Gallup Sun

The Bureau of Indian Affairs decision to send prisoners to Yuma, AZ instead of McKinley County Adult Detention Center has left the city and McKinley County in a projected financial bind moving into fiscal year 2016.

McKinley County Finance Director Sara Keeler presented the news to the City Council May 12. She said the total deficit is about $1.3 million.

And the city’s share is 30 percent of the deficit, which equates to more than $3 million.

“This is a disaster,” said Mayor Jackie McKinney.

County Manager Bill Lee said the jail houses an average of 180 to 190 inmates per day and has a capacity to hold 326.

There’s no extra compensation for housing inmates from the area...

To improve the lackluster entry and exit into Gallup from Interstate 40, the City Council is developing a master plan to beautify the area.

Plans involve landscaping the four I-40 interchanges that run through town.

MRWM Landscape Architect drew up some plans that take advantage of existing native grass and add rock, stone features and bosque paintings intended to connect with the multicultural demographic that comprises of Gallup.

It’s in the early planning stages. But the overall concept would be similar to the interstate landscaping program between the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the city of Albuquerque.

Councilors gave mostly positive feedback on the designs, and...

House Republicans say there is no deal for a special session, despite reports to the contrary, leaving millions of dollars of capital outlay projects in limbo.

Senate Democrats agreed to what why called a compromise deal May 7. The following morning, Speaker of the House Don Tripp issued a statement saying that there was no deal.

“It is stunning that the Senate Democrats would publicly trumpet ‘mission accomplished’ on a capital outlay deal by agreeing to their own proposal when no one else even knows the details of the proposal,” Tripp said in the statement. “It’s unfortunate that the Senate Democrats would rather govern by press releases than engage in good faith...

For Isadore “Izzy” and Yvonne Alire, rescuing, fostering and transporting dogs are all part of being good community members.

The couple began rescuing animals four years ago when they joined Shelby Davis, the director and creator of Soul Dog Rescue, whom they credit for being an integral part of controlling the stray pet population in the Four Corners area.

These days, they devote an impressive amount of their time rescuing and fostering stray dogs in the area for Soul Dog Rescue, some of whom may be injured or in poor shape. Any animals they find are immediately picked up and taken back to their farm in Shiprock where they are fed, bathed, and vaccinated.

Izzy and Yvonne...