Separate stabbings wound two local men
Andrea Egger
Staff Writer
GALLUP — A Pinehill man had to have a lot of stitches and
about 30 staples to his head after being stabbed at Casa San Martin.
Gallup Police were sent to Casa San Martin, 411 W. Wilson Ave.,
where they met Julian Yazzie, 30, who was bleeding heavily from
the head as he laid on a stretcher, attended by Med Star Ambulance
medical technicians, according to a report. Other people in the
area told police that a suspect ran west on Wilson.
Officers tried to locate him but couldn't find the suspect.
Yazzie was taken to Gallup Indian Medical Center before police
could talk to him when they returned to Casa San Martin. Police
went to the hospital to interview him.
Yazzie said he was eating supper at the shelter. He got in line
for seconds, when the suspect came up behind him and slashed the
back of his head with a box cutter. He said the man tried to slash
Yazzie's throat, but he fought him off, according to the report.
Yazzie told police he didn't antagonize
the man or even have a conversation with him before the suspect
stabbed him. Various people at the shelter said they saw the two
men on the ground fighting, but they didn't know a weapon was
involved until Yazzie said he had been cut.
A woman who works at Casa San Martin, who police did not name
in the report at her request, said she saw Yazzie approach to
get some food and then saw the other man come up behind him and
stab him.
She said both men fell to the ground, fighting, and she called
911 when she saw Yazzie bleeding.
At the hospital, police noted that Yazzie had to have stitches
by his left ear, and his earlobe had to be reattached with stitches.
A physician used about 30 staples to close the cut across the
lower part of Yazzie's head.
A detective came to the hospital and photographed Yazzie's injuries.
Police are investigating the incident.
Man stabbed at NCI
GALLUP — Police arrested a Brimhall man after another man
said he stabbed him in the back at the Na'Nizhoozhi Center.
Gallup Police arrested Louie Tulley, 37, and charged him with
aggravated battery, a felony, according to a police report.
Police investigated a stabbing at the Na'Nizhoozhi Center, the
local detoxification center, and met with Ferlando Cadman, 22,
of
Prewitt, who was being treated for a stab wound to the back of
his upper left shoulder, according to a report.
Cadman said he was waiting for a phone call when a man attacked
him and they fell to the ground. He said the man, later
identified as Tulley, stabbed him, according to the report.
Cadman said the man jumped him because of the way he was dressed,
although the report doesn't describe Cadman's attire.
When officers approached Tulley, he immediately told them: "It
was self-defense. He had the knife. I took it away from him
by using tactical movement," according to the report.
Employees said Cadman started the fight, but no one saw the knife
until he was cut, according to the report. Staff found the
knife, a pocketknife with a 3-inch blade, in the cell.
Police arrested Tulley.
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Legislators see good things ahead
Kristen Davenport
Special to the Independent
SANTA FE — It's a strange thing to see at the New Mexico Roundhouse:
Across-the-board, across-party-lines, unadulterated optimism.
And yet that's what Gallup-McKinley County lawmakers see, heading
into the 60-day legislative session — the first for Bill Richardson
as governor.
"Everyone is looking forward to working with Richardson, on both
sides of the aisle," said Patty Lundstrom (D-Gallup). "I
have a really good feeling about that."
The legislature opens today and runs through March 22. And, oddly
enough, Republicans as well as Democrats have been fairly positive
about the newly-elected Democrat Richarson's first term. Richardson
will give his first State of the State speech today; tonight is reserved
for first-day parties.
Lawmakers first tackle the big issue: the budget. After that, each
individual senator and representative introduces bills of particular
interest to their areas. And Gallup and Grants legislators have no
shortage of ideas.
Richardson has proposed numerous tax cuts, starting with an income
tax cut for New Mexico's highest tax bracket individuals earning more
than $42,000 a year and couples making more than $64,000. Right now,
New Mexico's tax rate for those salary ranges (and above) is about
3 percent higher than surrounding states — 8 percent compared
to 5 percent.
Richardson also wants to cut the state's capital gains tax by 50 percent
over 5 years.
