A celebratory memorial will be held at 4pm on Tuesday, October17, 2017 in the Performance Hall of the Henderson Fine Arts Center at San Juan College. 4601 College Blvd. Farmington, NM 87402.
San Juan College announced the death of retired political science professor Dr. Judy Palier, 63, on Wednesday. Palier had recently retired from San Juan College in the Spring of 2016, but was still active at the college and in the community. She was a founding board member of Identity, Inc., Farmington's first LGBTQ community center and worked with the local chapter of the NAACP. She provided leadership for many important projects for San Juan College such as San Juan College Safe Zone/Ally, SJC Out and the college's work with La Universidad Autonoma Del Carmen in Mexico.
A celebratory memorial will be held at 4pm on Tuesday, October17, 2017 in the Performance Hall of the Henderson Fine Arts Center at San Juan College. 4601 College Blvd. Farmington, NM 87402.
Palier grew up in Chicago, and when she was eleven, her family moved to the St. Louis area. She spent 15 years in the Denver area before moving south to Albuquerque to attend graduate school.
1992 B.A., Political Science, University of Colorado - Denver
1995 M.A., Political Science, University of New Mexico
2000 Ph.D., Political Science, University of New Mexico
Specializations: Political Theory, Comparative Politics (Latin America)
She joined San Juan College in 1999 and had recently retired in 2016.
Palier enjoyed traveling, visiting Mexico many times and other countries in Latin America including Guatemala and Nicaragua. She also travelled to England, Spain, Morocco and Cuba.
Listen to some programs from the KSJE archives featuring Dr. Palier by clicking the link below.
The driver of the red Toyota Supra, 22-year-old Kalynn Kenworthy, was charged with racing on highways. Kenworthy has an extensive history of traffic violations, including citations for racing in August 2025 and in 2023, as well as more than seven speeding citations within the past four years, each averaging more than 15 mph over the posted speed limit. Additional charges are pending against the driver of the white passenger car.
According to court documents, from approximately January 2018 to November 2020, Benally, 48, and his co-conspirators established over 30 farms, covering more than 400 acres, on land obtained from Navajo Nation members. To fund this illegal enterprise, Benally and a co-conspirator traveled to California and created front companies to solicit Chinese investors. These investors were charged cash fees ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 for counterfeit cannabis cultivation licenses.
It was discovered that several individuals had been injured. A juvenile sustained a graze wound, a 16-year-old was shot in the leg, and an 18-year-old was shot in the chest and transported to Albuquerque in critical condition. The vehicle involved in the crash is connected to the shooter. At this time, the shooter has been identified as an 18-year-old male.
As three individuals tried to leave a party, a male subject began shooting, unintentionally striking the vehicle and, subsequently, a passenger inside the vehicle. The passenger was transported to San Juan Regional Medical Center and later transported to UNM in Albuquerque, where she is awake and in stable condition.
Using multiple means of evidence, the driver was identified as Alvin Paul who was driving a 2003 white Chevrolet when he veered off the road, hitting Shirley. Paul did not stop or report the crash and surveillance footage from a nearby business proved Paul as the driver. He later admitted to operating the vehicle carelessly.
At the time of the crash, Paul’s driver’s license was revoked from a prior DWI arrests. He has two prior DWI convictions and is currently on probation for the second DWI.
Update: Driver Cited for Street Racing (video)
Dineh Benally Pleads Guilty to Charges from Illegal Marijuana Farms
Three Injured in Farmington Shooting, Suspect Arrested
Woman Injured in Shooting, Suspect Arrested
Candidates File for Municipal Elections
