- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
GALLUP, N.M. (AP) — A federal agency says a high school in Gallup will reopen its gym as a 60-bed alternative care facility to help hospitals treat an increasing number of coronavirus patients. The Gallup Independent reports that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects to turn over the keys to Miyamura High School to local and state health officials on Monday, about two weeks after construction began. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham first announced that the high school was selected as the site for an auxiliary hospital on April 3. The first patients with COVID-19 may be admitted as early as April 25. State health officials say New Mexico had at least 51 deaths and over 1,710 reported coronavirus patients as of Saturday morning.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation is ordering all people on the tribe's sprawling reservation to wear protective masks when out in public to help fight the spread of the coronavirus. Tribal officials announced Friday night that the Navajo Department of Health issued an emergency health order for the reservation, which includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. The Navajo Nation has been hit harder by the coronavirus than any other Native American tribe. The tribe and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service said the number of positive coronavirus tests reached 1,127 as of Friday with 44 deaths attributed to COVID-19. Tribal resident Jonathan Nez said officials would "continue to consider even more aggressive requirements to help bring the numbers down."
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHILD ABUSE HOTLINES
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — With schools closed and teachers unable to report suspected cases of abuse, child welfare agencies have lost some of their best eyes and ears as the coronavirus pandemic strains families. States are reporting fewer calls to child abuse hotlines, not because officials believe there are fewer cases but because they're going unreported. Agencies nationwide are asking neighbors, relatives, store workers and others to fill the reporting gaps that have emerged with school closures. Officials say child abuse and neglect are likely to increase with families facing job losses and being locked down together at home during the outbreak.
- NAVAJO NATION-BROADBAND
PHOENIX (AP) — The federal government is giving the Navajo Nation temporary authority to use unassigned airwaves to provide wireless broadband service. The Federal Communications Commission on Friday granted the requested authority for 60 days to help the tribe's emergency response to the coronavirus outbreak. The commission says the authority should help the tribe as reservation residents work from home and increasingly rely on telemedicine and remote learning. Many residents in remote areas without broadband service sit in vehicles parked near local government centers, fast-food restaurants and grocery stores to connect to Wi-Fi.
- NMSU-EDUCATION DEAN
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State University says four finalists are vying to be the next dean of the College of Education and a series of online public forums are planned next week. NMSU Provost Carol Parker said Friday that it's important for the community to be able to participate in the forums as this is a key leadership role at the university. A search committee was launched last fall. Officials say the ideal candidate would have to be innovative and someone able to advance the mission of preparing teacher candidates for certification. The candidates include education experts from New York, Georgia, California and Oklahoma.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-TEACHERS ON TV
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Educators in several states are broadcasting lessons over television airwaves to help keep students engaged while schools are shut down for the coronavirus outbreak. In New Jersey, Nebraska and New Mexico, teachers have begun videotaping lessons at home. They are using whatever technology they can to help children feel connected and to overcome hurdles with access to technology needed for distance learning. In cities including Boston and Los Angeles, broadcasters and educators are finding ways to emphasize programs that might have educational value for children.
- GILA RIVER FIGHT
SILVER CITY, N.M. (AP) — Water from two rivers that span parts of New Mexico and Arizona would be diverted and stored under a project proposed by the New Mexico Central Arizona Project Entity. The proposal calls for storing water from the Gila and San Francisco rivers at sites in the Virden Valley or along the San Francisco River in New Mexico. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission are gathering public comments on an environmental review of the proposal. The idea of diverting water from the Gila River has prompted protests and legal fights over the years, as critics have suggested the effort would result in a boondoggle.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Lawmakers on the Navajo Nation have canceled their spring legislative session amid an outbreak of coronavirus that has kept them away from the tribal capital. They called in remotely Friday for a special session where they approved the measure. The legislative branch cited the difficulty in getting everyone who plays a part in the session to participate from afar. The Navajo Nation Council usually meets quarterly in Window Rock for weeklong sessions. The spring session was scheduled to start Monday. The virus has spread fiercely through the Navajo Nation, hitting it harder than any other Native American tribe.