August 18, 2020
We’ve already received some excellent nominations for our “Spirit of the Oilfield” awards, which will be announced on Sept. 24 as part of this year’s virtual energy summit. This year’s summit will be broadcast to numerous locations from 9-11 a.m.
We’re looking for hard-working men and women who are devoted to safety, community and reliability for these awards. It’s an easy form to complete, and our nominating committee is looking forward to reviewing this year’s names. You can complete a nomination form here: https://carlsbadfoundation.org/summit/
Last year’s recipients were extremely well-deserving of the honors they received. Family members and co-workers talked about how these residents dedicated themselves to those around them and always looked for innovative solutions to problems. 2019’s selections were Gary Bramblett, Daniel Luna, Cory Senior, David Husselman and Gary Fletcher. You couldn’t have asked for a better group of individuals.
Next Wednesday, the New Mexico Supreme Court will listen to arguments about whether to lift the state’s ban on indoor dining. The New Mexico Restaurant Association has asked the court to lift the ban and states that around 200 restaurants have already permanently gone out of businesses since the start of the pandemic due to lost revenue.
Indoor dining was initially banned in mid-March, then partially lifted in June, but the ban was renewed in July.
There are several other related legal battles going on as well. Casey’s Restaurant in Hobbs had a favorable hearing last Friday and has now been allowed to re-open for curbside pickup and carryout after receiving a new state inspection. It isn’t clear yet if that applies to other local restaurants in the area, but we are hoping for the best.
Meanwhile, a district judge in Bernalillo County approved a motion made by the New Mexico Department of Health to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Restaurant Association demanding that the state turn over evidence to support public health orders that closed indoor dining. However, the Restaurant Association may amend that motion and refile.
New Mexico health officials announced 95 additional COVID-19 cases on Monday- the smallest number in almost two months for a single day. That also means that the state’s seven-day rolling average currently stands at 151, according to Albuquerque Journal calculations. This is very positive news, and let’s pray for continued low numbers.
Two local organizations, the United Way of Eddy County and the Carlsbad Community Foundation, have been included as recipients of the All Together NM Fund, which recently contributed an additional $500,000 to food pantries and food banks. The recent distribution was made possible by a donation through the McKinnon Family Foundation. In total, the All Together NM Fund has distributed $3.3 million in grants. We appreciate all the hard work of these local organizations.
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway