Local school, community rally around 15-year-old shooting victim

While his peers were in sports practices and after-school activities at Hozho Academy, just miles away, Liam Donaldson was going out on an evening walk, something he does quite often. However, his walk on Aug. 15 took a different turn.

Liam left his mom’s house around 7 pm and told her he’d be back around 7:45 pm. His mom Vikki Garcia told him that their dinner - meatloaf and mashed potatoes - would be ready when he got home. But Liam didn’t make it home that night.

Instead, Garcia received a call around 7:30 pm: It was the Gallup Police. Liam had been shot and was currently in the emergency room. The...

Gallup has gone without a permanent city manager for over a year since Maryann Ustick retired from the position in June 2023. After months of reviewing candidate applications and debating who would be the best fit for the city, the city council named Frank Chiapetti Jr. the new city manager during their Aug. 27 regular meeting.

 

STARTING WITH SCHOOLS

Chiapetti is a third-generation resident of Gallup. He’s spent most of his professional life in education, starting out as a special education teacher at Stagecoach Elementary in 1992. He moved on to become the Special Education Coordinator in 1999, and then continued moving up the ladder at Gallup-McKinley County Schools.

He became...

An off-duty Gallup Police Officer was in the area of 602 Dani Apartments during the late evening of Aug. 28 when he witnessed two men fighting.  The off-duty officer went to intervene when one of the men dressed in black pointed a handgun at him.

The officer reportedly retreated to his vehicle and told his wife to call Metro Dispatch for help.  He then heard a single gunshot.  The shooter was seen getting into an older model red car. The vehicle left the scee heading westbound on Dani Drive.

The other male involved in the fight was a 33 year old victim who suffered a gunshot wound and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

At press time, the suspect was still unknown...

DUB-L-EE will be abandoning the existing water main on Green Avenue from First Street to Grandview Drive.

The City of Gallup will shut off the old main the day before the abandonments occur. RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED.

If you are out of water service, contact the City of Gallup with the provided phone numbers below ASAP before the Contractor begins the abandonments. The abandonments will happen at the following intersections as follows:

Green Avenue & Puerco DriveGreen Avenue & Strong Drive
The City of Gallup will have to turn off water service on the day of the abandonment to allow the contractor to do the work. A traffic control plan will be in place to close off the...