UPDATE: IN CUSTODY

Man faces forgery, identity theft charges

A Gallup man, wanted on theft of identity and forgery charges, is on the wanted list of Gallup police, according to information obtained from Magistrate Court. An arrest warrant was signed April 19.

According to a criminal complaint on the matter, Josh Cucciardi, 33, is the primary suspect connected to a series of forged checks that were cashed at Perry Null Trading Company and which later cleared at Pinnacle Bank in Gallup. The checks did not belong to Cucciardi and were written out in the name of another person. The Gallup Sun is not revealing the name of the person in which the checks were written out to.

Cucciardi’s...

Budget adjustments also OK’d

The Gallup City Council unanimously passed at its most recent meeting two professional services awards related to reconstruction projects. The actions took place at the April 11 regular city meeting and were not met with much discussion.

The first project pertained to a $163,000 project along Ciniza Drive in Indian Hills. Gallup Public Works Director Stan Henderson introduced the matter to council members and said the scope of work for the project includes preliminary and final design schemes, plans and specifications, bidding assistance and construction inspection and management.

“The project will begin at Ciniza Drive and end at Vandenbosch...

Project is near Allison Road

The McKinley County Board of Commissioners postponed a decision on a tax abatement request regarding a solar farm that’ll be built near Allison Road on the city’s west end.

Mayor Jackie McKinney and Gallup Electric Director Richard Matzke addressed the county commission, informing the panel that as of July 1 of this year that solar power from the project will be cheaper than the power the city currently purchases from Continental Divide Electric Cooperative.

The decision to postpone was 3-0 with Commissioner Genevieve Jackson motioning to ask for more information as to how clients in the rural parts on the Navajo Nation in McKinley County would...

Some new faces are now at the helm of the McKinley County Democratic Party. And, relative to the same party line, the State Central Committee, representing McKinley County, recently elected new officers as the political ups and downs of 2017 roll along.

Albert Shirley, a former member of the New Mexico House of Representatives, confirmed that Cas Hoefman (Gallup) and Sonlatsa Jim-Martin (Tohatchi) were elected chairman and vice chairman of the McKinley County Democratic Party on March 28, respectively. Hoefman announced candidacy during a February meeting of the party.

“We’re getting everything set at the local level and at the state level,” Shirley said. “Everyone agrees that...