Crooks get $400k of taxpayer cash

ALBUQUERQUE – The Office of the State Auditor became aware April 6 that the City of Albuquerque was defrauded in a scam the OSA sent an alert about earlier this week.

The City complied with a fraudulent request to change vendor payment information that diverted at least $400,000 in public funds to a scammer. The OSA sent out the fraud alert earlier this week after an almost identical scam resulted in the loss of over $200,000 in construction funds for a project at the San Antonio Elementary School in Socorro.

“Unfortunately, the City of Albuquerque was hit by a scam that cost it over $400,000 in taxpayer dollars,” State Auditor Tim Keller...

Possible DWI-related fatality

As Salvador Araujo was exiting from Sun Loans in Tse Bonito onto east Highway 264 on the afternoon of April 3, his vehicle was struck by Shad Etsitty, who according to witness statements, was traveling down 264 at a high rate of speed, weaving in and out of traffic.

Araujo was pronounced dead at the scene, at 3:40 pm.

According to the accident report, compiled by McKinley County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Joseph Guillen, the damage to Araujo’s vehicle and body was significant. He was pinned in the driver seat by the driver door and steering wheel, and had sustained visible head injuries and a possible chest injury.

Navajo Nation Lt. Moore told deputies...

The Gallup City Council unanimously passed a management agreement related to the veterans center along West Maloney Avenue.

The action took place at the March 28 regular city meeting and was not met with opposition by council members or members of the community. City Attorney George Kozeliski introduced the matter to council members.

“Everything is the same in this agreement as per a previous agreement,” Kozeliski told council members. “It is a management agreement that needs your approval.”

Kozeliski said the veterans center building, located at 204 W. Maloney Ave., used to be a fire station up until about three years ago.

“It was the old, closed north side fire...

Agreement OK’d with Youth Center

State Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup, briefed the Gallup City Council March 28 on the happenings at the 2017 session of the New Mexico Legislature. Lundstrom’s remarks were for discussion purposes only and were not intended to be voted on.

Lundstrom told council members that the 2017 legislative session, which convened Jan. 17, saw 277 bills approved out of nearly 1,000 that were considered.

“This was an approval rate not seen since 2003,” Lundstrom said. “The governor has already acted on a number of bills and has until April 7 to act on the remaining bills or they will be automatically vetoed.”

Lundstrom, elected in 2001, said the...