April 8, 2016

7:00pm – 8:00pm Jimmy Santiago Baca

7:00 pm:  Public Reading and discussion

Authors Festival Opening Reception

Early Authors Meet and Greet and Reception

April 9, 2016

10am – 4pm

Schedule of Events

10:00am – 4:00pm Authors available for Meet and Greet

Welcome – Authors’ Hall

Children’s craft activity:  Cultural puppets

10:30am – 11:00am Two Cultures connect through Weaving (Main Library Meeting Room)

Featuring: Sharleen Daugherty with Diné Master weaver Marie Sheppard

11:00am – 11:30am Influence of Many Cultures (Main Library Meeting Room)

Featuring: Mary Neighbour

11:30am – 12pm Cowboy Culture (Main Library Meeting Room)

Featuring...

*A briefcase found under a trashcan liner by a maintenance worker on the north side of McKinley County Courthouse triggered an evacuation of the area March 28.

The worker was changing out the trash when he made the potentially troubling discovery.

Gallup Police Department Capt. Rick White said police responded to the scene at about 10:20 am.

But there was no bomb in the brown-colored briefcase, just some personal effects, such as artist pencils, deodorant, a macrame ring, a scarf, and a hat, McKinley County Sheriff's Office Deputy Roberta Jaramillo said.

Emergency responders were quick to evacuate the area of Third and Hill near the Courthouse, so New Mexico State Police Bomb Squad...

‘People person’ back in the saddle soon at Chamber of Commerce

The rumors swirling about McKinley County Manager Bill Lee leaving the top administrative county job to return to the Gallup-McKinley County Chamber of Commerce were put to rest this week. Lee announced March 24 that his last day as McKinley County Manager will be May 13.

“Working for McKinley County has been a very rewarding experience,” Lee wrote in a March 9 resignation letter to the Board of Commissioners. “I would like to thank each of you for the opportunity and support you have afforded me during my time with (McKinley County).”

Lee, who is originally from Gallup, started the $93,000 county job a...

Racist rants got him the axe

Gallup McKinley County Schools Superintendent Frank Chiapetti said in a telephone interview March 23 that Crownpoint High School Principal J.D. Reed was “no longer employed” at Crownpoint High.

Chiapetti did not say Reed was fired or terminated and didn’t use the word resign. No further information was available as of Wednesday as far as what type of severance package, if any, Reed received.

Reed, a first-year employee who was hired from a previous job in California, was recorded making racist comments about Native Americans, even calling into question the sexuality of a couple of Navajo school board members. Reed is white and the people he...