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KNAU's Morning Rundown: Wednesday, June 2

It’s Wednesday, June 2. Yesterday — June 1 — marked the 153rd anniversary of a treaty signed by the Navajo tribe and United States officials. 

 

The 1868 agreement allowed the Diné people to return to their homelands after they were forcibly removed several years before. The event, known as The Long Walk, stretched hundreds of miles and forced thousands to live in Bosque Redondo within an eastern New Mexico military base. The treaty permitted the Navajo to return to 5,300 acres of their land. 

“To our Navajo people, Please take time  to reflect on our history and to offer a prayer for our ancestors who endured many hardships so that we could be there today,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said yesterday.

 

Last month, the Navajo Nation surpassed the Cherokee as the country’s largest Indigenous tribe.

 

Hobbs Announces Bid For AZ Governor

Democratic Sec. of State Katie Hobbs is announcing her bid to serve as Arizona’s next governor. In a video released this morning, Hobbs focused upon the 2020 election and acknowledged the threats she received amid unfounded allegations of election fraud. 

“We had a job to do and that job was simple: count every vote,” Hobbs said.

She has maintained the elections’ fairness as the state’s top election official. In her campaign announcement, Hobbs also called for greater investments into education and healthcare. 

Hobbs previously served as a social worker, later joining the State Legislature as a Senator and State Representative. 

She’s the second Democrat to join the 2022 race, along with former Nogales mayor and Customs and Border Patrol Chief of Staff Marco Lopez. 

 

Credit Navajo Police Department

Police Search For Missing Man Last Seen West Of Ganado

Navajo Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a man last seen in Burnside, west of Ganado. Bert Jones, 45, was last seen by his mother on April 29 walking eastbound on Highway 264, according to an NPD report.

 

He was reportedly  wearing a white shirt, beige pants and white Jordan sneakers; Jones is described as male, Native American, and 5-foot-8 with brown eyes and black hair. Authorities encouraged those with relevant information to contact the Window Rock District.

 

Spike In Calls Over Memorial Day Weekend 

Coconino County Sheriff’s officials reported a spike in dispatch calls over the memorial day weekend. Authorities say they arrested three individuals for driving while impaired; 21 arrests were made for illegal campfires. A total of 84 were arrested over the weekend after more than 1,300 calls were made to CCSO, according to the Tuesday report.

 

City Budgets Move Ahead, As State Budgetary Plans Stall

Flagstaff City Council on Tuesday voted to adopt a tentative budget resolution for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Management Services Director Rick Tadder says the plan includes an additional $776,000 dollars for public safety alternate response options, along with $65,000 budgeted for a coinciding vehicle. It comes as policing discussions unfold in local governments nationwide. 

Officials in neighboring Sedona are slated to begin deliberations today for the city’s 2021 budget. Plans on passing the state’s budget, meanwhile, have stalled amid Democratic and some Republican opposition against a proposal that would introduce a flat tax rate and cut $1.5 billion in revenue per year.

 

COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics Slated For Flagstaff, Fredonia

Another weekly vaccination clinic is on tap today outside the Coconino Health and Human Services building in Flagstaff. Doses of the Moderna vaccine, along with the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, will be offered for individuals 18 and older. County officials say a pop-up clinic will be hosted in Fredonia tomorrow outside the town’s WIC Office. The county closed its Fort Tuthill vaccination site in Flagstaff last month, as officials announced a pivot to smaller-scale inoculation efforts. Nearly half the county has been vaccinated at an estimated 49.2% though daily administration rates have declined in recent weeks, following a statewide and nationwide trend of lessening demand.

 

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