FARMINGTON, N.M. — Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez met with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the White House’s Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization, and other key stakeholders in Farmington, N.M., on Aug. 25, during a roundtable discussion that focused on energy transition initiatives that support cleaner energy development, support for energy workers, and economic and community development opportunities in the Four Corners region.

The Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization was established through Executive Order 14008 signed by U.S. President Biden on Jan. 27...

The Indian Health Service announced three new mobile health units to serve patients in the Mid-Atlantic Service Unit service area on Sept. 6. The mobile units will provide various services, including vaccines, vital signs, COVID-19 screening, oral health, and mental health counseling and referrals.

“These new mobile health units will improve access to care for American Indian and Alaska Native communities in the region served by the Mid-Atlantic Service Unit,” IHS Nashville Area Director Beverly Cotton said. “The service unit provides an important link between the community and primary, dental and behavioral health care by increasing health care accessibility, especially for...

N.M. educators create new assessment system to find out

SANTA FE – With the release of spring 2022 student assessment data on Sept. 1, the Public Education Department has established a new baseline for student academic achievement and fulfilled Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s executive orders to create an assessment system that better serves New Mexico students, families and educators. The new assessment tool, the New Mexico Balanced Assessment System, delivers on empowering educators and families to better inform decisions that will yield stronger outcomes for students, and will ensure that PED’s policies are data-driven and targeted toward improving academic proficiency for every...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced on Sept. 6 that the Department’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $3.5 million grant to the city of Gallup for water utility infrastructure at the McKinley County Industrial Park within the Gallup Energy Logistics Park. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan and EDA’s $300 million Coal Communities Commitment.

This project will extend water main utilities and well features into new groundwater wells to service the industrial park and support health care product manufacturing business growth in a region impacted by the declining use of coal. The EDA investment is expected to create 440 jobs...