What we know about the Gamerco fireTwo mobile homes burned down at 202 S. Chino Loop. The homes belonged to Dina Ponce and Anthony Martinez.The estimated damages are about $30,000.The cause of the fire is under investigation.The fire hydrant close to the home on Chino and Hubble wasn’t working.Gallup Fire Chief Eric Babcock said this could have possibly contributed to a delay in fighting the fire. Gallup fire trucks only hold several minutes worth of water. McKinley County Fire Dept. brought in tankers that hold 500 gallons of water.The nearest fire hydrants were 1,000 feet from the trucks. Gamerco Water & Sanitation District Manager Francisco Cantu said there’s a comprehensive plan...

Drug suspect jailed on $56k bond

By Bernie Dotson

Sun Correspondent

A Gallup man remained jailed June 27 after an early morning raid by sheriff’s deputies of the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office.

Lt. Pat Salazar of the MCSO said Brandon Yazzie of 307 E. Persching Ave. was taken into custody June 24 on five counts of child abuse, one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and a count of the possession, delivery or manufacturing of drug paraphernalia.

Steve Silversmith, warden at the McKinley County Adult Detention Center, said Yazzie, 36, is behind bars on a $56,000 bail bond. There are no attorneys listed in jail records for Yazzie.

“This was the result of months...

Gallup talks animal shelter, vet services

The city of Gallup, McKinley County, and the state Department of Finance and Administration are in lock step with a new Joint Powers Agreement regarding animal control.

The Gallup City Council OK’d the document several weeks ago and one aspect of the agreement pertains to the possibility of building a new animal shelter. Currently, there is an area animal shelter on Hamilton Road, off US 491.

“It is something the county and city want to look into,” City Attorney George Kozeliski said of funding and site selection for a new animal shelter. “It would take about $2 million for a new shelter facility to be built.”

Kozeliski...

New top cop was DEA agent

As a special agent with the US Drug and Law Enforcement Administration in Denver, Colo., Phillip Hart, 53, participated in myriad criminal investigations over the span of two decades. As a police officer in Lakewood, Colo., Hart enforced the law — from traffic violations to street crime.

The city selected Hart to lead the GPD in mid-June, ending a months-long search to replace Robert Cron who retired in March. Come July 1, Hart will bring his years of law enforcement experience to the Gallup Police Department.

“I am very pleased to have Phillip Hart as our new police chief,” City Manager Maryann Ustick said in a prepared statement. “He is energetic...