Author: Gallupsun Staff

Gilbert Gordon of Houck, Ariz., died Oct. 7. He was 75. He was born in Fort Defiance, Ariz., on Nov. 9, 1950. He was born into the Dibelizhini, born for Honaghaahni. Gilbert was preceded in death by Edward Gordon, Maybel Gordon, Myron Gordon, and Pauline Gordon. He is survived by Kurt Spean, Mario Gordon, Jarod Gordon, Nathan Gordon, 13 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. A funeral service was held at Good News Mission in Houck on Oct. 15.

Senaida Baldonado, of Gallup, died Oct. 1. She was 93. She was born in Gamerco, N.M., on Oct. 17, 1932. Senaida was preceded in death by her husband Leo Baldonado; her parents Donaciano and Mary Elrera Ornales; and her brothers, James, Robert, and Ray. She is survived by her sons Duane and Mark Baldonado. A funeral service was held at Sacred Heart Cathedral on Oct. 14.

Samuel Post is the general manager at SpringHill Suites in Gallup. He is the Sun’s 2026 Citizen of the Year! Look for an article about him in an upcoming issue of the Sun.

By Molly Ann HowellManaging Editor Abandoned shopping carts clogging sidewalks, choking arroyos, and creating hazards for drivers will soon come at a steep price for Gallup retailers. In a major push to clean up city streets and curb urban blight, the Gallup City Council passed a sweeping new ordinance that imposes strict anti-theft rules on store owners and hits non-compliant businesses with $100 impound fees for every stray cart collected by municipal crews. City Manager Frank Chiapetti, Jr. introduced the “Shopping Cart Abandonment Prevention Ordinance” during the Sept. 22 city council meeting. Explaining that the measure borrows from similar laws…

By Molly Ann HowellManaging Editor More than six months after former District Attorney Bernadine Martin resigned, her successor, John Bernitz, continues his efforts to rebuild the McKinley County District Attorney’s Office from the ground up. Martin stepped down rather than face trial for claims of misconduct. For years, news outlets, including the Sun, reported that she routinely ignored crime victims and dropped cases at an alarming rate, allowing alleged criminals to walk free. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed Bernitz to pick up the pieces—a role that pulled him straight out of retirement in April. Bernitz had initially retired from the…

Staff Reports Four people are dead after a wrong-way crash near Gallup Oct. 4. New Mexico State Police responded to a crash on Interstate 40 after a vehicle going westbound crossed the median into oncoming eastbound traffic, hitting two other cars before catching on fire around 4:30 pm. Police said three passengers in another car who were from Hawaii, 68-year-old Wayne Viverios, 51-year-old Lilinoe Viverios, and 22-year-old Lilinoe Viverios, plus the driver of the vehicle that caused the crash, died on scene. The driver of the second vehicle hit was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Loved ones told…

By Molly Ann HowellManaging Editor Following ongoing discussions surrounding the potential Convalt Manufacturing solar plant and the broader development of the region, the Gallup City Council has officially approved changes to restructure its Land Development Standards Working Group. The changes shrink the advisory board from 11 members to seven in an effort to overcome chronic attendance issues that left the group virtually inactive for over a year. The working group was created following a late-2024 annexation agreement between the City of Gallup and Gallup Land Partners, LLC covering nearly 4,800 acres along Carbon Coal Road. Designed to support a 2,500-acre…

Staff Reports Featured DWI Sept. 30, 3:00 pm Aggravated DWI (Third) An Albuquerque man was pulled over and arrested for his third DWI after an officer located him driving recklessly on a local highway. McKinley County Sheriff’s Officer Frank Villa Jr. was driving northbound near mile marker 3.5 of U.S. Highway 491 when he saw a white Nissan SUV traveling southbound at a high speed and passing other vehicles on the shoulder. Villa turned around and followed the SUV, eventually stopping it near the intersection of U.S. Highway 491 and Carbon Coal Road. He met the driver, Douglas Trujillo, 24,…

Staff Reports HANGING AROUND GOLDEN CORRAL Gallup, Sept. 25 A woman was arrested after a Gallup Police Officer reportedly caught her hanging around the Golden Corral at night with a fentanyl pill in her pocket. On Sept. 25, around 6:30 pm, Gallup Police Officer Eric Mangum was dispatched to the Golden Corral, located at 510 N. 11th St., after someone was reportedly caught smoking narcotics. When Mangum arrived at the scene, he eventually came upon a woman who was identified as Melvina Silversmith, 43. Mangum advised Silversmith that she was trespassing on the property, and he also explained that law…