Most district schools dropping a class, except in football

At the end of last year, the New Mexico Athletics Association voted to make major changes to the way schools are classified statewide. The NMAA voted to collapse the existing six class structure down to five for all sports except football.

Asked during Monday’s schoolboard meeting how this would impact Gallup McKinley County Schools, district Athletic Director Ben Chavez said, “this will directly impact every school in McKinley County.”

In addition to concerns on the impact of the new classification system, Board Member Priscilla Manuelito asked question on behalf of some curious parents.

“One of the concerns I...

Jayco takes aim at suspect’s derrière

Jeffrey Denton thought he could get away with intimidating a Giant east clerk by shooting into the ceiling and making off with cash from the till, rolled coins, and some expensive bottles of liquor around 1 am Jan. 19.

Gallup Police Department Officer Chavo Chiscilly responded to the call. The clerk said the two men donned in black headed east as they exited the store.

Meanwhile, GPD Officer Adrian Quetawki reviewed the store’s video surveillance tapes and identified the suspect’s getaway car – a silver Chevy Impala with chrome rims. It wasn’t long before GPD Officer Justin Benally located the vehicle and noted that it was picking up...

Ryan Westman remains in the custody San Juan County Adult Detention Center, and while he faces a slew of charges in Farmington for his dramatic flee from police, he’s also facing a capital murder charge here in McKinley County for the death of Mitchell “Mark” Chavez.

After a few days on the lam, Westman was located in Gamerco and was pursued by local law enforcement to the San Juan County line.

San Juan law enforcement caught up with him Jan. 25 at a Valero gas station, 4913 E. Main St. in Farmington. The scene quickly took a violent turn when a U.S. Marshal’s Service agent and San Juan County Sheriff’s Deputy Chad Langley approached Westman.

Westman, 25, struck the agent...

Family of five killed by drunk driver

PHOENIX – James Robertson Young, 29, of Kayenta, Ariz., and a member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 240 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release Jan. 30.

Young had previously pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault.

The case involved Young driving his vehicle with a BAC level of between .171 and .20, causing a head-on collision with another vehicle carrying four minor children (aged 8, 9, 10, and 14) and their grandparents.

The victims, all of whom are members of the Navajo Nation, had been traveling to the Grand Canyon to vacation and sell hand-made...