N.M. included in federal infrastructure campaign

OHKAY OWINGEH, N.M.—During a tour of Ohkay Owingeh with Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., on July 7, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a $1.6 million grant and a $610,000 loan to build a wastewater treatment plant on Pueblo lands in Rio Arriba County.

This project is designed to help expand water treatment from 235,000 to 350,000 gallons per day and extend services to Pueblo residents who are not currently connected. These improvements are expected to benefit 1,143 residents.

Leger Fernandez expressed her support of the plan in comments about the needs faced by Tribal nations and people in the Southwest.

“The COVID pandemic...

Ground game for fighting wildfires

More than 1.4 million acres of land have burned across the U.S. due to wildfires in the 2021 wildfire season.

Twenty-seven wildfires have scorched lands in Ariz. and eight wildfires burned across N.M. in recent weeks. Wildfire seasons are typically between May and October, although recent fire seasons have stretched into December.

Sandra Moore, Fire Communications Specialist for the U.S. Forest Service Southwestern Region, told the Sun there are 12 fires currently burning in Arizona.

“This has been a busy year, extremely busy for the past three weeks,” she said.

In the Southwest area, the U.S. Forest Service reported 165 human-caused fires...

Proclaimed a model for bringing pandemic numbers down in a region

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. - Tribal parks are reopening. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez made it official in a signing ceremony at Window Rock Navajo Tribal Park July 6.

Resolution No. CJN-36-21 allows Navajo Nation parks to reopen at 50 percent capacity with safety protocols in place. It also includes provisions for schools to reopen under a required safety plan.

Council Delegate Carl Slater (Lukachukai, Rock Point, Rough Rock, Round Rock, Tsaile-Wheatfields) sponsored Resolution No. CJN-36-26, which was passed by the 24th Navajo Nation Council on June 25. That resolution rescinded a number of COVID-19-related...

New policy goes into effect for 2021/2022 school year

MCKINLEY COUNTY — A new tobacco-free policy at Gallup McKinley County Schools is getting recognized by the New Mexico Department of Health Tobacco Use Prevention and Control program.

The GMCS Board of Education voted June 14 to adopt a comprehensive, tobacco-free school policy, joining 14 other school districts across the state in using 24/7 campaign guidelines.

David Tompkins, TUPAC Community Health Initiatives Manager said seeing Gallup McKinley County Schools adopt the 100 percent tobacco-free policy is a huge win for the campaign.

“Lives are on the other side of this work, and we are thankful for the district’s...