Gallup Sun

Tuesday, Sep 26th

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Sun News

Begay signs appropriation to fund $5 million to general assistance programs

Friday, 20 January 2017 07:20 Staff Reports

WINDOW ROCK – Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye approved legislation for supplemental funding in the amount of $5,038,678 to be taken from the Minimum Fund balance of the Unreserved, Undesignated Fund Balance for general assistance and welfare programs Jan. 17.

In a memorandum to Honorable Speaker LoRenzo Bates...

Gallup High football awards MVP

Friday, 20 January 2017 07:02 Gallupsun Staff

Gallup High Coach Joshua Olsen (right) shakes Isiah Mike-DuBois hand before handing him the team’s most valuable player award during Gallup High’s football banquet Jan. 12. Photo Credit: Ryan Hudgeons

President Begaye: 'The fight has just begun'

Friday, 13 January 2017 18:45 gallupsun

Nation not backing down against EPA's attempt to thwart mine spill lawsuits

By Babette Herrmann

Sun Editor

WINDOW ROCK – Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye said Friday that he expected Environmental Protection Agency officials to take measures to block lawsuit attempts against the agency for the Gold King Mine spill disaster of 2015.

The Navajo Nation asserts in a federal lawsuit that the spill contaminated reservation water sources and hurt farmers' bottom lines. They also criticized the agency for being slow to respond to the Nation's needs at the time.

The EPA Denver office stated in news release earlier today that an independent claims officer within the agency, said...

EPA: 'not legally able' to pay on mine spill lawsuits

Friday, 13 January 2017 16:07 gallupsun

Staff Reports

DENVER – The independent claims officer within the Environmental Protection Agency – guided by the U.S. Department of Justice – made a decision on the administrative claims brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act in connection with the Aug. 5, 2015 Gold King Mine spill Jan. 13.

"After careful analysis, the claims officer concluded that the agency is not legally able to pay compensation for the claims," the EPA stated in a news release.

According to the EPA, when passing the FTCA, Congress wanted to encourage government agencies to take action without the fear of paying damages in the event something went wrong while taking the...

Zuni man pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter

Friday, 13 January 2017 12:16 gallupsun

ALBUQUERQUE – Darold Ray ZunieFeathers, 20, a member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, N.M., plead guilty Jan. 11 in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an involuntary manslaughter charge.

ZunieFeathers was arrested in April 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with involuntary manslaughter. According to the complaint, ZunieFeathers killed a Zuni Pueblo man when he ran over him with his vehicle on July 29, 2015, on the Zuni Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M.

At the time ZunieFeathers ran over the victim, ZunieFeathers was driving under the influence of alcohol. ZunieFeathers was subsequently indicted on the same charge on May 10, 2016.

During...