Trial set for brothers
1 accused of killing state cop
Tom Purdom
Staff Writer
GRANTS — In a district courtroom ringed with security, brothers
Aron and Zacharia Craig were arraigned Thursday in back-to-back
hearings and Dec. 10 trial dates were set for both.
Aron Craig, 21, of Albuquerque, will stand trial for receiving/transferring
a stolen vehicle, resisting, evading or obstructing a peace officer
and shoplifting. Zacharia Craig, 19, also of Albuquerque, will
stand trial for the Aug. 1 death of New Mexico State Police Officer
Lloyd Aragon during a high-speed chase on Interstate 40 on the
eastern edge of Cibola County near Mile Marker 123.
Zacharia Craig is facing an open count of capital murder and 29
others in relation to the chase. Because a police officer was
killed, he could face the death penalty.
Aragon was killed while standing in the interstate center median
after putting stop sticks in the eastbound lanes of the highway
to stop a speeding vehicle that police say was stolen and driven
by Zacharia Craig. Police say Zacharia Craig swerved in the highway
to miss the stop sticks and hit Aragon head-on, killing him instantly.
The younger Craig was being chased by two New Mexico State Police
officers and a Grants Police Department officer after the brothers
allegedly shoplifted some $600 worth of an over-the-counter antihistamine
from Wal-Mart Supercenter in Grants earlier in the day. The brothers
were spotted by store employees in the shoplifting incident reported
to Grants Police.
A police officer stopped the Craig brothers in a 1995 Toyota pickup
truck, which was reported stolen from the Albuquerque area earlier.
The officer was questioning Aron Craig, when Zacharia Craig slid
over in the cab of the truck from the passenger side to the driver's
side and sped off.
The police took chase after Zacharia Craig, while Aron Craig apparently
seized the opportunity to run for it, but was caught.
Police say Zacharia Craig was driving toward Albuquerque when
Aragon was killed a few minutes later.
Bond issues
Thirteenth Judicial District Judge Camille Olguin reduced Aron
Craig's bond from $1 million to $50,000, despite arguments from
Assistant District Attorney Michael Calligan that the bond should
be kept to at least $100,000.
Olguin then sided with Calligan on Zacharia Craig's "no bond"
issue because of the seriousness of the massive 30-count grand
jury indictment against him, but she added she may revisit Zacharia
Craig's bond issue later.
The brothers were led into the courtroom separately in back-to-back
arraignments.
Aragon family members sat on one side of the courtroom while the
Craig brothers' mother, father and sister sat on the other side
of the courtroom.
Each of the brothers wore prison garb and chains as they were
led into the courtroom.
Gallup Attorney Robert J. Aragon is Aron Craig's court-appointed
attorney, but during the arraignment, Grants Attorney Gary Fernandez
handled the case. He argued that two of the charges against Aron
Craig were fourth-degree felonies and one was a misdemeanor, which
did not merit the $100,000 bond sought by Calligan. Fernandez
said $100,000 in "this case is excessive."
He said Aron Craig was not a flight risk.
"I've never run yet from a trial," Aron Craig blurted
out. "I've never skipped my arraignment from the court. I'll
show up for the hearing ... I always have."
Olguin warned Aron Craig if he gets out on bond and fails to show
up for any of his court hearings that a bench warrant would be
issued for his arrest.
Cibola County Sheriff's deputies led Aron Craig out of the courtroom
and then led Zacharia Craig into the courtroom.
His hair close-cropped, Zacharia Craig took a quick look at his
family seated in back of him, and then looked briefly at the congestion
of media and cameras in the jury box while he fidgeted with the
chains securing him.
Calligan told the judge the state wanted to keep Zacharia without
bond. His court-appointed attorney, Trienah Meyers Gorman of Albuquerque,
agreed that the bail issue could be argued at a later time.
Unlike his brother, Zacharia Craig waived his right to have the
charges against him read in court. Both brothers, during their
initial appearances held behind closed doors at the Cibola County
Corrections Center in Milan, pleaded not guilty to the charges
against them.
Meyers Gorman went through several motions she filed with the
court minutes before the arraignments began. The motions ranged
from allowing Zacharia Craig to visit the prison law library to
allowing him to wear civilian clothes during hearings and additional
time to file motions. In all she filed 11 motions.
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Director of health care corporation reinstated
Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Health Care System Corp. executive director's
job is safe through Dec. 31, at least and Lydia Hubbard-Pourier will
gain back pay retroactive to July 31.
