Plan targets key areas for growth

After over a year of development, the final draft of the McKinley County Vision 2020 Comprehensive Plan was presented to the Board of Commissioners during their recent regular meeting by the Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments, July 9.

NNMCG works with the region’s local governments to support community development, promote strategic innovation and propel regional competitiveness, according to their website.

Last year, NNMCG also participated in McKinley County Day, hosted the interim Legislative Finance Committee in Gallup in May, and increased their funding for the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial up to $77,000.

Angelina Grey...

Potential littering solutions include banning bags, switching materials

The Gallup City Council discussed the results of a survey about the potential regulation of single-use plastic bags July 9, during its recent regular meeting.

The survey, hosted on SurveyMonkey by the City of Gallup’s legal department, asked a number of questions concerning the issues that other local communities have voiced in regards to the use of plastic bags.

One hundred twenty six responses were recorded, according to the meeting agenda.

City Attorney Curtis Hayes said the survey was conducted to ensure that a potential ordinance regulating single-use plastic bags received adequate public feedback before...

New Mexico State Police were called out around 4:58 am on July 2 to find a person lying in the roadway in the northbound lane of Interstate 40, around mile post 55, near Thoreau.

The body was identified as pedestrian, Ferland Johnson, 23.  He appeared to have died after being hit by an unknown vehicle, possibly during the early morning hours of July 2.

The case remains under investigation by state police with assistance from the Crash Reconstruction Unit.

Anyone with knowledge about this incident is asked to contact the New Mexico State Police at (505) 841-9526.

On June 28, the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau was contacted to investigate a use-of-force incident involving an intoxicated male and the Gallup Police Department.

State Police agents learned on June 28 around 8:30 pm, GPD officers were dispatched to the J. C. Penney to remove an intoxicated male. The male was later identified as Rodney Lynch, 41, of Gallup. Lynch was combative with the officers on scene. He was taken into custody and transported to Na’Nizhoozhi Center, Inc.

When they arrived at NCI, Lynch struck one of the officers and again became combative. As the officers attempted to gain control of Lynch, a sergeant and an additional officer, both of GPD...