From the Pecos Valley Newsroom
News from Roswell, Carlsbad, and Artesia
By Newsroom
Much of Main Street in Roswell shuts down for a few hours on Monday.
This allows the Eastern New Mexico State Fair parade to run through town.
The parade closes Main Street between 19th and McGaffey streets at 9:30 Monday morning.
The parade starts at 10 o’clock and may last two hours.
Main Street traffic detours to the streets directly east and west.
By Newsroom
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Roswell has a lot of blessing in store for the community.
The church on Sunday holds its annual Blessing of the Animals and Memorial Service at 2 o’clock.
Then on Oct. 8, the church hosts its first Blessing of the Bikes National Ride Day.
People can have free food and non-alcoholic beverages that day from 1:30 to 3:30.
The service begins at 2 o’clock, with the blessing from Fr. Dale Plummer at 2:30.
By Newsroom
Dozens of people in Carlsbad have volunteered to restore the Playground on the Pecos.
The last restoration took place 14 years ago.
The work this time around began Wednesday morning as people started changing wooden planks into plastic ones.
Linda Dodd from the United Way of Carlsbad and South Eddy County tells the Current-Argus that the plastic should last 30 years.
Donavan Mager from Nuclear Waste Partnership says his company has 50 employees and senior managers participating in this project.
The grand reopening happens Sunday afternoon at 5 o’clock.
By Newsroom
Police and firefighters in Artesia do not have to take pay cuts.
The Roswell Daily Record reports the city council has chosen to accept an anonymous donation to offset the costs.
This allows the city to restore pay cuts for officers, firefighters, and two librarians.
The city last month announced immediate pay cuts of 10 percent for all employees.
No one has given the exact amount, but the city’s budget makes it look like the donation exceeds $300,000.
By Newsroom
Former NMMI athlete Roger Staubach has made the NJCAA Hall of Fame.
A ceremony on Saturday recognizes the induction.
This happens in Athens, Tex. prior to NMMI’s game against Trinity Valley.
A press conference happens a hour before kickoff on the student union building ballroom.
NMMI Supt. Jerry Grizzle presents Staubach with the award, and then Staubach offers remarks.
Additionally, Staubach does the coin toss after walking with the NMMI game captain to the field.
During the 1960-61 school year, Staubach played football, basketball, and baseball for the Broncos.
He left NMMI for the Naval Academy the following year, ultimately touring Vietnam and then playing for the Dallas Cowboys.
By Newsroom
NMSU-Carlsbad has opened enrollment for two free adult education courses.
Registration for GED and ELA courses continues until Oct. 13.
Classes begin Oct. 17.
Enrollment for these two opens every eight weeks.
Adult education director Bertha Jasso says the courses specifically apply to people 18 and older.
She tells the Current-Argus that they have no age limit, as a 73-year-old woman earned her GED through the program in 2009.
Jasso says 70 percent of the people enrolled in ELA come from Mexico and South America.
For more information, call 234-9250.
By Newsroom
You may have noticed a tree removal crew yesterday in the east parking lot at Cahoon Park in Roswell.
The tree had split down the middle, and city spokesman Todd Wildermuth says the entire tree had to come down in order to prevent accidents.
Other trees in the park need trimming so large machinery and pavers can repave part of Park Road.
The paving project begins Monday, and it may last three weeks.
By Newsroom
The Pecos Valley Artesian Conservancy District has bought a new drilling rig for just over $700,000.
Superintendent Aron Balock says this replaces equipment that dates back to 1962.
He tells the Roswell Daily Record that the district has planned for six or seven years to buy the equipment with money from its operational budget.
This rig has drilling equipment on top of a truck.
By Newsroom
Jefferson Montessori Academy has a full council of trustees again.
Robert Johnson and Mark Schime have earned elections to the board.
These two positions opened last month for parents of students currently enrolled in the school.
Members hold three-year terms before they have to run for re-election.
Last month’s council meeting did not happen because of a lack of quorum.
Principal Stacey Frakes tells the Current-Argus that with five members, she does not see this problem repeating itself.
The next meeting happens Oct. 20.
By Newsroom
Oil companies and communities in New Mexico and Texas come together tomorrow.
They issue a warning to Saudi Arabia and OPEC to stop overproduction of oil and lower prices as a strategy to slow or shut them down or face import quotas.
Independents at the Panhandle Initiative to Reduce Imports hold an industry and public rally in Carlsbad tomorrow.
This runs from 11:30 to 2 o’clock at the Pecos River Village Convention Center.
Declining oil and gas revenue have caused New Mexico a $589 million budget deficit.