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USDA Broadens Crop Insurance Options for Fruit and Nut Producers

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USDA Broadens Crop Insurance Options for Fruit and Nut ProducersWASHINGTON, July 23, 2015 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the expansion of crop insurance to provide additional options for fruit and nut producers. The Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) and the Actual Production History (APH) Yield Exclusion are now available to cover fresh fruit and nuts in select counties beginning with the 2016 crop year.

"USDA remains committed to making new crop insurance options outlined in the 2014 Farm Bill available to as many types of producers as possible. Providing these options for our producers of fresh fruit and nuts gives them the stronger safety net they need to continue farming, even after particularly bad years," said Secretary Vilsack. "USDA will continue to work toward implementing risk management provisions from the Farm Bill as quickly as possible so that producers can plan for the future and protect their businesses."

SCO will now be available in select counties for almonds, apples, blueberries, grapes, peaches, potatoes, prunes, safflower, tomatoes, and walnuts for the 2016 crop year. Grapefruit, lemons, mandarins/tangerines, oranges, and tangelos will be eligible for coverage beginning with the 2017 crop year. This is in addition to the alfalfa seed, canola, cultivated wild rice, dry peas, forage production, grass seed, mint, oats, onions, and rye that were recently made available for 2016 as well. Currently, SCO covers corn, cotton, cottonseed, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, spring barley, spring wheat, and winter wheat in selected counties.

SCO is an area-based policy endorsement that can be purchased to supplement an underlying crop insurance policy. It covers a portion of losses not covered by the same crop's underlying policy. USDA's Risk Management Agency, which administers the federal crop insurance program, has posted information on the expanded program, including where SCO is available by crop and county. Visit www.rma.usda.gov/news/currentissues/sco/index.html to learn more.

Producers of apples, blueberries, grapes, peaches, potatoes, prunes, safflower, tomatoes, and walnuts in select counties will have the option to elect the APH Yield Exclusion for the 2016 crop year. Producers of grapefruit, lemons, mandarins/tangerines, oranges, and tangelos will have the option to elect the APH Yield Exclusion for the 2017 crop year. Alfalfa seed, cultivated wild rice, dry peas, forage production, oats, onions, rye and winter wheat are also eligible in certain counties beginning with the 2016 crop year. These are in addition to barley, canola, corn, cotton, grain sorghum, peanuts, popcorn, rice, soybeans, sunflowers and spring wheat, which were offered beginning in the 2015 crop year.

The APH Yield Exclusion allows farmers, with qualifying crops in eligible counties, to exclude low yields in exceptionally bad years (such as a year in which a natural disaster or other extreme weather occurs) from their production history when calculating yields used to establish their crop insurance coverage. Crop years are eligible when the average per planted acreage yield for the county was at least 50 percent below the simple average for the previous 10 consecutive crop years. It will allow eligible producers to receive a higher approved yield on their insurance policies through the federal crop insurance program.

Producers also have access to new online tools designed to help them determine the options that work best for their operations. The Crop Insurance Decision Tool and the SCO/APH Yield Exclusion mapping tool, available online, provide farmers with information on APH Yield Exclusion and SCO eligible crops, crop years, and counties where they may elect the programs. This user-friendly resource can help producers quickly explore and understand available coverage options. Users will get general estimates to help them make purchasing decisions. Producers should consult their crop insurance agent for detailed information, sales closing dates and an actual premium quote.

A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the Risk Management Agency's agent locator. Growers can use the agency's cost estimator to get a premium amount estimate of their insurance needs online. Visit the Risk Management Agency at www.rma.usda.gov/news/currentissues/aphye/index.html to learn more about SCO and APH Yield Exclusion.

APH Yield Exclusion and SCO are made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill, which builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past six years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing, and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.


Updated Info on Al-Anon Meetings

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Monday: The New Hope Al-Anon Family Group meets every Monday @ 12:05 - 1:00 PM, at the First Presbyterian Church, 20th and Swan, Silver City. Al Anon Family Groups are for family and friends of alcoholics. Contact: Jerry: 575-534-4866; Matt: 575-313-0330; Diana: 575-574-2311. This is an Open Meeting of Al-Anon.