But he also wants to increase spending in many areas, including in
the governor's office. He wants to raise teacher salaries by 6 percent,
and has promised to properly fund Medicaid, the program that gives
health-care coverage to the state's poorest citizens.
But Lundstrom, who sits on the House's powerful appropriations committee,
says budget matters have the potential to cause some initial friction
between lawmakers and Richardson.
"That's our first task (this week): Looking at the administration's
budget recommendations," she said. "I think there's not
as much fat in the budget as (Richardson) is projecting. We need to
see where he thinks this money is coming from."
Lundstrom says the Senate and House budget committees do a lot of
the "heavy lifting" in the early days of the legislature
and will later deal with more local matters — like roads.
Gallup-area legislators have divvied up needed road projects in the
area to try to get funds. Lidio Rainaldi, (D-McKinley, Cibola), will
work on the Nizhoni bypass project. Sen. John Pinto, (D-McKinley,
San Juan), will seek dollars for ongoing Triple-6 projects. Lundstrom
says her first road priority is the Tsayatoh road project.
Lundstrom in the House and Rainaldi in the Senate are seeking $25
million for the next phase of expanding Gallup's wastewater treatment
plant, which has been working at capacity. "Without that, the
town can't expand any more," Lundstrom said.
And speaking of water: It's likely to be a central issue at this year's
legislature. Cities and small towns across the state are struggling
to find new sources of water.
For Northwestern New Mexico that boils down to one central question
— who gets the water in the San Juan River? Farmers and others
in the Farmington and Shiprock areas think the water in the San Juan
should stay there. But the water is also needed down in Gallup and
Window Rock, McKinley lawmakers say, and the Gallup area owns some
of the water rights to the San Juan.
The Gallup-Navajo water pipeline project needs another $1.6 million
to continue, Lundstrom said. The pipeline, which would take water
from the San Juan River, would supply all the Navajo Nation chapters
between Shiprock and Gallup, as well as Window Rock.
Those watching the legislature this year can also expect to see literally
dozens of new DWI bills introduced, in an effort to slow down New
Mexico's perpetual high rate of DWI deaths. One would give offenders
a minimum 5-day jail stay (rather than a 3-day visit) for a second
DWI offense. Another would take away the "restrictive" driver's
license — which allows DWI offenders to drive to and from work
or school only — for anyone convicted of two or more DWIs.
Gallup legislators are also working on a bill that would change the
way the state handles liquor licenses. Currently, county governments
vote on new or transferring liquor licenses after a local hearing,
but the state can overrule a county commission's decision. That has
happened several times in McKinley County — the county says "no"
to a liquor transfer, but the state overturns that decision. A bill
from Gallup lawmakers would give the county the final say in the matter.
This year, Feb. 7 is reserved at the Roundhouse as Gallup-McKinley
County Day. The Gallup festivities kick off the night of Feb. 6 at
a Santa Fe Italian restaurant, Osteria, where all legislators from
the area will gather and meet with those who travel from McKinley
County to promote Gallup's various causes.
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Super Bowl schmooper bowl; Denny's to
open
Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer
ST. MICHAELS — People in and around the Window Rock-St. Michaels
area will have two American traditions to celebrate Sunday.
Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego should end about the time — 8
p.m. — that another American tradition is observed when yet another
Denny's restaurant is opened to the U.S. public — the Grand Openings
of which are always on a Sunday, says restaurant owner Romero Brown.
The large, night-lit Denny's sign will be turned on Wednesday. For
those who don't already know, Brown's Denny's will be located on Ariz.
State Highway 264 here next to his Navajoland Day's Inn. He's planning
a similar Days Inn/Denny's project for Shiprock.
"When Denny's came out here to do their own study, they found
out that we have a demand," Brown said.
Brown had in mind a Denny's that could support a customer base from
8 a.m. to midnight each day, serving the Grand Slam breakfasts and
other around-the-clock diner fare the restaurant is famous for.
"They said 'No, you need 24-hour service,'" Brown recalled.
