McKinley County Sheriff’s deputies have confirmed the identity of a dead body found near the Gallup Flea Market on April 23.

The man was identified as Medford James DeGroat, 31 of Ganado.

The body was found in an old jailhouse in one of the abandoned mining towns about a mile to a mile and a half northeast of the flea market. The report said the body had been there for a long time. No foul play is suspected.

The discovery was made by a couple who decided to take a hike in the woods because their car was in the shop being repaired.

An autopsy is pending.

There is also a report of another dead body under investigation by the sheriff’s office. No details have been released...

Jacob Dearmond
March 8, 12:20 am
DWI

Jacob Dearmond, 19, of Gallup, was first observed by Gallup Police Sgt. Mark Spencer when he pulled out in front of him. When Dearmond stopped the vehicle, Spencer said he could smell alcohol.

Spencer called for another police officer to take the report and when Officer Warren Bowannie showed up, he also saw indications Dearmond might be intoxicated.

Dearmond told him he had been the designated driver and had driven friends home from Sammy C’s. He said he had no drinks while there, but had recently smoked a blunt of marijuana.

He agreed to take the standard field sobriety tests and had problems following directions, so Bowannie asked...

The peak of cases for the COVID-19 pandemic is only days away.  Dr. Loretta Christensen, the Chief Medical Officer for the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, told reporters on a conference call that the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to peak on the Navajo Nation about May 10.

“We anticipate that we are beginning our surge, Chinle and Northern Navajo have had rapidly increasing numbers. Those were both as predicted,” Christensen said. “We anticipate the other areas, within the next week or so will also see a significant increase in cases.”

Christensen oversees five service units and eight healthcare centers within the Navajo Nation.

“We expected a full peak by around May 10...

Calculating COVID-19 data

Every day, everyone in New Mexico counted for COVID-19 is counted in the same way.  Mari Anixter,  communications director of the New Mexico Department of Health, says only positive tests are reported, and they include people on the Navajo Nation and the Zuni Pueblo.

The daily update for New Mexico consists of results from 33 counties.

“Whether someone dies in another state, or gets the virus in another state, if they are a resident of McKinley County, they will be counted in McKinley County,” Anixter said.

“The county statistics include Navajo Nation residents of the county and Zuni Pueblo residents of the county. But not all the residents of those...