Wednesday: The Wednesday Evening Al-Anon Family Group meets every Wednesday @ 6:00-7:00 PM, at the Arenas Valley Church of Christ, 5 Race Track Road, Arenas Valley (Old Radio Station). This is an Open Meeting of Al-Anon. Contact: Tom: 575-956-8731; Karen: 575-654-1643; Dot: 575-654-1643.

Friday: Women's Al-Anon Meeting: Women Embracing Recovery - We R Group (a Women's Feelings Meeting). Meets Fridays 4:30-5:30 p.m. at La Clinica Health and Birth Center, 3201 Ridge Loop (off of 32nd Street, just up the hill from GRMC). Contact Theresa M 388-4670.

Pearce Votes to Empower Consumers with Uniform Federal Labeling of GMO Foods

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Washington, D.C. - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1599, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, by a bipartisan vote of 275-150. This bill provides clarity and uniformity for the labeling of food products containing genetically engineered plants or ingredients (GMO's), helping consumers make informed choices. U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce issued the following statement:

"Today I voted to protect both American consumers and producers by creating a national labeling standard for genetically engineered foods," Pearce said. "It is imperative that we ensure food safety standards nationwide, while also providing affordable and accessible food for all families. To have a medley of laws from one state to the next causes confusion and inconsistencies in what a label means."

"Even worse, state labeling mandates could increase costs for a family by up to $500 per year. This burden is one that New Mexican families simply cannot afford. This bill balances the needs of consumers and producers by ensuring that labeling guidelines are dependable, affordable, accurate, and easy to understand. Families should have the power to make food choices that best fits their needs and beliefs, and today's bill will ensure that they can make those choices with more certainty."

6th Judicial District Sexual Assault Protocol Training, July 29, 2015

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Wednesday, July 29, 2015 6th Judicial District Sexual Assault Protocol Training. 1 - 3 p.m. WNMU Light Hall, 1000 W. College Ave. Join us for an incredibly important training on the Sixth Judicial District's Sexual Assault Protocol - including Children's Physical Abuse and reporting. Includes a presentation from invested agencies on their role and a Question and Answer period. Please RSVP to Katherine Gauer via email (sassadvocacy@gmail.com<mailto:sassadvocacy@gmail.com>) with name, agency name, number attending, and phone number and email addresses for all those attending. Free. Light refreshments will be served.

Child abuse and neglect was rated as the third leading priority in "Community and Social Health for Children and Teens" by Grant County residents in 2012 Community Assessment, the most recent assessment conducted by Grant County Community Health Council. Interpersonal violence, which includes sexual assault and child abuse, is one of the four Health and Wellness Priorities set by the Health Council, which is the Health and Wellness Planning Authority of the Grant County Board of Commissioners.

Over 21 percent of Grant County residents reported experiencing sexual assault in their lifetimes, in the same assessment. This staggering number isn't a fluke, in New Mexico 1 in for women and 1 in 20 men are the victims completed or attempted rape in their lifetime, according to the 2014 Sex Crimes in New Mexico Fact Sheet.

In Grant County, 11 percent of female and 7 percent of male High School students reported being the victim of sexual dating violence on the 2013 Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey, which gauges the healthy, and not-so-healthy, behaviors of High School students across the nation.

These statistics are why having a unified protocol to deal with reported sexual assaults and child abuse is so important. The training is meant to better educate and inform the community of where to report crimes and get help and services for survivors, and of the process the local agencies follow for a unified response.

Please RSVP with Katherine at sassadvocacy@gmail.com, if you plan to attend.

CHANGE OF DATE: The New Mexico Film & Media Industry Conference Date has Changed from July ...

