Arson is believed to be the preliminary cause behind a fire that occurred in the early morning hours of June 11, at 502 S. 2nd St., close  to the Old Post Office, officials said.

Gallup Deputy Fire Chief Jesus Morales said at about 5:50 am that firefighters responded to a report of a door on fire at the residential structure. Morales said the two-story brick structure was engulfed in flames and a small fire was burning in the back of the home when firefighters arrived on the scene.

“A quick response and attack allowed fire personnel to extinguish the flames to the exterior,” Morales said. “There were also several small fires in the stairwell.”

Morales said the brunt of the...

One person dead

THOREAU – Around 1 pm on June 9, New Mexico State Police officers investigated a fatal crash on I-40 near mile marker 53 in McKinley County. The initial investigation indicated a recreational vehicle traveling westbound left the roadway, crossed the median, and went into oncoming traffic.

The RV then collided with a semi-tractor trailer traveling eastbound. Debris from both vehicles was scattered in a wide area along both lanes of eastbound traffic. The tractor-trailer blocked both lanes after sliding to a stop on the east side of the bridge, and traffic in that direction was backed up for several miles to the west, in both lanes.

Eastbound traffic was diverted from...

Wallace runs NN Tribal Clothing Program

FARMINGTON — A Nazlini, Ariz., man, who is the director of the Navajo Nation Tribal Clothing Program and a member of the Nazlini Community School’s Board of Directors, remained jailed June 13 at the San Juan County Detention Center on an outstanding warrant out of Farmington Municipal Court, records show.

Chrispin Wallace, was booked into the jail on a no bond warrant. The paperwork connected to the arrest indicates that Wallace possesses three prior DWI convictions — including two from Gallup in 1994 and 2005. A bench warrant was issued for Wallace in March 2011 for failure to comply with probationary terms that stemmed from a DWI and the...

McKinley County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Compliance Officer Judith Grijalva is asking for the public’s help in locating Jonathan Bitsilly, 55, a registered sex offender.

Registered sex offenders living in McKinley County are required to check in with her whenever they move, and check in with her, per the conditions of their release from jail or prison.

Grijalva said her last contact with Bitsilly was on Jan. 13, when he moved in with his brother. However, he failed to show up for his scheduled follow-up appointment on Feb. 7, so she notified sheriff office investigators.

“We went a week later to (his address on file) see if he was there … he wasn’t there,” she...