Aztec Museum and Pioneer Village invites you to make new Black Friday traditions this year, with a special one-day-only deal - “If they’re your kin, $5 gets everyone in!” Invite the whole family and explore the exhibits between second and third helpings of leftovers, just $5 for everyone, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 29th.

With winter weather moving in, make sure to refamiliarize yourself with the inclement weather policies at local schools. Farmington Municipal School District updated its policy for the 2024-25 school year, approved in March 2024. Under the updated policy, in the event school buildings are closed due to winter weather, classes and all school district-related activities will be canceled. Notification of a delay or closure will go out as early as 5:00 a.m. on the day of on local media stations, on the FMS website, through texts and calls, and via the FMS app.

Aztec Municipal School District also updated its snow day policy for the 2024-25 school year. The district will either open schools on a two-hour delay or call a remote learning day depending on road conditions and the weather forecast. Notifications of a delay and whether there will be a shift to remote learning will go out as early as 5:30 a.m. on local media stations and the school district website to give parents and guardians time to make the necessary arrangements to keep their students safe in the winter weather. By Hannah Robertson.

Watch this story at https://www.farmingtonlocal.news/newsstories/snowy-days-and-school-delays

This story is sponsored by Three Rivers Brewery and The Big Idea Makerspace at San Juan College.

Farmington Public Library is encouraging children to learn about finances and money management at its Smart Money Junior Market on Thursday, November 21st from 4:30 to 6:30 P.M. The Farmington Museum invites you to celebrate Native American Heritage Month on Saturday, November 16th with the grand opening of the Dibé Bíghaa exhibit. The City of Farmington is holding a Cookie Crawl on Saturday, November 30th from 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Small Business Saturday. By Rachel Hughes.

Watch this story at www.farmingtonlocal.news/newsstories/small-business-saturday-cookie-crawl

This story is sponsored by SunRay Park & Casino and Ace Hardware of Farmington.

Writing, for many, is a way to transcribe experiences lived or imagined - and for three San Juan County writers, their writing received recognition in a recent Southwest Writers Contest. Roberta Summers, Kathleen Holmes, and Terry Nichols all received awards for their word in the short story, poetry, and travel categories. Summers will be signing her books at Feat of Clay on Saturday, Nov. 23.

More good news for the freight line project - San Juan County and the Navajo Nation received $4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Rail Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement through the infrastructure law for the planning and development of a freight rail line connecting Farmington and Gallup. The funding will help complete the planning part of the freight rail line project.

November is Native American Heritage Month - and Farmington Museum invites you to come celebrate and learn all month long with activities ranging from music to gallery openings to arts and crafts. All activities are free and open to the public. By Hannah Robertson.

Watch this story at www.farmingtonlocal.news/newsstories/local-writers-win-awards

This story is sponsored by Boon's Family Thai BBQ and Home2Suites.

The Fall Student Art Exhibit at San Juan College opens Friday, Nov. 1st. The exhibit features art from students and art instructors and will run through December 9th at the Henderson Fine Arts Center Art Gallery.

Piedra Vista High School ceramics teacher Travis Jensen is the 2025 President’s Award of Distinction recipient from the New Mexico Art Education Association. The award honors Jensen’s dedication to his students and his contributions to art education.

An open call to artists in the Four Corners from the Durango-La Plata County Airport went out last week for three installations in the new baggage claim area. The selection committee will be looking for artwork featuring the Four Corners region's cultural, geographical, and historical diversity. Proposals are due by 3:00 p.m. Dec. 17. By Hannah Robertson.

Watch this story at www.farmingtonlocal.news/newsstories/arts-and-culture-opportunities-in-the-southwest

This story is sponsored by Distill Beer Wine Spirits and Durango Motor Company.

Activities abound about San Juan County for Halloween. From Masquerade Carnivals to a variety of Trunk or Treat options, there’s bound to be something - or many things - for everyone starting the week of Oct 27th. Stay safe and have fun this spooky season.

Aztec Municipal Schools will start rolling out a new school safety and pickup platform over the next couple of months. The program will have staggered starts across all three elementary schools, so keep an eye out for communications from your child’s school with instructions on how to sign up for the PikMyKid program.

San Juan Regional Medical Center has welcomed a new member to its cleaning team - the Tru-D IQ System will aid SJRMC in its mission to provide high-quality care for patients and visitors. The first of its kind in New Mexico hospitals, Tru-D uses UVC light to break down microbes at a cellular level to provide the highest level of hygiene possible. By Hannah Robertson.

Watch this story at www.farmingtonlocal.news/newsstories/halloween-fun-for-everyone

This story is sponsored by Northern Edge Casino and Traegers Bar.

During National Diaper Awareness Week, the SBi Giving Foundation donated 30,000 diapers to families on the Navajo Reservation in Shiprock, New Mexico. The event was one of many the organization has hosted since launching in April of 2024. The Smith Bagely company has supported rural communities through its corporate partners for years, but decided to launch the foundation to expand its philanthropic efforts and better support local charities and underserved groups on tribal and rural lands in the Southwest. By Connor Shreve.

Watch this story at www.farmingtonlocal.news/newsstories/new-foundation-focused-on-tribal-rural-communities

This story is sponsored by Three Rivers Brewery and M&R Plumbing.

San Juan County needs your help! The County is looking for input on outdoor recreation priorities as it begins work on its Outdoor Recreation Master Plan. Although summer information sessions have come to a close, you can still fill out the survey or submit a photo of you doing your favorite outdoor activities.

San Juan County’s semi-annual Household Hazardous Waste event is Saturday, Oct. 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the San Juan County Administrative Building in Aztec. Open to all residents of Bloomfield, Kirtland, and unincorporated SJC, the event is a chance to clean out household chemicals, batteries, and more! The County will also host two free dumpster days Saturday, Oct. 19, and Sunday, Oct. 20th for all those fall projects.

Come join the fun at the Tibbetts All-Ability Park Foundation's 3rd annual 2K Fun Run, Walk, and Roll event Saturday, Oct. 12! All proceeds will go towards helping the construction of the first accessible park in the Four Corners region with a Halloween flair at the all-day, family-friendly event. By Hannah Robertson.

Watch this story at www.farmingtonlocal.news/newsstories/get-outside-and-help-san-juan-countys-outdoors

This story is sponsored by The Big Idea Makerspace at San Juan College and Home2Suites.

Professional boxing is making its return to Durango with the Legends on the Animas event on Saturday, Oct. 18. Many of us recognize the mural of heavyweight boxer Jack Dempsey on the side of El Rancho Tavern, where he fought back in 1915. Durango’s wild western history is well-known, but this will be the first professional boxing event since Dempsey’s time. On October 12th at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, professional boxers Hector 'Macho' Camacho Jr. and Andrew 'Hurricane' Hernandez will fight for the Legends Boxing Foundation world championship. The day will be packed with food, fights, and family-friendly entertainment. By Sadie Smith.

Watch this story at www.farmingtonlocal.news/newsstories/legends-on-the-animas

This story is sponsored by Dunkin' Donuts and San Juan Regional Medical Center SJRMC.