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SANTA FE - Film Office Director Nick Maniatis announced the New Mexico State Film Office will host the annual Film & Media Industry Conference. This important, all-encompassing opportunity is geared to local industry which includes filmmakers, producers, accountants, studios, vendors, crew, actors and emerging media innovators. The Film Office aims to provide an educational experience for those interested in learning about state resources and growing trends. Through a variety of presentations and networking events, discussions will cover topics that touch upon all aspects of the industry from an array of viewpoints.

Conference topics include a review and update on the New Mexico Refundable Film Production Tax Credit, Emerging Media opportunities in New Mexico, creative opportunities in Documentary Storytelling, roles of New Mexico SAG-AFTRA franchised talent agencies, film tourism and more.

"This conference exposes the multi-faceted nature of our industry. After tremendous success last year, additional networking opportunities will assist in the promotion of local businesses to filmmakers and crew," said Director Nick Maniatis. "Everyone interested in this industry will walk away with something."

Registration is required for all attendees with a nominal fee. In addition, local vendors are also encouraged to participate as a conference exhibitor. This is a great way for vendors to showcase their services to the local industry. For registration options and a detailed list of events visit, www.nmfilm.com.

For assistance during the registration process, call (505) 266-3451 or toll free (866) 219-4582 from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday (MT). Contact Tobi Ives, sr. Manager of production, at tobi@nmfilm.com for sponsorship opportunities.

Heinrich: Reauthorization For LWCF Included In Senate Energy Committee Package

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 23, 2015) - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, applauded the inclusion of permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in the bipartisan Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015. Authorization for LWCF, which was established in 1965, is set to expire on September 30.

"There are fewer than 70 days before the Land and Water Conservation Fund expires," said Sen. Heinrich. "This critical conservation program protects our drinking water, provides public land access for sportsmen, and ensures there are soccer fields and baseball diamonds for our children. In New Mexico, LWCF has helped preserve many of our treasured places, such as the Valle de Oro Wildlife Refuge, Bandelier National Monument, and many city parks across the state. These are special places that families go back to year after year, generation after generation, to camp, hunt, fish, hike, and play sports. Reauthorizing LWCF will help ensure that the outdoor places we all treasure will be protected for future generations to enjoy."

Senator Heinrich has consistently fought to protect LWCF. He is an original cosponsor of S. 890, a bill to permanently authorize and fully fund the LWCF. The program has helped protect many of New Mexico's cherished landscapes and wildlife refuges, including the Valles Caldera National Preserve, Petroglyph National Monument, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Santa Fe National Forest, and Valle de Oro Wildlife Refuge. The program also helps support the state's outdoor recreation economy. In New Mexico, outdoor recreation activities generate $6.1 billion annually in consumer spending and are directly responsible for 68,000 jobs.

Using revenues from offshore oil and gas development, the LWCF provides funding for additions to national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests and other federal public lands, making it the principal source of funds for federal acquisition of lands for outdoor recreation, habitat preservation and protection of special natural, cultural, and historic resources. The program also provides matching grants to states and localities for in outdoor recreation facilities such as parks and playing fields, as well as grants to state forestry and state game and fish departments to fund conservation easements on working landscapes and restore wildlife habitat restoration.

Celebrating VI Years of Winemaking and Friends

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August 1st, 2015

Celebration from 11am-6pm

Music
Brandon Perrault 1-3pm
Teresa Smergut 4-6pm

Food
Acosta Farms
Featuring the Acosta Quesadilla and Fajita Burrito

Wine
La Esperanza's Finest

Directions: From Silver City- From Walmart in Silver City, drive on Hwy 180 east about 6.0 miles to Hwy 152. Turn left (going north/northeast) for 15.5 miles to Hwy 61. Turn right (going south) for about 5.6 miles to Royal John Mine Road. Turn Left (going East) across the Mimbres River for about a city block to DeLaO. Turn left (going north) and go about one mile to La Esperanza Vineyard and Winery which is located at the end of the road to your right.

Directions: From Deming - - Second exit off I-10, take Hwy 180 west. Turn North on Hwy 61. Go about 22 miles to Royal John Mine Road, turn right (going east) across the Mimbres river, for about a city block to De La O. Turn left (going north) about one mile to La Esperanza Vineyard and Winery.

