Roswell City Manager Chad Cole has announced his resignation, effective at the end of January. Cole gave a resignation letter to Mayor Timothy Jennings on December 1st, according to the Roswell Daily Record. In the letter, Cole said he has accepted a new position as Vice President of Business Affairs at ENMU Roswell. Before he became Roswell City Manager, Cole was the assistant superintendent for finance and operations for the Roswell Independent School District.

Students at Central Elemetary Shcool in Artesia are showing off their ornaments that are now featured on the New Mexico state Christmas Tree in the nation’s capital, Washington DC. The ornaments represent New Mexico culture and values. The tree is one of 59 to stand besine the National Christmas Tree in President’s Park. The ornaments depict different parts of New Mexico’s culture and history. Designs include chile, a zia, balloons, Indigenous pottery, turquoise, an alien, a coyote, lowriders and, of course, a roadrunner.

The First Presbyterian Church’s annual Community Holiday Bazaar is Saturday, December 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 367 S. Sanderson St., Fort Bragg.  The festive event will feature handmade goods from Mendocino Coast crafters and bakers, including home-baked treats, unique crafts, knitting, cards, mosaic flowerpots, jewelry, and other specialty items. A warm café will offer cozy drinks and cookies.  For more information, go to fbpchurch.org/community-holiday-bazaar.

The Ukiah Branch Library is hosting its annual cold-weather clothing drive through February 28, 2026. The library seeks clean, gently used cold-weather gear, plus new socks, to benefit community members. Drop-offs are accepted daily (except Mondays and Sundays) at 105 N. Main St. Sponsored by MCC Dental Español.

The Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee will hold its final meeting of the year today. Updates from Ben Rickelman, Lake County deputy county administrative officer for economic development, and Nicole Flora, executive director of the Lake County Economic Development Corp. and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, are on the schedule.  

The Lakeport Planning Commission will meet for the last time this year and elect its officers for 2026 this afternoon in Lakeport.  The meeting will be available via Zoom or by phone.  The commission’s next meeting will be on January 14th.

 The Lake County Fair Board, County and State officials, led by Sen. Mike McGuire, have announced $1 million in state investment from the general fund for critical, long-overdue repairs at the Lake County Fairgrounds. County Fair CEO Drew Jacobs said the funding is crucial for maintaining basic functionality, with its role as a county warming center and as a venue. Construction starts by year-end, following mid-2026 bids. 

More details are emerging about why the Smithers Volunteer Fire Department is shutting down.
Mayor Anne Cavalier says a state review found it was in the best interest of public and firefighter safety to close the department, citing years of financial mismanagement, poor leadership, training issues, and low recruitment.

Problems reportedly date back to 2011 and worsened after several board members resigned in 2022. The city brought in the Montgomery Fire Chief to help rebuild, but his death in 2024 stalled progress. The department also fell below the required 20 certified firefighters and had a response rate of just 40 percent.

A state investigation began after a complaint that a Smithers fire truck responded to a call without a hose. The department has now been decertified.

Coverage for Smithers will shift to the Montgomery and Boomer volunteer departments.

A man wanted in a deadly Charleston shooting has been taken into custody. Jack Rolfe of St. Albans was arrested Tuesday in connection with a shooting early Sunday, according to the Charleston Police Department. Rolfe was wanted on a first-degree murder charge in the shooting death of 31-year-old Joshua Walls in the 800 block of Main Street in Charleston. WCHS TV said Rolfe and Walls got into a verbal argument at a residence before Rolfe allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Walls.

State education officials will not move forward with a proposed elective Bible class in Mingo County Schools.
A Tug Valley High School teacher recently petitioned the county board to add the class, but the Freedom From Religion Foundation urged the state to reject it, calling it a constitutional risk.

According to the group, legal counsel for the West Virginia Board of Education confirmed there are no plans to offer the class, and noted the county board cannot act on the proposal because the state currently controls the district.

The foundation also pointed to a 2017 settlement over similar “Bible in the Schools” courses in Mercer County that cost the district more than two hundred thousand dollars in legal fees.