ALBUQUERQUE— Attorney General Hector Balderas announced Nov. 12 that Francisco Saucedo was sentenced  to 30 years in prison by Thirteenth Judicial District Court Judge Christopher Pérez, for the manufacture, distribution and possession of child exploitation materials, as well as for committing sexual acts and voyeurism against his granddaughter in 2017.

“We must protect our children from sexual predators,” Attorney General Balderas said. “I applaud this young survivor and her family for having the fortitude to disclose Saucedo’s crimes and see these disclosures through to convictions.”

When Judge Pérez handed down his sentence, he specifically noted the statement made...

Gaming Revenue, Jobs, Payments Benefit the Navajo Nation

Flagstaff, Ariz. — If Navajo casinos are not re-opened this month, Navajo Gaming faces permanent closure resulting in the loss of millions of gaming dollars that benefit the Navajo people and default on loans that will cost the Navajo Nation millions of dollars.

Brian Parrish, interim CEO of NNGE said, “From the early days of the pandemic we have spoken with a consistent voice of our belief that we can responsibly remain open, at a reduced occupancy with the implementation of first-in-class safety protocols.

“We have studied the science and reviewed the best guidelines at each stage. We have consistently laid out our...

TSE BONITO, N.M. — The Navajo Division of Transportation is set to begin the N9402 Bridge Replacement Project in Lupton Chapter in mid-November.

The bridge being replaced lies approximately three-quarters of a mile southwest of the Interstate 40 intersection with Navajo Route 12 in Lupton. The current one-lane, steel military-style bridge crosses over the Rio Puerco Wash and has been deemed functionally obsolete.

The bridge will be replaced with a new five-span bridge that will accommodate the current average daily traffic count of 400 vehicles per day.

The project will cost $5,531,604 and is funded by the Federal Highway Administration.

During project construction, all access to...

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and First Lady Phefelia Nez congratulated United States President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris for being elected to serve in the White House, according to projections issued on Nov. 7.

“The people have spoken and change is coming to America. Now that the hard-fought campaign and election have passed, we have to come together, heal, and unite to move tribal nations and the country forward on a positive path. The First Americans of this country, including a large majority of Navajo voters, had a major impact in the outcome of the presidential election in several swing states – that needs to be...