2015 Housing Market On Pace for a Record Year in New Mexico

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2015 Housing Market On Pace for a Record Year

A great June for home sales means the 2015 year-to-date reported sales of 8,806 is the highest number reported since 2008 when the REALTORS Association of New Mexico (RANM) started keeping market statistics. 1,850 sales were reported in June 2015, a 20% increase over the number of sales reported in June 2014.

January-June 2008
Number of Sales: 7,535

January-June 2009
Number of Sales: 6,009

January-June 2010
Number of Sales 7,065

January-June 2011
Number of Sales: 6,390

January-June 2012
Number of Sales: 7,013

January-June 2013
Number of Sales: 7,951

January-June 2014
Number of Sales: 8.051

January-June 2015
Number of Sales: 8.806

“Eighteen New Mexico counties reported an increase in 2015 year-to-date sales over 2014 January through June figures. Higher rents, a stronger job market, and gradually rising interest rates are coaxing many first-time home buyers into becoming home owners,” says Baro Shalizi, 2015 RANM President. “Even though statewide trends are rosy, there are counties where economic conditions mean the housing market is not as robust as in other counties. Real estate is after all, local.”

During June 2015, seventeen New Mexico counties reported an increase in sales over June 2014. Torrance, Los Alamos, Lea, Lincoln, Taos, and San Miguel counties all reported over a 40% increase in sales comparing June 2014 to June 2015. Statewide, June median prices are also higher than those reported in June 2014. Median price indicates half the properties sold for more and half for less.

June 2014
Number of Sales: 1,542
Median Price: $179,092

June 2015
Number of Sales: 1,850
Median Price: $189,000

“While all these numbers are good news for the housing market, housing affordability numbers have dropped slightly from a year ago,” says M. Steven Anaya, RANM CEO. “A continued limited number of homes for sale mixed with a higher buyer demand and growing home prices continue to chip away at the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS” housing affordability index. Lower mortgage rates are not completely offsetting the increase in home prices.”

The trends and numbers reported are only a snapshot of market activity. If you are interested in buying or selling, consult a REALTOR familiar with your market area; he/she can provide information on specific trends in your neighborhood.

Silver City Regional Association of REALTORS, Inc. reports:
Residential Data mid-way through 2015:

332 homes were listed Jan - June
736 total active residential listings
$204,552 average original list price of these homes
77 average days-on-the-market homes listed

160 listings have been under-contract

128 homes have sold
39% of the homes listed have sold
$157,129 average sold price
216 average days-on-the-market of solds
93% average list to sales price of homes at sale


Pearce Votes to Enforce Federal Immigration Law For Safer Communities

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Washington, D.C. - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act, H.R. 3009, by a vote of 241-179. Following his vote for passage, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce released this statement:

"Our nation's immigration system is broken, no one can deny that," stated Pearce. "However, the failures and flaws in our system are no excuse to actively break the law. On July 1, Kate Steinle was murdered on a San Francisco pier by an individual who not only had seven prior felony convictions, but had been deported five times. The individual was in custody in April, but was allowed to go free. Three months later, he killed Kate. This Administration must not continue to pay cities to actively skirt around our laws. Passage of this legislation today simply prioritizes federal assistance for communities that follow federal law."

"We in New Mexico know firsthand the challenges of our broken and outdated immigration system. I will continue to advocate and push for commonsense and simple immigration reforms that will make our nation a stronger, safer, better place: from increasing border security, to modernizing our visa process to ensure the system supports and benefits only those who follow the rules.

"Yet while we work to make our immigration system stronger for the future, I believe the laws on our books must be followed. All levels of the government should be responsible to follow and enforce the laws of our nation."

