By Linda Kor July The Holbrook City Council approved the allocation of $582,677 in AZ CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) funds to pay the city’s spending responsibility pertaining to the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) costs incurred by the Holbrook Police Department for the time frame of March 1, 2020, through Dec. 1, 2020, which at the time totaled $7.8 million. With no statewide mandate for face coverings, the Holbrook City Council voted against recommending citizens wear face masks four to three. It was noted that there were been 461 cases of COVID-19 in Navajo County outside of the Navajo Nation, 3,311 total county cases and 62 total cases in the city’s zip code. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, statewide cases increased by 170 percent and testing only increased by 86 percent. The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office received $54,079 in grant funding from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for AZ TraCs (Traffic and Criminal Software & Electronic Crash Reporting) Implementing Project. NCSO used the grant money to purchase printers and scanners to outfit its patrol vehicles in order to streamline crash reporting data to the Arizona Department of Transportation and the municipal courts. The TraCS also enables deputies to scan driver’s licenses and registration, complete electric warnings and citations, traffic crash reports and DUI affidavits. The Winslow City Council issued a proclamation requiring the use of face coverings in public places. Exceptions included children under the age of two, people with trouble breathing and those whose religious beliefs prevent them from wearing a face covering. Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order that re-closed bars, gyms, theaters, water parks and water tubing for at least 30 days. He also delayed the opening of Arizona schools until Aug. 17, explaining that online learning can begin before that but there will be no in-person attendance until at least that date. Also paused were any surgeries that were not essential, lifesaving procedures. In an unprecedented move for Air Serv International, which normally conducts humanitarian relief efforts overseas, the organization partnered with the Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund to transport critical humanitarian relief items by plane to remote Navajo and Hopi communities to help residents combat their fight against COVID-19. Since inception, Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund had provided food and essential supplies to over 18,000 households and approximately 72,000 individuals on the Navajo and Hopi nations to help protect families. Per capita, the Navajo Nation had higher COVID-19 infection and death rates than any state in the union, a crisis that was compounded by the state of Arizona being an emerging epicenter. The Navajo-Gila Information Technology Education Consortium was awarded $715,760 from the Universal Service Administrative Co. (USAC), the non-profit designated by the FCC to administer funds to help deliver broadband and connectivity to areas of need. The state also contributed $51,000 to meet required local matching funds for the project, which would benefit six school districts and 10 libraries. The school districts to benefit from the award included Winslow, Joseph City, Holbrook, Show Low, Blue Ridge and the Navajo County Accommodation District. The libraries that which would also receive support were the Navajo County Library District, and the Winslow, Holbrook, Clay Springs, Pinedale, Rim Community, Pinetop/Lakeside, Show Low, Snowflake-Taylor and McNary public libraries. Navajo County Public Health Director Jeff Lee reported that COVID cases continued to rise and healthcare system partners were facing staffing challenges as well as bed capacity challenges. Navajo County was one of the most impacted counties nationwide. The spike came as stay at home orders were removed. As school districts prepared to return to schooling, many chose plans that would move from online classes and then to in-person schooling as circumstances allowed. To help contain the spread of COVID but also allow residents some much-needed distraction, the Holbrook Chamber of Commerce made the decision to cancel all in-person events and to move them to an online format. As if COVID wasn’t enough, a case of the plague was confirmed in Navajo County and the public was urged to take precautions to reduce the risk of exposure, which can be present in fleas, rodents, rabbits and predators that feed upon these animals. August While events including the annual Navajo County Fair were forced to close due to the pandemic, the Petrified Forest National Park was able to adjust the way it was operating in order to remain open with limited restrictions. As of Aug. 7, there were 5,352 COVID-19 cases reported in Navajo County. The Little Colorado Medical Center in Winslow reported 11 in-patients, three of whom are COVID positive. LCMC administered over 120 tests, with seven positive results. Summit Healthcare facilities in Show Low completed over 4,300 COVID-19 tests and saw a decline in COVID-19 inpatient cases. Winslow School District Governing Board and Superintendent Kathryn Zanin sent out official letters of apology following a mandatory meeting for staff after complaints were filed by WUSD teachers with Americans United for Separation of Church and State regarding the meeting in which eight members of the local clergy sermonized the staff. Navajo County Health Director Jeff Lee announced the benchmarks provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) for opening schools and high-risk businesses. The three benchmarks counties had to reach before reopening schools were two weeks with fewer than 100 COVID cases per 100,000 