Kathleen Sloan

Kathleen Sloan is the Sun’s founder and chief reporter. She can be reached at [email]kathleen.sloan@gmail.com[/email] or 575-297-4146.

Interview with Candace Chavez, candidate for Sierra County Treasurer

Sierra County Government /

Candace Chavez is already second-in-command at the Sierra County Treasurer’s office, appointed Chief Deputy Treasurer two years ago by current-County Treasurer Terri Copsin. Copsin is retiring, Chavez said. It is a four-year term, to begin January 2021. Chavez is a Republican, running against Sandra Whitehead, a Democrat, therefore each will win the primary as the […]

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Sierra County has tested between 1 percent and 2 percent of County population for COVID-19, woefully small sample size

New Mexico Government /

​The State is pushing to test more people in rural areas, according to David Morgan, the Department of Health’s Media and Social Media Manager, which includes Sierra County.   Morgan said Sierra County’s Public Health Office, at 201 E. 4th Ave. in Truth or Consequences, has been testing every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.,

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Sheriff  Glenn Hamilton walks constitutional line on businesses defying Governor’s order

New Mexico Government /

Sheriff Glenn Hamilton, in his report to the County Commission last week, said he was helping State Police investigate non-essential businesses accused of defying Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s order to stay closed during the coronavirus pandemic—that is, he and his deputies are helping the State Police to enforce the Governor’s order. ​ ​Yet some days before,

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County Manager and Sheriff’s report on coronavirus management

Sierra County Government /

During the Sierra County Commission’s virtual meeting, April 21, County Manager Bruce Swingle and Sheriff Glenn Hamilton gave reports on actions taken related to the coronavirus pandemic in the last month. ​ Swingle said he gets daily updates from the State and its model predicts there will be 80 deaths in the State due to the

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Preview: Elephant Butte City Council meeting Dec. 4

Elephant Butte Government /

​​There are two major items on the Elephant Butte City Council meeting agenda, Dec. 4 at 2 p.m.:  a resolution that modifies a loan agreement and an ordinance change to zoning law.  The first zoning-law change gets rid of dimensions of houses and manufactured homes, but leaves heated- square-footage requirements to control the size of

Preview: Elephant Butte City Council meeting Dec. 4 Read More »

Truth or Consequences, late-developing “wild west” town: historical tours through the spring

Culture, Government /

​Dimid Hayes calls himself an “amateur historian,” amateur having the Latin root-word “love.” His love for Truth or Consequences led him to study the town and he has put together a fascinating narrative.  There is much more to be explored and Hayes hopes his monthly tours and a new history club at the Geronimo Springs

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Truth or Consequences City Commission revives dead P&Z, this time with three members

Truth or Consequences Government /

The Truth or Consequences City Commission, after failing to appoint Planning and Zoning Commission members for over six years, has decided to start it up again.  The last time the Truth or Consequences Planning and Zoning Commission met was Oct. 1, 2013. There was a mass resignation of board members shortly after that, which was

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Sierra County Commission purchases Amin’s building for $950,000

Sierra County Government /

​The Sierra County’s process for purchasing the Amin’s building was reversed. Supposedly before knowing the price of the Amin’s building and its 5.22-acre site, the Sierra County Commission borrowed $2.16 million two months ago to purchase it, as well as to design, up-fit and equip the building.  Today the purchase price was made known; $950,000

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Sierra County passes dangerous and at-large dog ordinance

Sierra County Government /

​Sierra County Commissioners passed a dog ordinance that will allow working dogs to run free on private land while requiring dogs on public land to be under immediate control by their owners.  The County had been relying on its Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Truth or Consequences Animal Control department to address dangerous

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Geronimo Springs Museum History Club & Historical Walking Tours, December 3, 2019

