Smoke and flames filled the skies over Gallup on Aug. 1, as two structures – one behind and one next to Gas Max on 516 U.S. Highway 491, caught fire shortly before 7 pm.

McKinley County Attorney Doug Decker said in either building hay, fireworks, and a variety of oils, including ethanol, fueled the flames that burned well into the night.

“It’s not pretty like the fireworks we see on Independence Day,” Decker said. “It takes forever to put out a hay fire.”

Gas Max employees were safely evacuated, and the station sustained some minor damages.

“The gas station had some heat damage, but it’s still operable,” Decker said.

Traffic slowed to a crawl as witnesses...

Zachary Lee

July 28, 2:55 am

Aggravated DWI

McKinley County Sheriff Deputy Johnson Lee said he was on regular patrol about 2:55 am, when he saw a vehicle go through a red light as it was going onto State Highway 602/

He followed the vehicle as it headed south of Highway 602 and saw that the driver had problems maintaining his lane. He turned on his lights and sirens and the vehicle pulled to the side of the road a couple of miles south of Gallup.

But instead of stopping, the vehicle sped up and Lee found himself in a vehicle pursuit.

The vehicle turned west on Dusty Road and fled to RA 54 where the driver encountered a fence. Lee said he saw the driver, later...

Sometimes it is not good to have your photo in a newspaper.

That’s the case with Elliot George, 22, of Church Rock whose photo in the local media resulted in him being arrested on Jan. 26.

George was being sought by local police for failure to show up at a probation hearing the week prior. His photo had also been in the local media several times in the last two years after he was charged with voluntary manslaughter in the May, 2016 death of Raymond
Armstrong.

He took a plea in that case and when he was found guilty of battery and concealing his identity by a Gallup jury, and was given five years of probation.

It wasn’t long, however, according to local law enforcement...

A 38-year-old Brimhall woman has been charged with receiving a stolen vehicle after she was found in possession of a stolen vehicle.

Gallup police were dispatched to a trailer at 2500 E. Aztec Ave. about 6 pm on July 18 because of a stolen car report.

When they got there, they found Jeanice Long getting out of the vehicle. When informed that the car had been reported stolen, she said it belonged to her uncle.

Police, however, determined that the vehicle belonged to Ronald Gene and he was contacted and came to the site and told police Long did not have permission to be in possession of the vehicle.

He also said he did not know Long, which resulted in her being arrested.

A man...