(Deming) – Voters who would like to vote in the November 6th general election  but who are not currently
registered to vote have less than three weeks to  register. 

County Clerk Karen  Smyer said voter registration for the November 6th general election  will close at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 9th. 

And Smyer said that  same day – Tuesday, October 9th – is the first day a voter may cast a  paper absentee ballot or vote in person on an electronic voting system in the clerk’s office. 

Early voting continues  through Saturday, November 3rd.

Voters also may request  an application and absentee ballot to be mailed to them. The last day the clerk may mail an  absentee ballot to an applicant is Friday, November  2nd.

Contact the county  clerk’s office at 546-0491 for more information.  There are a number of  races of local  interest.

Incumbent District 35 State Senator Democrat John Arthur Smith of  Deming is facing Republican Russell Allen of Las  Cruces.

Incumbent District 32 State Representative Democrat Dona Irwin is challenged by Republican Thomas Guerra.

Democrat Francesca Estevez is  facing Republican George Zsoka for the position of Sixth Judicial District  Attorney.

Democrat Jennifer DeLaney is facing  Republican Jarod Hofacket for the opportunity to fill the Sixth Judicial 
District Court judgeship vacated with the retirement of Gary Jeffreys.

Incumbent Luna County District Three  Commissioner Javier Diaz, a Democrat, has two opponents: Republican Philip  Skinner and Independent Martha Long.

And on the ballot unopposed is Democrat  Andrea Rodriguez for Luna County Clerk.

(Deming)  – Luna County has hired the new Starmax general manager. County  Manager Kelly Kuenstler announced that Ira Pearson of Las Cruces was selected for the new county government position.

Pearson most recently was the general financial manager for Dickerson Group, LLC, of Las Cruces, which owns The Game Sports Bar and Grill, Hurricane Alley Bar, Dickerson’s Catering and the Sports Skills Institute. 

Kuenstler  said Pearson holds a Bachelor of Science degree from New Mexico State University and has 21 hours toward a Master’s in Business Administration.


Pearson is assuming the position of Starmax general manager this week.  As  a county employee, he will report to Kuenstler, who was named Starmax Managing  Member at a special commission meeting Tuesday. 

Previously,  the county contracted the management of the facility to an outside entity – most recently American Family
Entertainment.

Reportedly,  all current Starmax employees will have to reapply to maintain their current position with the new management team beginning October 1st. Persons hired will  be employed by an LLC – or Limited Liability Company – instead of by the county.

(Deming) – Luna County has hired  the new Starmax general manager.

County Manager Kelly  Kuenstler announced that Ira Pearson of Las Cruces was selected for the new  county government position.

Pearson most recently  was the general financial manager for Dickerson Group, LLC, of Las Cruces, which  owns The Game Sports Bar and Grill, Hurricane Alley Bar, Dickerson’s Catering  and the Sports Skills Institute.

Kuenstler said Pearson  holds a Bachelor of Science degree from New Mexico State University and has 21  hours toward a Master’s in Business Administration.

Pearson is assuming the  position of Starmax  general manager this week.

As a county employee,  he will report to Kuenstler, who is expected to be named Starmax Managing  Partner at a special
commission meeting Tuesday. 

Previously, the county  contracted the management of the facility to an outside entity – most recently  American Family 
Entertainment.

(Deming) – The Deming-Luna County Economic Development Council has been awarded $33,000 from the state over a three-year period.

The local funding was one of 23 approved applications for the current  three-year program cycle of the Certified Community Initiative program of the  New Mexico Economic Development  Department.

The assistance provided by the Certified Community Initiative program is  intended to create new jobs as well as increase
community pride, help improve  communities and help boost the overall state of New Mexico’s economic  condition.

New standards for receiving funding also were incorporated into the  program by the state Economic Development Department.

The Deming-Luna County EDC met 13 mandatory requirements for  certification which focused on job creation and economic
development.The $11,000 per-year award included  $10,000 for maximum funding of a single entity – such as Luna County, and  another $1,000 for an additional entity – such as the City of Deming. The EDC will have to recertify every three years.

The funding is to be used toward special projects such as workforce  studies, grant writers, training expenses and economic development impact  studies.

(Deming) - Luna County ranks in the top 10 hungriest counties in the United States.     

Nancy Barnes-Smith with Roadrunner Food Bank in southern New Mexico said Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization, reported Luna County has the 10th-highest hunger rate among Hispanics across all U-S
counties.  

The national food insecurity study also ranked Luna as the county with the highest percentage of hunger in New Mexico at 27-point-one percent… followed by McKinley at 23-point-four percent and San Juan at 19-point-nine percent.
 