people, two weeks with a percent positivity below 10 percent and two weeks with hospital visits due to COVID like illnesses below 10 percent. In the Primary Election, Wendy Rogers won as the Republican nominee for State Senator District 6 with 19,363 votes for a major upset over incumbent Sylvia Allen who garnered 13,349 votes. Incumbent Tom O’Halleran took the Democrat win for Congressional Representative District 1 and Mark Kelly took the win as the lone Democrat candidate for US Senate. In the State Representative District 6 race Republican incumbent Walter Blackman won up against Republican Brenda Barton. In the race for State Representative for District 7, Democrat incumbent Myron Tsosie garnered the win over Arlanda Teller. The Holbrook City Council held a public hearing to discuss and vote on a resolution to increase sanitation rates and transfer site fees. The increase was to compensate for the loss of revenues in the sanitation department and at the transfer site as the rates did not cover the cost of operation. There was no comment from the public before it was approved. While some local schools resumed in-classroom instruction, others made the decision to remain online for instruction as concerns for COVID infection rose with both students and teachers falling ill. The Winslow Unified School District added eSports as a new athletics program for the district. The sport involves students competing in various sports via computer. The NFHS (National Federation of High Schools), which all state associations adhere to for sports, partnered with a company called PlayVS, a competition platform for gaming, to bring eSports to the high schools at a national level. The Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) also sanctioned it. The goal was to provide an opportunity for every student to participate in an athletics program. September The City of Winslow gave unanimous agreement to the hiring of Ken Arend as police chief. Arend was already a nearly 22-year veteran of the Winslow Police Department. Navajo County Public Health Director Jeff Lee informed the Board of Supervisors that Navajo County was trending down in COVID-19 cases. In Arizona, there were 199,273 cases of COVID-19 and in Navajo County that number was 5,523. Lee pointed out, “Thirty or 45 days ago, we were experiencing about 50 to 80 new cases a day in Navajo County. Now that number is averaging about six new cases a day.” With movie theaters closed due to the pandemic and limited options for entertainment that met the requirements for social distancing, the Winslow Theater and the City of Winslow Recreation Department came together to offer a drive-in movie on the city’s softball field. A group of auto dealerships in Arizona and New Mexico were ordered cease business operations as part of a court-approved settlement resolving Federal Trade Commission charges that the dealerships deceived consumers and falsified information on vehicle financing applications. In a case filed in 2018, the FTC alleged that Tate’s Auto Center of Winslow, Inc.; Tate’s Automotive, Inc.; Tate Ford-Lincoln-Mercury, Inc. (doing business as Tate’s Auto Center); Tate’s Auto Center of Gallup, Inc.; and Richard Berry, an officer of the dealerships, falsified consumers’ income and down payment information on vehicle financing applications and misrepresented important financial terms in vehicle advertisements. The Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund, an initiative of Yée Ha’óolníidóo (translates into “May the Navajo People Have Fortitude”), was awarded a $200,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The support came at a critical juncture for the organization. As the Navajo and Hopi communities settle into a new season of struggle against the virus, the support strengthened Yée Ha’óolníidóo to continue sustained relief efforts against the pandemic. Joseph City High School honored Eldon Larsen for his service of 25 years as a coach at the school. Larsen also is a long-time member of the Joseph City Unified School District Governing Board. A nearly $3.4 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was accepted by the Winslow City Council to be used to design and reconstruct Taxiway B at the Winslow-Lindbergh Regional Airport. The grant was part of a $31.3 million grant awarded by the FAA to four Arizona airports. Two educators from Northland Pioneer College were recognized by the Arizona Association for Lifelong Learning (AALL) and the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). NPC faculty in College and Career Preparation, Steve Mills of Snowflake, received the Lifelong Learning Advocate Award in Honor of Francis E. Blake, while longtime NPC employee Kathleen Bentley of Linden, took home the AALL Educator of the Year Award. Bentley was honored with the Educator of the Year Award for her development in Distance Learning in Adult Education at Northland Pioneer College. Mills was honored for his dynamic Integrated Education and Training Construction program at Northland Pioneer College’s Center in Whiteriver. Public Health Director Jeff Lee gave an update on the COVID pandemic in Navajo County. In his report, Lee stated that the county was meeting benchmarks for schools and high-risk businesses to begin their phase one reopening. High risk businesses included gyms, movie theaters, and bars and restaurants. The first phase of reopening was 50 percent capacity and maintaining physical distancing. Indoor and outdoor activities would still be limited to 50 or fewer individuals. Diné College Marketing and Communications Director George R. Joe was announced as one of seven national finalists for the National Council on Marketing and Public Relations Communicator of the Year award. Joe was selected to receive the 2020 District 6 Communicator of the Year Award. October