Parents and students across the Gallup-McKinley County Schools district may have woken up to texts or social media messages warning them that there would be a shooting at their school on the morning of Sept. 23.

According to law enforcement officials, this is a part of an alleged scam that has plagued the State of New Mexico for the past week.

In an interview with the Sun, McKinley County Sheriff James Maiorano III said both his department and the Gallup Police Department sent additional officers to multiple school campuses across the district, but that there’s no credible threat at this time.

Maiorano said his department is not sure where the threats originated from, but concerned...

GFD receives new rapid response medical bags for mass casualty events

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a database that records all the gun-related violence and injuries in the U.S., there have been more than 385 mass shootings in the U.S. since Sept. 5. The Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more victims are shot or killed.

These mass shootings have killed 385 people and injured another 2,000.

There haven’t been any mass casualty events in Gallup in recent years, but the Gallup Fire and Police Departments are trying to prepare for the worst-case scenario, so they’ll know what to do and how to help people in case something does happen.

During...

Ramah students gain confidence

Gallup-McKinley County Schools provides its students with ample opportunities to prepare themselves for their future careers.

From the “Schools Of” program to internships led by community members, GMCS students have a wide selection of experiences that can help further their education and careers.

One such program is the Business Professionals of America. BPA is a nationwide organization that helps students develop employable skills that will prepare them for jobs in both the general workforce and the business sector.

Ramah High School has a rather large BPA participation rate, as every student who takes the business classes participates in BPA in...

Each month, the Sun recognizes a local teacher for his or her determination to help students go above and beyond. Anyone can nominate a teacher by emailing the Sun at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and providing the teacher’s name, where they teach, and why they should be selected as that month’s winner.

This month’s award went to Monique Martinez, who teaches Pre-K at Catherine A. Miller Elementary.

 

PATH TO TEACHING

Martinez was born and raised in Gallup. She attended Indian Hills Elementary, JFK Middle School, and Gallup High. After she graduated high school, Martinez pursued a degree in Elementary Education at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales.

When she graduated...