Brown's Denny's will become the first full-service 24-hour restaurant
on the Navajo Nation. To celebrate the occasion Sunday, there are
two events planned. The Grand Opening for all persons who want to
come will be held from 8 to 10 p.m., a two-hour window that should
end just about as the final clock ticks down on the Raiders-Buccaneers
Super Bowl showdown. Brown has moved up by an hour the first event,
a VIP dinner from 3 to 5 p.m.
The opening of a restaurant is no big deal off the reservation. But
given the land issues and water issues that create a huge red tape
bureaucracy for any business development on the reservation, this
is being treated as an event fit for Navajo royalty, Brown said. A
Navajo radio station has been invited to broadcast the festivities,
along with an NBC-TV affiliate from Flagstaff.
This new St. Michaels Denny's will seat 164 customers and have a maximum
capacity of 204 people. That's as large as any Denny's gets, Brown
said. Right now, he has 101 employees — which breaks down to
one general manager, three restaurant managers, 18 cooks, 18 service
assistants (dishwashers/janitors), 55 servers and 10 cashiers/hosts.
Eventually, the Denny's work force should "settle" back
at about 70, he said.
The VIP dinner from 3 to 5 p.m. will feature emcee Leila Help-Tulley.
The welcoming address will be given by Arizona State Rep. Sylvia Laughter
(D-Kayenta). Brown's daughter, current Miss Indian BYU Monica Brown,
will sing a song to her father, followed by "a few words"
from Brown. Former Navajo tribal Chairman Peter MacDonald will speak
on how reservation unemployment can be lowered, and then Navajo President
Joe Shirley Jr. will end the proceedings.
The first several hundred members of the public who show up will get
free Denny's shirts, Brown said.
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Judge taps himself for state cop killer
case
Tom Purdom
Staff Writer
GRANTS — Court documents show District Judge Louis P. McDonald
will hear the case against accused cop killer Zacharia Dewitt Craig.
The documents were taken off the New Mexico internet judiciary site.
McDonald, of Division V in the Thirteenth Judicial District, apparently
assigned himself the case the day District Judge Camille Martinez-Olguin
recused herself because she said her new secretary once worked for
the district attorney's office. It would have been Olguin's first
possible death-sentence case because District Attorney Lemuel Martinez
filed court papers Oct. 11, 2001, stating he may seek the death penalty
in the Aug. 1, 2001, killing of State Police Officer Lloyd Aragon,
of Grants.
Olguin recused herself from the case Thursday morning and later that
day McDonald assigned himself the case.
In a related matter, a few weeks ago Research and Polling, an Albuquerque-based
private information-gathering business conducted evening telephone
interviews with Cibola County residents about the Craig case. Questions
such as: "Do you feel that Zacharia Craig could get a fair trial
in Cibola County?" and "Based on what you know now, do you
feel Zacharia Craig is guilty?" were asked. An Independent reporter
was one of the persons interviewed.
Zacharia Craig, 20, is accused of murdering Aragon during a lengthy
police pursuit along Interstate 40 with speeds reaching 100 miles
per hour. Zacharia Craig and his brother Aaron Craig, were in Grants,
apparently shoplifting over-the-counter medicines from WalMart. The
medicines are the kind used to make methamphetamine. The Craig brothers
lived in Albuquerque and were in Grants driving a Toyota pickup truck
stolen earlier in Albuquerque. Aaron Craig has already pleaded guilty
to shoplifting and other charges and is currently serving a prison
sentence. He was not charged with murder because at the time Aragon
lost his life, Aaron Craig was being held in Grants by the police.
Store employees spotted the two brothers, apparently shoplifting the
medicines. The brothers ran out of the busy store and
jumped into the pickup truck. Aaron Craig drove and Zacharia Craig
sat in the passenger seat.
