Wednesday, February 25, 2026

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Canadian energy firm Enbridge will reimburse a northern Wisconsin county for the cost of policing protests expected with construction of the company’s Line 5 reroute.

As Danielle Kaeding reports, the Ashland County board approved the deal Tuesday.

The Wisconsin Counties Association negotiated an agreement where Enbridge will reimburse local governments for public safety costs tied to the Line 5 project in northern Wisconsin.

Funds will be deposited into an escrow account managed by the association. Some residents worried the deal would turn local authorities into a private security force.

Bad River tribal member Edith Leoso warned against signing the agreement to get reimbursed by Enbridge.

“They will feed you what you want to hear, and then they will take everything from this area and leave you to pick up the pieces.”

An Enbridge spokesperson said the company volunteered to fund the account.

Enbridge also said it received a final US Army Corps permit that the company says will allow construction to move forward, but state approvals for the project are being challenged in court.

Enbridge previously paid millions for public safety costs tied to protests of its Line 3 replacement project in Minnesota.

A civil lawsuit filed in Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona alleges a factory on the Navajo Nation was “squandering millions on improper and mysterious expenditures” before suddenly shutting down in July.

KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio has more.

The Albuquerque, N.M.-based firm Indigenous Design Studio + Architecture (IDSA) alleges that Mesa subcontractor ZenniHome breached its $50 million deal to build 160 modular homes.

“There’s a whole lot of money that got dumped into Zenni and obviously only to produce 18 homes, it’s a mystery how that occurred.”

Attorney Jay Curtis says IDSA is looking to repair the reputation of its founder, Tamarah Begay, in addition to recouping roughly $22 million from the American Rescue Plan Act for the Navajo Nation.

ZenniHome CEO Bob Worsley says there will not be a refund of any amount.

“No, the money is gone … It’s not sitting in somebody’s account somewhere, so the company has been liquidated. There’s no more assets. It’s just almost theater when we spent every dime they gave us, and about $4 million more than that – out of my pocket – so yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

Worsley also faces a separate federal class action lawsuit after laying off more than 200 employees last year.

Former Navajo Nation Vice President Rex Lee Jim is being remembered for his advocacy for Navajo people, including in education and culture, and as an international diplomat.

Jim served as vice president from 2011 to 2015 with Navajo President Ben Shelly. He also served on the Navajo council, was a poet, playwright, author, and traditional medicine man.

The Navajo Nation Council said Jim passed away on Tuesday and recognized his dedication to Navajo people, cultural preservation, and global Indigenous advocacy.

JoAnn Chase (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara), former executive director of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), is being remembered for strengthening NCAI’s national presence and advocating for Native rights.

Chase served as executive director from 1994 to 2001.

In a statement Tuesday, NCAI said of Chase’s passing that her leadership help the organization become stronger and more visible, working with tribal leaders, Congress, and others.

She later worked in philanthropy, policy, and arts, including most recently serving as vice chair of the board for the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts.

 

 

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Wednesday, February 25, 2026 — The Menu: Commod Bods, a standout frybread stand, and Afro-Indigenous mutual aid in Minneapolis