FARMINGTON - Whether it's a major crime scene in a congested city or a natural disaster out in the rural regions, KOBF-TV's Cheryl Francisco appears ready to tackle challenging, on-the-spot news stories.

At just 26 - and with few Navajo women in the television news reporting business - the sky may be the limit for this 1999 graduate of Navajo Prep in Farmington, and later, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas with a bachelor's degree in communications and broadcasting.

Already, after having joined the KOBF-Channel 12 news staff in late March that's led by anchor Scott Michlin, Francisco's covered such "quick hits" as a man pinned under a water truck. However, she yearns for more, as do most young reporters ready to stake their claim to hard-edge journalism. The local NBC affiliate provides a great opportunity.

"I would love to cover a breaking news story that is really huge," said Francisco, who's always TV-camera ready for such an occurrence.

"Working here in Farmington, you cover just about everything, from council meetings to shootings to county fairs," Francisco said.

Fellow KOBF-TV reporter Ezra Broder, who came to Farmington by way of Connecticut, likes Francisco's "passion" for television news and added that it will be a key to how far she goes in the business. "You can't get far without wanting to do it and loving what you do," he said. "And that I see in her."

Francisco, who is full Navajo, is in part working at KOBF-TV as an opportunity to hone her journalism skills in familiar surroundings. Born in Rehoboth, she was raised in Window Rock. Her mom later moved to Beclabito, in the Four Corners which Francisco calls home. She went to junior high school in Teec Nos Pos.

Francisco said she always thought she would become a teacher. That was until high school, when she discovered that her interests gravitated toward current events and comparing area newscasts. After graduating from UNLV, she received an internship at KNAZ-Channel 2 in Flagstaff, that city's NBC affiliate, before getting the opportunity from Michlin at KOBF-TV.

Being Navajo will give Francisco the chance to cover important issues concerning the Navajo Nation. She recently returned from Window Rock, Arizona, where the Navajo Nation Council considered action in relation to recent June events in Farmington.   One issue on delegates' minds was a Farmington police officer's fatal shooting of a 21-year-old Navajo man, Clint John, in the East Main Wal-Mart parking lot.

Having to wait for comments from the delegates, who went into an executive session their first day to discuss options, was a bit frustrating, Francisco said. TV news journalists don't have the luxury of a perhaps more flexible deadline for stories that their newspaper counterparts have.

Francisco was able to glean that although an all-out boycott of Farmington is now on the back burner of the tribal council's plans, a series of as-yet unsched-uled marches against violence (and racism) was announced as the alternative.

"It's part of my job," Francisco said, when asked if she would relish the chance to cover a Navajo peoples' march on Farmington. "It's my job to go out and cover it even though I am Navajo. It's (also) my job to balance out the story and hear both sides."

Francisco said she believes her strength to be putting herself in the position of others who have suffered, the trait of empathy, in order to gain their trust for a story. Such came into play when Francisco said she interviewed the family of Clint John.

Another of her strengths appears to be physical presence. One radio listener on Fox News 1340-AM in Farmington earlier this summer, calling in to "Live at 5" host Randy Simon, identified himself as "Frenchy." The guest described Francisco as one of the most attractive female TV reporters he's ever seen, going as far as to say she makes "Katie Couric in her younger day" pale by comparison. Simon agreed with the assessment from the smitten caller.