The Democratic Party of New Mexico is in the midst of holding precinct, ward and county pre-primary conventions in advance of the state pre-primary convention slated for March 7.

The pre-primary convention is one way Democrats decide who will be on the ballot for the June 2 primary. These conventions allow Democrats to come together, discuss issues and hear from candidates.

DPNM staff and officers are traveling the state attending pre-primary conventions to ensure the processes are smooth.

DPNM Chair Marg Elliston and DPNM Communications Director Miranda van Dijk attended the McKinley County pre-primary convention Feb. 22, and spoke with the Sun about the convention as well as the...

Project moving forward faster than anticipated

A 6-inch waterline running alongside Highway 66 between the intersections of Highway 66 and Ford Street experienced a series of breaks Jan. 24, rendering the line irreparable and requiring a replacement.

Dennis Romero, water and sanitation director for the City of Gallup, spoke to the City Council during their Feb. 25 meeting about the project to replace the line.

The council previously approved a line replacement project for this fiscal year for $432,000. A design was completed, and a bid package was being assembled for a larger section of line when the break occurred in January.

However, Romero said the line was not going to be able...

Figures from survey not the whole story

Early in February, Becker’s Hospital Review published an article listing 11 hospitals in the United States with the highest percentage of patients who were unhappy with how their physicians interacted with them.

This list was based on the most recent Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey scores, which were based on data from April 2018 to March 2019.

The survey is administered to a random sample of patients throughout the year, and asks 29 questions about topics including critical aspects of the hospital experience, screening questions, and demographic questions for adjusting the mix of patients across...

What looked like possible illegal narcotic activity led to a traffic stop on a red Chevrolet Monte Carlo at Stagecoach Road and West Aztec Avenue Feb. 24 by Gallup police.

In the driver’s seat was Ernest Gantar, 50, of Gallup, who had previous encounters with public safety officers.

Gantar was seen accepting something from an unknown male at a known residence for illegal narcotic activity and then followed to another residence, also known for incidents of illegal drug activity.

Based on the encounters at both addresses, a decision was made to conduct a traffic stop. After Gantar exited the vehicle, he was handcuffed and transported to an interview room.

A search warrant was...