Keeping the wilderness truly wild

BOZEMAN, Mont. — A coalition of wildlife advocacy groups, represented by the non-profit environmental law firm Earthjustice, asked the U.S. Forest Service to issue new protections for wolves in designated wilderness areas following Idaho and Montana’s enactment of a rash of aggressive anti-wolf laws.

The groups’ petition, submitted to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and top Forest Service officials June 9, asks the agency to enact measures to protect wolves in National Forest wilderness areas from new Idaho and Montana laws authorizing use of professional contractors and private reimbursement programs resembling 19th-Century wolf bounties to...

Last Week, Arizona Homeland Security contacted the Gallup Police Department in reference to their agency obtaining an arrest warrant for Binghua Yang of Gallup.

Yang, 59, the operator of Chinese Young Massage at 2712 West Hwy. 66 in Gallup, was was arrested without incident on charges of conspiracy, illegal control of an enterprise, money laundering in the second degree, and operating or maintaining a house of prostitution.

GPD Capt. Erin Toadlena-Pablo requested that media questions about the case be directed towards Arizona Homeland Security.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more details become available.

Stagecoach Elementary School (1498 Freedom Dr.) went into a lockdown on the morning of Aug. 23 when Gallup Police responded to a call about shots fired in the area of Sagebrush Place Apartments (650 Dani Drive).

Officers made contact with the caller around 9 am.

The caller explained that he discovered an unknown male inside his vehicle at the apartment complex and when he confronted him, the person inside his vehicle pulled out a firearm. Startled by the response, he left the area, but said he heard two gunshots.

Officers set up a perimeter to search for the suspect and the school was placed on lockdown during the pursuit.

Officers of the Gallup Police Department located the...

A multi-agency effort led to the early morning arrest of alleged wanted murderer Josiah Smith in Gamerco.

The McKinley County Sheriff's Office, Gallup Police Department, and the FBI were able to locate Josiah Smith, 27, from Smith Lake, on Aug. 21 around 7 am.

According to McKinley County Undersheriff James Maiorano, Smith had an outstanding warrant for a murder that was connected to a shooting that happened in Church Rock earlier this year. That case is being handled by the FBI.

Smith was taken into custody without any incident or injury.

On May 17 Smith allegedly shot and killed a man by firing into a window from outside a Church Rock home.

Smith is an enrolled member of the Navajo...