James Curtis “Jimmy” Shorty, who commanded his water drilling rig and crew from one end of the Navajo Reservation to the other, passed away on April 17. He was 84.

He had earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from St. Joseph’s College in Indiana, and always said that, having grown up on the reservation, he had a natural instinct for knowing where the best spots to drill a good well might be.

Shorty, whose team had successfully drilled hundreds of water wells on the reservation, was featured in the prize-winning documentary “The Navajos Water The Desert,” filmed in the 1960’s by Hollywood’s Hanna Barbera Studios.

Several stories about the making of that film are...

WINDOW ROCK, AZ — In honor of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, the Navajo Police Department districts celebrated and recognized their Public Safety Telecommunications Operators (PSTO) and critical support staff who answer, process, and dispatch critical calls of service for the Navajo Division of Public Safety on April 16.

On average, the seven police communication centers receive about 332,060 calls for service. The department has 56 authorized PSTO positions with each PSTO personally taking on an average of 5,930 calls over the course of a year. Each communication center has eight funded positions with at least two PTSO on duty at a given time.

As part of the...

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – Navajo Nation First Lady Phefelia Nez and Second Lady Dottie Lizer were joined by President Jonathan Nez, Vice President Myron Lizer, Casey Family Programs (CFP), and KAT Marketing on April 15 to announce the official launch of the “Navajo 1st & 2nd Lady” app. The mobile app is now available for individuals and families to access information, resources, videos, and events from the Office of the First Lady and Second Lady and partners.

“On behalf of the Office of the First Lady and Second Lady, we extend our appreciation to Casey Family Programs and KAT Marketing for the collaboration in establishing a first of its kind mobile app for Navajo families. We felt...

Project will streamline enrollment in WIC and SNAP programs, help reduce childhood hunger

SANTA FE – New Mexico along with five other states was selected by No Kid Hungry and the American Public Human Services Association to receive an innovative technology project grant that will help reduce childhood hunger. The project leverages data and improves technology to enhance the interfaces and webservices for the New Mexico Humans Services Department’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) formerly known as food stamps and the Department of Health’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Ultimately the project will make it possible to...