WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation Office of the Controller recently issued a report indicating that approximately 7,500 checks remain unclaimed by enrolled Navajo Nation members who applied for the CARES Act Hardship Assistance. The current deadline to use all CARES Act funds is Dec. 31, 2021.

Enrolled Navajo Nation members who applied for Hardship Assistance and have not received a check, or failed to deposit or cash it before it expired, are asked to contact the Office of the Controller by sending an e-mail message to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by calling (928) 871-6955, (928) 871-6271, (928) 871-6073 no later than 5 pm on Dec. 23.

Navajo...

Week ending Friday, December 10, 2021

 

Orca Intrusion

Decreasing sea ice around the North Pole and a rapidly warming Arctic climate appear to be driving orcas, also known as killer whales, deeper into the Arctic Ocean, where they could be a threat to the region’s ecosystem. While a common sight in many of the world’s oceans, orcas have historically not ventured to ice-covered waters most of the year, because of the danger of becoming trapped. But using underwater microphones to record and date orca vocalisations, Brynn Kimber at the University of Washington and her colleagues found that the marine mammals are now arriving early in summer near the Bering...

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the new congressional map approved by the New Mexico Legislature Dec. 17.

It updates the boundaries of the state's three congressional districts based on 2020 Census data.

According to the New Mexico House of Representatives, the map is a “nearly 90 percent reflection” of what was called the “People’s Map,” produced by an independent Citizens Redistricting Committee.

“The people’s elected representatives in the New Mexico Legislature have spoken with respect to data-driven and representative new congressional boundaries,” Lujan Grisham said. “It is my duty to ratify the will of the majority here, which I believe has established a...

Self-driving cars may still seem like something out of a long-ago sitcom like “The Jetsons,” but as they become more and more of a reality, the City of Gallup is looking to invest.

In March, Deputy Director of the Gallup Economic Development Corporation Michael Sage, gave a presentation about House Bill 270 to the Gallup City Council. HB 270 would align New Mexico with other states in the autonomous car domain. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has put guidelines regarding the new technology in place for state and local governments.

Sage also talked to the McKinley County Commissioners about using Gallup as a testing center for autonomous cars. He suggested...