Front Page News
GRMC held Board of Trustees meeting 032024
- Category: Front Page News Front Page News
- Published: 17 April 2024 17 April 2024
[Editor's Note: This is the first of a potential several articles on the Gila Regional Board of Trustees meeting on March 20, 2024. It primarily covers the audit report.]
By Mary Alice Murphy
Gila Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees Vice Chair Betty Vega led the meeting in the absence of Chair Dr. Fred Fox.
With no board comments or chair comments, Vega announced the recognitions. Although none of the recipients was present, Dr. Norman Ratliff received recognition for his 10 years of service as a cardiologist at Gila Regional. Kerri Henderson was recognized for her five years of service in nursing, and Meagan Kuehnlenz for five years of service in EMS (emergency medical services).
County Clerk Candidate Questionnaires from Connie Holguin and Randy Hernandez
- Category: Front Page News Front Page News
- Published: 17 April 2024 17 April 2024
By Frost McGahey
Connie Holguin
Randy Hernandez[Editor's Note: This is part 1 of several articles, which have been done through an emailed questionnaire. This series covers only the local contested races in the Primary election. For the General Election every contested race candidate will receive a questionnaire a month or more before the General Election, for publication prior to early voting.]
As a public service the Grant County Beat is asking Candidates questions so voters can determine who they want to vote for in the coming Democrat primary, June 4, 2024. Since there are no Republican contested races, the focus is on the races in the Democrat Primary. This is only a partially closed primary so Independent and Declined to State can vote in it.
Connie’s answers are first followed by Randy’s. (Ladies first)
Voting dates to remember for 2024
- Category: Front Page News Front Page News
- Published: 17 April 2024 17 April 2024
Here are some key 2024 dates to remember:
These links below pertain to any citizen living in the state of New Mexico. The option is to visit your local county clerk's office or call them for more information. For those in Grant County, the number to call is 575-574-0042.
County Clerk in 2021 blocks highly qualified Candidate from running against Prince
- Category: Front Page News Front Page News
- Published: 16 April 2024 16 April 2024
By Frost McGahey, Investigative Journalist
Marisa Castrillo, Grant County ClerkIn the 2021 election for Town District 2, County Clerk Marisa Castrillo blocked Simon Wheaton-Smith from filing a Declaration of Candidacy on the filing day of August 24th. Castrillo claimed that since Wheaton-Smith hadn’t lived in District 2 on the date of the governor’s proclamation, (90 days ago) he was ineligible. Wheaton-Smith had been living in the district on the regular filing date of 70 days before the election.
(See excerpt from Candidate Guide at end of article. There is no election deadline in the proclamation law.*)
Before then a forum had been organized by the Silver City Press on August 6th to discuss what candidates needed to know in order to file.** The county had taken over the Town elections.
Break-in at Bayard Post Office
- Category: Front Page News Front Page News
- Published: 15 April 2024 15 April 2024
By Roger Lanse
As a Bayard Police Department officer was patrolling the area of Central Avenue and Mayo Street on Saturday, Apr. 6, 2024, at about 7 a.m., he noticed a male standing by the Bayard Post Office and observed damage to the front door of the post office.
According to a BPD incident report, the officer made contact with the male, who identified himself as Raymond Chavez with a birthdate of Aug.15,1989. He denied any knowledge of the door's damage – "I don't know. That's what I was just looking at, Bro." The male then walked away although the officer requested him to stay. Based on bodycam footage, the male was identified as Christopher Amador, 34, of Silver City. The Grant County Regional Dispatch Authority informed the officer Amador had a felony warrant for his arrest.
Grant County Commission holds work session 031824
- Category: Front Page News Front Page News
- Published: 15 April 2024 15 April 2024
By Mary Alice Murphy
Members of the Grant County Commission held a work session on March 18, 2024 for a singular purpose—to discuss the Grant County Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation and Trails Master Plan.
District 1 Commissioner and Chair Chris Ponce said that District 5 Harry Browne had requested the discussion session.
Browne thanked everyone for taking time to discuss the issue. "My hope was to use almost $99,000 from the Sun Zia (electric transmission line) project (part of which crosses Grant County and provides funding to the county) and another potential for $250,000 from the Sun Zia project to pay for an employee to implement the comprehensive outdoor recreation and trails master plan. It's way too much for staff to take on."
Representative Luis Terrazas updates Hurley on legislature
- Category: Front Page News Front Page News
- Published: 13 April 2024 13 April 2024
By Lynn Janes
The town of Hurley held a special meeting March 19, 2024. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ed Stevens, councilors Nanette Day, Reynaldo Maynes, Keana Huerta, and James Langley.
Public input
Representative Luis Terrazas attended to give the council an update on the legislative session. They had a successful budget for obtaining funding for Grant County in the amount of $83 million. "Because of the recent redistricting done in Santa Fe our area only has one representative and 2 senators." The two senators he referred to are Senators Crystal Diamond Brantley and Siah Correa-Hemphill. The three had worked together to provide Hurley with $250,000 for the recreation center. Terrazas said not one legislator does this on their own.
Senator Siah Correa-Hemphill updates Bayard on legislature
- Category: Front Page News Front Page News
- Published: 13 April 2024 13 April 2024
By Lynn Janes
The town of Bayard held a regular meeting March 25, 2024. Attendance included Mayor John L. Ojinaga, Mayor Pro Tem Eloy Medina, councilors, Frances Gonzales, Eloy Gonzales, and Gilbert Ortiz. Gabriel Ramos, city clerk, also attended.
The council approved the agenda after some questions were brought forward on the consent agenda. Frances Gonzales wanted to know why $700 had been charged to three departments for "Text My Gov." Ramos said they had spread it out because those departments would be benefiting from the service. Frances Gonzales still had concerns and Ramos told her that if the council wanted that done differently they would. Some discussion went on around that issue. Medina wanted to table the part of the consent agenda that approved attendance to the financial officer association spring meeting for Martha Salas, incoming clerk/treasurer and Tanya Ortiz, deputy clerk. Salas had since declined the job.