From the Pecos Valley Newsroom

The Roswell Police Department will again be part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, an initiative of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) offering citizens an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. The public can bring unwanted and unneeded prescription drugs to the Take Back Day event
Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Roswell Police Department (128 W. Second St.).

The service is free and those bringing prescription drugs can remain anonymous, no questions asked. Please note, however, the DEA – which will dispose of the collected items – cannot accept liquids or needles; only pills or patches are accepted during this event.

This month’s planned temporary closure of the City of Roswell Water Billing Office for a computer-software conversion has been postponed. The office will maintain its regular days and hours of operation. The previously announced closure for Oct. 22-26 will not take place. The public will be notified of a rescheduled closure for this project once final dates are established.

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a primary agricultural disaster designation for counties in New Mexico, including Eddy County. In the letter sent to Governor Lujan Grisham, Sonny Purdue of the United States Department of Agriculture stated “A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in primary counties and those counties contiguous to such primary counties eligible to be considered for certain assistance from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Call 575-887-3506 for more information.

A Carlsbad man has been sentenced for trafficking in the powerful opiate painkiller fentanyl. The US Attorney’s Office says 36 year-old Kristopher Parker was ordered to serve 5.5 years in federal prison after he was convicted for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Parker pleaded guilty last year as part of a plea deal. He was arrested in May, 2019, with over 270 pills on him, authorities said.

A road work project in Artesia to alert you about. Road work at the intersection of 8th and Logan will begin on Monday, the 26th. The project is scheduled for completion on November 12th, so you can expect deyals around 8th an Logan for the next few weeks. The intersection will be closed for the work, so you should seek an alternate route.

The City of Carlsbad has received a grant for more than $340,000 to go toward preventing school violence, Carlsbad Mayor Janway has announced. The Bureau of Justice selected Carlsbad as a recipient for its “STOP School Violence” grant program, titled “Train School Personnel and Educate Students on Preventing Student Violence.” The $346,625 grant was announced through the Bureau of Justice. The program includes training for school personnel and teaching for students.

The Roswell Adult Center will reopen limited parts of the facility beginning Monday (Oct. 19). People will have access to the Billiard Room, Cardio Room and Hospitality Room at the center at 807 N. Missouri Ave. The Adult Center will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Use of the Billiard Room or Cardio Room costs $1 (plus tax) per person per visit. Use of the Hospitality Room is free. The room is generally used for playing dominoes and visiting. Face masks are required and groups of no more than five people are allowed to visit.

The Artesia Police Department is sponsoring a pumpkin carving contest this year. You must be an Artesia resident 5-to-12 years old to enter. After you carve your pumpking, take a picture of it and email it to rhuerta@artesianm.gov. DOn’t forget to include your name, age, and contact info in the email. The deadline for entries is 4pm October 27th. Prizes will be awarded for the first three places.

The City of Roswell Water Billing Office will be closed Thursday and Friday Oct. 22 and 23, as well as Monday, Oct. 26, in order for a computer-system conversion to take place. From Oct. 22 through Oct. 26, the online bill-pay service will also be temporarily shut down to accommodate the conversion to the new system. Customers who usually pay their bills during this time period will be able to pay the bills after Oct. 26 with no penalties. Bills can be paid during this period by using the drop box across the street from the office (415 N. Richardson Ave.). Water service will not be interrupted during the computer-system conversion.

The city of Roswell is asking residents to be on the lookout for a runaway beaver. A statement from city spokesperson Todd Wildermuth says one of the newly arrived beavers at Spring River Zoo went missing this past weekend. The animal is one of a pair of 2-year-old brothers who came to the Roswell zoo from the Pittsburgh Zoo in Pennsylvania. The beaver was discovered missing form his enclosure on Sunday after it appeared he dug under a fence. If anyone sees the beaver around town, you’re asked to call Zoo Curator Andrea Cole at 575-626-1420.