By Linda Kor January Arizona Public Service announced that Unit 4 at Cholla Power Plant would be closing by the end of the 2020 calendar year as the unit was no longer economic to operate on behalf of PacifiCorp’s customers. Cholla units 1 and 3 were anticipated to stop burning coal by 2025. Snowflake Junior High School students of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) program were the state winners of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Challenge for the second time. The students designed a small robot that was able to go off-road and enter into small crevices with a camera. Sherry Cosper, was nominated and unanimously voted in to fill the seat on the Taylor Town Council that became vacant with the passing of her husband, Carl Cosper, until the election in August. District III Supervisor Jason Whiting was elected by the Navajo County Board of Supervisors to serve as Chairman for 2020. Whiting replaced District V Supervisor Dawnafe Whitesinger as the position rotates each year. Governor Doug Duce announced there would be tens of millions of dollars in new investments to connect rural Arizona to fast, reliable internet in his State of the State Address. Nearly $50 million in funding for Smart Highway Corridors would enable the Arizona Department of Transportation to install over 500 miles of broadband conduit and fiber optic cable along designated highway segments throughout rural areas of the state. The new corridors will improve highway safety while providing future broadband capacity for smart infrastructure projects in Arizona’s rural and tribal areas. Designated areas for investment include Interstate 17 between Sunset Point and Flagstaff; Interstate 40 between the Arizona-New Mexico and Arizona-California borders; and Interstate 19 between Tucson and Nogales. Paleontologists with the Petrified Forest National Park began delving into the microscopic search for fossils. The small specimens when pieced together are only a few millimeters long. They are then put into a CT scanner for magnified images and then duplicated with a 3D printer. Northland Pioneer College students Jeffery Hamilton and Thomas Parada of Holbrook, Kaylen Benito and Paige Murray of Winslow, and Samuel Rosales and Tabitha Adams of Snowflake were each named to the All-Arizona Academic Team. The City of Holbrook reported that the site of the former Magnuson Hotel that was destroyed by fire was finally cleared by the owners. A generous donation in the amount of $15,000 from the Tiisyaakin Residential Hall in Holbrook was used to purchase a K-9 officer for the Holbrook Police Department. February Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse, County Attorney Brad Carlyon and Chief Probation Officer Jason Cash presented a proposal to the Board of Supervisors for a local behavioral health treatment center and diversion program as an alternative to incarceration. In the Navajo County Jail, 325 inmates are housed. Of those 325, it is estimated that 20 percent are facing mental health concerns that may have led to their incarceration. The Navajo County Board of Supervisors denied the final plat extension on Perkins Valley Estates and Mesa Hills Estates, two residential projects initiated in 2006, located north of I-40 and west of Holbrook in Perkins Valley. The applicant, Mark Herrmann, had originally requested an additional final plat extension from the Navajo County Planning and Zoning Commission due to delays on the two projects but was denied the extension in their October 2019 meeting. The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office hired Brian Swanty as the new chief deputy for the department. Swanty began his 28-year law enforcement career as a reserve officer for the Show Low Police Department in 1991 following his graduation from the Arizona Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA) in Tucson. Swanty transitioned to the Arizona Department of Public Safety as a state trooper in 1993 where he was stationed in southern Apache County. Geneva Durkee retired after serving 22 years as Navajo County’s first and only county librarian. Durkee became the Navajo County Librarian in 1997 after having been the head librarian at Northland Pioneer College. Councilman Hunter Lewis resigned from the Snowflake Town Council following which, the council voted unanimously to instate Bob Flake to take over councilman Lewis’ seat until the term was finished on Dec. 1. Navajo County Health Director Jeff Lee informed the Navajo County Board of Supervisors that only 12 cases of COVID-19 had been found in the United States and only one of those in Arizona, which was in Maricopa County. He stated, “First and foremost, we are just bringing awareness. The Center for Disease Control is still calling this a low-risk virus in the United States,” he said. “Most of that has to do with our health care infrastructure, travel restrictions and entry methods that the CDC has put in place. We don’t think, currently, that we will see the effects that other countries are seeing.” Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse reported that there was a rising opioid issue in the area. Clouse mentioned that one of the major issues they are witnessing within the county is a rise in fentanyl distribution and overdoses. “We’re seeing it in Winslow all the way to Show Low and Pinetop, all throughout Navajo County and the neighboring counties as well,” said Clouse, adding that there is a real concern that it is becoming more prevalent in young adults. Eighth grader Luke Crandell from Heber-Overgaard Unified School District claimed the title of champion of the Navajo County Spelling Bee. Luke went on to the State Spelling Bee representing Navajo County. Holbrook resident Nicole Young, working with the Holbrook Volunteer Fire Department, was recognized with the Vitalant Valentines for Life Platinum Award in Phoenix. This award was presented for her work in organizing four local blood drives last year, which brought in a total of 155 donations. Also honored at the event with the Impact Award were Katherin Serna and Lynnie Bielefeldt for their work with Navajo County, organizing four blood drives for a total of 140 donations. March The Arizona Citizens for the Arts recognized a number of artists and individuals who contribute to the arts by hosting the Governors’ Arts Awards finalist’s reception at La Posada in Winslow. Those recognized included Winslow artist John Suttman, who was noted as being known for his highly animated wrought iron work. His wrought iron gates and fences are enjoyed in arts spaces throughout the West. Allan Affeldt and Tina Mion were nominated for their contribution to the arts by creating the Winslow Arts Trust in 2010, and in 2017 opening the WAT Museum adjacent to La Posada in Winslow. It was noted that Affeldt and Mion also work to attract artists to Winslow and to connect artists to vacant buildings in the city. Over the years, they have given tens of thousands of dollars in donations to many cultural organizations. The Winslow City Council made an agreement with Arizona Forest Power, LLC for the purchase of property currently owned by the city. The agreement required the limited liability company to pay the city $5,000 for the option of purchasing approximately 858 acres located on Highway 87 on the south side of Winslow. The option remains available to Arizona Forest Power for 12 months. The intent of the company was to develop a manufacturing and power operation associated with the 4FRI project. It is directly correlated to the award of the project going to Arizona Forest Power. The Winslow Police Department hosted a Dangers of Opioid Usage Town Hall in Winslow, with nine panel members, each an expert in their field. The event brought together hundreds of residents with questions regarding the current opioid crisis that has impacted communities throughout the region. Arizona reported 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as a result of the spread of novel coronavirus. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency and issued an executive order in response to the World Health Organization declaring the virus a global pandemic. Ducey also made an executive order pertaining to the outbreak. “This order is aimed to protect those most at risk such as our elderly citizens and those with underlying health issues. The order requires nursing homes and assisted living facilities to implement visitor policies including enhanced symptom checks.” The order also required insurance plans to cover out of network providers including laboratories and tele-medicine for COVID-19 testing. Insurance companies would also be required to cover 100 percent of the cost of testing. Grocery shelves were emptied as the effects of panic set in due to the pandemic. Grocery stores everywhere are struggling to maintain supplies with the demand of shoppers looking to stock up due to concerns of quarantine. In response to concerns over novel coronavirus and the potential of COVID-19, the Little Colorado Medical Center in Winslow enacted its emergency preparedness plan. In order to reduce the risk of spreading and contracting of the COVID-19 virus, only patients were allowed access to the hospital, with the exception of one support person. Although Holbrook, Winslow, Snowflake and Joseph City schools were on spring break, Governor Doug Ducey and Superintendent Kathy Hoffman announced that the State of Arizona would close schools through Friday, March 27. Doris Davis and Jean Ellsworth retired after each serving at Taylor Elementary School for 41 years. Events throughout the county were canceled due to concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19. The Winslow City Council selected Kerwin Lawrence to fill the vacant council seat left by Bob Schlesinger after he retired from his term, which would be complete in November. Lawrence was a member of the Winslow chapter of the NAACP and on the Planning and Zoning Committee. Councilman Marshal Losey was chosen as vice mayor. Results of Navajo County’s Presidential Preference election showed that of the 25,215 registered voters in Navajo County, 4,301 of those sent in early ballots. A total of 8,085 votes were cast. There was no Republican primary, this election was solely for those registered as Democrats to choose a candidate, with the front runner selection being Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and former vice president Joe Biden. All 14 Navajo County precincts showed their preference to be Biden, which was also reflected on the state level. In the final count, Biden took 3,585 votes with Sanders collecting 2,617. Governor Doug Ducey activated the National Guard to assist grocery stores and food banks with re-stocking shelves in the face of heightened demand due to the pandemic. An executive order halted all elective surgeries in the State of Arizona to free up medical resources and maintain the capacity for hospitals and providers to continue offering vital services. Restaurants in counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases were to provide dine-out options only and all bars, theaters and gyms were ordered to close. The Arizona State Prison Complex in Winslow welcomed warden John Mattos, who had nearly 30 years of experience in corrections. He began his career as a correctional officer when he was 19 years old. Since then, he has worked as a deputy warden and a deputy warden of operations. With concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19, Northland Pioneer College implemented college-wide social distancing practices and decided to suspend all classes, college-wide, from March 23 through April 5. Safeway and Bashas’ grocery stores reduced hours and due to high demand Safeway stores limited items including bread, bath tissue, gallon milk, paper towels, cases of water, hand sanitizers and disinfecting wipes to two per customer due to the inability to keep those items in stock. Special hours were set aside for senior citizens who were more likely to be heavily impacted by a COVID-19 infection. The Winslow City Council declared a state of emergency following a report of 18 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state. Although there were none in Navajo County in the previous week, 14 confirmed cases were reported a week later on the Navajo Nation. In an effort to support the ongoing federal, state and county initiatives related to COVID-19, the City of Winslow announced the cancellation of all city-sponsored public meetings and events. The cancellation included boards, commissions, recreation leagues, indoor pool activities, city hall meetings, and Winslow Visitors Center events and activities. April The first COVID-related death was reported by Navajo County Public Health Services District and the Arizona Department of Health Services and additional cases were also reported in Navajo County off-reservation. The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 88 total cases in the county. Of those cases, the Navajo Nation reported 59 cases on the Nation within Navajo County. After a long and challenging effort, the Navajo County Historical Society, the City of Holbrook and Navajo County were able to garner the $197,244 needed for the replacement roof for the Historic Navajo County Courthouse in Holbrook. The work was to be completed by Restore Pro, Inc., a company out of Snowflake. The Navajo Nation received assistance from the National Guard for supplies as the number of COVID-19 cases continued to rise. The total number of positive tests for COVID-19 had reached 241 for the Navajo Nation and a total of eight confirmed deaths related to COVID-19. The count continued to rise for the number of reported COVID-19 cases within Navajo County. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, the county represented more than 14 percent of the state’s total 1,433 cases, at 210. Of those, 149 were located on the portion of the Navajo Nation within Navajo County, an area hit especially hard by the outbreak. Holbrook had three reported COVID-19 cases and as of April 1, the Little Colorado Medical Center in Winslow had reported 15 positive cases of COVID-19 and three COVID-19 related deaths. There were six COVID-19 deaths within the county, three of those on the Navajo Nation, which correlates with the deaths reported in Winslow. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey issued an executive order to help combat the COVID-19 outbreak. It outlined procedures for nursing homes and assisted living facilities including conducting symptom checks of anyone entering a facility and equipping staff with personal protective equipment to the greatest extent possible. The order also required these facilities to provide an electronic visual form of communication like FaceTime or Skype to allow family members access to their loved ones. The next required reporting from medical providers to provide a daily update. A 14-day quarantine was put in place for anyone flying in from Connecticut, New York or New Jersey. Ducey also signed an executive order putting a stop to evictions of small businesses and nonprofits facing hardship due to COVID-19. To encourage enrollment in the fall and spring semesters Northland Pioneer College cut the tuition rate in half to $40 per credit hour, for in-state, Apache County and the Early College program. The administration cut the rate despite board approval last month of an increase to $79 per credit hour in an effort to help students to remain in school and continue to pursue their education. NPC Friends & Family garnered $26,883 from Arizona Gives Day to provide scholarships for Northland Pioneer College students, which was the most the non-profit has acquired on Arizona Gives Day. Deputies from the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department helped to keep some of Northland Pioneer College’s most vulnerable students connected to their classes, in spite of the COVID-19 closures of physical locations. College faculty had reacted to school closures immediately, placing course materials in alternative formats that could be accessed online but a number of students had no internet or computers. Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots were purchased using the NPC Friends and Family Emergency Fund. Director Betsyann Wilson was able to secure the Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots from Cellular One and deputies and officers stepped up to deliver them to students in Kayenta, Polacca and Whiteriver, either by driving them to the locations or by taking them by plane. NPC students were able to work inside their closed vehicles, in NPC parking lots, where they could access the college’s Wi-Fi using their student accounts. Alan and Vicky Palmer of Joseph City, along with their kids Kaci and Blake, visited the senior citizens staying at the Winslow Campus of Care with their farm animals in an effort to bring some joy to the residents and staff, and they did just that. Since the residents couldn’t come outside due to the quarantine, the Palmers made their way along the exterior of the building, showing their goat, horses and dog to those inside. May Navajo County Public Health Director Jeff Lee reported a continued rise in COVID cases throughout Navajo County, with a total of 655 cases in the county with 6,948 cases in Arizona and a total of 66,543 tests been taken in Arizona. Although the county was showing signs of flattening the curve, the risk of exposure remained very high so masks, physical distancing, repeated hand washing and disinfecting was encouraged. The Navajo Nation had risen to become the third highest novel coronavirus affected area in the country, behind New York and New Jersey, per capita. The Navajo Nation is located on nearly 28,000 square miles of land in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. According to Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, of the nearly 200,000 residents of the nation, 2,141 confirmed cases had been reported. Seventy-one people had lost their lives to the virus. Navajo County had 502 of those confirmed cases. Winslow Police Chief Dan Brown announced his retirement from the department. Brown has spent three years as the chief of police in Winslow and was noted as a valuable asset to the community. He has also served six years as a Marine and nearly 22 years as a police officer. Brown left the department to enter into the dissertation phase of his PhD in Criminal Justice Leadership. Once obtained, his new focus was to use his experience as a practitioner and help educate the law enforcement of the future. Holbrook Elks Lodge No. 2450 announced the winners of the Holbrook Elks Youth Awards, which included state scholarship winners Jake Shumway and Ellie Smith, both of Holbrook High School. The Holbrook Elks Lodge Hoop Shoot competition winners included Maya Francisco who placed first. Maya also won the state title in her age category, went on to the district level in Las Vegas and lost by one basket. Kimora Ochoa placed second and Peyton Tsosie placed third. Navajo County. Public Health Director Jeff Lee informed the Navajo County Board of Supervisors that the number of cases in Navajo County had risen to over 1,000. Testing has continued throughout the county and the next phase in mitigating the crisis would be contact tracing. Despite Governor Doug Ducey lifting restrictions on retail shops, gyms and restaurants, Lee recommends continuing the use of precautions such as wearing masks and social distancing. The census count of all residents that is used to determine how federal monies are distributed was struggling because of the stay at home recommendations from the government due to COVID-19, causing the census taking timeline to be modified and extended. Holbrook Unified School District’s Class of 2020 experienced a drive-thru graduation ceremony at the George Gardner Performing Arts Center parking lot at the Holbrook High School to avoid the spread of COVID-19. The event was labeled the “Roadrunner Drive-in to Graduate and Drive-out to Success” ceremony. With the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic Snowflake High School administrators made a special effort to allow graduating seniors to take part in a special milestone in their lives. Graduates participated in a virtual ceremony that allowed each graduate to wear cap and gown, received their diploma on stage and make speeches. To accommodate social distancing, each graduate was scheduled for a specific time to arrive along with family members and were asked not to linger after accepting their diploma and awards. Northland Pioneer College was planning to move forward with construction on a previously approved expansion of the White Mountain campus with $20 million set aside for that project and $14 million of that expected to be used this year. NPC was facing the same dilemma as other colleges as commencement exercises nationwide were impacted by COVID-19 shutdowns and recommendations from the Center for Disease Control to not gather in groups of more than 10 people and to maintain physical distancing. The determination was made that NPC’s commencement would be a week-long event taking place through Facebook and Instagram. Tyana J. Begay, a 2020 graduate of Winslow High School, was selected to be a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. The Society recognizes top scholars who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, scholarship and community commitment. June Volunteer pilots from Angel Flight West flew from Winslow Lindbergh Regional Airport to deliver fresh produce to Hualapai and Navajo communities in Kingman and Chinle. The collection campaign was organized by Lifeline Christian Mission, which runs Red Sands Christian School and The Well Christian Church in Winslow. A semi full of fresh fruits and vegetables was delivered to the reservations and especially in outlying areas. Navajo County Manager Glenn Kephart informed the Board of Supervisors of a plan developed for re-opening county services after offices were temporarily closed to the public to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. With protests and riots taking place throughout the country following the death of George Floyd while in police custody, many states implemented restrictions for gatherings