Hundreds turn out for tribute

With hundreds of retired veterans calling Gallup home, the city does itself right when Veterans Day rolls around. This year was no exception as more than 200 people attended a prayer vigil, an honorary ceremony, a laying of wreathes and a parade Nov. 11 at various locales around the Indian Capital.

“Know all your veterans,” Dave Cuellar, a U.S. Army vet and member of Gallup’s Veterans Helping Veterans told a sizeable gathering at the McKinley County Courthouse Plaza. “Know all of your veterans – past and present.”

With American flags practically everywhere, the vigil was held at the Veterans Helping Veterans Post along West Maloney...

Matter now heads to Sec. of State

The canvassing of the Nov. 8 election went well and there were no major problems, officials said. Results still indicate that McKinley County is heavily Democratic and voters tend to be shy about turning out on Election Day.

McKinley County Director of Elections Rick Palochak said 21,208 people cast their votes in this year’s general election — out of 40,400 registered votes in McKinley County. That amounted to about a 52 percent voter turnout.

“Of course you always want those numbers to be as high as they can be,” Palochak said. “I’d say the numbers are usually low in McKinley County, but the numbers do fluctuate.”

Palochak said 15,274...

The Gallup City Council approved a security measure Nov. 9 related to the installation of metal detectors at the taxpayer-funded City Hall. The measure isn’t designed to make the two-story Aztec Avenue building a fortress, but to put into place a system to thwart potential danger.

Assistant City Manager John DeYoung introduced the matter to council members who must now wait on the return of more information. That should come by the end of the year, DeYoung said.

“We presented general information on metal detectors,” he said “We will come back at a later council meeting and give additional information.”

At a June city council meeting, the idea of a metal detector was...

Winner is rare Navajo female Republican

Incumbent Sharon Clahchischilliage, R-Kirtland, won the District 4 race for the New Mexico Senate Nov. 8, retaining the Republican seat that she first won in 2013, and which includes a significant portion of San Juan County.

Clahchischilliage beat political newcomer and retired educator GloJean Todacheene of Shiprock and won the race by a margin of 54 percent to 45 percent.

The race was one of less than a handful in northwestern New Mexico contests that wasn’t uncontested. The race followed a presidential election victory by Donald Trump, whose son, Donald, Jr., spoke about a week earlier at the Shiprock Chapter House. Hillary Clinton won...