The corporation's CEO since June 25, 2001, Hubbard-Pourier's initial
contract expired July 30.
A short-lived "moratorium" ended Thursday at the hands of
the tribe's Health and Human Services Committee. The moratorium halted,
for about 10 days, plans for the Navajo Nation to approve the corporation's
take-over of tribal health care management from the Indian Health
Service.
The Navajo Nation Council is heading for a vote on the Public Law
93-638 contract, likely before the end of the year.
On Wednesday, during what one Window Rock source described as a "volatile
but productive" session, a group worked out their differences,
which involved Navajo President Kelsey Begaye, Vice President Taylor
McKenzie, committee members,
Hubbard-Pourier and Judy Begay-Secody, executive director of the Navajo
Division of Health.
Wednesday's session paved the way for the Health and Human Services
Committee to extend Hubbard-Pourier's Professional Services Contract,
under which her salary is $110,000 yearly, and also allows the corporation
to continue business through
Dec. 31 by receiving a $400,000 tribal grant through a Letter of Assurance
agreement.
The grant will be used mainly to pay salaries of NHCSC staff, Hubbard-Pourier
said.
"I do want to indicate to the committee that we do not have any
operating funds," she said.
A motion by Delegate Bill Yazzie (Pinon) to defer the $400,000 expenditure
until Sept. 11 failed 4-2, with Delegate Dylmer Yazzie (Many Farms/Rough
Rock) voting with Bill Yazzie. Voting against the motion were Delegates
Annie Descheny (Breadsprings/Church Rock), Lula Jackson (Shiprock),
Harry Hubbard (Becenti/Standing Rock/White Rock) and Peterson Yazzie
(Tohatchi).
Descheny said approving Hubbard-Pourier's contract extension without
continuing to fund the corporation and its IHS take-over plans made
little sense.
"(Without the $400,000), Ms. Pourier can just sit there like
this, with no staff, and get paid," Descheny said.
The $400,000 grant comes from $1 million approved by President Begaye
on June 20, 2000, for transitional costs related to the tribe's share
of administering a Self-Determination contracting initiative. Of the
$1 million, $315,000 was spent in fiscal year 2000, leaving $685,000
for this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
Hubbard-Pourier's contract extension was approved 6-0. The main motion
to approve the $400,000 grant passed 4-1, with Bill Yazzie the "no"
vote. Jackson had left the room temporarily and did not vote.
Hubbard-Pourier, backed by NHCSC Board President Helen Bonaha and
board member Thomas Atcitty, was buoyed by the committee's decisions.
"I've seen your commitment again to the project," Hubbard-Pourier
told the committee.
Following the meeting, she said approval of the Letter of Assurance
is like "sending a teen out on his own." The non-profit
corporation is authorized in its bylaws to act independent of the
Navajo Nation Council and its standing committees. Bonaha said that
won't be the case unless and until the 638 contract is finalized.
Secody said the committee needs to understand that in approving the
resolution that accepted the Letter of Assurance, she and the Division
of Health will no longer be responsible for day-to-day administering
of the grant fund. That responsibility now falls on the corporation.
Roz Chapela, a Division of Health official who had control of the
fund, is now administering the division's Medicaid program, Hubbard-Pourier
said.
Group action Wednesday and the committee's decisions Thursday appear
to stave off, at least temporarily, disagreements over grant jurisdiction
and procedure. In a July 19 memorandum, Begay-Secody said she had
been left out of the loop in regard to Letter of Assurance approval.
She also expressed concerns that until this week, the Health and Social
Services Committee had also been excluded.
"The (Letter of Assurance) lacks an approved Plan of Operation,
the budget was not included in the Division of Health or Executive
Branch budget; and (it) lacks the Health and Social Services Committee
resolution supporting the grant request," Begay-Secody's memo
said.
The memo said any spending of Navajo Area Indian Health Service "tribal
shares" means "The Navajo Division of Health is responsible
for these funds and this budget packet bypassed the division."
Begay-Secody also expressed concerns over recommendations made by
Malcolm Curley, a tribal Contracts and Grants officer, and Tom Christie,
the tribe's 638 contract lawyer with Navajo Department of Justice.
She said they incorrectly advised the corporation to approve the grant
request without HHS Committee approval.
"I absolutely disagree with this recommendation," she said.
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Grants School Board reviews academic
programs
Tara Drolma
Staff Writer
GRANTS — Educators gave presentations to the School Board this
week on programs for a community radio station on the east side of
the county, a review of the high school honors programs, a video on
the Extended School Year summer program and a request for a service
learning requirement at the high school.
Honors curriculum
Board member Bob Murdoch worked with Assistant Superintendent John
Bryant to review curriculum for honors and advanced placement (AP)
courses at the high school. Murdoch said he used his board salary
to pay 11 educators to review the programs.
In his report Murdoch said all the reviewers rated the AP Honors Chemistry
and the Honors Biology curriculum as outstanding. They said the formats
for the two programs were both excellent and they recommended using
them as a model for all of the other curriculum. The English Four
honors program was also given high marks.
Murdoch said reviewers determined most honor curriculum guides are
not aligned with State Department of Education (SDE) standards and
benchmarks. In mathematics, reviewers found it difficult to fit the
course content to the standards.
Reviewers said more detail needed to be included in the curricula
and the goals portion should be expanded and stated in terms of benefits
to students. Behavioral objectives should be clarified by stating
the outcome for each method and task the student will compled.
Other recommendations included: more frequent review of curricula;
the criteria used in grading needs to be determined and made clear
for students and parents; the curricula should state how the honors
course differs from the regular course; sample lesson plans; and sample
exams should be included.
Murdoch said parents have the right to ask for a copy of the curricula
for classes and he urged them to do so.
Community radio
Bob Tenequer from the Laguna Department of Education updated the board
on the ongoing planning process for a community radio station that
would serve the communities of Laguna, Acoma, Cubero and Seboyeta.
Tenequer said there is no "right way" to provide community
radio service and he plans to hire a consultant to help with the planning
activities and the preparation of the application for a planning grant
from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Tenequer said the importance of local participation in the planning
process can't be overstated and the level and quality of that participation
will determine the success of the project.
Community radio stations are primarily funded through listener donations
and feature local programming, often in the language of the people
they serve. As an example, a station in California targets low-income
migrant workers with Spanish language programming and station KABR
in Alamo, N.M., serves its small isolated population with programming
that is almost exclusively Navajo.
According to Tenequer, the project can be a springboard for creating
a media curriculum for high school students and he is working with
the Laguna Acoma Task Force so that space will be provided at the
new high school for a media station.
Extended year
The Extended School Year is a federally funded program to help students
with learning retention during the summer. Gloria Chavez, director
of Special Education Programs, said the five-week summer program that
was held at Mesa View and Cubero this year was open to all students.
The staff of six teachers, including one general education teacher,
served 40 to 50 students and they hope to increase that number next
year. Chavez wants to extend the program to more sites on the eastern
side of the county.
Chavez showed the board a short video that documented the diverse
activities that were provided. Students made rockets, studied math,
reading, and writing and ended the summer with a trip to the Rio Grande
Nature
Preserve.
School to careers
Nancy Sims-West, a teacher at the high school, told the board all
of the students at Grants High participate in School-to-Careers that
was started four years ago using federal grant money.
The program places students in one of four career clusters based upon
their interests. Each cluster contains numerous smaller pathways students
can follow.
This year teachers want to add a service learning component to the
program. In it students would do volunteer work in the community.
Sims-West asked the board to make the School-to-Careers program include
the service learning a requirement for graduation.
Keresan class
Principal Greg Rockhold said the first Keresan class has started at
Laguna Acoma High School. The first class is for Acoma students, but
the administration is hoping to offer a class for Laguna students
in the future.
Twelve students have signed up for the class and it will be "up
and running" by next Monday.
Rockhold said he hoped this would help both tribes keep their languages
alive. Right now the tribal Head Start programs are offering the languages
and it is also taught at St. Joseph's, Cubero and Sky City School,
but the resources are limited.
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Zuni turns back Rehoboth
Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer
ZUNI — Zuni overcame first-match jitters to turn back Rehoboth
15-9, 15-12, 15-9 Thursday night in a season-opening volleyball match.
"The girls were so nervous," Zuni head coach Karen Kercher
said. "I just told them to relax and play our game. Our communication
helped us on the court and that made for a smooth transition."
Zuni will compete in the Belen Invitational Friday and Saturday while
Rehoboth will host Newcomb Saturday at 1 p.m.
After grabbing an easy 15-9 win in the opening game, Zuni struggled
through the second game against Rehoboth.
The Lady T-Birds took a quick 4-0 lead in the second game which included
a kill by junior starter Amanda Simplicio and an ace by sophomore
starter Jara Hooee.
But Rehoboth stormed back with seven straight points with senior setter
Erika Romero serving. A kill by senior Erin Holwerda along with a
pair of aces by Romero keyed the Lady Lynx rally.
Zuni bounced back to tie the game at 7-all as junior Jennilee Gardner
served three straight aces. Rehoboth stole the lead for the final
time on a hit out along with a kill by junior Jamie Holwerda.
With senior Matiya Dosedo serving, the Lady Thunderbirds tied the
game for the final time as Dosedo served an ace and junior Alison
Lementino came up with a nice stuff block for the go-ahead point.
Hooee delivered a kill before Alison Lementino pounded an ace that
landed just inside the line for the 12th point for the Lady T-Birds.
Lementino served another ace as Zuni went ahead 13-9 before Rehoboth
got the sideout.
The Lady Lynx pulled to within one point after three net hits by the
Lady T-Birds. Zuni put away the final two points for the game, 15-12,
despite four service errors in the game.
"The second game was our off-game," Kercher said. "The
girls were excited because they had won the first game. This year
we have some awesome servers if we can learn to be more consistent.
This is the first time that I've had so much talent on the team. We
just haven't put it together."
"It's tough to do to win the last three games," first-year
Rehoboth coach Jennifer Gosden said about the key second game.
"We need to work on our power. We have to be a little more aggressive
in our hitting. We're a little timid. We're hustling out there and
that was good."
In the third game, Zuni broke a 4-all tie on a dink kill by Alison
Lementino and an ace by Simplicio and never trailed the rest of the
way.
The Lady T-Birds pushed their lead to 11-5 before the Lady Lynx rallied
briefly.
Rehoboth cut the Zuni lead down to 13-8 before the Lady Thunderbirds
were able to put the season-opening match away.
Zuni missed on its first match point before Rehoboth scored its final
point on a hit out-of-bounds. Zuni got the sideout as Gardner served
an ace to end the game and the match, 15-9.
Zuni had six service errors in the third game, hitting on 21-of-27
serves while Rehoboth was 20-of-23 from the line.
Zuni was led by Alison Lementino who had nine spikes, three kills,
15 digs, six dinks, two dink kills along with 18 sets and two assists;
Jara Hooee with 32 sets, four assists, 31 digs, 20 service points
and seven aces; Matiya Dosedo 11 service points, two aces and 15 digs;
Jenilee Gardner 19 digs and six spikes and Monica Cooeyate 31 digs.
Rehoboth senior setter Erika Romero led the Lady Lynx with four kills,
two aces while serving for 14 points. Freshman April Giron came off
the bench and served for 10 points.
In the JV match, Zuni breezed to a 15-4, 15-8 win over Rehoboth.
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Grants pulls off tough win
Abelita Rose Freeland
Staff Sports Writer
FORT WINGATE — The Grants Lady Pirates took a 15-13, 8-15, 15-13,
7-15, 15-11 hardfought victory over the Wingate Lady Bears in both
teams' season opener Thursday night at Wingate High School.
The teams exchanged leads throughout the match and there were a total
of 17 ties in the five games played.
"It was nice that they (Grants) kept their confidence because
Fort Wingate is a tough team," said Grants head coach Audrey
Dominguez. "We did really well and it was nice that they stayed
very aggressive."
"I am so proud of them considering only two weeks of practice,"
said Lady Bears coach Jennifer Gillson. "I am proud of the enthusiasm
and willingness to play hard..."
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Teen's injury costs GIMC $15 million
Andrea Egger
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Rex Freeland of Becenti Lake turns 18 today, but he
doesn't know it. He is alive, but in a permanent "vegetative
state."
Freeland's parents, Roselyn Chia and Roger Freeland, were awarded
$15 million Tuesday in a federal lawsuit against the U.S. government
for the negligent care he received at Gallup Indian Medical Center
when he underwent surgery for an abscessed tooth in 1999. District
Court Judge Martha Vazquez of Santa Fe made the judgment in U.S. District
Court.
Vazquez determined that $11.3 million will be needed for the teen's
future medical care, while the rest is for the emotional trauma of
his family and for the teen's loss of a normal life.
Guy Dicharry of Albuquerque, attorney for the parents, said Thursday
that the family was pleased at the judgment but outraged at the hospital...
