Community News

Silver City -- Motorists who regularly travel Little Walnut Road will be happy to know that phase four of this multi-year street improvement project is scheduled to be completed by mid-May. Traffic delays were due to extended work on the box culverts at Cottonwood Creek, which required cutting a temporary road to keep traffic lanes open in both directions. 

 This phase of road improvements began just north of Chavez Lane and will end just south of Jack Frost Drive, and includes approximately 1/2 mile of paving, new curb and gutter, ADA-compliant sidewalks on the west side of the street, bike lanes and signage. 

 This $3.6 million portion of Little Walnut improvements was funded by Colonias Infrastructure monies as well as funding from the state Department of Transportation. For more information, please contact Peter Peña, director of Silver City's Public Works Department at (575) 388-4640.

The Jacob Bennett Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution is pleased to announce that Mr. Luke Trevin Allsup has been selected as a New Mexico State Good Citizen Scholarship Award Program Candidate. Mr. Allsup, the son of Jessica Nicole Allsup and a senior at Cliff High School was awarded this honor because he was selected from all accredited High Schools Seniors in the Grant County School Systems.

Additional candidates included Isabella Maria Garcia, a senior at Cobre High School and daughter of Gary Dean Garcia and Ethan Richard Hemphill, son of James Hemphill and a senior at Aldo Leopold Charter School.

The Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Program and Scholarship Contest is intended to encourage and reward the qualities of good citizenship. The program is open to all senior students enrolled in accredited public or private secondary schools that are in good standing with the New Mexico State Board of Education.

Silver City, NM – Gila Regional Medical Center (GRMC) is pleased to announce the return of Dr. Maximus L'Amour, MD, FACS, to the Silver City community. With over 14 years of experience in general surgery, Dr. L'Amour is excited to bring his expertise back to Southwest New Mexico.

A graduate of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dr. L'Amour joins us from Presbyterian Rust Medical Center in Albuquerque, NM, where he practiced general surgery across both the main campus and its regional affiliates. He also brings valuable experience from his time serving the Navajo Nation at Gallup Indian Medical Center. 

The WNMU Board of Regents met April 29, 2025. Pictured (L-R): Regents J. Dean Reed, John V. Wertheim, Steven Neville, and Keana Huerta, Staff Senate President Bart Brown and ASWNMU President Brenda DominguezSILVER CITY, NM – The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents met on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Silver City. Present at the meeting were newly appointed Regents Steven Neville, John V. Wertheim, Keana Huerta and J. Dean Reed.

The Board began by electing officers. Neville will serve as chair, Wertheim as vice chair, Reed as treasurer and Huerta as deputy treasurer and secretary.

After approving the minutes of previous meetings and setting April 29 and May 8 as the dates of the next meetings, the Board was welcomed by Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Jack Crocker, who said, "We welcome you on behalf of the faculty, staff and the community. We are very happy that you are here and that you are willing to serve and have committed to it."

April 9, 2025
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish,

I write today on behalf of my constituents in Catron County who have not only raised the alarm
about the dangers posed by the Mexican gray wolf program but have taken the extraordinary
step of declaring a public safety disaster. This was not a symbolic gesture—it was an official act
of urgency by local leaders in response to real and ongoing threats to families, livestock, and
livelihoods across our rural communities.

The Center for Health Innovation-Public Health Institute is pleased to welcome Emma Eileen McKinley as the new Grant County Community Health Council Coordinator.

 Emma brings deep roots in our community and a strong background in public health, prevention education, and advocacy. For the past several years, she has served as the Outreach and Education Coordinator at Silver Regional Sexual Assault Support Services. In her position, she launched trauma-informed prevention programs, partnered with agencies across multiple sectors, and empowered local residents to engage in public health and safety efforts.

 Emma is also a longtime member of the Community Health Council and has contributed meaningfully through her work with the Youth Substance Awareness and Prevention Coalition. She brings a passionate commitment to justice, using anti-oppression frameworks and the socioecological model to guide her work.

Her energy, experience, and vision will be invaluable as she helps lead collaborative efforts to advance health needs in Grant County. Please join us in welcoming Emma to the CHI-PHI team!

Hidalgo Medical Services (HMS) regrets to announce the conclusion of the Compassion for Seniors Program, effective immediately. This decision comes after careful consideration and due to the lack of funding for the upcoming fiscal year.

The Compassion for Seniors Program was launched in 2021 with the first donation from Silver Adult Care Services (SACS). HMS then partnered with Senator Siah Correa-Hemphill at the legislative session to secure additional state funding for the program with Junior Bill funding. In 2024, Senator Correa-Hemphill once again worked hard to secure continued funding for the program for another year, along with a generous donation from the Freeport CIF funds provided by Freeport McMoRan. The program was developed to provide essential support to older adults living on limited incomes in Grant and Hidalgo counties. The program has successfully assisted seniors with urgent needs such as household repairs, rent, mortgage, utilities, and other miscellaneous expenses. The program has provided invaluable assistance to many seniors, ensuring they have access to basic necessities and a better quality of life.

SILVER CITY, NM—Western New Mexico University honors the legacy of President Emeritus Dr. John Eldridge Counts, who passed away peacefully on March 27, 2025, in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Born on March 21, 1941, in Denver, Colorado, Counts was a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and also earned two Master of Science degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a PhD from the University of Texas. He served in the U.S. Army for 33 years. As a U.S. Army Airborne Ranger for the 82nd Airborne Division, he served three tours—one in the Dominican Republic and two in Vietnam—where he received multiple Bronze Stars as well as two Purple Hearts. In addition, he served eight years in Germany, including 40 months as the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Command in Berlin during the fall of the Berlin Wall. His stateside tours included three years on the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and serving as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA.