2 pit bulls nip horses, their riders
Mary E. Davis
Staff Writer
GRANTS — Two pit bulls are now in quarantine at the Grants/Cibola
County Animal Shelter after allegedly attacking two 14-year-old girls
and the horses they were riding. The attack happened on State Highway
53 in San Rafael around 6 p.m. Sunday.
"They said the white pit bull came barking and growling at the
horses and was biting at it," said Sheila Robinson, an animal
control officer with the local animal shelter. "The dogs did
attack the horse and did try to pull one of the girls off."
One of the horses was injured when one of the male pit bulls bit the
gelding on the genitals. A veterinarian treated the animal with a
tetanus shot.
The second male brown-and-white pit bull nipped at one of the horses
hooves, but apparently didn't inflect a bite. The white dog, who did
most of the attacking, has a swollen left leg. There was no sign the
injury was caused by one of the horses kicking the dog.
The dogs were about half a mile from their home. Animal control officer
Roger Haag and Cibola County Sheriff's Department deputies responded
to the call about the biting incident.
"They (the girls) were just out pleasure riding. It's out of
the city limits, and people out there have horses and go pleasure
riding," Robinson said. "There are (school) bus stops around
there, and it could have been kids (attacked by the dogs)."
The girl wasn't harmed because her boots and pants prevented the dog
from digging his teeth into the back of her leg.
"Her boots and pants saved her," Robinson
said. "The only reason she wasn't bitten was because of her clothing."
The dogs' owners were scheduled to come into the animal shelter Monday
to possibly relinquish the dogs, but they never showed. Robinson said
Monday she planned to attempt to contact them today.
If the owners don't voluntarily give up their rights to the animals,
Robinson said, she may be forced to take the case through the court
system.
The owners could possibly be fined for eight citations for not vaccinating
their dogs against rabies, allowing them to run at large, harboring
a vicious animal and having a nuisance. Each citation is punishable
by up to a $300 fine and up to 90 days in jail for every offense.
The owners could also face a civil lawsuit if the girl's family decides
to sue for damages to the horse.
"If they relinquish (their dogs), we won't cite them," Robinson
said. "But they are still responsible for damages."
Animals accused of biting or attacking humans could be kept in quarantine
for 10 days to ensure they are free of rabies.
"The dogs were impounded and in quarantine, and it seems they
do not have rabies shots," Robinson said. "My recommendation
is the dogs be put down. I wouldn't adopt them out. I just don't know
what the outcome of this will be."
The county hasn't seen a rabies case in a domestic animal
in about 50 years. There have been cases of bats, skunks and raccoons
testing positive for the virus, however.
The animal control department has handled about eight or nine bite
cases. Most bites were inflicted by dogs, while a minority of cases
involved cats. Between three or four cases are reported each year
of wild animals biting humans.
The pit bulls are in pens next to an Australian shepherd
and blue heeler cross who was placed in quarantine after biting a
6-year-old boy on the leg Feb. 20.
In the more than two years since she's been with the
animal shelter, Robinson has written two citations against animal
owners and took two people to court.
One of the cases involved a man who was convicted of cruelty to animals
for starving his Rottweiler to death last year.
A judge ordered the man to pay a $100 fine and ordered him to serve
16 hours in the animal shelter. He has never shown up for duty, Robinson
said.
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Indian businesses get boost
Nancy Watson
Diné Bureau
GALLUP American Indians and Alaska Natives now have access to money
to start businesses.
Some $59 million of federal money is now available through a U.S.
Bureau of Indian Affairs loan guaranty program to assist tribal and
individual economic development projects and business ventures.
"This money will allow people to begin a business, purchase a
business or expand one," said Elouise Chicharello, regional director
of the Navajo Area BIA office.
Each of the 12 BIA regional directors has the authority to guarantee
$2 million in loans for a total of $24 million.
The remaining $35 million in loan guarantees will be processed in
Washington after a review by the BIA regional director.
The program is funded to support loan guarantees for
a maximum of $7 million for tribes and $500,000 for individuals, partnerships
and corporations.
The guarantee percentage amount, which can be approved for an eligible
bank, is the minimum necessary to obtain financing. It may not be
more than 90 percent of the unpaid loan.
A minimum 20 percent borrower equity toward the business project cost
is required for guarantee.
In 1974, Congress passed the Indian Financing Act to stimulate economic
development through the establishment, acquisition or expansion of
Indian-owned businesses.
The BIA Indian Loan Guarantee Program allows access
to credit obtained through approved lending institutions by guaranteeing
repayment up to 90 percent of the loan value. It stimulates the supply
of capital for Indian-owned businesses that otherwise may night not
get funded.
A BIA credit committee meets monthly to consider applications within
30 days of submission.
The Office of Economic Development has produced a CD-ROM training
and information program. It has also gathered Internet tools that
can help prospective loan applicants better understand the requirements,
and it helps them prepare the application.
The Indian Loan Guaranty Program has helped finance Indian-owned businesses
in construction, cattle ranching, commercial fishing, air charter
services, convenience/grocery stores, hotels/conference centers, office
buildings and manufacturing.
