Courthouse Plaza will be hoppin’ after hours this summer with a series of new Downtown Fun events intended to please locals and tourists of all ages, and it’s all free to attend.

New this year is a series of family fun nights and musical jam events at which locals can show off their talents with the support of hired musicians.

Plans call for Family Fun nights from 6 to 8 pm June 8 and 22 and July 6, 20 and 27. Each event will feature a different community or youth group, for example a youth sports night. The various events will include hands-on activities like kids art opportunities, a mechanical bull, climbing wall and obstacle course from Wowies.

The events will also offer...

XERISCAPING, CITY rebates help property owners go with the (low) flow

With a steep water rate hike on the way and no end in sight for a punishing southwestern drought, now is a good time for Gallup property owners to rethink their landscaping.

Whether you decided long ago to give up on the lush, green lawn of the American Dream or are looking for a way to turn your dirt patch into curb appeal, xeriscaping may be your answer. The idea is to use pretty rocks and indigenous, low-water shrubbery instead of grass and thirstier plants.

The city of Gallup offers a xeriscaping rebate program to offset the cost of tearing out turf and replacing it with a more sustainable alternative. Sadly...

It looks like Gallup will have a car show during the Freedom Ride, Flight & Cruise weekend in July, although the event was in doubt for a while and details for this year still need city approval.

This year’s event will be smaller, expecting 60 to 70 classic rides as opposed to about 120 in past years. It’s set to take place at a vacant lot on West Aztec Avenue between Fourth and Fifth Streets from 10 am to 2 pm July 30, giving tourists and locals a reason to stay downtown between the morning balloon lift and the motorcycle cruise and Tunnel of Fire in the evening.

Auto dealer Steve Gurley, who put on the show for many years, was unable to continue this year. That left it up to...

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, only 19.1% of people with disabilities  were employed in 2020, compared to 63.7% of able-bodied people.

When it comes to intellectual disabilities, the Gallup-McKinley County Schools is trying to do something to bring that percentage up.

On May 20, five students graduated from the district’s Project SEARCH program, a program that helps individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities prepare for the workforce.

The program is a one-year internship for people aged 18-22 who have graduated high school. The program prepares them for integrated, competitively paid work.

Project SEARCH is an international program, it’s even...