The strong Navajo support for District Attorney Karl Gillson

To understand what motivated McKinley County’s former district attorney, Karl Raymond Gillson, who died on Jan. 24 at the age of 58 after a long illness, all one would have to do would be to look at his record as a Gallup state magistrate in the 1990s.

He had been accused of being too hard on the people who came before him for sentencing. He said he knew that people who had multiple DWI convictions would try their best to get their cases heard by any other magistrate.

“I can see why the other magistrates give lighter sentences. Its better for their political careers,” he said, adding that he could see how people...

Three main topics came up for discussion at the Feb. 16 McKinley County Commission meeting.

Approval of Fiscal Year 2022 funding for the county’s DWI program was addressed first.

Program Manager Maura Schanefelt requested an estimated amount of $819,172, an amount she told the Gallup Sun isn’t guaranteed.

The program’s mission is to help people overcome the challenges associated with alcohol abuse to create a safer community.

The DWI program will use the grant to address six areas: screening, prevention, coordination, treatment, alternative sentencing, and compliance monitoring. If the program receives more money, it will be directed toward a seventh aspect of the program...

ASSAULT WITH TWEEZERS

Gallup, Jan. 27

A man was charged with assault with a deadly weapon after police allege he tried to stab a security guard at a Safeway store with a pair of tweezers.

Officer Victor Madrid was dispatched at 4:58 pm to the Safeway at U.S. Highway 491 in reference to a weapon call. The caller stated a man wearing a dark jacket and white shoes threatened him with something sharp and then he left, walking toward the Big Lots store south of the Safeway.

Madrid arrived and discovered a man matching that description walking in that direction. He put Ryan Roy Chee, 38, address unknown, in the back of his police car and drove to the Safeway, where the security guard...

Police, medical and fire personnel were called out Feb.14 to the Gallup Public School Stadium, 1000 S. Grandview, after a passerby made a report to 911 about what he thought was a body to the east of the stadium.

Authorities confirmed the body was that of DeWayne Freeland, 55, of Fort Wingate, N. M.

Gallup Police Captain Erin Toadlena Pablo told the Gallup Sun that the family has been notified. There is no cause of death at this time, however no foul play is suspected.

Results from the Office of the Medical Investigator are pending.