The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the lives of every American and as people lost their jobs many families struggled with putting food on the table. Prior to the pandemic, the number of families in Arizona experiencing food insecurity, which is defined as the lack of consistent access to adequate healthy food, had been steadily reducing. But now, as economic instability and a health crisis takes over, new estimates point to some of the worst rates of food insecurity in the United States in years. Holbrook welcomed the grand opening of a new La Quinta Inn and Suites. The new, modern, four-story hotel offers many amenities including a fitness center, an indoor pool and free breakfast. The City of Winslow had a number of projects in the works for economic development and improvements to the city. A new business, C6 Zero, a recycling and materials company, was interested in re-developing a property in the Winslow Industrial Park. The multimillion-dollar renovation would feature a large-scale, rail-based recycling operation. The renovation of the Westerner Motel on Third Street and the rebuilding of Taxiway B at the Winslow Lindbergh Regional Airport were also underway. In addition, the city approved the construction of a Unisource storage and office facility on the vacant lot at First and Berry streets. A development project was underway at Mike’s Pike Blvd. and Hipkoe Drive that would feature 17 new single-family residences. RT Rentals was approved for construction of a new 10,000 square foot flooring and equipment rental facility at the North Road and I-40 Interchange. Walther Farms, a family owned potato farm with locations nationwide, was interested in development on a residential hub in Winslow to provide short term housing and truck parking for farm truck drivers. In addition, a hotel development project was set to get underway at North Park Drive next to Maverik and would feature a hotel with potential for a restaurant and conference space. Navajo County Public Health Director Jeff Lee reported a slight uptick in the number of COVID cases with 5,923 reported in Navajo County. It was noted that the new cases were the first cases in some time that were not linked back to a school exposure, indicating that there is still community spread within Navajo County. The Navajo County Board of Supervisors supported a proclamation from Gov. Doug Ducey recognizing Indigenous People’s Day. The day was to be recognized on Oct. 12 and was an historic effort that has not happened in the past. The proclamation allowed Indigenous People’s Day to be recognized and celebrated alongside Columbus Day. Thirteen states, including New Mexico have done away with Columbus Day and have permanently adopted Indigenous People’s Day. Northland Pioneer College President Mark Vest submitted his resignation after serving as president since 2018 and fulfilling various other positions for the past 20 years. No details surrounding Vest’s decision were discussed but board members each took the opportunity to thank President Vest for the time he’s invested and what he accomplished for the college. New fossils discovered at Petrified Forest National Park revealed a new species of a 220 million-year-old burrowing reptile known as a drepanosaur. This new species, named Skybalonyx Skapter by a collaborative team of researchers from Petrified Forest National Park, Virginia Tech, University of Washington, Arizona State University, Idaho State University and the Virginia Museum of Natural History, was announced in a study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Economic development in Holbrook included the new China Buffet restaurant waiting to be allowed to open due to COVID restrictions. The Globetrotter Inn on Hopi Drive was sold and the owner is planning to renovate and open all of its rooms. Bienvenidos Restaurant was planning to open in the near future. The old Tate’s building on Navajo Blvd. and the Golden Inn were sold. NPC staff member Steve Mills Gayle Campbell worked to help ease the burden on the students who were missing school in order to work to purchase food for their families by starting an informal food pantry at the Whiteriver campus made it a project to create other food pantries at other campus areas as well. November Navajo County Public Health Director Jeff Lee gave an update on COVID response in Navajo County, stating that there had been 6,307 cases and 238 deaths due to COVID-19 in Navajo County. The county continued to see a rise in cases throughout the county, and healthcare facilities were seeing an increase of COVID and flu patients. The Navajo County Community College District Governing Board appointed former college president Jeanne Swarthout as interim president for Northland Pioneer College (NPC), following the resignation of Mark Vest. Swarthout had retired after serving as president from 2007 until 2018 and prior to that spent the bulk of her career teaching upper division and graduate level anthropology and archeology. Winslow Police Chief Ken Arend honored Winslow Police Officer Alejandro Barron, Department of Public Safety Trooper Jacob Roberds and civilians Martin Brinkley, Troy Gonsalves, Ashly Teague and Jacob Wagner for their lifesaving efforts after a male subject was found hanging off the fence on the Hipkoe bridge over I-40. Without hesitation, Corporal Barron, Trooper Roberds and a couple of citizens physically grabbed the 26-year-old male through the fence and talked him out of his intentions. Arizona voters made recreational marijuana legal throughout the state. That vote came in with 1,809,852 (59.9 percent) ballots in favor and 1,213,200 (40.1 percent) against. What that means is that anyone that is 21 or older could grow, buy, consume and possess up to one ounce of marijuana but smoking in public will continue to be banned. Those who choose