Government employees on the Navajo Nation are now required to have COVID-19 vaccinations.

The 24th Navajo Nation Council has passed Legislation No. 0178-21 which requires COVID-19 vaccinations for all Navajo Nation government employees. By a vote of 12 in favor and 6 opposed, the bill also urges all Navajo-owned enterprises, authorities, corporations, businesses, schools, and entities operating within Navajo Nation boundaries to promptly adopt COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

“This law moves us forward as a stronger Navajo Nation. We are in this together,” Speaker Seth Damon (Bááhaalí, Chichiltah, Manuelito, Red Rock, Rock Springs, Tséyatoh), said Sept. 29.

In August...

Kurt Steinhaus is the new Secretary of Education for New Mexico’s Public Education Department and this month he made his first visit to Gallup McKinley County Schools District.

Steinhaus is not new to the world of education. He’s seen the inside of a school district office before.

Prior to his new post, he was the superintendent at Los Alamos Public Schools. According to the NMPED’s website, he has previous experience with the NMPED as the department’s deputy secretary and it’s pre-kindergarten czar and education policy advisor to Gov. Bill Richardson.

In his new role, Steinhaus is touring New Mexico school districts to meet with students and staff. On Sept. 23 Thoreau...

Gallup firefighters, city councilors and the mayor gather around their Gallup Fire Department mascot Sparky Sept. 28 to prepare for Fire Safety Week (Oct. 3-9). On the screen, Councilor Yogash Kumar (Dist. 3). Back row from left: Councilors Fran Palochak (Dist. 4) and Michael Schaaf (Dist. 2), Gallup Mayor Louis Bonaguidi and Councilor Linda Garcia (Dist. 1). In the semicircle around Sparky are firefighter Paul Morris, Fire Marshal Jon Pairett, Fire Chief Jesus Morales, Fire Inspector Andrew Laweka and firefighter Michael Morris. Also in the picture, but not visible are: Battalion Chief Andres Campos, Lieutenant Jeremy Padilla and Fire Inspector Arlita Pablo. Photo Credit: Courtesy of...

Week ending Friday, September 24, 2021


Climate Dithering

Despite promises by world leaders to curb the greenhouse gases responsible for the worsening climate emergency, the UN warns that the world is now on track to heat up to dangerous levels. Inaction by industry and governments to reduce carbon emissions now means there is likely to be a rise of 2.7 degrees Celsius this century above preindustrial levels, according to Patricia Espinosa, the UN’s chief climate negotiator. Climate experts had hoped to keep the temperature rise to only 1.5 degrees, thus avoiding the worst consequences of global heating. “The disruption to our climate and our planet is already worse than we...