Meet Camille's Teacher of the Month: Deidre Gruber

Each month, Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe in Gallup chooses and recognizes one local teacher within the Gallup area for the Teacher of the Month award. Teachers are nominated for their efforts and determination to help local students rise beyond their expectations. This month, Camille's Sidewalk Cafe recognizes pre-kindergarten teacher Deidre Gruber, of Grants.

Gruber received the news from her boss after school let out at Grants Head Start, where she has been teaching pre-K for the past two years. Gruber felt honored and excited upon hearing the news. She has been teaching more than seven years overall. Originally from Crownpoint, Gruber...

Alice Perez, executive director of The Community Pantry and Hope Garden, was present at the Oct. 15 McKinley County Board of Commissioners meeting because she knew commissioners were scheduled to discuss a budget increase to cover the purchase of a semi-truck that would help the pantry extend its mobile food bank in the coming weeks.

The Community Pantry, 1130 Hassler Valley Rd., serves people across northwestern New Mexico, and includes a branch in Grants that serves all of Cibola County. The pantry provides services including free produce, an emergency food box, Food For Kids, The Emergency Food Assistance Program, and The Agency Program which assists local nonprofits and...

CHILD ABUSE

Yah-ta-hey, Oct. 15

McKinley County Sheriff Deputy Monty Yazzie said he was dispatched to a house in Yah-Ta-Hey about 11:46 pm Oct. 15 after a woman called in saying her daughter was abusing her child.

Yazzie said when he arrived at the residence, all the lights were out, but when he knocked on the door, he thought he heard a dog whimpering inside. As the whimpering continued, he said he realized it was coming from a small child.

At that point, a woman, later identified as Taylor Natonie, 26, opened the door. Yazzie explained why he was there and Natonie asked who had called the police and Yazzie told her it was her mother.

He said Natonie showed signs of being...

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the death of Tyrell J. Bellson.

Bellson’s body was found near Highway 53 near  mile marker 20, on Zuni Pueblo, N. M., on Sept. 24.

He had likely been dead for several days. Bellson, of Zuni Pueblo, was 35 years old at the time of his death.

The FBI and the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department are investigating.

Anyone with information regarding this homicide is asked to call the FBI at (505) 889-1300, or may submit tips at tips.fbi.gov.