Hundreds turn out for tribute

With hundreds of retired veterans calling Gallup home, the city does itself right when Veterans Day rolls around. This year was no exception as more than 200 people attended a prayer vigil, an honorary ceremony, a laying of wreathes and a parade Nov. 11 at various locales around the Indian Capital.

“Know all your veterans,” Dave Cuellar, a U.S. Army vet and member of Gallup’s Veterans Helping Veterans told a sizeable gathering at the McKinley County Courthouse Plaza. “Know all of your veterans – past and present.”

With American flags practically everywhere, the vigil was held at the Veterans Helping Veterans Post along West Maloney...

Matter now heads to Sec. of State

The canvassing of the Nov. 8 election went well and there were no major problems, officials said. Results still indicate that McKinley County is heavily Democratic and voters tend to be shy about turning out on Election Day.

McKinley County Director of Elections Rick Palochak said 21,208 people cast their votes in this year’s general election — out of 40,400 registered votes in McKinley County. That amounted to about a 52 percent voter turnout.

“Of course you always want those numbers to be as high as they can be,” Palochak said. “I’d say the numbers are usually low in McKinley County, but the numbers do fluctuate.”

Palochak said 15,274...

A Gallup man remained incarcerated Nov. 16 on possession of marijuana and violation of probation charges after a drug arrest by the Gallup Police Department. A $7,000 bond amount was set at the McKinley County Adult Detention Center on Carlos Valdenegro.

In a police report on the matter, Gallup police officer Luke Martin wrote that he and Officer Cindy Romancito responded to a domestic dispute call on North Second Street. Upon arrival, a witness told Martin that Valdenegro and his mother, Patricia Valdenegro, were arguing inside the residence.

“The conflict was not physical,” Martin recorded in the report.

Martin looked under a bed used by Valdenegro and discovered a 12-pack of...

An argument inside of a moving vehicle nearly turned deadly before Deputy Lasheena Johnson of the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office stepped in to quell things.

According to a police report, Johnson stopped driver Ricky Gatewood, Jr., 36, and Coral Cleveland, 25, along U.S. Highway 491 near Francisco Pond Road. The tan van the two were in was reportedly “swerving” and the occupants were said to have been fighting.

“The van was in the slow lane and did swerve outside of the lane twice,” Johnson recorded.

The couple began the journey in Window Rock, Ariz., and were arguing for most of the drive into Gallup, the police report states. The two were heading to Albuquerque for...