Village Manager Johnnie Burns is pictured returning to his roots — rather, his skies. He was among a small but mighty crew of Village linemen who, last week, headed to the American Southwest to again participate in the “Light Up Navajo” program — an ongoing effort to connect residents of the Navajo Nation to the electrical grid for the first time.

Established in 2018 with coordination from the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and members of the American Public Power Association — including the Village of Yellow Springs — Light Up Navajo has, over the last decade, electrified over 7,000 homes within the Navajo Reservation.

As Burns wrote to the News upon his and the linemen’s return to Yellow Springs:

“Being out in the Navajo Nation and helping bring power to families for the first time was incredibly moving,” he said. “It’s hard to imagine that in 2025, some people in the U.S. still live without electricity, and that it can take years or even decades to get connected. There are still over 11,000 homes in the Navajo Nation without power.”

Burns added: “The experience was a powerful reminder of how much work there is to do, and how much we often take for granted in places like Yellow Springs.”