Both Chase Powell and Joe Schmidt worked for the City’s Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs Department at the Piñon Hills Golf Course. The two men were traveling home from an irrigation workshop in Grand Junction, Colorado when the accident occurred. At this time the incident is being investigated under the jurisdiction of the New Mexico State Police.
From the City of Farmington:
Two City of Farmington employees were involved in a fatal accident last night at approximately 10:30 pm on US 491, north of Shiprock. City Manager, Rob Mayes stated, “First and foremost, I want to express on behalf of our entire employee family our deepest condolences and sympathy to the family and loved ones of Chase Powell and Joe Schmidt. I also want to acknowledge the remarkable impact this terrible event is having on those employees who worked closely with these men, our employee family here at the City of Farmington, and to our Farmington community as a whole. There is simply no good way to express how we feel and the depth of pain this news caused to so many.”
Both Powell and Schmidt worked for the City’s Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs Department at the Piñon Hills Golf Course. The two men were traveling home from an irrigation workshop in Grand Junction, Colorado when the accident occurred. At this time the incident is being investigated under the jurisdiction of the New Mexico State Police.
The City of Farmington will have grief counseling available for employees through the employee assistance program. The City would like to express our appreciation for the many messages of support we have received from community leaders and community members during this very difficult time for the victims’ families and for our employees.
For 15 years, Lauren Laws has dedicated her career to Aztec Schools, beginning as a Special Education teacher in 2008. In 2010 she transitioned to General Education, where she spent six years in the classroom working with 4th and 5th graders at Park Avenue Elementary while completing work on her Master's Degree. During her tenure at Park Avenue Elementary, she also served a Lead Teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Lauren has spent the past three years serving as the Associate Superintendent of Teaching and Learning for the district.
Brice Current was a former narcotics agent with the San Juan County Sheriff's Office in Aztec, NM. He was hired as Durango's Deputy Police Chief in 2019.
Crews arrived to find a camp trailer on fire and one occupant still inside. Another occupant was transported to the hospital with minor injuries and has since been released. Despite a quick response from fire crews, one occupant was found dead in the trailer after the fire was extinguished.
The name of the deceased is not yet released.
The FMS Board of Education authorized school security personnel to carry firearms on school premises during their January 9, 2024, meeting. The move paved the way for the hiring of Armed Campus Safety Monitors (ACSMs), former certified law enforcement officers tasked with providing an additional layer of protection for students and staff during emergencies.
Farmington Officials gathered with representatives from the NM Department of Transportation and San Juan County to break ground on the long-anticipated Pinon Hills Boulevard Extension Project. San Juan County announced that design work on their section of the project is 90% completed.
Kevin Summers will be returning to the Bloomfield School District as Superintendent, after the retirement of Dr. Kim Mizell at the end of the current school year. Summers' hire makes an opening in the Superintendent's Office in Aztec where he has served for the past three years.