THOREAU, N.M. – New Mexico State Police is asking for the public's help for any details about a man hit and killed on I-40 July 2.

State Police responded to a report of a person laying in the roadway in the north bound lane of Interstate 40 around mile post 55 near Thoreau, N.M. shortly before 5 am July 2.

Officers arrived on scene to find Ferland Johnson, 23, of Thoreau deceased after apparently being struck by an unknown vehicle. Investigators believe this may have occurred in the early morning hours the same day Johnson was discovered.

This case remains under investigation by the New Mexico State Police with assistance from the Crash Reconstruction Unit. If anyone has any knowledge of this incident, they are asked to contact the New Mexico State Police at (505) 841-9256.

On June 28, the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau was contacted to investigate a use-of-force incident involving an intoxicated male and the Gallup Police Department.

State Police agents learned on June 28 at around 8:30 pm, GPD officers were dispatched to the JCPenney to remove an intoxicated male. The male was later identified as Rodney Lynch, 41, of Gallup. Lynch was combative with the officers on scene, he was taken into custody and transported to Na'Nizhoozhi Center, Inc.

When they arrived at NCI, Lynch struck one of the officers and again became combative. As the officers attempted to gain control of Lynch, a sergeant and an additional officer, both of GPD, arrived on scene.

The sergeant noticed that Lynch appeared unconscious.

The officers started first aid on Lynch and called for EMS, who transported Lynch to an area hospital. Lynch was then transported to an Albuquerque hospital where he was later pronounced deceased by the Office of the Medical Investigator.

This case is still under investigation by the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau. The cause and manner of Lynch’s death is under investigation by the Office of the Medical Investigator.

The names of the officers involved will not be released by State Police. At the conclusion of their investigation, it will be sent to the appropriate district attorney for review.

Capt. Erin Toadlena-Pablo, public information officer for GPD, said July 9 the officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave with pay as the investigation continues.

"The department is aware of the NMSP [statement] and have no further information about the NMSP investigation, and therefore cannot comment," Toadlena-Pablo said.

Department of Health urges safe celebration for Halloween 2021

Staff Reports

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Department of Health continues to caution schools and the general public and provide public health guidance to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections at all times, including the upcoming Halloween weekend.

With the realization that new daily cases continue to fluctuate on the Navajo Nation, and with New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah continuing to report large numbers of new infections, the Navajo Department of Health is suggesting Navajo Nation residents choose virtual events such as virtual costume contests, outdoor trunk-or-treating, and  activities at home with household members only, and avoid large in-person gatherings, door-to-door trick-or-treating, in-person costume contests and other in-person gatherings where person-to-person interactions increase the risk of spreading COVID-19.

“Our public health experts issued this guidance because they see first-hand the impacts of in-person gatherings and we don’t want any more of our people to lose their lives to COVID-19," Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said. "Every single day, our frontline warriors see people coming into the hospitals with symptoms and some who are not able to recover from the virus."

The Navajo DOH recommends people celebrate Halloween carefully.

* Avoid gatherings with more than 15 people.

* Celebrate virtually or with the family you live with in the same household.

* Wear a protective mask and stay at least six-feet apart. (A Halloween mask is not sufficient to reduce the spread of COVID-19.)

* Discourage person-to-person contact.

*Ensure that any "treats" that are shared or received/distributed are individually packaged. As an alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating, public health officials recommend outdoor trunk-or-treating where vehicles are spaced out to ensure attendees maintain social distancing of at least six feet, foot traffic markings and directions are used, and individually packaged treats are distributed at the end of the event to minimize close contact between organizers and attendees.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Navajo Nation has reported 36,255 cases overall and 1,475 deaths as of Oct. 26. According to the latest reports available, the state of New Mexico reported 687 cases, Arizona reported 6,299 new cases, and Utah reported 1,614 cases.

For more information, including helpful prevention tips, and resources to help stop the spread of COVID-19, visit the Navajo Department of Health's COVID-19 website: http://www.ndoh.navajonsn.gov/COVID-19. For COVID-19 related questions and information, call (928) 871-7014.

Staff Reports

If your local call isn’t going through, try adding the area code. Starting Oct. 24, 10-digit dialing will be the norm in New Mexico.

On and after Oct. 24, local calls dialed with only seven digits may not be completed, and a recording may inform you that your call cannot be completed as dialed. If you get this recording, you must hang up and dial again using the area code with the seven-digit telephone number.

This change is necessary as the Federal Communications Commission has mandated 988 as the new three-digit number to route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Mental Crisis Hotline 1 (800) 273-TALK.  According to the bipartisan National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, telephone service providers must have this routing in place by July 15, 2022. Some phone carriers in the state (like Verizon and T-Mobile) have already implemented the routing for 988.

“The 988 three-digit will be used to make critical mental health resources available to anyone who needs assistance,”  Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said. “While the 911 system is dedicated to public safety emergencies, the launch of the 988 hotline gives people an easy-to-remember number to call for focused support during behavioral health emergencies.”

The three-digit crisis number 988 is not yet active across all communications access points in the U. S. Until it is, callers can access services by dialing 1 (800) 273-TALK (8255) to be connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

New Mexico already has the New Mexico Crisis and Access Line 1 (855) 662-7474 and Agora Crisis Center 1 (855) 505-4505 accredited and answering calls from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

“It’s a minor inconvenience to reprogram the area code 505 or 575 in our phones, but it will make a huge difference if it will save a life and someone can call 988 when they’re having a mental health crisis,” Dr. David Scrase, cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Human Services Department and acting secretary for the New Mexico Department of Health, said.

“There’s been a great need for 988 for years,” Dr. Neal Bowen, director for the Behavioral Health Services Division at the New Mexico Human Services Department, said. Bowen said the state is working with partners at the 911 public safety answering points, New Mexico Crisis and Access Line, Agora Crisis Center, and OpenBeds, a New Mexico behavioral health referral network, a provider of a technology platform that identifies, unifies, and tracks behavioral health and social services resources, to facilitate rapid digital referrals.

“We are also mapping out the development of more mobile crisis and behavioral health-oriented triage response centers throughout our state,” Bowen said.

“By implementing 988 into our communities, it allows people that choice to determine if they need to call 911 for police or fire to respond, or if they need a mental health conversation or a mental health response which will be available by dialing 988,” Wendy Linebrink-Allison, program manager for ProtoCall Services, Inc., which runs the state-funded crisis lines and warmline, said.

The Human Services Department provides services and benefits to 1,042,799 New Mexicans through several programs including: the Medicaid Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program, SNAP, Child Support Program, and several Behavioral Health Services.

For more information on 10-digit dialing, contact the FCC. For more information about the Lifeline and 988, visit vibrant.org/988.