Background from the House Judiciary Committee:

  • Problem: There are almost 180,000 convicted criminal aliens currently in removal proceedings living in the U.S. and almost 170,000 convicted criminal aliens who have been ordered removed also living free. Under the Obama Administration, the total number of such convicted criminal aliens who are not being detained has jumped 28% since 2012.
  • The Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act cuts off specific federal grants for jurisdictions that have policies in place that prohibit or restrict communication with the Department of Homeland Security regarding an individual's citizenship or immigration status. The bill also strips away certain federal grants from jurisdictions that prohibit state or local law enforcement officials from gathering information about an individual's citizenship or immigration status.
  • The federal grants that will be unavailable to sanctuary jurisdictions include the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants, and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne-JAG).

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Fee Increase

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Silver City, NM - Starting on September 1st, 2015, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument will increase entrance fees for visitors in order to fund important maintenance and improvement projects within the park. The single visitor entrance fee will increase from $3 to $5. The family rate of $10 will not be affected and all passes will continue to be honored as in the past.

"This modest increase in fees (the first increase ever at Gila Cliff Dwellings) will allow us to continue to protect, preserve and share the special places here at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument for current visitors and future generations," said Gila Cliff Dwellings Superintendent Hugh Hawthorne. "After carefully considering the impact of a fee increase on visitors and community members, we came to the conclusion that this is the right course of action to improve facilities and services important to visitors."

Entrance fees have supported a wide range of projects that improve the park and visitor experiences, including Trail Maintenance, Renovation of our Visitor Contact Station and visitor amphitheater, creation of a new park movie and making the visitor center and contact station more ADA accessible. Additional revenue from this fee increase will allow us, in the next few years, to re-route the Cliff Dweller Trail out of the flash flood zone, repair bridges on the trail, do re-vegetation and erosion control work in fire scarred areas, create interpretive signs for the trail and renovate the Visitor Center Museum exhibits. Fees are not used to fund permanent salaries, improve employee housing, offices or IT infrastructure, purchase new vehicles, etc. and are only used on projects which directly affect visitor safety or the visitor experience.

In the fall and winter of 2014/15, the National Park Service conducted a nationwide review of entrance fees. To solicit public input, Gila Cliff Dwellings launched a civic engagement campaign in December 2014.

During the public comment period, the park received sixteen formal comments and eighteen informal comments on Facebook. While the number of comments was not large, those who chose to comment overwhelmingly supported the concept of a small fee increase. Please feel free to contact Hugh Hawthorne, Superintendent Gila Cliff Dwellings at hugh_hawthorne@nps.gov or 575-536-9461 with any comment or questions.

Grant County Commission hears input on potential five-member commission and request for jail ...

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By Mary Alice Murphy

Grant County commissioners held their July regular meeting Thursday, July 23, 2015, at the Grant County Administration Center. Addressing a long agenda, they gathered input for expansion of the commission from three members to five, heard about the Gila National Forest Plan revision process, had a request from members of the American Civil Liberties Union to form a Detention Center Advisory Committee, and addressed Sheriff's and jail policy changes.

During public input, George Julian Dworin, Silver City Arts and Cultural District and Town of Silver City Tourism director, gave the end of year report on tourism.

B.C. for July 24, 2015

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By Mastroianni & Hart

Wizard of Id for July 24, 2015

Local Marines honor their brothers killed in Chattanooga

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Photos and Article by Mary Alice Murphy

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Members of the Gaffney-Oglesby Marine Corps League Detachment 1328 came together Thursday afternoon at Gough Park to honor their fellow Marines and a sailor killed in Chattanooga, Tenn., one week ago.

It's Not Your Fault You're a Spoiled Little Brat

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Have you heard the story of Kim, the 22-year-old college student? She was given $90,000 by her grandparents tagged to pay for her college education. Kim was a guest on the Atlanta-base, 'The Bert Show' and told the story of how she went through the 90 large in just three years and now believes she has no way to pay for her final year of college, which will run about $20,000.

Kim's tale is probably not that unusual, the part about how she went through the money anyway. She admitted that she would 'budget' for clothes and spring break or summer travel, figuring that these luxuries were part of her educational experience. She admitted to having gone to Europe for example. It appears that when Kim budgeted for clothing and travel, she didn't follow the usual college student on a shoestring budget travel and clothes shopping stereotypes. It sounds like she went first class all the way. Kim admits that in hindsight she should not have been so extravagant.

