This category will feature news releases from out-of-area government agencies and representatives, as well as events that are not taking place in the four-county area of Grant, Catron, Hidalgo or Luna. For local events please visit Local News Releases.

New Study of Medicaid

New Study of Medicaid Forward Proposal Projects Major
Leap in Coverage and Significant Savings for New Mexicans
Data shows how Medicaid Forward program would cut New Mexico’s uninsured rate by over half while driving down costs for patients, providers, and employers 

Santa Fe, NM - A new study of Medicaid Forward, a proposed plan to provide quality, affordable health care plans on an income-based sliding scale, projects that between 407,000 and 542,000 New Mexicans would select the plan, including up to 142,000 who are currently uninsured. The study also shows that implementation of the plan could create billions of dollars in savings across households and businesses in the state.

Read more ...

NMSU enrollment up at all campuses, reaches pre-pandemic level in Las Cruces

Unofficial enrollment numbers for the New Mexico State University system show an increase of nearly 3% systemwide over last fall, with enrollment at the Las Cruces campus surpassing pre-pandemic levels.


 
While enrollment data is still being finalized and is subject to change, preliminary data from the university’s fall census date of Sept. 1 shows a systemwide headcount for fall 2023 of 21,829 – a 2.9% increase over fall 2022.


 
That unduplicated headcount includes 14,794 undergraduate and graduate students at NMSU’s Las Cruces campus, an increase of 3.7% over fall 2022. First-time freshman class enrollment is up 3.4% over fall 2022, with 2,410 students. Undergraduate continuing student enrollment is 7,915, which is 5.4% higher than fall 2022. Las Cruces campus enrollment surpassed its pre-pandemic fall 2019 level of 14,296 by nearly 3.5%.

Read more ...

NMSU study delves into Spaceport America’s strong impact on NM economy

Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University and NMSU’s Center for Border Economic Development, or C-BED, recently partnered with the New Mexico Spaceport Authority on a report highlighting the Spaceport’s activities and economic impact on the state.


 
The report, released in late August, provides readers with information on Spaceport America’s activities in 2022, along with the positive impacts it has on New Mexico’s economy.


 
“Our report found that the Spaceport is an important driver of economic growth in Sierra and Doña Ana counties,” said C-BED Director Chris Erickson. “The ongoing expansion of the space industry provides an opportunity for the Spaceport to play an even more important role going forward.”

Read more ...

In Orbit: High schoolers track asteroids in NMSU Summer Science Program

Academically advanced and motivated high school students from around the world had the opportunity to participate in a project that observes asteroids and tracks orbits around the sun through the Summer Science Program, a nonprofit offering an immersion experience in experimental science to rising high school juniors and seniors. New Mexico State University hosted nearly three dozen students in this program for the first time over the summer.


 
If you’ve ever watched a movie about the dangers of asteroids getting too close to Earth, then you might consider these students heroes.
 


“The SSP astronomy program concentrates on tracking near-earth asteroids, which have a higher chance of becoming potentially hazardous asteroids, which are the ones we keep a particularly close eye on due to their increased probability of crashing into the earth,” said Adam Rengstorf, director of SSP’s astronomy program at NMSU. “It serves the larger community to keep track of where these things are. The Minor Planet Center collects data from many different places and then periodically recomputes the orbits of the asteroids to make sure they’re staying at a safe distance.”

Read more ...

FBI Honors Internship Program Open for Applications

College students who want to start a career of a lifetime can apply for the Summer 2024 FBI Honors Internship Program.

The application window opened on September 5, 2023, and the deadline to apply is September 20, 2023, at 11:59PM EDT. 

The FBI Honors Internship is open for full-time undergraduate and graduate students. This paid internship gives students the opportunity to work across the country, including New Mexico.

Read more ...

PNM Kicks Off Copper Theft Awareness Month

Warning customers about the dangers of copper theft while providing ways to prevent and report it


(Albuquerque, NM) – PNM has launched its annual Copper Theft Awareness Month. Throughout September, PNM will be alerting residential and business customers about copper theft, how to identify it, what they can do if they become a victim, how to report it and what steps they can take to deter copper thieves.


Copper theft is an ongoing issue nationwide that plagues residents, businesses and utilities every year. So far this year, PNM has received 51 reports of business customers hit by copper thieves. In 2022, PNM received a total of 83 copper theft reports from businesses. Not only is copper theft illegal, but it can cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair and replace. Copper theft also poses a serious safety hazard to the public. High copper prices entice criminals to steal metals from homes, businesses, scrap sites, and utilities.

Read more ...

N.M. Delegation To Host Virtual Military Service Academy Nominations Event

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – At 6:30 p.m. MT on Thursday, September 7, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, and U.S. Representatives Melanie Stansbury, Teresa Leger Fernández, and Gabe Vasquez will bring together representatives from U.S. Military Service Academies for a virtual Q&A session. 

The conversation is an opportunity for high school students and recent graduates to ask questions about the nomination process and attending U.S. Military Service Academies. The New Mexico delegation will be accepting online applications for nominations to enter an academy in Fall 2024. 

Read more ...

Statewide winners announced for NM Grown Program

Golden Chile Awards recognize efforts to connect children and seniors with locally grown food 

The Golden Chile Awards celebrate and commend statewide efforts aimed at promoting good nutrition and supporting New Mexico’s farming economy.

Representatives from the Office of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham as well as the Departments of Aging and Long-Term Services, Agriculture, Early Childhood Education & Care, Health, and Public Education, will honor the 66 statewide winners in a virtual ceremony Wednesday, September 13, at 2 p.m.

“Congratulations to all New Mexico Grown participants for their dedication to New Mexico’s local food movement. We celebrate your success and commitment to supporting local growers and the health of your communities,” said Kendal Chavez, Food and Hunger Advisor in the Office of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Read more ...

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.