Gallup Sun

You MAY BE exempt from many taxes

Theresa Becenti-­Aguilar, Chair and District 4 commissioner of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, paid a visit to Stagecoach Elementary Oct. 4 as part of her effort to raise awareness about a tax exemption for Native Americans. The tax exemption case was opened on Jan. 31, 2008, by the N.M. Public Regulation Commission. The exemption became effective Dec. 13, 2012.

Speaking to the Sun, Becenti-­Aguilar said, “The idea was a lot of Native Americans live on Indian land, and if they have a cellular phone bill, they usually have a plan,” Becenti-­Aguilar said. “At the end of the bill, there’s surcharges, like state taxes...

Hit-and-run collision

Gallup Police arrested Vincent Carver, 23, of Gallup, Oct. 7 in connection with a fatal hit-and-run collision Sept. 17.

The original call was made by two bystanders at 201 J. M. Montoya Blvd. at 8:48 pm, when they told an officer they saw something on the road while driving. They thought what they saw was either a trash bag or a body.

They stopped to check and discovered a body.

Medical personnel were called in and the person, who was later identified as Brian Silversmith, 62, a Native American man, was pronounced deceased.

Although the two people who found the body did not witness what took place prior to their discovery, Metro Dispatch called the officer...

New Mexico State Police issued a press release Oct. 7 stating that Miyamura High School head coach John Roanhaus was allegedly filmed removing money from a football player’s wallet in the school locker room. NMSP said the burglary was reported to them Oct. 2, but the report did not say who filed it.

On Oct. 4, an arrest warrant was issued for Roanhaus, 42, of Clovis. He was arrested without incident Oct. 5 and booked into the McKinley County Detention Center. He was charged with burglary, a fourth degree felony, and larceny, a petty misdemeanor.

Gallup McKinley County Schools Superintendent Mike Hyatt said Roanhaus was terminated for “misconduct.” David Foley has been named as...

BATTERY SUSPECT WANTED

Yah-ta-hey, Oct. 4

McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Shirley was dispatched to a residence on North Cle Ki Drive in Yah-ta-hey in reference to a domestic dispute.

Shirley made contact with Kesha Singer, who showed signs of injury, including swollen features on her face and dried blood on her face and hands. At first, she told Shirley nothing had happened to her.

After Shirley called for a Medstar unit to evaluate Singer, she admitted her husband, Donavon Singer, 28, of Yah-ta-hey, had punched her in the face eight times.

Singer told Shirley she and her husband were driving home from Gallup earlier in the evening when he got mad and started hitting her...