Compiled by Denise Ortega

MAY 23, 1972

A PASSENGER was killed Monday morning at 9:35 a.m. due to internal injuries when the car in which she was riding ran off the roadway and down an embankment 4.7 miles north of Socorro on I-25. The driver was uninjured. State Police Officer Steve Marvill investigated the accident and reported the driver’s attention was diverted during a conversation with the passenger. The victim, who had not fastened her seatbelt, was pinned under the vehicle which overturned on her. The driver was wearing her seatbelt.

MAY 25, 1972

TOBY GARCIA, President of the Socorro Electric Cooperative announced that the Board of Trustees of the Cooperative had approved a scholarship program for students in the area served by the Cooperative effective this year. President Garcia stated that it is the desire of the Board of Trustees that this awards program be designed to assist the average student rather than the gifted, and individuals interested in vocational and technical pursuits rather than professional.

B & M FEED STORE

Paint Sale

Flow Kote Rubber-Base Wall Paint $.75 Quart, $1.99 Gallon

Lucite Wall Paint $.99 Quart, $2.99 Gallon

MAY 21, 1997

IT’S OFFICIAL: Socorro now has a Big Brothers/ Big Sisters program. Big Brothers/Big Sisters is a national non-profit program that matches adult volunteers with children ages 6 to 18 who are deemed “at-risk” for anti-social behavior. The adult and child spend time together with the adult becoming a mentor for the child. An office for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters will open near July 1. The city of Socorro has donated office space as its contribution to the local program.

VERONICA PADILLA used colored pencils and markers to win first place in the annual Socorro Electric Cooperative safety coloring contest. The 10-year-old fourth-grade student at Zimmerly Elementary received a plaque, t-shirt and $100 savings bond for being the winner in the county. Veronica said she is going to save the money for college. Students were required to complete a pre-printed drawing focusing on electricity and safety issues.

MAY 25, 1997

AN ELECTRICAL SHORT in a clothes dryer cord is the cause of an early morning house fire on Friday, said the city fire chief. The fire gutted the west end of the home, located at 704 Lucero.  No one was injured. Firefighters got the call at 1:33 a.m. Two trucks and an ambulance got there immediately, and a third truck showed up later on.

MAY 19, 2012

THE SOCORRO PUMAS captured first place in the Under-10 Gold Division at the Kohl’s American Cup Competition. The Pumas captured the first-place medal by out-scoring their competitors a combined 18-2 over a series of four games. The Pumas are coached by Bo and Dolores Beames, and the select tournament team is comprised of some of the best girls under the age of 10 from the local Socorro AYSO league.

MAY 22, 2012

SOCORRO COUNTY Chief Deputy Shorty Vaiza was honored as a First Response hero during a dinner at the Rotary District 5520 Convention in Albuquerque. He was presented with a certificate and plaque and Socorro Rotary Club president Gerry Klinglesmith pinned Vaiza as an honorary Rotarian for his service to the community.  The award is intended to celebrate law enforcement, fire department and military heroes for their societal endowments.

THE SOCORRO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT served a warrant on Tuesday at 806 Fitch in Socorro after complaints that there were a potentially unhealthy number of cats living at the residence. Authorities had recovered at least 60 live cats from the house, many of them inbred and in poor condition. The corpses of three cats were also removed, one so decomposed that only skeletal remains were found. More than 100 dead cats were discovered in shallow graves in the back yard and side yard that had to be removed. The owner of the property was ordered to vacate the property and locks on the house were changed. No criminal charges have yet been filed. The remaining live cats are being taken to a local veterinary clinic.

El Defensor Chieftain