Local roundup - May 13

Portales student wins music award

PORTALES — A Portales student has been honored by the New Mexico Parent Teacher Association for an original music composition.

Kyra Gentry, a student at Lindsey-Steiner Elementary School, was the state winner in music composition by NMPTA’s Reflections program for her original work “One Time Ago.”

Kyra presented the composition during an awards ceremony at the 103rd annual NMPTA Convention May 4-5 in Albuquerque, according to a press release by NMPTA.

Portales road work scheduled all week

PORTALES — The city of Portales is asking drivers to plan their travels away from the stretch of 18th Street between South Avenue O and South Avenue I, starting on Monday.

Road work is slated to last all week, according to a city news release.

Roosevelt County may keep burn ban

PORTALES — Members of the Roosevelt County Commission will consider an extension of a burn ban at their Monday meeting.

County Manager Amber Hamilton said the extension — which will come before the council every 45 days for consideration — is due to “lack of rainfall and the continued drought status for Roosevelt County.”

The ban was approved in April after Milnesand Fire Chief John Mohon told commissioners the county had lost over 50,000 acres to fires in the last several months.

First-time violators of the ban can be charged between $100 and $1,000, and subsequent violations can surpass $1,000, Hamilton said at the April meeting.

Also at Monday’s meeting at 9 a.m. in the Roosevelt County Courthouse:

• Commissioners will consider the establishment of incentives for county offices that require special training or certification.

• The adoption of the county’s preliminary operating budget for 2019 will be considered.

• Commissioners will consider the adoption of the required certifications and commitments for the county’s community development block grant.

— The Staff of The News