Community News

Silver City, N.M. – July 3, 2026 – Gila Regional Medical Center today announced a new partnership with Vituity, the nation's largest physician-owned and physician-led medical partnership, to provide Emergency Medicine services at the hospital.

The partnership marks an exciting new chapter for both organizations. For Gila Regional Medical Center, it reinforces a commitment to delivering high-quality, patient-centered emergency care for the residents of Grant County and surrounding communities. For Vituity, the partnership represents its first practice location in New Mexico, expanding the organization's national footprint and bringing its physician-led model to a new state.

After nearly a year of research, training, and preparation, the Silver City Museum's Living History Project will officially make its public debut during this year's Fourth of July Ice Cream Social.

Visitors will have the opportunity to step back in time as three historical figures from Grant County stroll the museum grounds in authentic period dress, ready to share stories from another era. Rather than simply reading about local history on exhibit panels, guests will be able to meet the people who helped shape it.

Making their debut are **Theora Ailman**, portrayed by Phyllis McQuaide; **Madame Millie**, portrayed by Barb Totherow; and **Ben Lilly**, portrayed by Charlie Vana.

[Editor's Note: Photos below]

"Where the Mountains Remember"- a mural for all to experience, honoring our Chiricahua Apache Ancestors and acknowledging our continued presence as the descendants of the Chiricahua Apache.

On Saturday, June 20th, Chiricahua Apache, Native, Silver City community friends and allies gathered for the mural dedication and ceremony as a featured 2026 Silver City Clay Festival. It was a moving and historic ceremony and event, along with being very hot that afternoon. Local Chiricahua Apache descendants and visiting Chiricahua Apache traveled from a far to attend.

The mural was envisioned by multi-disciplinary artist Delia deVer over two years ago and is now completed, thanks to a grant from the local 30Something group. The mural can be viewed on the Hacienda Century 21 Realty wall on Yankie Street, between Bullard and Texas Streets in Silver City, New Mexico.

Katarina ("Kat") Lowe is a WNMU alum and works as a graphic designer in the Marketing & Communications Department at the universitySILVER CITY, NM — Western New Mexico University played a defining role in Katarina ("Kat") Lowe's life for far longer than most people realize. Lowe recently shared an astonishing detail about her academic history: her connection to the university began when she was still a child.

"I technically started going here in sixth grade, because that's when I was doing dual credit," Lowe revealed. She participated in the Gear Up program in Deming, New Mexico, earning college credits through general education courses in math, reading, and writing. "My class was the first class to do that. My mom said, 'I want you to do this. Do it. It'll help you in the long run.' And I said, 'You got it, Mom!'"

That early start fostered a lifelong affinity for the institution. After completing her associate degree in graphic design at the WNMU Deming campus; after meeting her soon-to-be husband, WNMU Advisor Eric Lowe, she started attending the Silver City Campus to complete her design degree. Relocating to the Silver City Campus was a revelation for Lowe. "My first impressions of the Silver City campus were that it was beautiful and big, because I was only used to the tiny Deming campus," Lowe recalled. "When we finally came up here, it was nice to have all the buildings and be able to walk around."

SILVER CITY, NM — The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents convened for a regular session on Thursday, June 25, with in-person attendance from Chairman Steven Neville, Vice Chairman John V. Wertheim, Regent Treasurer J. Dean Reed, Student Regent Keana Huerta, and online participation from Gregory (Greg) Trujillo. The Board was joined by the university's executive leadership team, and the meeting was open to the public.

The Board and executive leadership mapped out the institution's structural, technological and infrastructure priorities for the upcoming academic year. Under Neville, the meeting marked a transitional moment for the university as it prepares to welcome incoming President Jose E. Coll, Ph.D., while honoring the conclusion of Christopher Maples, Ph.D., as interim president.

Grant County's swim team, Silver Swordfish, is heading to a meet this Saturday, June 27, in Show Low, Arizona.

With the most registered swimmers than ever in the team's roughly 50-year history, Silver Swordfish is open to athletes as young as seven and thrives with swimmers through age 17. Practices are held from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Monday through Thursday at the Town of Silver City's public pool. "We are so appreciative that the town continues to support our youth in this capacity," Head Coach Megan Ruehmann says of the Town's flexibility around practices and trust in the coaches.

Alum and WNMU Data Analyst Specialist Adele Springer is the WNMU June Employee of the MonthSILVER CITY, NM — Western New Mexico University honors Adele Springer, data analyst in the Institutional Research office inside Academic Affairs, as its June Employee of the Month. Springer is recognized for her leadership, commitment to breaking down departmental silos, and transformative impact on university data systems.

Since stepping into her role in institutional research and academic assessment nearly seven years ago, Springer has changed how the university handles enrollment reporting and demographic data. One of her earliest initiatives was establishing a standardized timeline for data distribution. Moving away from sporadic reporting, she created a reliable system, sending critical data to a mid-week cohort every Wednesday and a comprehensive cross-campus report to all divisions every Friday.

WNMU marine biology students enjoying their trek to the waterSILVER CITY, NM — While the high desert may seem an unlikely hub for marine studies, Western New Mexico University continues to provide a comprehensive education in the field, bolstered by the return of its signature, hands-on regional expeditions. First stop, San Diego, where students recently returned from a four-day field expedition using the Pacific coast as a real-time laboratory to witness the accelerating local impacts of climate change. The annual April excursion is a cornerstone of the WNMU Department of Natural Sciences' field curriculum, this year preparing students for an even more rigorous upcoming voyage to Sonora, Mexico this June.

The regional trips, co-led by WNMU Professor of Biology Manda Jost, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor of Biology Caleb Loughran, Ph.D., give students direct access to coastal ecosystems. During the San Diego trip, students balanced urban car camping at Sweetwater Regional Park in Bonita with biodiversity surveys at Sunset Cliffs, Point Loma, and the intertidal tide pools of La Jolla. The June Marine Biology course marks the return to the exhibitions for the first time since COVID.