Front Page News

[Editor's Note: The Beat only briefly covered Love Local in downtown Silver City on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, due to late notice  and very little advertising in the Beat.]

Photos by Mary Alice Murphy

About 31 businesses participated in the Love Local event offering discounts, drawings, free items, and other goodies to customers visiting their shops. 

Morning Star owners Rocky and Lynn Mondello are surrounded by family members and helpers, Jordan Carrasco, Fran Mondello, Amanda Milano, Chloe Holguin and Jenny Clodfelter ( not necessarily in that order). They helped customers during the 33rd anniversary sale. 

By Lynn Janes

The town of Hurley had been set to have a regular meeting February 11, 2025. Only Mayor Ed Stevens, and Pete Ordonez had attended so a quorum could not be met. Mayor Pro Tem Reynaldo Maynes had been held up and councilors Nanette Day and Keana Huerta had resigned.

Stevens read the resignation letters. Huerta cited school and responsibilities as a reason she could not continue. Day said she had been hired for a job that did not allow for any government pay so she could not continue on the council.

By Lynn Janes

The town of Bayard held a special meeting February 6, 2025. Attendance included Mayor John L. Ojinaga, Pro Tem Eloy Medina, councilors, Frances Gonzales, Eloy Gonzales and Gilbert Ortiz. Martha Salas, city clerk, also attended.

Ordinances and resolutions

The council unanimously  approved ordinance 1-2025 authorizing the execution and delivery of a taxable loan agreement and intercept agreement between the city of Bayard and the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA).

By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Town Council held a work session meeting February 3, 2025. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ken Ladner, Mayor Pro Tem Guadalupe Cano, Nicholas Prince, Rudy Bencomo and Stan Snider.

They started the meeting out with public input on the proposed notice of intent to adopt an ordinance for the citizens' advisory board. Ladner let them know they each had three minutes to make their statement. He asked them to make the comments brief and to the point.

Police Chief Freddie Portillo spoke to the council and thanked them for the opportunity to speak. He reminded the community the police work for them and having a good working relationship and gathering community input would be invaluable. "The community does and always will come first. However, I do not support this notice of intent." The community as a whole provides oversight.

Traffic Alert – Roadway closure expected to last 30 minutes

SILVER CITY - The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) District One, in partnership with Mountain States Constructors, Inc., is widening U.S. 180 from a 2-lane to a 4-lane road from Bayard to Hurley.

Crews have planned a rock blast for today Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 12 p.m. U.S. 180 will be closed from Lusk St. to the Bayard Cemetery at milepost 125.8. Please expect delays. These closures are expected to last 30 minutes but no longer than 1 hour.

Photos by Mary Alice Murphy

[Photographer's Note: I didn't get everyone this year. I was so focused on getting chocolates that I only got about half the vendor participants. Sorry!]

The annual and much awaited Chocolate Fantasia took place at businesses in downtown Silver City on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. The event, with the theme of Mochaccino this year,  put on by  Mimbres Region Arts Council, this year by volunteers, raises funds for the organization to provide events in town.  This year, 22 businesses provided a venue for the chocolates, all handmade, some by the businesses themselves, and others by volunteer chocolatiers. 

The event had downtown Silver City bustling with lots of people, local and visitors, alike.

By Mary Alice Murphy

Toward the beginning of the Gila Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees monthly meeting on Jan. 22, 2024, Chair Dr. Fred Fox commented that he, the GRMC Chief Executive Officer Robert Whitaker and others would attend the Grant County Days the following week at the 2025 Legislative Session in Santa Fe.

"We will be advocating for heath care in the county and there's been some recent developments that might help move us in appropriate directions," Fox said while not explaining the recent developments.

From left are Grant County 4-H Parliamentary Procedure team members Laney Lopez, Braelyn Rodriguez, Tanner Frost, Ethan Greeman, Chris Bennett and Bella Lopez.

Alamogordo, NM – January 25, 2025 – Grant County 4-H members demonstrated their exceptional skills in parliamentary procedure at the 2025 New Mexico State Parliamentary Procedure Contest held in Alamogordo, NM, on January 25. The team, consisting of Laney Lopez, Braelyn Rodriguez, Ethan Greeman, Chris Bennett, Tanner Frost, and Bella Lopez, secured a prestigious 4th place finish in the state competition, showcasing their hard work, dedication, and teamwork.

The State Parliamentary Procedure Contest challenges 4-H teams to demonstrate their understanding and application of parliamentary procedures, a set of rules used in meetings and decision-making processes. Contestants must not only master the technical aspects of parliamentary procedure but also work together efficiently and effectively to make decisions in a competitive and time-sensitive environment.