GRANTS, NM - Lane Widner, who was the principal of Grants High School for five years, was named the new superintendent of Grants Cibola County Schools at the school board meeting on May 23, at 6 p.m. Widner stated that he is excited to get to work and he wants to do a good job for the community.

GRANTS, NM – The lodger’s tax awards took place on May 19, at 2 p.m. Multiple businesses in Cibola received funding including Grants Rodeo Association, Grants Mainstreet Project Inc., Cibola County Historical Society, and many others. The awards ranged from $3,000 to $180,000. Each business submitted applications for the awards.

The Board of Education for the Grants/Cibola County Schools voted unanimously to appoint Mr. Lane Widner as the Grants/Cibola County Schools’ new Superintendent of Schools, effective July 1, 2023. Mr. Widner was chosen through a comprehensive search based on the academic leadership profile prepared by the Board after receiving input from staff, parents, students and community members. Mr. Widner will succeed Superintendent Max Perez to lead this diverse school district.

SANTA FE – The state Supreme Court today reversed a regulatory agency’s decision to permanently ban a company from becoming a provider of discounted telecommunications services to low-income consumers in New Mexico.

National seatbelt awareness campaign and high visibility enforcement effort SANTA FE — The New Mexico Department of Transportation and local law enforcement agencies remind drivers to buckle up during the national annual Click it or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign which begins May 15. Law enforcement will be out looking for unrestrained drivers and passengers during a concentrated enforcement period May 22 through June 4, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday.

SANTA FE – The state Supreme Court today issued an opinion providing guidance to district courts in deciding pretrial detention requests from prosecutors. In a unanimous opinion, the justices clarified the analysis that courts should follow in determining whether legal requirements have been met for a person charged with a felony to be held in jail while awaiting trial.

Grants, NM – The National Park Service at El Malpais National Monument is preparing to conduct a prescribed fire on the north side of the monument adjacent to Highway 53 between mile marker 65 and 68. The primary objective of this prescribed fire is to improve forest health by reducing the build-up of vegetation that can fuel a wildfire. Fire plays a natural role at El Malpais and helps ensure the resiliency of this fire dependent ecosystem.

Editor’s Note: Due to the upcoming prescribed fire the week of May 29 in the El Calderon area, El Malpais National Monument has decided to cancel the Bat Outflight Guided Hikes for next weekend, June 2 & 3. Bat Outflights will continue on June 9 and 10.

Around a third of Medicaid enrollees say they would look for new coverage on the ACA exchange, while one in four said they would not know where to look for insurance if they lost their Medicaid coverage, a survey from Kaiser Family Foundation found.