Front Page News

The Grant County Sheriff's Office, in coordination local fire personnel, continues to respond to the Trout Fire incident.

As of this update, two structures have been confirmed lost due to the fire in the N. Lockney Canyon (Signal Peak Area). The homeowners of both properties have been notified.

Crews were previously unable to access all areas due to dense smoke and active fire conditions. With improved visibility, fire personnel have begun to identify and assess affected properties.

By Mary Alice Murphy

[Editor's Note: This second and final article will cover the questions from the public with answers from officials and the fire team. Please be aware that the answers were from Friday, June 20, and conditions may have changed since then.]

The June 20, 2025, public meeting, continued with questions from residents and answers from officials and fire team members addressing the concerns

Facilitator Starr Farrell gave similar instructions to those wishing to ask questions to be sure to wait, like last time, until they had a microphone in their hand before they spoke.

She said she had some questions that had come in online that they were wanting to have asked.

Southwest Area Complex Incident Management Team TEAM 4 – Andrew Mandell – Incident Commander

Firefighting efforts gain ground as flood warnings are issued for the Trout Fire area

Daily Update for June 23, 2025

Fire Information Phone: 575-323-8964 (8 am – 8 pm)

Acres: 46,796                Start Date: June 12, 2025                  Location: 12 miles north of Silver City, NM

Cause: Under investigation        Personnel: 1,425          Fuels: Grass, brush, and timber          Containment: 22%

Buck Fire Update
Monday June 23, 2025

Reported date: June 11, 2025                   Containment: 88 %                          Cause: Lightning                    

Size: 57,753 acres              Personnel: 203                  Fuels: Grass, timber                     Strategy: Full Suppression

 Fire behavior: Minimal, Smoldering

Operations: Crews successfully secured the northern section of uncontained fireline. Today, they are focused on mopping up and patrolling for any remaining hotspots in that area. One hotshot crew will continue working deeper into the northern interior to ensure no residual heat remains. Engines will patrol the southern and southeastern fire edges today, monitoring for any lingering smoke following yesterday's winds. The roads group is continuing to repair and improve access routes that were heavily utilized during fire operations. Fire managers are also in the process of implementing a comprehensive suppression repair plan to address all impacted areas.

By Mary Alice Murphy

[Editor's Note: This is part 1 of the public meeting. It includes all the presenters. Part 2 will include the questions and answers. This writer is going as fast as she can to get this article out in a timely manner, For the latest updates on the Trout Fire, please visit www.grantcountybeat.com, where the daily updates are posted as soon as possible each day. And please excuse typos and errors.]

The Friday night, June 20, 2025, the Trout Fire public meeting brought 280 people, according to the official count, to fill up the large event room at the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center. 

By Lynn Janes

On May 23, 2025, the board of regents held a regular meeting at Western New Mexico University. The board consisted of Steven Neville, chair (online), Joseph "Dean" Reed (online), John Wertheim (online) and WNMU student Keana Huerta.

New business

Neville said he and Wertheim had found a firm to help with the interim president search. The firm contacted was AGB (association of governing boards) interim search service. Wertheim said they recommend using this firm. They had looked at a few options and this one had been recommended by a member of the University of New Mexico board of regents. This firm does a lot of searching around the country and is well known. They keep a database of people that have served as president in other institutions. In their process they can also take in resumes of any local people interested in the position. The regents have had a number express interest. This position will be for six months to a year.

By Mary Alice Murphy

[Editor's Note: This was from the Monday night meeting and we are going to start writing the Friday night meeting. In the effort to get to the second article, this one was not proofed. Excuse typos and if something is confusing, contact, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]

Forest Service Public Information Officer Starr Farrell served as the facilitator for the June 12, 2025 public meeting on the Trout Fire. She reported that at that time, the fire had grown to 18,278 acres. "Containment is 0% and we have 755 personnel on the fire. During this community meeting, we're going to have an opportunity to answer some questions."

By Michael LaReaux

The Grant County Commission April 8, 2025 work session began with the Pledge of Allegiance and a salute to the flag of New Mexico. When no citizens came forward to take advantage of the opportunity to address the Commission, the meeting moved on to presentations.

Dan Otero, DBA, of Hidalgo Medical Services, spoke first. He outlined the organization's recent history, speaking about the 2018 grant which enabled HMS to serve the needs of seniors in Hidalgo County. He went on to discuss the Compassion For Seniors program started in 2021, which focused on meeting quality of life needs based on the income level of the seniors being served. Since that time, $130,000 in support was given to 222 seniors. According to Dr. Otero, this support came in the form of direct assistance, such as replacing water heaters, repairing cars, paying utility bills, and providing transportation to the Mayo Clinic for medical care. The funding which enabled this assistance has come to an end. HMS responded quickly, and most seniors remained happy with the services they received. According to a recent survey, 92 percent were satisfied with the service, and 94 percent of the employees were satisfied with their employment. Ten of the thirteen employees rated themselves either connected or very connected to the company's mission.