Restaurant also vandalized

McKinley County Sheriff’s Department Inv. Joey Guillen said investigators are seeking information about the burglary and vandalizing of the Wagon Wheel Café in Thoreau.

Guillen said sometime between Nov. 23-30, a burglar broke into the business. He didn’t disclose whether any items or money was taken. Also that same week, in a separate incident, the café was vandalized.

Anybody with information on possible suspects are asked to call the Sheriff’s Office and ask for the investigations Division. Phone number is (505) 722-8514.

Power Purchase Agreement OK’d

The Gallup City Council approved a measure Dec. 13 regarding grave sites at the city-owned Hillcrest Cemetery. The action took place at the regular city meeting and was not met with opposition by council members or the general public.

City Attorney George Kozeliski introduced the matter, saying during the past year the city of Gallup has taken over the opening and closing of graves at Hillcrest. There is another city-owned cemetery and that is the Sunset Cemetery on Gallup’s west end. The amended ordinance does not pertain to Sunset.

“Since the city changed the rules regarding burials of more than one casket per lot, there has been an increased...

2-1 commission vote means matter to come up again

The McKinley County Board of Commissioners tabled a long-running push to establish a four-day work week for administrative offices and departments. The action took place at the Dec. 13 county commission meeting and after some very persuasive arguments by members of Gallup’s real estate and banking communities.

The 2-0 commission vote to bring the matter back up at a future meeting was done so that members of the public could contribute to the matter. Commissioners Carol Bowman-Muskett and Tony Tanner (commission chairman) agreed to table the issue. Commissioner Genevieve Jackson abstained from voting, but not before saying that...

A Yatahey man is dead after an apparent suicide last week at the McKinley County Adult Detention Center, records show.

Sgt. Elreno Henio of the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a police report that on Dec. 9 Thomas Yazzie-Joe, 28, was discovered dead by a jail booking officer who was making routine rounds.

Henio recorded that Yazzie-Joe was booked earlier in the day on aggravated battery and aggravated assault charges. The police report states that Yazzie-Joe was “aggressive and disorderly” during the booking process.

Yazzie-Joe was placed in a single cell without another inmate to avoid fighting and confrontations with other inmates, the police report states. Steve...