We heard some great news coming out of Artesia General Hospital. Hospital spokesperson David McEachern told KSVP Radio on Monday that they are expecting 2,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to arrive this week.
This represents a major ramp up of vaccines being provided to Eddy County, who had been lagging behind most of the state up to this point. McEachern said he expects they will continue to receive a higher number of doses for some time.
He said Artesia General is following the state’s outline on vaccine eligibility, but they will also not let any vaccines go to waste. He stressed that it is imperative that everyone who wants to receive a vaccine register through the state’s website at https://cvvaccine.nmhealth.org/ – this includes those who have already registered at the hospital. We appreciate Artesia General’s initiative in this effort.
Members of the Carlsbad community really turned out in force to wish DJ Jarrott a happy fifth birthday this past weekend. DJ is the son of Darian Jarrott, the New Mexico State Police Officer who was killed in a tragic shooting earlier this month. DJ, his little brother Noah, and their mother, Gabriella, were all reportedly extremely moved by the outpouring of support in this drive-by birthday parade. Thank you all for supporting this little boy and his family during their time of grief.
Officer Jarrott served in Carlsbad for many years, and the City of Carlsbad is developing a monument that will honor him and other officers who have died in the line of duty. We will soon be setting up a fund for those who wish to donate to assist with this effort. Family members and friends have also created a memorial for him at 305 East Fiesta and are organizing a local service for him. I personally worked with Officer Jarrott and know him to be an outstanding individual who was deeply committed to community service.
Our local college is hosting a presentation by one of its former employees as part of its Black History Month outreach. Akilah Nosakhere Freeman, who previously served as NMSU-C’s librarian, is now the Director of the public library in Muncie Indiana. Her husband, Charles Freeman, AKA Brother Boko, was a very talented muralist who passed away last year. You can see Brother Boko’s work all around Carlsbad.
Akilah will be doing a Zoom presentation at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25. A link to the presentation is offered on NMSU-C’s web page and Facebook page. Thank you to the faculty and staff at our local college who worked hard to set up this event.
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway