ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Brandon Yazzie, 28, of Standing Rock, N.M., and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was arraigned in federal court on April 28 on a four-count indictment charging him with three counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact.

Yazzie will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

A federal grand jury indicted Yazzie on April 12.

According to the indictment and other court records, on at least two occasions between Dec. 1, 2020, and Jan. 31, 2021, Yazzie allegedly sexually abused the victim, identified in court records as Jane Doe, who was less than 12 years old.

On one occasion, Yazzie allegedly...

Most people know A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens’ story about ghosts of the past, present and future warning a miser to change his selfish ways. Artist Dennis Dewa wants people to know the world is at just such a crossroads with climate, and the little choices we make every day will ultimately decide how our future looks.

Dewa is the second in a summer series of guest curators at ART123 Gallery, with an installation May 14 to June 4. The gallery asked local artists to submit briefs for the grant-funded program, with each one focused on a different social justice issue.

Dewa’s exhibit, “The Transition: Fossil Fuels to Renewables,” aims to show how our collective...

Allies show up in solidarity

It was a time of healing and empowerment for survivors of sexual assault at the “Take Back the Night” event held April 21 at the McKinley County Courthouse Plaza.

This was the first public outreach event coordinated by the Sexual Assault Services of Gallup, in hopes of bringing sexual awareness to the community. It began at 6 pm with a march from the Sexual Assault Services offices located at 111 S. First St.  to the downtown courthouse.

Victim Advocate Prevention Educator Jill Draven  said this would be a time for the community to come together,  pulling strength, sharing stories, and empowering the people as well as the survivors who came to...

During the April 5 McKinley County Commissioners meeting, McKinley County Fire Chief Brian Archuleta told commissioners that the county’s drought conditions have been improving since last year when a firework ban had to be put in place due to the drought conditions.

But now, three weeks later, drought conditions have worsened. In an interview with the Sun on April 26, Archuleta said that the leading cause of the conditions has been the fact that McKinley County hasn’t had any rain and has had a lot of wind.

According to Weather Underground, a website that provides long-range weather reports, McKinley County hasn’t seen any rain since April 13, and that day it only rained .03...