McKinley County Sheriff’s Office awarded “Letters of Commendation” to law enforcement deputies of all ranks that went above and beyond the call of duty. The ceremony took place Jan. 31 at MCSO headquarters in Gallup. Below are the actual letters that each deputy received for their good work.

Deputy James

This letter is to formally and publically commend Deputy Garylle James for the excellent service he has provided to the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office and more importantly the citizens of McKinley County.

I would like to take this opportunity to commend you for the good work you did on March 11, 2017.

While on duty, you responded to the scene of an officer...

Rock and roll is alive and well today and his name is Black Heart Saints.

Black Heart Saints stopped in Gallup for a show at Juggernaut Music on Jan. 31. The Austin, TX quartet was wrapping up a west coast winter tour when they stopped in town for their only New Mexico date.

Lead vocalist Josh Ross said the group has been together for about four years after their first live performance at the prestigious South By Southwest.

“We’ve just been kicking butt since then,” Ross said. “We are wrapping up a tour and we’ve been on the road for about a week-and-a-half. We’ll regroup in Austin and begin planning for the next tour.”

The band features the classic rock sheen and...

Maxine Scott, in front, held her 95th birthday party at McDonald’s east Jan. 27, and then moved her guests to Earl’s for breakfast.

Seated behind Maxine is Roberta Wolthers, and on the opposite side of the table, at left, is Scott’s niece from Florida, and Tina Mattis from Wyoming (Joe Zecca’s daughter) on the right. Standing is Franklin Zecca, a longtime Gallup friend.

Maxine moved to Gallup in 1963 to work at El Rancho in the restaurant and is a well-known character around town. Her two surviving children, one in Salt Lake City and the other in Texas, were unable to attend, as was her grandson Marvin Gray, his wife Rachel, and their two children Brandon and Marissa. Other...

Pena expresses his Native American heritage through painting

Artisans express their talent through various emotions they feel, see, and experience, whether it’s harmonious or dramatic episodes in their life. It’s these life moments that make each artist unique and we as the viewers get a moment to delve into the artist’s creative mind.

One artist that truly shares his past experiences, in so much as shocking the viewer, is Arnulfo Pena, who does this through the touch of paint to canvas.

Born in Corsicana, TX, 72-year-old Pena has seen his fair share of dramatic experiences directly tied to his Native American roots, more exactly from the Mescalero Apache tribe. Having...