Get ready for the face palm; she blames her parents for her fiscal predicament. "Maybe my parents should have taught me to budget or something. They never sat me down and had a real serious talk about it." That might be true but today's colleges and universities actually have classes, that are often mandatory for incoming freshman, to teach them how to budget, balance a checkbook, find an apartment; in other words, how to be a responsible adult. Maybe Kim was a spoiled little rich girl with unlimited credit cards and no responsibility. Maybe her parents did talk to her about it but she didn't listen. Either way, it's their fault.

The tale continues to deteriorate. Her parents said there was nothing they could do for her when she asked them for more money. She thinks they are lying when they say they don't have the money because her dad has "worked for like a million years and they have a retirement account." Of course they have a retirement account, they are budgeting and planning for their future. Maybe you could have asked them questions about how to be an adult and handle money. Maybe you could have realized that while daddy was working and earning money, he was also paying for your home, food, utilities, insurance, mortgage, car... that stuff just doesn't fall to Earth for the special people.

The parents suggested she do what almost every other college student is doing; taking out a loan or getting a job. OMG! That's like so embarrassing. How am I supposed to do that? I have to go inside a bank and get a loan. Honey, you'd better be very good looking and a freak in the bedroom because you are going to need to marry a sugar daddy with a huge bank account. Remember to be nice to the help because they'll spit in your food and leak a video of you doing the pool boy which will activate your prenup and leave you with a paltry $10k a month.

There have always been spoiled, incompetent, entitled, little brats in our world. But what's becoming more and more common is that society, at least the wing nuts on the left side of the aisle, excuses their behavior and feeling of entitlement. They do blame the parents or someone else and encourage the whining little future plastic surgery patients, making them feel like their crybaby attitudes are justified. It's become more acceptable in America to espouse these feelings and not feel ashamed that you screwed up so badly or that you're not taking responsibility for your actions or learning from your mistakes.

Maybe that's what needs to change in America, bring back not only the feeling of shame, but also the expectation that you can and will recover from making bad decisions.


USDA, Microsoft to Launch "Innovation Challenge" to Address Food Resiliency

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WASHINGTON, July 24, 2015 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is partnering with Microsoft to launch the "Innovation Challenge," a contest designed to explore how climate change will impact the United States' food system with the intent of achieving better food resiliency. The challenge invites entrants to develop and publish new applications and tools that can analyze multiple sources of information about the nation's food supply, including key USDA data sets that are now hosted on Microsoft Azure, Microsoft's cloud-computing platform.

"For more than 100 years, USDA has compiled data from economic reports and farm production surveys, and more recently from satellite imagery and remote sensors that can provide information on the health of crops around the country," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Through this partnership with Microsoft, we are now putting that data into the hands of people who can help us derive new insights to address factors that threaten our ability to feed a growing global population. This offers very exciting possibilities, and I look forward to seeing the new tools that contest participants develop."

For the first time, key USDA datasets are being made available in the cloud where they can be accessed and blended with other data to give novel insights or used in new types of end-user applications. Combining these USDA data with cloud-computing resources allows even very high fidelity and complex models to be processed in a timely manner and enables results to be delivered to remote users on their laptops, tablets or mobile phones.

The challenge offers $60,000 in prizes, including a top prize of $25,000, for applications that make use of the USDA data and provide actionable insights to farmers, agriculture businesses, scientists or consumers. In addition, Microsoft is granting cloud-computing awards to aid university researchers and students who wish to take part in the challenge. The deadline for entries is November 20, 2015, giving challenge participants three months to create their applications. Winners will be announced in December 2015.

The increased prevalence and availability of data from satellite imagery, remote sensors, surveys and economic reports mean that we can analyze, model and predict an extremely diverse set of properties associated with our food production. Applications might combine data from the USDA and other government sources, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) or the United States Geological Survey, and can be targeted at farmers, scientists, food producers, insurance companies or consumers.

