Leroy Tso was one of the speakers present at the McKinley County Board of Commissioners meeting June 26. He was there to present for the action on Item 7, JUN-18-039, which would support “New Mexico’s Development of a Public Option Buy-In for Healthcare Coverage to Better Ensure Affordability and Choice.”

“We are here together because we feel it is important to stand strong and support the quality of affordable health care for all families,” Tso said.

Tso spoke on behalf of Strong Families N.M., a group formed to pass policy at local and state levels in support of a Medicaid Buy-In Plan, a publicly-funded healthcare option for everyone in New Mexico.

Tso suggested the...

The end of the school year also brings prom season, a special time for many students about to graduate. The festivities serve as a way to cap off years of learning with some fun, and the issue of student safety is pressed more than ever during this special time.

But while Gallup-McKinley County Schools have safety procedures to follow, those rules could leave some students out of the excitement.

At the GMCS Board Meeting on June 18, Kelly Mortensen, parent of a student at Middle College High School at UNM-Gallup, brought up an image that was passed around about the policies regarding prom and safety. Due to the procedures in place, students attending Middle College were not able to...

The Liquor Excise Tax board has been struggling, Curtis Hayes, city attorney, said during the Gallup city council meeting on June 26.

Projected revenue is down to $1.2 million, nearly $400,000 less than the previous year. Gallup Detox will have a priority on the available funds, with $300,000 being set aside for the Community Service Aid.

This decline in revenue was theorized to be credited to either fewer people paying taxes or perhaps drinking less, the board said. The audience data is pending, but will be available at a later date.

The LET for the 2019 fiscal year allocated $835,000 in revenue for The Detox and Shelter Care Center Administration and Operations Service...

City officials tight-lipped on his status

Questions remained unanswered as this issue was going to press about the status of Phillip Hart as police chief for the city if Gallup.

The one thing that is known for sure is that Hart was not at his job this week as reports began circulating that he had been suspended or possibly fired. Neither Police Capt. Marinda Spencer nor city officials were answering questions about his status or if he would be returning as police chief after his suspension.

City officials have been very reluctant to comment on the Hart situation.

City attorney Curtis Hayes declined to comment, referring callers to Mary Ann Ustick, the city manager, who has also...