McKinley nearly NM’s lonesome unemployment dove

New Mexico’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.2 percent for the month of June, unchanged from May and down from 6.6 percent a year ago.

The national unemployment rate for June was 4.9 percent, up from 4.7 percent in May and down from 5.3 percent in June 2015.

In McKinley County, home to 71,000 inhabitants, according to U.S. Census records from the year 2014, the unemployment rate in June of this year was 10.1 percent, which is somewhat of a climb from an 8.2 percent unemployment rate in May 2016.

The unemployment rate in McKinley County in June 2015 was 10.8 percent.

In neighboring Cibola County, about halfway between...

OFFICIAL: DETAILS FORTHCOMING

By Bernie Dotson

Sun Correspondent

On Aug. 16, New Mexico State Police released the names of the four Gallup Police Department officers involved in a recent deadly shooting.

City police officers responded July 24 to a report involving a Native American male, identified as Alvin R. Sylversmythe, 30, who was threatening people with at least two knives at the Arnold Street public housing.

GPD officers were the first to respond to the scene.

The officers involved in the incident were: Justin Benally, a three-year departmental veteran; Clarissa Morgan, a five-year police veteran; Dominic Molina, a two-year city police employee; and Steven Peshlakai, a...

Adjustments include $115K for the Fox Run Golf Course

The Gallup City Council unanimously passed a slew of budget adjustments at its Aug. 9 regular meeting.

Jon DeYoung, assistant to the city manager, first introduced a matter pertaining to the Na’nizhoozi Center, Inc. detox facility. That was followed by a litany of adjustment requests. DeYoung noted that the detox adjustment was to cover the cost of utilities and building maintenance at the Boyd Avenue facility.

“The existing utility budget will be increased by $9,600 and an increase for building maintenance will be $36,000,” DeYoung explained.

Gallup Chief Finance Officer Patricia Holland later said the end result is...

Recycling, alcohol sales get thumbs up, too

Voters said yes Aug. 9 to a $5.3-million bond referendum that calls for street and road repairs or replacements at various locations throughout the city. On the same ballot were questions that dealt with curbside recycling and packaged liquor sales.

The Aug. 9 special preliminary municipal election included 47 questions about street and road repair, the bulk of which include mill and overlay to city streets, according to Public Works Executive Director Stan Henderson.

Top-priority streets include Hassler Valley Road ($2 million), Ciniza Drive in Indian Hills ($1.6 million), and West Jefferson Avenue on the north side ($632,500). According...