CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – COVID-19 reared its ugly head, in one of the deadliest months on record for Cibola County’s battle against the disease. October saw an increase in six confirmed COVID- 19 deaths across the county, a number that is projected to be significantly lower than the actual toll. On November 1, the global confirmed death toll of COVID-19 reached over five million – also a number expected to be significantly lower than the actual toll – significantly more than Ebola, Swine Flu, Hong Kong and Asian Flu.

CIBOLA COUNTY N.M. – On Thursday, October 28, the Cibola County Board of Commissioners held a regular meeting at 5 p.m. in the commission chamber located at 700 E. Roosevelt Avenue. All commissioners were present, and a lengthy agenda was approved as presented. Public comment was made by a Paul Spencer, who brought a nationwide issue to the board’s attention, regarding constantly changing EPA policies and engineers’ struggles to keep up. Spencer was not able to finish his comment within the allotted threeminute time limit, so he said he would be back at the next meeting to finish his point. The board approved minutes from a September 23 regular commission meeting, and then moved on to finance reports.

Reporter CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – The Cibola County Sheriff’s Office conducted a multi-department Safe Streets Operation which combined the resources of local and federal law enforcement agencies to arrest individuals with outstanding warrants or probation and parole violations. The office’s annual operation is intended to take criminals and absconders off the streets. This year saw the successful arrest of nine individuals, six men and three women.

VILLAGE OF MILAN, N.M. – The Village of Milan Board of Trustees held a regular meeting on Thursday, October 21, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting lasted about two hours due to the lengthy agenda and an executive session. Trustee Christopher Archuleta was absent because of a family emergency, said Mayor Felix Gonzales. The agenda was approved as presented, and the board approved meeting minutes for a September 8 workshop and special meeting, a September 16 regular meeting, and a September 28 special meeting.

GRANTS, N.M. – It is not uncommon for Cibola’s first responders to be called to the scene of an active overdose, or for people to be left at the door of the emergency room in the middle of an overdose. An effort by Grants local Lynette Gurule seeks to make the life-saving power of Narcan more accessible to the public. A revolutionary tool in the War Against Drugs, Narcan shuts off chemical receptors in the brain to stop an active opioid overdose. Recognizing that Narcan is not available widely across Cibola County, Gurule decided to take matters into her own hands. Working with her professors at Western New Mexico University, and City of Grants Municipal Judge Elise Larson, Gurule was able to set up a training session teaching how to use the spray. Attendees will have the option to receive their own Narcan to keep available.

CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – After an anomaly in data reporting by the State of New Mexico, data in Cibola County is starting to even out, but the COVID-19 transmission risk in the county remains extremely high. Test positivity throughout Cibola is extremely high, it is very likely the cases are undercounted.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - October 25, 2021- AT&T New Mexico is pleased to announce that the AT&T Foundation has awarded New Mexico State University a $10,000 grant for scholarships for students at its campus in the City of Grants. The scholarships are for students pursuing an associate degree in creative media or certificate in game design.

CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – During the summer of 2021, three girls from across Cibola County were given the opportunity to participate in this year’s virtual Tech Trek activities. According to https://techtreknm.aauw.net/, “Tech Trek New Mexico is a weeklong camp at [the] New Mexico Tech campus in Socorro, N.M. for girls who are passionate about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).” Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the camp was held virtually this year, but it still included many of the same lessons and components it did from a regular, in-person camp. According to New Mexico teacher Cheryl Kerby, this included “a daily three hour core class, workshops, field trips, and a Q[&]A session with women professionals in STEM careers from around the state.”