"I am looking forward to discover what creative ideas the community comes up with through blending together USDA data, novel ways of exploring and analyzing data with access to large scale computing and data analysis in the form of Microsoft's Azure platform," said Dr. Daron Green, Deputy Managing Director of Microsoft Research. "Microsoft and the USDA seek to catalyze the creativity of others and hope that the challenge will provide a great incentive for developers and researchers interested in data science to put together some great applications helping address the USA's food resiliency needs."

Microsoft will promote the challenge at the 2015 meeting of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association. Full details can be found at http://usdaapps.challengepost.com.

The Innovation Challenge was created in support of the President's Climate Data Initiative, which aims to harness climate data in ways that will increase the resilience of America's food system. This is a direct response to the President's call for all hands on deck to generate further innovation to help prepare America's communities and business for the impacts of climate change.

Fun in the Sun at NM State Parks this Weekend

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Santa Fe, NM – Summer activities have just heated up and are continuing throughout the summer at NM State Parks! Get your families together for camping or for a fun day outing or picnic. Here are some special events happening across New Mexico State Parks this weekend: Take some time to have fun in the sun!

Park Special Events- Saturday, July 25, 2015:

NM State Parks Marathon Series at Sugarite Canyon State Park near Raton, NM, Saturday, July 25th whether it be a 5K, Half Marathon or Full Marathon! This is part of the N.M. State Parks Marathon Series, as coordinated by Mainly Marathons. Register at mainlymarathons.com (note: the first in the series is March 7 at Ute Lake State Park.) Sugarite Canyon State Park is located about six miles northeast of Raton, N.M., via State Highways 72 and 526.

Prairie Fest at Ute Lake State Park, Logan, NM Saturday, July 25th activities begin at noon with Live Hawks! Come celebrate all things prairie, including live snakes and hawks! Enjoy the splendor of a prairie night sky by peeking through the park telescope. This festival takes place mostly at the beach area near the main boat ramp. Starting at 7:00 p.m. join us for Kiowa Storyteller at the North Beach area for two sessions of storytelling. Ute Lake State Park is located 3.5 Miles West of Logan Village on 540 Loop.

Lecture & Book Signing: Wildflowers at Rio Grande Nature Center, Albuquerque, NM Saturday, July 25th Meet Larry Littlefield and Pearl Burns as they discuss their unique reference book which describes over 350 wildflowers and flowering shrubs that grow in New Mexico's Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, Sandia, and Manzano Mountains. Wildflower enthusiasts and hikers will love this useful book.

Cost: $3.00 per vehicle (exact cash or check). Friends of the RGNC permit holders and NM State Parks annual permit holders enter free with valid permit displayed. Rio Grande Nature Center State Park in the Education Building, 2901 Candelaria NW Albuquerque, Phone: 505-344-7240.

Sail Boat Regatta- Dingy Race #2- Elephant Butte Lake State Park- Elephant Butte, NM

Saturday, July 25th starting at 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Marina del Sur, Main body of lake. State Parks officials remind you to always make safety your number one priority—on land and in the water. Wearing lifejackets saves lives; always wear a lifejacket when you're on a boat or swimming. State Parks offers FREE boating safety classes around the state and on-line throughout the year.

Find your New Mexico True State Park! While recreating at State Parks this weekend, why not record your experience in a 2 minute video and then upload it to www.newmexico.org and you could win some fabulous prizes! Find your New Mexico True State Park Video Contest is on-going through August 31, 2015. Check out www.newmexico.org/NMTruePark for more details.

Check out all of our events at www.nmparks.com. State Parks is the place to be this weekend!

Children's Fiesta Accepting Applications

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The Red Hot Children's Fiesta is accepting booth application for this year's event, scheduled for Saturday, September 26, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Community Built/Penny Park, 1305 Grant St. The Fiesta is the largest child development resource fair in southwest New Mexico, with an average yearly attendance over 2,000.

