Other stores to close for inventory

By Rick Abasta
Navajo Arts & Crafts Enteprise

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Navajo Arts & Crafts Enterprise announced Dec. 26 that the store location at Navajo National Monument has been closed due to the federal shutdown.

The partial federal shutdown is now on its sixth day and there is uncertainty about when the standoff will end between the White House and Congress.

In the interim, travelers are encouraged to visit other NACE store locations in Cameron, Chinle, Kayenta, Shiprock and Window Rock.

NACE is going to be closing all store locations from Jan. 1-7, 2019 due to store inventory. Normal store hours will resume Jan. 8.

Information: www.gonavajo.com

Staff Reports

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES — In September of 2018 the New Mexico State Police Investigation Bureau followed up on a Cyber Tip regarding child pornography.

The Cyber Tip came from the online dating application Tumblr. A photograph that was downloaded and attached on their application was considered child pornography.

Through an extensive investigation New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau agents learned the IP address came back to a residence in T or C which was being used by Daryl Harlan Thomas, 18.

Agents from the State Police Investigation Bureau in conjunction with the Special Agents from the Attorney General’s ICAC task force executed a search warrant on several houses Thomas resided in.

Several electronic devices were seized from those houses and taken as evidence.

NMSP arrested Thomas in Silver City without incident. He was booked into the Grant County Detention Center. No other information is available.

Thomas was charged with the following: Sexual Exploitation of Children 30-6A-3(E) 2nd Degree Felony- Manufacture or Copying; Sexual Exploitation of Children 30-6A-3(C) 3rd Degree Felony-Distribution; and Sexual Exploitation of Children 30-6A-3(A) 4th Degree Felony-Possession.

Program kindles long-lasting friendship with law enforcement

The sight of flashing blue and red lights in front of the Gallup Walmart, 1650 W. Maloney Ave., was hard to miss the morning of Dec. 15. A row of police units in front of the store indicated something was happening inside — and indeed, something was going on behind Walmart’s doors. But despite any preconceptions of flashing lights and police units, the events unfolding at the scene were, well, jolly and nice.

The occasion was “Shop with a Cop,” an event during which selected McKinley County children visited Walmart, paired up with a police officer and a $100 gift card.

Children throughout McKinley County were selected by their schools to take part in the program.

Gallup Police Department Lt. Rosanne Morrissette, who helped make the event a reality, said the program is a great way for children to get to know police officers and to understand cops aren’t anything to fear.

“We’re great people and we’re out here to help the community,” she said. “We’re just doing our job and it’s good for the kids to see that.”

Law enforcement from the GPD, Navajo Nation Police, McKinley County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police took part in the event. And McDonald’s provided a free breakfast for the kids and officers.

McDonald’s Supervisor Phillip Dela Riva said he took on the opportunity to serve the event without hesitaiton.

Dela Riva said he wanted to give back to the community, and especially to the officers who do so much for it. He said he was proud to be a part of the event.

“We love to give back to our community,” Dela Riva said. “We got to feed these kids and officers before they go shopping, I don’t know how long it’s going to take but they’re going to need their energy [laughing]. The officers do a great job in the community, so we got to reward them for taking care of us.”

Chee Montano of State Farm Insurance organized the event, which was a hit this year, despite a hiatus in years past.

Montano, who has put on various community events, said he tries to help officers as much as he can through his event work.

This year, he offered to host Shop with a Cop, and came up with funding by reaching out to the Gallup community for donations.

Montano said they raised about $38,000.

“We did this in only a two-week window, and prior to planning this, the officers were excited about doing this and it’s great to see it all come together, especially for the kids,” he said.

The goal was to join 30 kids with officers, and this year, they event saw 31 kids, plus their partnering officers.

Once the kids picked a cop and ate their breakfast, the shopping commenced.

The kids were excited to splurge with their $100 gift cards, and happiness was also evident on the faces of the officers as they trotted down the aisles with the children.

Christian Roman, of the New Mexico State Police, couldn’t wait to hit the aisles.

Roman said he was thrilled to be a part of the event and have the opportunity to establish a friendship with the children.

He said this event shows the kids a totally different side of cops, and that is a good thing. Roman teamed up with 10-year-old Angelo from Tohatchi. Both finished their breakfast and were ready to do some shopping.

“It’s fantastic, just being around the kids gives us an opportunity to talk to them and they can talk to us,” Roman said. “Because if they ever see us on the road, they’re not afraid of us – [they know] that we’re there to help them.”

Meanwhile, GPD Officer John Yearly and Latisha were also ready to do some Christmas shopping.

Yearly, who has participated in the event in the past, was happy to have it return and to show a whole new side of law enforcement to the kids.

“It’s exciting to see this come back and to let the children know that there’s another side of law enforcement,” Yearly said. “Cops are just like big kids if you want to call it that [laughing].”

Santa Claus was at the event, too, and each child had the opportunity to take a picture with him and tell him about their unique shopping experience with a cop.

For more information on Shop with a Cop, contact GPD Lt. Rosanne Morrissette at (505) 726-5472.

By Dee Velasco
For the Sun

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Health announced Dec. 17 the first flu-related death reported for the 2018-2019 flu season.

The death occurred in a woman 65-years or older from Lincoln County. Her death is an important reminder that flu can cause serious illness or death, particularly among persons at risk for flu-related complications.

“As flu infections increase across the state, it is important to get vaccinated if you haven’t already received the flu vaccine this season,” DOH Secretary Lynn Gallagher said. “The flu vaccine is the best way for you to protect yourself and your families, especially young children and elderly family members.”

Overall, flu activity remains low, both in New Mexico and nationwide; however, flu activity typically peaks between December and February. During the 2017-2018 flu season, New Mexico had over 280 influenza (flu) and pneumonia-related deaths.

NMDOH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that everyone six months of age and older get their flu vaccine and strongly encourages residents to contact their local healthcare providers or pharmacies to receive vaccine for protection against influenza and pneumonia.

The DOH’s public health offices are among the locations that provide vaccine to residents with no health insurance. An interactive map for help finding a provider near you that vaccinates uninsured adults can be found here.

Pneumococcal (pneumonia) vaccine can be given at the same time as flu vaccine to patients who qualify. It is an important additional form of protection because flu frequently causes types of pneumonia that can be prevented by the pneumococcal vaccine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about whether you need this vaccine as well.

While everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it's especially important that people in the following groups get vaccinated, either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications:

• Pregnant women (any trimester) and up to two weeks post-partum
• Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
• People age 65 and older
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, and lung or heart disease and those who are immuno-suppressed.
• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
• People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including healthcare personnel and caregivers of babies younger than 6 months
• Native Americans and Alaskan Natives
• People who are morbidly obese

Symptoms of seasonal flu may include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, tiredness and/or muscle aches. People who might have flu – particularly if they are in the groups listed above at risk for severe disease and complications – should seek medical care and start antiviral medication as soon as possible.

There are also simple things anyone can do to help prevent getting – or spreading – the flu:

• Wash your hands and your children’s hands frequently, especially after contact with other people.
• Use a tissue to cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze and dispose of the tissue afterward, or cough or sneeze into your sleeve if no tissues are available.
• Clean your hands after you cough or sneeze, even if you use a tissue. Use soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner if soap and water are not available and your hands are not visibly dirty.
• Stay home if you get the flu.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

For more information about how the NMDOH and CDC track flu cases in New Mexico and beyond visit the Influenza Surveillance Program webpage. To find pharmacies in your area that may have flu and pneumococcal vaccine, visit: www.vaccinefinder.org/ or call the CDC INFO immunization hotline toll-free at 1 (800) 232-4636.