to can grow no more than six marijuana plants in their residence. The proposition also places a 16 percent tax on marijuana sales with revenues from the tax to be divided between community college districts, municipal police, sheriff and fire departments, fire districts, the state’s Highway Users Revenue Fund and a new Justice Reinvestment Fund. A record number of voters cast ballots, with a majority of Arizona voters selecting Joe Biden for president over incumbent Donald Trump. Locally, Roberta “Birdie” Cano was elected the first Native American mayor for the City of Winslow. Elks Lodge No. 2450 in Holbrook celebrated its 50th year of service to the community. Cindy Allen who has been a member for 20 years, serves as Exalted Ruler. The Diné Citizens Against Ruining our Environment (Diné C.A.R.E.) was acknowledged by a notable CNN commentator for helping to mobilize grassroots Navajo voters in the 2020 U.S. general election. “The Native American community played a tremendous role–the Native Organizers Alliance, Inter-Tribal Council, Diné C.A.R.E., these are groups of people that expect to be treated with respect because they are responsible for the victory…” said Van Jones, CNN political commentator during a live broadcast shortly after Biden was projected the winner by all the TV networks. In a research article published in the journal Biology Letters, a collaborative group of paleontologists from Virginia Tech, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, University of Washington, and Petrified Forest National Park describe a new cynodont (early mammal relative) species named Kataigidodon venetus. The study describes fossilized lower jaws of Kataigidodon, discovered during the summer of 2019 in the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation (~220 million years old) at Petrified Forest National Park. The Snowflake/Taylor Chamber of Commerce announced Dawn Hall, owner of The Morning Rose, as the 2019 Business Woman of the Year and Kendall Bryant, the owner of Snowflake Smokehouse, LLC, Business Man of the Year. Navajo County Public Health Department Director Jeff Lee expressed concern for rising numbers in Navajo County. “Unfortunately,” Lee said, “The risk of exposure remains extremely high throughout the county as we continue to see a significant rise in new cases.” The county was nearing a red zone regarding the ability to remain under the benchmarks to keep public spaces open. Holbrook Unified School District Governing Board provided a mobile unit for special tutoring and weekend opportunities for high school students to ensure that the students succeed in their academic goals following a rocky start to the 2020-21 school year. Bob and Heidi Williams donated $22,000 to Snowflake High School’s agriculture program, with Bob stating that the agriculture program impacted his life and that he was very impressed with Snowflake students. The funds will be used to help FFA kids to get to Nationals. The Holbrook Chamber of Commerce honored Carolyn Young, the owner of the Mesa Italiana Restaurant as Business Woman of the Year and Jason Dench, owner of the Winners Circle Bar, was honored as Business Man of the Year. December Arizona health officials said they expect to get the first of more than 380,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine by Dec. 15 and will began vaccinating health care workers and first responders shortly thereafter. Under the plan, hundreds of approved providers would begin vaccinating Arizonans, beginning with health care workers and long-term care residents, and eventually reaching the general population. President-elect Joe Biden has said dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic will be one of the first orders of business for his administration, and the head of the Navajo Health Department will be there to advise him on it. Biden’s transition team added Dr. Jill Jim to the panel of health and policy experts being called on to help the incoming administration prepare a “robust and aggressive response to contain the virus.” Jim served as executive director of the Navajo Department of Health since 2019. Gov. Doug Ducey again rejected calls for tougher statewide COVID-19 restrictions in the face of what experts called a pending “catastrophe,” opting instead for more funding for nurses and more pleas for personal responsibility. Ducey also ordered insurance companies to cover the costs of COVID-19 vaccinations and called on residents and local governments to more strictly enforce their current mitigation protocols in lieu of new restrictions. Newly elected Winslow council members Jim Maclean, Peter Cake and Melissa Nelson, along with Mayor Roberta Cano were sworn into office and Councilwoman Samantha Crisp was appointed vice mayor. Navajo County Public Health Services reported that 10,116 COVID-19 cases were reported in Navajo County. The Little Colorado Medical Center reported an average of 12 COVID-positive cases in its emergency department each day. The hospital provided inpatient care to an average of nine COVID-positive patients in its medical-surgical unit. There was an average of three COVID-positive patients transported to other Arizona hospitals. Daily COVID testing provided by LCMC to the community averaged 41 tests per day, with approximately 15 percent positive results. The Navajo County Community College Governing Board honored board member Daniel Peaches who completed his sixth and final term on the board for a total of 35 years of service. Peaches is from Kayenta and graduated from Northern Arizona University before moving to New Mexico to study Indian law. Before being elected to the board, Peaches served in the Arizona State Legislature in the House of Representatives from 1975 to 1984, and also served as staff assistant to Peter McDonald, who was the Navajo tribal president.
