A waterline break at Aztec and S. Ford Drive in Gallup Dec. 8 did not disrupt water service for area customers, but did create a void at the southwest corner of the intersection.

Dennis Romero, Gallup executive director of water and sanitation explained that a void is something hidden underground.

“When you have a waterline leak like this,” he told the Sun, “the pressure creates a hole underneath. It doesn’t affect what’s above.”

Because the break did not impact service, it was determined that the line would be repaired Dec. 9. at which time Romero said, “We’re having to repair the sewer line as well.”

“We can do that without affecting any customer service,”...

Health care executive shares her COVID-19 story, strategies for virus

Tonya Ortiz-Louis knows what it’s like to be on both sides of the COVID-19 equation — the health care provider on the frontlines helping stricken patients and becoming one herself.

“I’m very grateful that I am alive today, considering the significant and life-threatening symptoms that I was experiencing,” Ortiz-Louis told the Gallup Sun Dec. 7. “This entire experience really reminded me that COVID-19 has no boundaries — it doesn’t matter how young or old you are; whether you think you have a good immune system or you don’t have any underlying health care conditions.”

The executive director of...

Three phase plan draft explained

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — A near-final coronavirus vaccine plan was shared with the Health, Education, and Human Services Committee of the 24th Navajo Nation Council Nov. 25 by the Navajo Area Indian Health Service.

The plan, presented by NAIHS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Loretta Christiansen, will coordinate the delivery of vaccine doses across the Indian Health Service system once the Federal Drug Administration approves one or multiple vaccines.

The plan covers three phases in the development and distribution of accepted vaccines for Covid-19.

Phase One calls for the shipment of a limited number of vaccine doses across the IHS system and to tribal...

There are 523 abandoned uranium mines on Navajo Nation that have been identified for cleanup through the joint federal and Navajo Nation multi-agency five-year plans which started in 2008. This does not include the totality of legacy contamination, such as places where contaminated materials were moved offsite either purposefully or accidentally.

One area that is a priority for cleanup is north of Churchrock, N. M., known as the Red Water Pond Road community where two companies Kerr McGee and United Nuclear Corporation operated. UNC, now owned by General Electric, mined uranium at the Northeast Churchrock Mine and processed the ore at their nearby uranium mill. The mill is the site...