Culture, Government /

​GERONIMO SPRINGS MUSEUM HISTORY CLUB Geronimo Springs Museum’s History Club was created to give the citizens of Truth or Consequences and Sierra County a chance to come together and explore all the various aspects of this incredible place. With a history going back 500 years, a rich prehistory of millennia and coming right up to

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At-large voting will have to wait, City Commission settles for do-over on election resolution

Truth or Consequences Government /

​A window for changing how the City of Truth or Consequences votes in its city commissioners opened and then closed in a flash at the Dec. 11 meeting.  The City Commission nearly changed the voting system from individual-seat to at-large voting, but then dropped it until a workshop to engage the public is scheduled.  The

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Public land deal goes behind closed doors

Truth or Consequences Government /

​The Truth or Consequences City Commission held a public hearing on a landowner’s application to change lot boundaries that would take public land—a violation of the state anti-donation law—a fact obscured by the inadequate documentation provided by staff.  The public was expected to give comment on the application, a copy of which was not included

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The City corrects sewer loan with do-over resolution

Truth or Consequences Government /

​Last month the Truth or Consequences City Commission passed a resolution taking out a 20-year loan for $473,000 of which $100,000 is a grant from the New Mexico Environment Department to fix a vacuum sewer system serving 300 customers between Veater Street and Riverside Drive, which changes to Marshall Street.  Without explanation, the item appeared

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Truth or Consequences P&Z will continue as five-member board

Truth or Consequences Government /

​A plan to reduce the Planning and Zoning Commission from five to three members failed to win Truth or Consequences Commission approval, although it was not averse to the idea last month, having staff draft the ordinance amendment.  Evidently City Commissioners were moved by public comment or pressure.  City Manager Morris Madrid proposed raising the

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Holloman AFB plan to expand F16-training airspace is a no-go with the public

Government /

Holloman Air Force Base wants to double its air space for training F16 pilots, while admitting what they have is sufficient. The number of sorties or training flights is in question, but 11,600 a year minimum are certain.   As required by the National Environmental Policy Act, Holloman prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement and is

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Preview: Truth or Consequences City Commission meeting, Dec. 11

Truth or Consequences Government /

The Truth or Consequences City Commission will decide whether to publish an ordinance generated by the people that bans smart meters for the next 10 years at the 9 a.m., Dec. 11 regular meeting at City Chambers, among other important matters.  • A public hearing will be held on the City Commission’s ordinance that reduces

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Crime is down in Elephant Butte, along with the rest of the county

Elephant Butte Government /

​Sierra County Sheriff Glenn Hamilton told the Elephant Butte City Council that crime is down throughout the county, including Elephant Butte, which comprises about one-fourth of their crime response.  He attributes the decrease in crime to targeting “the drug culture. If you attack that and shut down the drug dealers, it will impact the crime

Crime is down in Elephant Butte, along with the rest of the county Read More »

Elephant Butte City Council re-purposes loan money to fix Camino Cinco

Elephant Butte Government /

​The City of Elephant Butte will use the remainder of a 2015 loan from the New Mexico Finance Authority to fix Camino Cinco, City Council passing unanimously the re-purposing of the money at the Dec. 4 meeting.  The original loan was for nearly $600,000 principal and was to be used for road construction, to renovate

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Elephant Butte City Council gets rid of house-width restriction

Elephant Butte Government /

​​The Elephant Butte City Council supported the Planning and Zoning Commission’s zoning-law amendment that gets rid of house-width restrictions, unanimously passing the measure at the Dec. 4 meeting. Nathan LaFont, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission, said the original laws on house-width restrictions were meant to prohibit long, skinny manufactured homes in most of

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Analysis: Why Truth or Consequences City Commissioners don’t have to be transparent

Truth or Consequences Government /

The Truth or Consequences City Commission has been passing budgets for years that strip the utilities of spare cash, leaving them to rot, using the money to subsidize “governmental activities,” as shown in financial statements and the state of the city’s utilities.  Then, when the utilities need to be fixed, the city borrows money, pledging

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