Without the sewer service rate hike that’s hitting Gallup utility bills this month, the city could be in financial trouble.

“We have infrastructure that is failing,” Executive Director of Water and Sanitation Dennis Romero said. “By not taking care of that capital need, your operational costs go up because we can’t just let sewage run down the street.”

The increase amounts to about $5 a month for those in modest circumstances, and more like $12 a month for a family in a single family home, Gallup CFO Patty Holland told the Sun. That averages out to about 25 percent a month for customers, beginning July 1.

“Unfortunately the need has been increasing because we’ve been...

Fire Department GRANT money going to specialized training equipment

These manikins are no dummies.

In fact, the new Quality Cardio­pulmonary Resuscitation training manikins heading to the Gallup Fire Department have smart features that give real-time feedback to trainees on how effective their optimally-lifesaving measures are.

The life-size Little Family dolls – just a head and torso for adult and child models, plus a full-body baby – are laced with digital sensors that measure pace, pressure and compression depth, and send signals to digital phone apps, so trainers and their charges can easily see the results in real time.

“This is going to provide the first responders...

As August approaches, disagreements remain between the two Ceremonial events, the live performances and the virtual broadcasts.

The Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial Association, known to some as the local office, has moved its operations from 206 Coal Ave. to 2105 E. Aztec Ave.

Dudley Byerly says it has no relationship with the Intertribal Ceremonial Office, which is run by the State of New Mexico.

Byerley who is a former director of Ceremonial, told the Sun, July 20 that efforts to cooperate with the state’s event were a failure.

“We tried our best to work with those folks. They rejected everything we put to ‘em,” he said.

He said the state indicated the local event...

A goat was lucky enough to have a little human help on July 19 when he got a little lost on the Mendoza extension.

When Gallup Sun publisher Babette Herrmann spotted him, she called the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office and received the assistance of Deputies Jeff Barnhurst and Jonathan Todachine and Undersheriff James Maiorano, as well as Cowtown’s Dudley Byerley in catching the goat.

The goat was not injured. The red paint on his rear is a type of brand.

He was taken to the N.M. Livestock Board in McKinley County.

N.M. State Livestock Board Inspector Byron Murphy, told the Sun that in order to reclaim the goat, the owner must present identification.

As of July 21, the...