Booth spaces are free so child and family service providers can directly connect with Grant County families in a safe, non-threatening environment. Each service/group is required to sponsor a fun activity for children and families to participate in, like face painting, craft making or education for children while handing out useful information to the parents/guardians. Remember, the secondary purpose of Fiesta is to promote child-parent interaction and bonding. Applications are due by Monday, September 14, 2015.

This year, the Fiesta is sponsored by a partnership with the Grant County Community Health Council and Gila Regional Medical Center's Community Health Partnerships.

For an application or more information contact Kendra Milligan at (575) 388-1198 ext. 10 or email at healthcouncil@grmc.org.

New Scholarship Offerings for Valedictorians, Salutatorians Bring High Achievers to WNMU

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WNMU ScholarsPictured are Kaitlyn Pierson, Jordan Enriquez and Carolyn Castillo, scholarship recipients attending New Student Orientation.

Silver City, NM - New scholarships for New Mexico high school students who are leaders academically and in their communities have been awarded for the upcoming fall semester.

At least one valedictorian and three salutatorians from around the state have been awarded the scholarship, covering their tuition and fees for one academic year.

"We are really proud that these students have chosen WNMU as their home for the next four years," said Matthew Lara, Director of Admissions. "Because of their high academic achievements, they were awarded scholarships from many institutions, but they chose us."

The new Admissions Scholarships were rolled out in May and since then students from New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and other states have applied.

For Carolyn Rose Castillo, receiving the salutatorian scholarship helped her to finalize her decision to attend WNMU. Castillo graduated from Silver High School in May.

"I didn't want to go to a junior college," said Castillo. "I did want to go to a school that offered me the most for my academics and softball."

Castillo will be playing for the Lady Mustang softball team. She played the sport while at Silver High becoming a four time state champion.

Other scholarship recipients include Shelby Turner, valedictorian for Deming High School; Savannah Beth Luera, salutatorian for Corona High School; and Kaitlyn Pierson, salutatorian for Carrizozo High School.

Pierson was undecided as to where to attend college until mid-summer. After receiving her scholarship she decided to make WNMU her choice.

"Both my parents graduated from WNMU as well as my cousin and grandpa," said Pierson. She plans to study occupational therapy.

Jordan Enriquez, from El Paso, Texas, was awarded the Leadership Scholarship for his accomplishments as a member of his high school basketball team and his high academic achievements. Enriquez will play for the Mustang basketball team.

"Our goal is to attract students that have shown exemplary leadership academically and in their communities," explained Lara. "WNMU is a great match for these students because of the opportunities we offer students to continue to grow as leaders."

In the last four years, WNMU has created more avenues for students to grow outside the classroom with the creation of leadership and internship opportunities.

"In 2013, the Division of Student Affairs created a new Student Hall of Fame helping to bring in to focus, and to celebrate, the many achievements of our student body," said Lara.

The Office of Admissions continues to receive applications for its new scholarships. Students can apply for scholarships online: http://admissions.wnmu.edu/save.

 

Heinrich Staff to Hold Mobile Office Hours in Silver City on July 29

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LAS CRUCES, N.M. - In an ongoing effort to provide top-notch constituent service, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich's (D-N.M.) staff will hold Mobile Office Hours in Silver City on Wednesday, July 29, 2015. Staff will be on hand to assist residents who have questions regarding Social Security benefits, Medicare, immigration, veterans benefits, student loans, and other federal programs. All are encouraged to attend.

Constituents who are not able to attend Mobile Office Hours are encouraged to visit the Helping You section of Senator Heinrich's online office at www.Heinrich.Senate.Gov.

Silver City - Wednesday, July 29, 2015
WHO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich's Staff
WHAT: Mobile Office Hours
WHEN: From 2 to 4 p.m.
WHERE: The Volunteer Center of Grant County, 501 E. 13th Street, Silver City, N.M. 88061
QUESTIONS: Contact Senator Heinrich's Las Cruces Office (575) 523-6561

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