McKinley County has the 6th-highest hunger rate in the nation among American Indians.
 
 Statistics used by Feeding America for their second annual "Map the Meal Gap" national study reportedly were collected
by the U-S Department of Agriculture, the U-S Census Bureau, the U-S Bureau of Labor Statistics and The Nielsen Company.
 
 Luna County is served from Roadrunner Food Bank's Las Cruces branch which opened in January of 2011.  There are two distribution sites: Helping Hand in the Deming Industrial Park and the Andrew Sanchez Youth Center in Columbus.
 
Barnes-Smith said both sites are doing the best they can… but she said the need is greater than they can meet.
 
 She said Roadrunner Food Bank is working to enlist community support and establish more food distribution locations.  Those locations can be set up to serve on an emergency basis or for regular distribution… and can include sponsoring a Mobile Food Pantry
providing up to 50 pounds of food a month to families in need.
 
Barnes-Smith can be reached at her Las Cruces office at  575-680-1900.         .

(Deming) – Misdemeanor charges have been filed on two local dispatchers for allegedly releasing Crime Stoppers information to non-law enforcement
personnel.  
     27-year-old Julie Avila and 30-year-old Michelle Flores have been charged under a confidentiality statute that applies to unlawfully and intentionally releasing confidential information gained through a program relating to criminal
activity.
     The state statute appears to be specifically aimed at maintaining the integrity of anonymous crime prevention and intervention programs such as Crime
Stoppers.
      A statement of probable cause  filed in Luna County Magistrate Court says Avila and Flores released  confidential information obtained through the local Crime Stoppers tip line to  non-law enforcement personnel.
      The Crime Stoppers line – 546-7800 – is billed as being anonymous with calls never recorded or traced.  It is set up to allow persons to report crimes without
repercussions, and sometimes with a financial reward incentive.
     The two dispatchers reportedly have been let go of their jobs at Central Dispatch.

Duck Race Grand Marshals Interviewed
Contact:  Dave Johnson 575 694-4873           
    
(Deming)--This year's Grand Marshals for the 33rd Annual Comcast Tournament
of Duck Parade are local businesswomen -- and sisters -- Tamara Hurt and
Candie Sweetser.
  Hurt  opened her certified public accounting office in downtown Deming in
1989 and has been a duck race sponsor every year since.  Hurt also was the
tabulator quacker for the races in 1991 and 1992.   Hurt said the thing she enjoys most about the duck races is watching children
as they hold a duck for the first time.  "It is delightful to see the kids' eyes light up as they are shown the proper way to hold a duck and then carry the duck to the starting line.  It's so cute when they talk to their duck and coach their new feathered friend on the best racing strategy."
  Candie Sweetser has managed Luna County Broadcasting, and radio stations KDEM-FM and KOTS-AM, since 1990.  The stations also have a long history of  sponsoring the duck races, and even used to broadcast interesting facts  about the races which she
called "Mallard Minutes."  You can still hear hourly duck race schedule updates throughout the weekend on both KDEM and
KOTS.
  Sweetser believes the races are good for Deming  because they are just plain fun.  "Where else can you see waddling  ducks, people waddling like ducks, racing outhouses, tossed tortillas and  more -- all in one weekend?"    The Comcast Tournament of Ducks
Parade will be Saturday, August 25th beginning at 10 am.  Entry Forms  for the parade are availalble on line at demingduckrace.com, or at  Southwestern NM On-Line at 202 S. Diamond.
   The Great American  Duck Race, which this year celebrates New Mexico's 100 years, is sponsored  in part by Luna Energy Facility, and has been designated as an Official  Centennial Event.

(Deming) -- Luna County officials are accepting letters of interest to serve on the Library Board and the Advisory Board to the Healing House domestic violence shelter.
Anyone interested in serving as  the county's representative to the Library Board should submit a letter of  interest by next Thursday, May 31st. The appointment is for a three-year  term.  Anyone interested in  serving on  the Healing House advisory board should submit a letter of interest by next  Friday, June 1st.
The board offers guidance to  the Healing House staff in their mission to provide comprehensive support and  intervention services to person affected by domestic violence. The Healing House  also offers emergency shelter and provides protection order advocacy,  counseling, immigration advocacy and education.
Letters of interest for either  board should be sent to Glory Johnson, Assistant to the Luna County Manager, at  700 South Silver Avenue, Deming, 88030. They also may be hand-delivered to the  manager's office in the Luna County Courthouse.