Socorro city councilwoman Mary Ann Chavez-Lopez announced at the most recent Socorro city council meeting that the city will hold public hearings to address the question of police oversight and discuss a proposed city ordinance to establish a police oversight commission in Socorro.

Socorro city council heard testimony from some concerned citizens hoping for a pet leash law. In other business, mixed martial arts promoter, Joel Partridge, once again pleaded with the council to authorize fights at Finley Gym. In other city news, the council announced that grants have been acquired to offset much of the cost of sewer connections for those not currently on city utilities.

Showing this week at Socorro's Cinema are Ice Age 3 and Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp. We review the latter.

The Pencil Warrior's roots run deep, as he discovers at a recent family reunion where he reflects not only on his family history, but the history of our nation. Will we learn from our mistakes, or are we destined to repeat them?

Senator Udall's staff will be available in Socorro and Magdalena to assist constituents with issues they may have related to the federal government, including veteran's affairs, passport issues, social security benefits, and so forth.

Among other business, the Socorro City Council heard testimony from a mixed martial arts trainer and promoter, asking for permission to host mixed martial arts bouts at Socorro's Finley Gym.

“One million, four hundred thousand dollars a day,” said my friend Dick, as we stood on the sidewalk in front of New Mexico senator Jeff Bingaman’s Santa Fe office. “A DAY.” That’s the amount, according to a July 6 story in the Washington Post, the for-profit health care industry is spending to quash any congressional action that would allow citizens to sign up for a public health care system, let alone a single payer option along the lines of Medicare.

There will be a public meeting Wednesday, July 22nd at 6 p.m. at the Socorro Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management to discuss the BLM's plans to use the herbicide tebuthiron on over 32,000 acres of BLM land in and around areas of the East Magdalena Mountains, Polvadera Mountain, and Sierra Ladrones.

In the choice between a health care system that rewards waste, fraud, and denial of service and one infinitely better, they’re betting we’ll sit still while they ram the former down our throats. But we won’t – will we?

New Mexico Tech and EMRTC have apparently not given up on their plans to expand explosives testing in and around Socorro. Public meetings on a possible Special Use Airspace are upcoming.