Plans for small business help, COVID response costs

The City of Gallup was recently awarded two grants from CARES Act funds by the State of New Mexico as part of the federal act that was passed earlier this year.

City Manager Maryann Ustick presented the two awards for acceptance and approval by the Gallup City Council during their Sept. 8 meeting.

The first award is for funding to local small businesses of $2,130,000. The city will allocate up to five percent or $106,500, for administrative expenses. Ustick said the city may use these funds for staff overtime and to help eligible businesses file their applications to receive part of these funds.

The item states the limit per...

County Commission discusses potential tax deferral

The McKinley County Board of Commissioners held a special meeting Sept. 8 to discuss a potential deferral of employment tax deposits and payments from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31.

This proposal comes from the President’s authorization dated Aug. 8 and the IRS Administrative Procedure Notice 2020-65, where employers can elect to defer the deposit and payment of employees’ share of Social Security Taxes.

County Attorney Doug Decker said this deferral would essentially be a “tax holiday.”

“This is from a Presidential Directive through the Secretary of Treasury to find ways to give employees an extra boosted income,” Decker...

Featured DWI

John K. Hoskie

Aug. 26, 12:40 pm

Aggravated DWI

McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Terence Willie was dispatched to the 9 mile marker of Highway 264 in reference to a fight on the side of the road. The caller had said a rust-colored car had pulled over and two drunk men were fighting.

Willie was traveling westbound on Highway 264 when he was flagged down by another driver, who said she had seen a purple vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road. He then traveled back eastbound and was eventually flagged down by another driver who told him the suspect vehicle was parked at the Family Dollar in Yah-ta-hey.

After arriving at the store, Willie found the suspect vehicle...

A passerby near the intersection of Third Street and Highway 66 made a grisly discovery early on Sept. 4 and reported their findings to Gallup police.

Captain Erin Toadlena-Pablo told the Sun Sept. 8 the call about the dead body came in about 7:36 am on Sept. 4.

She said the caller was on his morning walk near the railroad crossing on Third Street when he noticed the remains east of the tracks.

The victim was identified as Steven Yazzie, 37, of Gallup. The confirmed cause of death was from a collision with a train at an unspecified time.

There is no other information available.