COMMUNITY Navajo Code Talker Joe Kellwood dies at age 95 KELLWOOD SERVED IN WWII, WON CONGRESSIONAL SILVER MEDAL
Staff Reports
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I N D OW RO CK , Ariz. – Navajo Code Talker Private Joe Hosteen Kellwood died Sept. 5 at the age of 95. Kellwood was a Navajo Code Talker who served in World War II. He was trained at Navajo Code Talker’s School at Camp Elliott in
San Diego, Calif. Kellwood was the recipient of the Congressional Silver Medal. “Our Navajo Code talkers are iconic and Private Joe Hosteen Kellwood was no exception. He, along with our other revered code talkers, was able to save our nation, our freedom and our lives by using the sacred Dine’bi’zaad. For this, he will
always be remembered and honored,” Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye said. Vice President Jonathan Nez said the Navajo Code Talkers are a vital piece in the histories of both the United States and Native Americans. Beyond bullets and bombs, these young Marines were able to save the nation by translating military code into the
Kellwood served in World War II as a Code Talker from the Navajo Nation. He won the Congressional Silver Medal. Photo Credit: Courtesy Navajo language. “In our administration, both President Begaye and I have been able to work for the betterment of Veteran’s services that are provided across our Nation,” Nez said. “The Veteran’s pillar in our administration is founded in historical service of our Navajo Code Talkers. They deserve much more credit than they are given
Navajo Nation Code Talker Joe Kellwood died Sept. 5 at the age of 95. Photo Credit: Courtesy
nationally. But here on the Navajo Nation, we hold them close and dearly. It’s a tragedy for us to lose even one.” The Office of the President and Vice President is calling upon the entire Navajo Nation to come together in prayer in honor of the service of Code Talker Kellwood. The Office sends its condolences to Kellwood’s family and those he left behind.
Udall, Heinrich welcome over $2.6M to treat, prevent prescription drug addiction Staff Reports
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ASHINGTON, D.C. — On Sept. 7, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that New Mexico will receive $2,604,223 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to improve access to potentially life-saving treatment and prevention programs for people addicted to prescription opioids. In 2014, New Mexico had the second-highest rate of drug overdose deaths in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Udall and Heinrich have strongly urged Congress to provide funding and support to help communities treat and prevent
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Tom Udall
Martin Heinrich
prescription opioid drug abuse. The funding will allow New Mexico to leverage alreadyawarded fiscal year 2016 monies for opioids-related activities through the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration and the CDC: • $1 million through the Prescription Dr ug Opioid Overdose Prevention Grant program to reduce
Friday September 9, 2016 • Gallup Sun
opioid overdose-related deaths. Funding will support training on prevention of opioid overdose-related deaths as well as the purchase and distribution of naloxone to first responders. • $371,616 through the Strategic Prevention Framework Partnerships for Prescription Dr ugs Gra nt progra m to strengthen drug abuse prevention efforts. The grant program is designed to raise awareness about the dangers of sharing medications and work with the pharmaceutical and medical communities on the risks of overprescribing. The program also seeks to raise community awareness and bring prescription drug abuse prevention activities and education to schools, communities, parents,
prescribers, and their patients. • $953,074 through the Prescription Drug Overdose: Prevention for States program, which will support ongoing work to address issues such as high overdose death rates in Tribal communities and improve toxicology and drug screening. • $279,533 through the Enhanced State Surveillance of Opioid-Involved Morbidity and Mortality program to increase the timeliness of reporting nonfatal and fatal opioid overdose and associated risk factors; disseminate surveillance findings to key stakeholders working to prevent opioid-involved overdoses; and share data with
DRUG ADDICTION | SEE PAGE 19 COMMUNITY