Award comes after Lundstrom named top economic development developer

Patricia Lundstrom, the executive director at the Greater Gallup Economic Development Corporation, announced Dec. 16 that the New Mexico Gas Company awarded a $25,000 grant to the organization to support local economic development efforts in McKinley County.

The announcement came during an event in Gallup with Gallup Mayor Jackie McKinney and GGEDC board president Tommy Haws in attendance. Lundstrom said the one-time appropriation will be re-invested in its entirety back into project development, providing a much-needed capital infusion to advance strategic economic development initiatives currently in the planning...

Albuquerque’s River of Lights has ol’ T-Rex, that’s Tyrannosaurus rex (Tyrant Lizard), lit up like a Christmas Tree. Photo Credit: Ryan Hudgeons

Every year we use the proceeds from our Santa Workshop to help the residents of Care 66.  This year, with a special discount from Fallas, and we were able to purchase 45 winter jackets for the residents at care 66.  Last year we donated blankets and $5 Wal-Mart gift cards. The year before we donated hats and gloves.

This year we wanted to do more so we also had a Christmas party for the residents. We played Pictionary, had carolers sing to them and they helped us make snowflakes for our Santa’s Workshop as decorations.

They came out beautifully. Also, our food court tenant, Pizza 9 gave each of the residents a gift certificate for a free 7-inch pizza and a drink. We had...

New Mexico’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in November 2016, unchanged from 6.7 percent in October, but up from 6.6 percent last year, according to statistics released this week by the New Mexico Department of Work Force Solutions.

In McKinley County, the unemployment rate for November was 8.6 percent and in neighboring Cibola County the November 2016 unemployment rate was 8.0 percent. McKinley’s unemployment rate in October 2016 was 8.9 percent and the Cibola jobless rate was 8.3 percent in October. Both county percentages represent seasonal drops, officials said.

“Definitely seasonal,” Tracy Shaleen, an economist with Work force, said. “That’s...