When the two came to Santa Fe Avenue, the main street running through
Grants, Aaron Craig turned the truck left and headed toward the downtown
area. By that time Grants Police were on the lookout for a white Toyota
pickup truck. Police spotted it and stopped the Craig brothers in
the 1000 block of Santa Fe Avenue. Police got the 22-year-old Aaron
Craig out of the truck and began to question him. Zacharia Craig quietly
slid across the bench seat of the truck, got into the driver side,
slammed the truck into gear and sped off, leaving his brother and
police in the dust.
Grants Police chased the fleeing truck and when Zacharia Craig pulled
the Toyota onto Interstate 40 and headed back toward Albuquerque,
the State Police joined in the chase.
Meanwhile, Aragon and State Police Officer William Cunningham were
on their way to Albuquerque in a state police vehicle to testify in
a federal drug interdiction case when they heard police radio traffic
about a high speed chase on Interstate 40 coming up behind them.
The two stopped their police unit in the center median at mile marker
126 on Interstate 40, got out of the car and put stop-sticks across
the highway to puncture the tires on the speeding truck.
Instead of hitting the sticks, Zacharia Craig swerved the speeding
truck into the center median and slammed headlong into Aragon, killing
him instantly.
Zacharia Craig was later taken into custody after a brief scuffle
with police.
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Schuman fourth at Invite
Gallup relay team sets new record
Michael Peretti
Sports Editor
ALBUQUERQUE — With over 20 team competing in the Albuquerque
Academy Invite this weekend, the Gallup swim team were looking to
improve their times and get closer to the state meet.
"All the kids did great," said Kathleen Sanchez. "All
of our times improved."
Sanchez said that though the team did not place, she was happy that
Rhiannon Schuman placed fourth in the 500 free-style relay with a
time of 5:40.19.
She also mentioned that the boys 200 free relay, made up of Chez Sells,
Sean McKenzie, Earl Hoover and Carmine Marrotta broke a seven year
old school record. The relay team placed 18th with a time of 1:57.47,
breaking the previous school record set in 1996.
"Everyone has improved since our first practice," Sanchez
said. "All of our times are dropping."
Schuman has qualified for state in three events, the 200 free-style,
the 500 free-style and the 100 butterfly. Since swimmers are only
allowed to swim in two events at the state meet, Schuman will have
to drop one of the three events.
"This is the strongest team we have ever had," Sanchez said.
"We are continuing to improve in our workouts."
Sanchez said that there are four more swimmers on the team that she
thinks can qualify for state.
She added that no one swimmer stands out, and that the entire team
has improved from the first meet to now.
"Swimming is a lifelong sport," she said. "Some of
(the swimmers) are just beginning to learn the skills."
She said that she never expected this team to improve as much as they
have, and that the boys relay teams have really
impressed her.
One boys swimmer that has made a big improvement, Earl Hoover, dropped
25 seconds off his 200 free-style time. Sanchez said that he was swimming
it in 3:17 but on Saturday he swam a 2:52.
Sarah Wilson, another swimmer that Sanchez said made a big improvement,
cut her time from 53.09 to 47.10 on Saturday in her race.
The Bengal swim team will compete next in the Albuquerque Quad on
February 1st at Valley High School. The Bengal teams were supposed
to compete at the Farmington Invite this weekend, but it was canceled.
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Lawyers' exits said to be good for tribe
Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer
WINDOW ROCK — Very quietly and without any official word, public
announcements or press releases, two high-profile Navajo Nation
attorneys are vacating their positions.
One of those tribal lawyers is longtime Deputy Attorney General
Britt E. Clapham III, who is said to be headed toward a job with
a Phoenix-area tribe, several Window Rock sources said. Clapham
reportedly was not invited to keep his position by acting Attorney
General Louis Denetsosie, who was appointed by President Joe Shirley
Jr. late last month...
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New lab head: Rehiring investigators was right
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The head of Los Alamos National Laboratory
says University of California managers did the right thing by rehiring
two whistleblowing investigators fired by the lab last fall.
"You don't turn away any source of data if it's credible data,"
interim Director Pete Nanos said during a Monday interview with
The Associated Press. "You work with it and fix it. So I think
the university, in finding them credible, did exactly the right
thing in terms of rehiring them and taking advantage of what they
know..."
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