New Manuelito Canyon Bridge opens at last

Staff Reports

MANUELITO, N.M. — Since the fall of 2010 when heavy rainfall washed out the Manuelito Canyon Bridge and the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared the bridge structurally unsafe, residents who traveled it had to find other routes to their destinations. That all changed on Sept. 3 when the ribbon was cut to open the new Manuelito Canyon Bridge.

The long wait involved considerable coordination from Senator Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., as well as McKinley County staff, state legislators, the New Mexico Department of Transportation, the Navajo Division of Transportation and the Manuelito Chapter, to secure the right-of-way...

Gallup citizens will have something to look forward to in December when the Red Rock Balloon Rally returns for its 40th anniversary on Dec. 3-5.

During the Lodgers’ Tax Committee meeting Aug. 17, one of the event’s founders, Peter Procopio, asked for $35,000 for his event.

Procopio explained that the rally had lost some of its sponsors during the pandemic, including Marathon, which usually donated $30,000 to the event, but suspended operations at its Gallup refinery in April, 2020.

“We’re worried a little bit about other sponsors not [being] able to or willing to participate after a bad year, and we understand that,” Procopio said. “But we’re going try to do our best to...

While nurses have always been heroes, they have been held in especially high esteem since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of those who has been serving the community for three decades was honored with a DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses Aug. 17.

Lisa Cope, RN, received her award from Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services last month.

DAISY Awards are given to registered nurses who exemplify nursing values of extraordinary compassion, courage and integrity in every situation.

In an interview with the Sun, Cope said that the most difficult part of her job is the fact that her job looks different every day, making it difficult to schedule into the future. She...

Faster internet is on the horizon, in part because of a recent decision by the city council.

During the Aug. 24 council meeting, councilors approved an ordinance that will allow small cell wireless transmitters to be installed around the city.

Gallup City Attorney Curtis Hayes presented the ordinance to the council. In an interview with the Sun, he explained that it is necessary to keep the city in compliance with Federal Communications Commission regulations and state law.

The ordinance limits cities’ abilities to regulate small wireless transmitters. Hayes explained that some cities have huge fees, and many of them will not process applications for transmitters fast enough. He...