Western New Mexico University announced that they completed the public input phase of its updated 5-year Master Plan that included a public meeting hosted on the WNMU Silver City campus and two periods for online review of the draft plan with the ability to submit input. In total, 101 comments were shared with the university. Many of the comments received were about the proposed expansion and modernization of J. Cloyd Miller Library, including the plan to expand its digital resources, with some expressing concern that the library’s physical holdings would be eliminated. WNMU President Joseph Shepard has indicated that the library will continue to purchase and shelve books. “As a public institution, we are a depository of knowledge, not just for our students but for the local and regional community,” said Shepard. “Maintaining and continued expansion of the physical stacks in the library are of paramount importance but we are also looking to ensure access to those who choose digital formats and students using library resources from afar,” said Shepard.

Start getting your large items that you want to dispose of ready!  It is almost time for the Spring Cleaning Community Clean-up day!  Saturday, March 18th, from 9am to noon, you can bring large items to Gough Park, where Copper Country Dumpster, will disposed of the items for free. Hazardous waste and liquids will not be accepted. Pick It Up Toss No Mas will also be hosting a community cleanup on that day, March 18th. Volunteer sign-in is a 9am at the park.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has posted a report on the water supply outlook for New Mexico. The report shares that there are “statewide increases in both Snow Water Equivalent [SWE] and total precipitation during February, which continue to paint an optimistic water supply picture for New Mexico’s major river basins. Above to well above normal streamflow volumes are now likely for the runoff period in every aggregated basin system aside from the Canadian which has not seen the same magnitude of precipitation as other regions since the start of the 2023 water year. Most significant February gains in SWE were seen in the western New Mexico’s San Juan, Zuni, Gila-San Francisco, and Lower Rio Grande basins, as well as in the upper Pecos.  To review the entire report go to New Mexico NRCS website.