Farmington Local in Music Hall of Fame

A country singer with roots in San Juan County, Brent Payne, was inducted into the California Music Hall of Fame on January 28th. The Bloomfield Library renovation has created new spaces and a fresh look for the building. And the way to request public records from the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office is now easier with the implementation of the new program. You’re watching “The Local News Network,” brought to you by The Big Idea Makerspace at San Juan College and Traegers Bar. I’m Haley Opsal. Country music performer Brent Payne was inducted into the California Music Hall of Fame on January 28th. The singer, who grew up in Farmington and still has family living in the Four Corners area, began his music career in the early 1990s after moving to California. Payne’s music career has led him to many different places, but he most enjoys performing for veterans and active duty members of the armed forces, bringing attention and awareness to post-traumatic stress and suicide prevention efforts. Learn more about Payne’s music, his band, and the work with veterans on his website, and find his songs wherever you listen to music. Bloomfield’s library renovations aim to give visitors a different way to enjoy the library. The renovation project, for which planning began in 2020, includes new flooring and countertops, private study rooms, and restaurant-styled booths. The project cost between 25,000 and $30,000, funded by the City of Bloomfield’s Capital Improvement Funds. The library replaced the atrium carpet with wooden flooring. It was the most intense part of the renovations, as it required all the books to be removed from the shelves, the shelves moved for the flooring work, and the books replaced on the shelves. While resurfacing the floor only took one day, replacing the books took multiple days. The new private study rooms can be booked for tutoring sessions or for quiet work, and the new booths offer an option for library patrons to sit and read a new book, study, and relax. Learn more about the Bloomfield Library, its renovations, and upcoming programs by calling the library at 505 632-8315. The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office has changed the way public records can be requested to make the process easier. The new program, JustFOIA, was implemented January 19th and allows the user to now differentiate between a sheriff’s office public records request and a general county public records request. Also, with the new program, there is the option to write out a more detailed request instead of check boxes, regular updates by email throughout the process, and offers secure access to cloud storage for the electronic records. Residents can still submit requests by fax, mail, or by walking in, but the sheriff’s office is encouraging the use of the electronic submission when possible. Requests can be submitted at sjcso.com. Visit the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office for more information. Thank you for watching this edition of “The Local News Roundup.” I’m Haley Opsal.