including Arizona. Governor Doug Ducey issued a Declaration of Emergency putting in place a curfew that begins at 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. until Monday, June 8, across the entire state. Local law enforcement agencies including Holbrook, Winslow and Snowflake police departments, and the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office issued statements that these agencies would not be enforcing the curfew. The City of Holbrook was set to increase city sanitation rates due to cost increases for the city. The council approved a resolution awarding a new contract for sanitation services that increased the cost for the city by nearly 40 percent. Larry Mullen Jr., Irish musician and co-founder of the rock group U2, joined the wave of solidarity from Ireland for indigenous peoples disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 by donating $100,000 to the Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund. After reading news coverage of the crisis on the Navajo and Hopi reservations, many Irish felt compelled to reciprocate support from indigenous nations that dates back more than 170 years. During Ireland’s potato famine of 1847, the Choctaw Nation raised $170 (about $5,000 now) for starving Irish families. With Mullen’s contribution, over 25,500 Irish donors contributed over $870,000 to the Relief Fund and the Navajo and Hopi elders, immunocompromised, COVID-positive, and vulnerable families it serves. Little Colorado Medical Center’s Incident Commander Christy Ross spoke to the Winslow City Council stating that the number of positive COVID-19 cases are falling across the nation. She explained that national hospitalization numbers had also fallen and stated that 92 percent of those hospitalized with COVID-19 had at least one comorbidity including high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. Winslow had a total of 59 COVID-19 positive tests and seven deaths. Cindy Dies Owen, a Northland Pioneer College student at the Silver Creek Campus in Snowflake had a busy year. She served as Student Government Association president at NPC and was selected a co-winner of the coveted Orlowski Award, one of the highest honors presented by the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society. The long-awaited replacement of the roof of the historic Navajo County Courthouse in Holbrook began. The courthouse was originally built in 1889 shortly after Navajo County was formed, with a wood shingle roof and that was last repaired in 1929 with asbestos shingles that are now on top of those original wood shingles. Following the numerous protests taking place across the United States sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man killed by police officers and the #blacklivesmatter movement, residents of Holbrook gathered at Gillespie Park for a peaceful demonstration of support coordinated by Holbrook resident Ricardo Escobar and supported by the Holbrook Police Department. Cathie McDowell retired after 30 years as the director at the Snowflake Taylor Library and was recognized by the Snowflake Town Council for her dedication to public service. The position was taken over by Ella McAdams. Navajo County Finance Director Paige Peterson announced that she would be stepping down from her position with Navajo County to begin a new position in Litchfield Park. She had been a part of the Navajo County team since 2012. While Governor Doug Ducey stated in a press conference that hospitals were ready to meet the needs of more patients, Health Director Cara Christ told Arizona hospitals to activate their coronavirus emergency plans. The department had reported a 115 percent increase in positive COVID-19 tests since the stay at home orders were lifted on May 15, something that Ducey credited to the increase in testing. As of June 11, cases on the Navajo Nation increased exponentially with 6,378 positive cases reported in the Navajo Nation, a sovereignty that expands between Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. The Nation has also experienced 103 new deaths in the previous week. The City of Holbrook received $588,677, of the CARES Act funds based on Holbrook’s population. City Manager Ted Soltis recommended that the money be put toward the debt owed to the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, adding that the police department has an unfunded liability of $7.8 million, which is money owed to the police retirement fund. It was only funded at 23.9 percent, where the goal is to be one hundred percent funded. The U.S. Senate approved the Navajo-Utah Water Rights Settlement Act through unanimous consent on June 4, that would create a final settlement of all water rights claims between the Navajo Nation, the State of Utah and the U.S. government. The settlement would also establish the quantified water rights of the Navajo Nation to use up to 81,500 acre-feet from water sources located in Utah. The settlement act required further approval of H.R.644, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT), by the U.S. House of Representatives before becoming law. With the number of COVID-19 cases increasing throughout the state, Navajo County was reporting 3,009 cases and 95 deaths. Locally, Winslow had 216 cases; Holbrook, 54; Snowflake, 22; Joseph City, 11; and Taylor was listed as having six to 10 cases. Gov. Doug Ducey left it for cities and towns to determine whether or not to mandate that masks be worn. The City of Flagstaff was the only community in the regions that made the wearing of masks or face coverings a requirement in public areas.