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Woman's body found in home
Andrea Egger
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Police are looking for suspects in the suspicious
death of a Gallup woman.
Lola Yazzie, 52, was found dead on the floor of her trailer at 804
Alto Street in Red Hills Mobile Home Park, said Gallup Police Lt.
John Allen, department spokesman. Detectives weren't able to see
any obvious signs on the body to indicate what caused her death.
Police noted signs of a struggle in the house, Allen said. She hadn't
been seen in a couple of weeks.
"She'd been there for quite a while," Allen said...
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Foul play considered in death of Chinle man
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
CHINLE, Ariz. — Navajo police are trying to determine if a
missing 30-year-old chapter resident has been murdered.
Jasbert Sam, who lives about one-and-one-half miles southeast of
the White House Overlook turnoff to the southern arm of Canyon De
Chelly, was last seen by his family on Saturday.
His abandoned and vandalized 1997 white Chevrolet Blazer with Arizona
license plates was found Sunday at Round Rock Lake. Since Sam was
not found, it raised the question of a possible homicide.
Police are asking the public's help in finding Sam. Anyone who has
seen him since Aug. 18, or knows where he is, should telephone the
tribal police station in Chinle at (928) 674-2111 or -2112 any time
day or night, and ask for the supervisor on duty...
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County promises memorial if voters
OK complex
Bill Donovan
Staff Writer
GALLUP — County officials said Thursday that if voters agree
on Sept. 11 to fund a new county government complex, it will include
a memorial to area veterans.
District Court Judge Grant Foutz, who chairs a committee established
by the county to look at various proposals for the site of a new
courthouse, said the group favors the idea of building around the
current courthouse and developing the area into a plaza.
Somewhere in that plaza, he said, the committee has decided to erect
a memorial of some kind to area veterans, including those in the
Bataan Death March. No decision has been made yet on what the memorial
would look like that will come if voters approve the funding for
the new complex.
Foutz and other members of the committee held a public meeting Thursday
to get support for approving a new tax to pay for the $9 million
or so it would cost to build the plaza. About 20 persons showed
up to hear the presentation and give comments...
Job future hinges on trial
Tom Purdom
Staff Writer
MILAN — For the second time, the board of trustees Thursday
refused to fire accused embezzler Sandra Gonzales. The decision
was made in a meeting Thursday, some 479 days after a village audit
uncovered a public money theft scam involving more than $180,000.
The board discussed firing Gonzales, the village clerk, during a
hastily-called executive session. She has been on a suspension without
pay since May 15, 2000.
Village Mayor Elisabeth Lopez-Rael, who asked that the matter be
placed on the agenda, came out of the executive session saying the
board wanted to wait for Gonzales' trial.
Meanwhile, her trial on 43 counts of embezzlement and one count
of destroying public documents could come as early as 9 a.m. Sept.
17, according to court documents...
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Deaths
Virgil Ralph Jones
CORNFIELDS, Ariz. — Services for Virgil Jones, 23, will be held
at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at Ganado Presbyterian Church. Pastor
Irvinson and Associate Pastors Walt and Leo Jones will officiate.
Burial will be held on Ba'a'lok'aa'i family plot.
Visitation will be held one hour before services at Ganado Presbyterian
Church.
Jones died Aug. 21 in Albuquerque. He was born Feb. 1, 1978, Ganado
into the Bitterwater People Clan for the One Who Walks Around Clan.
Jones was a 1996 graduate of Ganado High School. He also attended
Dine College in Tsaile, where he played collegiate basketball. He
enlisted in the US Army as an ammunition specialist. He was stationed
in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and later reassigned to Fort Irwin, Calf.
He was honorably discharged in April 2001.
He hobbies included drawing, participating in sports, playing video
games and watching movies.
Survivors include his mother, Victoria C. Jones of Lower Greasewood,
Ariz., and sisters, Valerie J. Jones of Flagstaff, Ariz., Henrietta
L. Jones and Rachelle J. Cleveland, both of Lower Greasewood.
Jones was preceded in death by his father, Henry "Hank"
Jones, and grandparents, Camillius and Winifred Cleveland, Ralph and
Mary Ann Bluehouse Jones.
Pallbearers will be Kendell Lee, Laren Nez, Shane Nez, Clinton "Jay"
Smith, Harland Cleveland, Fernando Jones, Royce Jones and Olin Bluehouse.
Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
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