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Man admits to lesser charge in shooting
Zarana Sanghani
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Alfred Marquez has pleaded guilty to aggravated battery
with a deadly weapon, a third-degree felony. According to the defendant's
plea, Marquez shot a Gamerco resident in the back of the neck.
Instead of contesting the original charge of attempted and premeditated
murder, a second-degree felony, Marquez pleaded guilty to the lesser
charge.
On Dec. 20, 1998, Marquez was driving down the road when he saw Ruben
Lujan walking on the sidewalk near his home in Gamerco north of Gallup.
Marquez left his car, walked back to Lujan and shot him.
Lujan's brother took him to the hospital immediately
afterward.
Because of the gunshot wound in his neck, Lujan's mental capacity
has significantly diminished, and he is permanently impaired, said
Michael Sanchez, the prosecuting attorney with the district attorney's
officsaid Elouise Chicharello, regional director of the Navajo Area
BIA office.
Each of the 12 BIA regional directors has the authority to guarantee
$2 million in loans for a total of $24 million.
The remaining $35 million in loan guarantees will be processed in
Washington after a review by the BIA regional director.
The program is funded to support loan guarantees for a maximum of
$7 million for tribes and $500,000 for individuals, partnerships and
corporations.
The guarantee percentage amount, which cattery with a deadly weapon.
The court sentenced Marquez to three years in prison, then suspended
that sentence and put him on probation for those three years.
Following those three years on probation, Marquez will be on parole
for two years.
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Grants youth helps homeless during break
Tom Purdom
Staff Writer
GRANTS — Most college students head for the nation's beaches
or mountains for spring break but not Brian Griffith of Grants.
Instead of going the what's-in-it-for-me route that many of his peers
take, Griffith is picking up a hammer and nails and heading for Belen
to help a less fortunate family he doesn't even know.
Griffith, 20, a 1997 graduate of Grants High School, will work in
Belen with the Habitat for Humanity program...
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Home plan to restart in St. Michaels
Bill Donovan
Diné Bureau
GALLUP — A proposed housing development for middle-class Navajo
families in the St. Michaels area is back on track.
Economic development officials for the Navajo Nation
said Monday that obstacles that have delayed the Karigan Estates project
have now been resolved and the tribe is hoping to see construction
start sometime this summer.
This will be good news to many Navajo families who have been waiting
for the project to become a reality so that they can buy one of the
200 houses the tribe is planning to build on the land...
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Feds give tribes $108 million for roads,
bridges
Nancy Watson
Diné Bureau
GALLUP — Fiscal year 2000 is nearly half a year old and the Bureau
of Indian Affairs has just received its highway money.
Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Kevin Gover has approved immediate
distribution of $108 million to Indian tribes to build roads and bridges
on Indian lands.
Negotiations for the money began a year ago among the BIA, the Federal
Highway Administration and representatives from tribal governments...
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Navajo Way nets $471,000 in donations
Nancy Watson
Diné Bureau
GALLUP — The Navajo Nation came close to reaching its goal during
the 1999-2000 Navajo Way fund-raising campaign.
At a victory dinner this month, officials announced that $471,000
had been donated, $29,000 short of the organization's $500,000 goal.
"We set a fairly ambitious goal and came up short," said
Marshall Plummer, president of the Navajo Way Board, "but it
is the most outreach we have ever attempted..."
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Tuba City dad charged with hurting sons
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — Navajo police arrested a 27-year-old Tuba City
area man after he allegedly got drunk and tossed a chair and bicycle
at his 2-year-old and 4-year-old sons, sending them to the hospital
after their grandparents rescued them from their hiding place.
Police said Jefferson Webb was arrested without incident at his home
on Sand Springs Road. They charged him with two counts of aggravated
battery and two counts of endangering a minor.
Police believe the alleged assaults took place between noon and 5
p.m. Sunday. The boys ran outside and hid for more than two hours
before their grandparents arrived to find Webb passed out...
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Police reports
3 hurt in rollover
GALLUP — Three passengers without seat belts were injured Sunday
afternoon when a mechanical defect caused the driver to lose control
of the vehicle on New Mexico 118 near Fort Wingate.
Police say the left front upper ball joint broke on the westbound
Chevrolet truck, causing it to veer off the road. After the vehicle
rolled over several times, it ended up on its left side facing east,
police said.
Passenger William Johnson, 32, was ejected from the front seat. Passenger
Ronnie Johnson, 35, and a man riding in the bed of the truck, Robert
Livingston, 24, both sustained head injuries. All passengers were
treated at the hospital and released...
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Zuni falls to Dulce
Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer
ZUNI - Regular season district champions and top seed Zuni Thunderbirds
fell to No. 3 seed Dulce 72-60 Saturday night during the district
tournament finals.
"Dulce is playing well," Zuni head coach Bob Kercher said.
"We relied on our fastbreak to try to get them in trouble."
Dulce led 16-12, 34-28 at the half. In the second half Dulce stretched
its lead to 53-39 after three periods before winning by 12 points,
72-60...
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Deaths
Derald Leroy Sweten
GALLUP — Services for Derald Leroy Sweten, 58, will be announced
at a later date.
Sweten died Feb. 27 in Gallup. He was born April 9, 1941, in Okema,
Okla.
Rollie Mortuary of Gallup is in charge of arrangements.
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