Front Page News

By Lynn Janes

The Village of Santa Clara held a regular meeting August 28, 2025. Mayor Arnold Lopez called the meeting to order. Mayor Pro Tem Albert Esparza, trustees, Olga Amador and Peter Erickson attended. Ralph Trujillo did not attend.

The council approved the agenda and past meeting minutes.

Mayor's report

Lopez said they were in a holding pattern for projects. They have received a letter letting them know the village had been awarded a grant for the Maple Street project from the Department of Transportation (DOT). It will allow them to do some sidewalks down to Fort Bayard Street and the village hopes to start in the spring and be able to incorporate some other streets.

By Roger Lanse

The male body discovered Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in the Big Ditch, under the College Avenue bridge near the intersection of College Avenue and N. Hudson Street, has been identified as Marty McKinney, mid 60s, with a California ID, according to Silver City Police Department Chief Freddie Portillo. Portillo told the Beat, the unattended death is being investigated as a homicide per the department's protocol for any unattended death.

To download a PDF of the release, please visit the following link: Freeport Declares Quarterly Cash Dividends on Common Stock

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Freeport (NYSE: FCX) announced today that its Board of Directors declared cash dividends of $0.15 per share on FCX's common stock payable on November 3, 2025, to shareholders of record as of October 15, 2025. The declaration includes a base dividend of $0.075 per share and variable dividend of $0.075 per share in accordance with FCX's performance-based payout framework. The payment of dividends is at the discretion of the Board, which will consider FCX's financial results, cash requirements, global economic conditions and other factors it deems relevant.

FREEPORT: Foremost in Copper

To download a PDF of the release, please visit the following link: Freeport Provides Update on PT Freeport Indonesia Operations

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Freeport (NYSE: FCX) announced today an update on the status of the previously reported mud rush incident at the Grasberg Block Cave mine (GBC) in Indonesia.

On September 20, 2025, PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) located two team members who were regrettably fatally injured in the September 8th incident. The Freeport organization extends its deepest condolences to the families of these individuals.

By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Town Council held a regular meeting August 26, 2025. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ken Ladner, Mayor Pro Tem Guadalupe Cano, and Councilors Nicholas Prince, Rudy Bencomo and Stan Snider.

Proclamations

September 17, 2025, will marks the 237th-year anniversary of the drafting of the U.S. Constitution of the United States of America. This designates September 17, 2025 – September 23, 2025, as Constitution week.

Lucy Whitmarsh attended to accept the proclamation. She thanked the town of Silver City for recognizing Constitution week. Whitmarsh has been a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Jacob Bennett chapter and the DAR were instrumental in having Constitution week established.

Council comments

By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Consolidated Schools held a work session and regular meeting August 25, 2025. Members in attendance included Ashley Montenegro, Michelle Diaz, Patrick Cohn, Mike McMillan and Kimberly Klement. Superintendent William Hawkins also attended

Work session

This work session was held to just discuss and review the agenda setting procedure policy in regard to board meetings.

Montenegro opened up the floor for discussion and said she hoped to clarify and clean up the board's intention around open public comment. Currently it says on the agenda public comment on agenda items only. The policy had been included in the board packet for the meeting.

Photos by Mary Alice Murphy

The Grant County Fair took place this year from Sept. 17-21, 2025 at the Grant County Fairgrounds, in Cliff, New Mexico. FFA and 4-H students raised animals, everything from chickens to geese and ducks and peafowl to  rabbits, lots of pigs, steers, heifers, goats and sheep. The Exhibit Hall is always full of organizations, vendors,  and, exhibits including plants, flowers, quilts,  canned items, fresh vegetables,  and many art exhibits of paintings, photographs, and a large area for school exhibits, mostly art work showing the vast talent of county students. No one can go hungry at the fair, with a choice of everything from barbecue sandwiches, corn dogs, Mexican food, drinks to squelch one's thirst and  desserts to top them off. 

See photos below representing some of the  animal raising, vendors and organizations outside and inside the exhibit hall and the artwork on display. 

By Mary Alice Murphy Photos by Lynn Janes

The Aug. 7, 2025 Silver City Chamber of Commerce luncheon featured Silver Consolidated School Superintendent William Hawkins and a thank you from the American Legion for everyone who donated to them for their involvement in keeping fed the volunteer firefighters, while they participated in fighting the Trout Fire.

Hawkins presented a long presentation on the feasibility study and bond projects for the schools.

He said the study recommended consolidating schools to help address the 2.4 percent decline in student enrollment over the past five years.

The bond project will be on the ballots of the election to take place this fall on November. 4, 2025. The election also includes municipal elections of mayors and councilors/trustees, as well as school board members for the Silver and Cobre consolidated school districts.