Suspect reportedly stabbed victim near Camille’s

By Bernie Dotson

Sun Correspondent

One of McKinley County’s most wanted is now behind bars at the McKinley County Adult Detention Center on an aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charge, officials said.

Marinda Spencer, public information officer at the Gallup Police Department, said Darrell Desiderio, Sr., was taken into custody Aug. 5 after a brief chase downtown. According to the arrest warrant, Desiderio is being held on a $10,000 cash-only bond.

“We were able to apprehend [Mr. Desiderio],” Spencer said. “He put up a short chase, but he is now in jail.”

Desiderio, 39, was the prime suspect in a downtown stabbing...

GMCS overall school grades rise above F’s

On Aug. 25, the Gallup McKinley County Schools Student Support Center boardroom at 640 Boardman Dr. was full for a second time in two weeks. This time, though, instead of a room full of tension, the meeting revealed the smiling faces of children and adults, along with frequent outbursts of applause.

The reason for such celebration, Superintendent Frank Chiapetti said, was that “we’ve raised the bar for our students and they have succeeded.”

Chiapetti was referring to the release of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers test scores, which revealed consistent growth in student performance over the whole...

MANUELITO: Next meeting might yield decision

The Gallup McKinley County School Board took no action Aug. 24 on the job status of Superintendent Frank Chiapetti. A special meeting was held purely for closed-session purposes to discuss personnel matters related to the supervision, evaluation, and employment contract of the superintendent, as well as a report on personnel.

The meeting, conducted at the cafeteria of Tohatchi High School, the alma mater of board member Kevin Mitchell, went nearly four hours. Board members emerged from the meeting with a synopsis that wasn’t what those in attendance had expected.

“We talked about everything except the report on personnel,” Board...

Fact checks needed for recent dress-code comments by board members

Tensions ran high at the Gallup McKinley County Schools Board of Education meeting on Aug. 15 over a number of issues previously reported by the Sun. One topic loudly interrupted the school district superintendent when it solicited cheers and boos from audience members, and even a member of the school board.

The topic was about dress-code policies that are instituted and upheld at multiple Gallup McKinley County Schools at an autonomous level. Superintendent Frank Chiapetti clarified near the beginning of the discussion that most questions would be better posed to a panel of principals who all have different school...