Gallup lawmaker Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D- Gallup, says she refers to the annual KIDS COUNT report from N. M. Voices for Children on a regular basis.

The 102-page document was released last week in conjunction with a virtual press event featuring Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

KIDS COUNT is a snapshot of children’s wellbeing in New Mexico counties.

Lundstrom, executive director of the Greater Gallup Economic Development Corporation, praised the work of the nonprofit and the data book it provides, saying she examines it every year. Though she cautioned that it alone doesn’t drive the legislation she sponsors, the book “does feed into it.”

“I’ve got to look at other...

The New Mexico Activities Association has approved a schedule for the start of high school sports in New Mexico.

The dates that sports may begin practice are Feb. 22 for football, cross country and volleyball.

Cross country and volleyball competitions are scheduled to begin Feb. 27.

Soccer practice may begin March 1.

Football games and soccer matches are scheduled to start on March 6.

Basketball, and Spirit practices and swimming and diving practice may begin March 22.

Basketball games are scheduled to begin March 27.

Wrestling practice can start March 29.

Spirit competitions may begin April 3.

Wrestling competitions are scheduled to start on April 5.

Spring sports (baseball...

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez held a live town hall meeting via Facebook Live on Feb. 9  to discuss the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and progress in vaccine distribution. He began the meeting by sharing the current numbers surrounding the coronavirus.

As of Feb. 8, there were 28,937 confirmed cases of COVID-`19 among Navajo residents. There have been 236,327 COVID-19 tests given to Navajo residents.

Fifteen-thousand-two-hundred-sixty-four residents have recovered from the virus, while there have been 1,060 deaths in the community.

“This virus, this pandemic, has probably reached every single person in the Navajo Nation one way or another, either having someone who has...

Octavius Dan Atele, 25, of Churchrock,  N.M., was charged with great bodily harm by vehicle, child abuse and DWI with a minor, following a crash that resulted in him and his one-month-old baby being airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque on Feb. 8.

According to reports, Metro Dispatch received a call at about 1:18 pm following an accident with serious injuries caused by a possible drunk driver in a red Chevy Trax. Deputies Terence Willie and Paul Davis arrived at the scene, on State Highway 566 at the 4.1 mile marker.

There, they saw the red Chevy on the side of the road, with heavy front-end damage. A woman who had stopped at the scene told deputies that...