BLM seeks to identify possible revisions to regulations covering 18,000 permits, leases on 155 million acres

WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Land Management continues to listen to the public, grazing leaseholders and other stakeholders as part of the initial scoping process to consider proposed revisions to the agency’s grazing regulations. The BLM currently manages livestock grazing on 155 million of the 245 million acres of public land and administers nearly 18,000 grazing permits and leases.

“Sustainable livestock grazing on public lands is a part of the history and culture of the West. We’re seeking input on specific aspects of the current regulations which may be in need of revision or that could be improved, in order to keep public land livestock grazing viable for the future,” said Casey Hammond, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management. At this point in the process, we are asking the public, the agricultural community and other stakeholders for their ideas, in order to develop specific proposals.”

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ELLIJAY, Ga., Feb. 7, 2020 – Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Georgia State Director Joyce White announced a $4.4 million investment in high-speed broadband infrastructure. This investment will support the construction of 90 miles of fiber-optic infrastructure in Gilmer County. The service area includes 2,159 households, 25 pre-subscribed businesses, two critical community facilities, an educational facility and 24 pre-subscribed farms, including 22 poultry farms. This broadband investment will strengthen the poultry industry in north Georgia. This is one of many funding announcements in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments.

“We are extremely proud to partner with Ellijay Telephone Company to expand broadband access,” White said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA has made deploying this critical infrastructure across rural America a top priority, because we know when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”

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White Sands Missile Range, US 70 Road Block

LAS CRUCES: The New Mexico Department of Transportation District One office (NMDOT) along with White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) has posted an alert for Monday February 10, 2020.

US 70 is scheduled to be blocked at 6:50 a.m. and should last approximately one hour to be lifted by 7:50 a.m. This block will be located at Blue Block (2 miles east of the access road - Mile Marker 172) and @ Yellow Block (located at the WSNM Headquarters).  The San Augustin Pass, Owen Road & the Las Cruces Gate are not affected. Nike Ave will be affected for this block.

All roadblocks are subject to change without notice, please call WSMR at 575-678-2221 for updates or go to New Mexico Department of Transportation:  www.nmroads.com or call 511.

Lifestyle changes can reduce risk of heart disease

SANTA FE– As part of National Heart Health Month in February, the New Mexico Department of Health is raising awareness that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the state.  The most recent data available is for 2018. It shows about twenty percent of deaths in the state were the result of heart disease.

Every year cardiovascular disease costs New Mexico $2.5 billion in medical care costs and about $1.9 billion due to absenteeism.  

High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about half of Americans have at least one of these three risk factors.

Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease including:

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Senator John Arthur Smith with Aging & Long-Term Services Department Secretary Katrina Hotrum-Lopez at her Senate Rules Confirmation hearing.SANTA FE – Today the New Mexico State Senate unanimously confirmed Katrina Hotrum-Lopez as Secretary of the Aging & Long-Term Services Department.

“When I look at the resume of Katrina Hotrum-Lopez and her experience, the list of experience goes on and on,” said Senator John Arthur Smith. “I’ve yet in my 32-years as a state senator observed such credentials for this job and she has an outstanding reputation with vast experience working with services for senior citizens.”

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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — This month, The Mariners’ Museum and Park will embark on the next monumental step in conserving USS Monitor’s Dahlgren guns. In late February and early March, the Museum will clean out the 11-foot-long bores in each gun using a custom-made machine. 

Monitor’s guns are the largest guns to ever be bored, giving this significant conservation step its own mark in history. The removal of the marine material is the final mechanical cleaning step before the guns can be dried and put on display. 

“By boring the guns, we will finally have the ability to remove trapped ocean salts from the interiors of these massive artifacts; which sets the stage for us to dry and put the guns on display,” said Will Hoffman, the Museum’s director of conservation. “Due to the size of the guns, no one has done this procedure at this scale, so we’ve had to develop new equipment to make it happen.”

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Albuquerque, NM - On January 30, 2020, a narcotics investigation conducted by the New Mexico State Police Street Crimes Unit culminated in a search warrant being executed on a residence located at 536 Madeira Dr SE in Albuquerque.  During a search of the residence, which was performed with the assistance of the New Mexico State Police Tactical Team, agents took the following items as evidence:

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SANTA FE – The Office of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday announced the appointment of Tom Mraz of Meadow Lake to fill the District 2 Valencia County Commission seat. 

The seat became vacant after the resignation of David Carlberg.

Mraz started the Meadow Lake Kids Club in 2015 and helped start the Valencia County Community Action Network in 2017. He has been a member of the Meadow Lake Park Area Association board for the last four years and has served on the Valencia County Juvenile Justice Board since 2016.

Mraz will serve the remainder of Carlberg’s term, which expires in 2020. He said he will not seek the seat in the 2020 election so as to allow the voters of the district to choose their county representative for themselves.