Socorro Rewind

FEBRUARY 13, 1975

A CAPPING CEREMONY was held for Donna Rogers at New Mexico State University for having successfully completed her first semester of work in the nursing program. There were 35 students who received their caps from Jackie Dixon. Donna is a graduate of Socorro High School and was formerly employed by Socorro County General Hospital. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul G. Smith and resides at White Sands Missile Range with her husband and daughter. She plans to continue her studies at NMSU, working toward her R.N. and B.S. degree.

FEBRUARY 20, 1975

TWO JUVENILES are being detained for stealing a car belonging to a resident who lives on Leroy Place. The two were driving in excess of 100 miles an hour, trying to outrun the police. They were detained in juvenile quarters Tuesday night when the incident occurred. They were believed to be under the influence of paint sniffing.

MARCH 7, 2001

A 1987 GMC pickup driven by an intoxicated 14-year-old, rolled eight or nine times on Kelly Road in Magdalena, seriously injuring herself, and an 11-year-old passenger. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the two girls, both from Magdalena, outside the vehicle. The driver was reportedly thrown from her seat and was unconscious. The other girl was found sitting next to the truck. The 14-year-old driver had a blood alcohol level of .08. According to police, the legal limit for children is .02. Both girls were taken to Socorro General Hospital. Later that evening, the driver was airlifted by Lifeguard to Albuquerque’s University of New Mexico Hospital. She will be cited by police for driving under the influence.

MARCH 10, 2001

JOE DANIEL Benavidez competed in the Albuquerque Mayors Cup Tae Kwon Do Championships and took home the gold medal in the 10 to 11-year-old Green Belt forms division. He also took home a silver medal for sparring. This is the first of two championships he has to compete in to qualify for the 21st Junior Olympics Tae Kwon Do Championships in Tampa, Florida in July to represent New Mexico. Last year, Benavidez competed in the 20th Junior Olympics Tae Kwon Do Championships in San Antonio, Texas and brought home Silver and Bronze Medals for New Mexico. He is the son of Joe and Lisa Benavidez of Socorro. His maternal grandparents are Bobby and Georgia Silva of Socorro. His paternal grandparents are Isabel Benavidez of Rio Rancho and the late Joe D. Benavidez.

MARCH 5, 2015

SOME MOTORISTS blared their horns, either in opposition or solidarity, along California Street in Socorro to acknowledge a student protest. Students sacrificed testing for protesting against the controversial standardized exam. The embattled Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) began Monday, and throughout New Mexico students walked out in defiance for various reasons. Most of the disdain for PARCC has manifested from people voicing concerns about the questions provided on the test, the standards it puts on teachers in regard to student performance and the amount of time schools have allotted to preparing for the test.