Emergency fire rehabilitation closures were lifted last week after more than a year of burned area rehabilitation in the Mountainair Ranger District, according to a news release.

However, there are new closure orders in effect. No off-road vehicle use is permitted within the Ojo Peak Fire, Trigo Fire and Big Spring Fire rehabilitation areas. Travel only by foot, horseback or bicycles is allowed, according to a news release issued last week. Forest Road 245 from New Canyon Campground to Capilla Peak will be closed until hazardous trees along the road and trail heads have been felled.

Also, Tajique, New Canyon and Capilla Peak campgrounds will remain closed until restoration is complete.

Ranger District staff are reminding visitors to be careful in burn areas including being aware of hazardous trees, flash flooding, root and stump holes and airborne ash.

Anyone with questions is asked to contact the Mountainair Ranger District at 847-2990, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Road Work Causes Closures on I-40

Due to the Zuzax to Tijeras Interstate 40 reconstruction, the following closures will occur:

Starting July 6 and lasting for 30 days, the N.M. 337 onramp to I-40 westbound will be closed. Use Carnuel access.

July 14 through July 17 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night, the N.M. 14 onramp to I-40 westbound will be closed. Use Carnuel access.

Ongoing and until further notice, exit 178 at Zuzax onramp to I-40 westbound will be closed. Use N.M. 14 or Carnuel onramp.

Ongoing and until further notice, the I-40 westbound off ramp to N.M. 14 will be closed.

Ongoing and until further notice, I-40 westbound will be switched onto and share the eastbound lanes and reconstruction will begin on I-40 westbound. Traffic will remain in this configuration for this phase of the project. Lane width restriction through the construction zone is 11 feet. Please use caution and reduce your speed to the posted speed limit.

Drunken Driver To Serve 14 Years

Two years after a drunken driver killed two Mountainair men, a judge sentenced the driver to more than a decade behind bars.

District Judge William Sanchez sentenced Rhonda Trujillo, 38, of Belen, to 23 years in prison for two counts of homicide by vehicle (DWI) and one count of child abuse, suspending nine of those years for a total of 14 years in prison.

Trujillo plead no contest in April to the charges for the June 22, 2007, deaths of 76-year-old Florian Miranda and 79-year-old Ricardo Silva, both of Mountainair.

Couple Recognized By Historical Group

The East Mountain Historical Society recognized David Engelman and Sharon Marks with an Award of Recognition for their efforts to save the historical stone schoolhouse in San Antonito.

This is the first time the society has given out such an award, according to their newsletter.

The couple restored and preserved the 90-year-old building using local stone and poured concrete footings under the original stone walls.

The building was used as a schoolhouse from the 1920s to the 1940s and is located just north of Frost Road on N.M. 14.

Health Insurance Program Offered

The State Coverage Insurance (SCI) program for adults has reopened for enrollment.

Torrance County Project Office (TCPO) in Moriarty has applications and assists clients by verifying documents and submitting required paperwork.

TCPO also does outreach to local communities and agencies in the East Mountains and Estancia Valley and will schedule appointments for clients during non-traditional business hours.

The New Mexico Human Services Department recently announced that there is currently no waiting list to enroll in SCI.

SCI is a public/private health insurance program designed for working New Mexicans 19-64 years of age with household incomes up to 200 percent of the Federal Income Guidelines.

Small businesses and nonprofits with 50 or fewer employees may enroll

TCPO's regular hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. For more information call 832-0332; the state Web site is www.insurenewmexico.net.

Tijeras Plant Wins Energy Star Award

GCC Rio Grande Portland Cement in Tijeras received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star award for the second year running.

The EPA's national energy performance rating system helps organizations assess how efficiently their facilities use energy relative to similar facilities nationwide.

A plant that scores a rating of 75 or higher on a scale of 0-100 is eligible for the award.

The rating system is available for petroleum refineries, wet corn milling plants, motor vehicle manufacturing plants and cement plants.

In the United States, energy loss from the industrial sector represents more than 30 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information about the Energy Star award, visit www. energystar.gov.

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