Gallup’s housing situation is dire. It’s not just that housing is unaffordable, it’s that there simply isn’t enough housing to sustain the local population – much less growth – at any price.

Gallup’s City Council declared a housing emergency in May and Gallup-McKinley County Schools is planning a 152-unit apartment complex to ensure housing for teachers. Businesses from the hospital to public service agencies to the school district cite the lack of housing as a big hurdle to recruiting and retaining workers.

“I have two police officers right now who are looking for houses in the $250,000 to $300,000 price range.” realtor Jason Valentine said. “If we do nothing...

TRYING TO GET CLEAN

Gallup, Aug. 29

A woman told a police officer that she was trying to detox from fentanyl when he found a blue pill in her pocket.

On Aug. 29, around 6 pm, Gallup Police Officer Daniel Brown was dispatched to the Historic El Rancho Hotel at 1000 E. Hwy. 66 when reports came into Metro Dispatch about a dispute at the hotel.

When he arrived at the scene, Brown met with a man and a woman outside of the hotel. The woman, who was sitting on the rear bumper of a pick up truck, was identified as Stephanie Peterson. Peterson, 23, told Brown that she was trying to get away from her parents because they had been “watching her closely.”

Peterson explained that she was...

Featured DWI

Adrian Gilmore (1979)

Aug. 27, 7:17 pm

Aggravated DWI (Second)

Being refused service at a liquor store led to Adrian Gilmore, 43, of Yatahey, being arrested and charged with another DWI.

An employee of Sagebrush Liquors at 452 Hwy. 264 turned away a customer and called Metro Dispatch to advise the customer had left the store and was traveling westbound in a brown Buick Regal.

McKinley County Deputy Terence Willie was traveling west on Highway 264 and found a vehicle matching the caller’s description turning onto Defiance Draw Road. Willie followed the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of Sunset Valley Road and Defiance Draw...

A man driving a tractor trailer was arrested for a DWI.

A freightliner tractor-trailer, driven by Johnnie Ray Punch Jr., 45, of Houston, Texas, entered the Gallup Port of Entry on Sept. 2 around 12 pm. Inspectors told Punch to park in the main parking lot to purchase a needed permit.  Instead of parking as inspectors had asked, Ponce entered an inspection bay.

When inspectors made contact with Punch, they smelt a strong odor of alcohol coming from his breath. A New Mexico State Police officer at the port of entry was notified. After a subsequent DWI investigation Punch was arrested for DWI.

At the time of the arrest Punch’s blood alcohol content was 0.25, which is over three...