work-session-111621-part-1. The following link covers the update on the Grant County Outdoor Recreation and Trails Master Plan: https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/68672-grant-county-commission-hears-second-of-five-presentations-at-work-session-111621-part-2 . The third link leads to the discussion of a proposed disc golf course on state trust land: https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/68699-grant-county-commission-hears-third-of-five-presentations-at-work-session-111621-part-3 . The fourth link covers a presentation from Air Methods: https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/68748-grant-county-commission-hears-fourth-of-five-presentations-at-work-session-111621-part-4. The fifth and final presentation discussed a proposal for a new HMS Clinic in Mimbres: https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/68766-grant-county-commission-hears-fifth-presentation-at-work-session-111621-part-5 The sixth article addressed county reports at the work session: https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/68795-grant-county-commission-hears-reports-and-updates-at-work-session-111621-and-regular-session-111821-part-6

At the regular meeting on Nov. 18, 2021, the first report came from Gila Regional Medical Center Interim Chief Executive Officer Scott Manis. He began by thanking the commissioners and Grant County for welcoming him when he first came and when he returned. "This will be my last Commission meeting. I thank you for allowing us to help you turn your hospital around. On Nov. 29, your new GRMC CEO Kathleen Kahill will arrive. "We will overlap for a week or so. I know the hospital will be in good hands with her. We continue to face challenges with Covid, and it is still challenging to keep staffing up to normal numbers. We will not be able to open the ICU (intensive care unit) by Dec. 1, as we had hoped, because finding nurses is challenging. We expect a few nursing graduates from Western New Mexico University to join us, but it's a long process for them to get ramped up. We continue to watch the situation across the state."

He noted that hospitals at UNM (University of New Mexico), Presbyterian, San Juan County and Alamogordo had had to go to crisis standards of care. [Editor's Note: The American Nursing Association gives definitions of the phrase at the end of this article: https://www.nursingworld.org/~496044/globalassets/practiceandpolicy/work-environment/health--safety/coronavirus/crisis-standards-of-care.pdf. In short, crisis standards of care may cause health care workers to have to ration care by deciding who is most likely to survive through use of certain protocols and medical equipment, such as ventilators.]