VP Lizer voices desire for code talker museum

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – The Navajo Code Talkers Day parade Aug. 14 was a show of appreciation, with a procession of the remaining code talkers, memorial walkers for code talkers who have passed, and local native royalty like Tse Ho Tso Native American Princess Rayanne M. Ownes and Window Rock High School Miss Native American Princess Kaitlyn G. Toledo.

The Navajo Nation Code talkers played a pivotal role in World War II by relaying messages in their native language that the Japanese could not decode.

The code talkers received no recognition until the declassification of their operation in 1968. Then in 1982, the code talkers were...

In an effort to address high area fatality and serious injury rates, the City of Gallup was chosen as the subject of a traffic and pedestrian safety analysis and plan, which was presented to the Gallup City Council at its regular meeting Aug. 13.

Rosa Kozub, government-to-government unit supervisor for the New Mexico Department of Transportation, said the department has been working on the safety plan with City of Gallup staff, the public works planning department, and the public safety department since May 2018.

“The plan emphasizes priority for fatality and serious injury incidents,” Kozub said.

The vision of the plan is to make Gallup a safer place for residents and visitors...

Travel on weekday mornings

Eastbound I-40 travelers and truckers are being encouraged to drive through the area around Exit 39 on weekday mornings to avoid major delays. At this time, eastbound I-40 is reduced to a single lane, while westbound I-40 has two lanes open.

A spokeswoman for the New Mexico Department of Transportation contractor working on a bridge rehabilitation, ramp and roadway improvement project, says backups during afternoons after 2 pm and on weekends can be as long as four to six hours.

Since there are no viable detours, travelers are encouraged to plan trips with extra time included and pay attention to slow-moving commercial vehicles and obey all posted traffic...

Groundbreaking August 11

Ground has been broken on a new shrine to honor St. Kateri Tekakwitha at Sacred Heart Retreat Center, Mile Marker 167, N.M. Hwy. 602, Gallup.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha was canonized as a saint in 2012 and is the first Native American Catholic saint.

She is the patron saint of Native American, Indigenous and First Nations peoples.

The Diocese of Gallup, Knights of Columbus, and the Southwest Indian Foundation broke ground on the shrine Aug. 11 at 2 pm.

Construction is scheduled to begin within days and completion is tentatively scheduled for August 2021. It will include a chapel, museum and 40 outdoor rosary stations.  Each station will be marked by a niche...