Two parents were given the opportunity to speak during the public comment period at the Oct. 16 Gallup-McKinley County Schools board meeting at Tohatchi High School.

The first to speak was Andrea Thomas, parent of a Tohatchi High student, who brought up a topic she had discussed in the past, namely she said the board needs to be more professional and respectful of each other.

Thomas spoke about the contracts for new lobbyists for GMCS, a topic she said she brought up during the board meeting on Aug. 13.

At that meeting, Thomas said the school board should learn to better work together, and that it was a shame state and city government officials are making decisions for the school...

Drug OVERDOSE PLIGHT goes on

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Health announced continued progress in addressing prescription drug overdose in New Mexico with its latest state quarterly prescribing report showing improved prescribing practices for opioids Oct. 11.

Opioid prescriptions dropped nearly 12 percent compared to the second quarter of last year. This reduction in prescribing comes after Gov. Susana Martinez enacted legislation making it mandatory for healthcare providers to check a patient’s prescription history in the state’s Prescription Monitoring Program database when prescribing opioids.

Most measures of opioid prescribing have shown significant declines from...

ALBUQUERQUE – At around 4:30 pm on Oct. 16, New Mexico State Police responded to a report of a downed aircraft west of Albuquerque.

State police, with the assistance of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Albuquerque Fire Rescue and local first responders, located the plane in a field about 10 miles west of Double Eagle airport.

The pilot Michael Vavrek, 68, and passenger Judy Vavrek, 67, both of Albuquerque, were killed in the crash and pronounced deceased on scene by the Office of the Medical Investigator.

NTSB and FAA investigators were on scene Oct. 17 to investigate the crash.  Inquiries into the cause of the crash should be made to federal investigators.

Weapon looked like shotgun

The McKinley County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an Oct. 15 armed robbery of a gas station in Thoreau.

Deputy Johnson Lee said he was dispatched to the Giant Station in Thoreau just after midnight because of an alarm going off at the business. As Lee was driving there, Metro Dispatch reportedly told him they were having trouble contacting the store.

Just before he arrived at the station, he received word that someone at the business said they were robbed by a man carrying a shotgun and wearing a black mask.

After interviewing the three clerks at the store, Lee learned the suspect began walking south after he was given the cash from the register.

Lee...