Parents, citizens demand answers to Tohatchi High lockdown

The lockdown and evacuation of Tohatchi High School on Sept. 23 remains fresh in the minds of some parents whose children attend the school.

But, for a select group of parents, the answers they have received from the school and Gallup-McKinley County Schools, the district, fell short of their expectations.

So, a group of concerned citizens attended the Oct. 7 Board of Education meeting in Gallup looking for more answers, as what many Tohatchi High students heard Sept. 23 doesn’t match up with law enforcement reports.

The FBI Albuquerque field office reported that one shot was fired at a vehicle crossing through a perimeter...

Expand the outreach of preventing ALCOHOL-RELATED deaths

The prevention of alcohol-­related deaths is a main focus of a $1.5 million grant to the City of Gallup.

The grant comes from the Indian Health Service Office of Grants Management. Councilors listened to City Procurement Specialist Debra Martinez Oct. 8 as she talked about the different areas that would benefit from the funding.

Martinez told the City Council the money will support expanded and enhanced social detox, treatment, transportation and case management services. The funding will also cover the salary of one full-time employee along with benefits.

This is the third year the city has been awarded these funds...

You MAY BE exempt from many taxes

Theresa Becenti-­Aguilar, Chair and District 4 commissioner of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, paid a visit to Stagecoach Elementary Oct. 4 as part of her effort to raise awareness about a tax exemption for Native Americans. The tax exemption case was opened on Jan. 31, 2008, by the N.M. Public Regulation Commission. The exemption became effective Dec. 13, 2012.

Speaking to the Sun, Becenti-­Aguilar said, “The idea was a lot of Native Americans live on Indian land, and if they have a cellular phone bill, they usually have a plan,” Becenti-­Aguilar said. “At the end of the bill, there’s surcharges, like state taxes...

FIRE PREVENTION IS THE FOCUS

Theresa Becenti-­Aguilar, Chair and District 4 commissioner of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, paid a visit to Stagecoach Elementary Oct. 4 as part of a series of stops across the Four Corners region. One of her goals was fire safety education in her district.

The students and faculty of Stagecoach Elementary received a lecture on fire safety and prevention from Becenti-­Aguilar, members of the Gallup Fire Department, and the State Fire Marshal’s office. Students also got a close-up view of a fire truck and an overview of its functions and equipment.

Becenti-­Aguilar said, “I work closely with the fire marshal.” Of the fire...