[CentOS] Yum issues with EPEL

Folks


After years of working just-fine, I have an automated script that 
manages yum for me at initial install time.  Sometime within the last 
48 hours, I get the error message

http://mirror.nexcess.net/epel/6/x86_64/repodata/repomd.xml: [Errno 
-1] repomd.xml does not match metalink for epel
Trying other mirror.

And this message repeats through all the mirrors, causing the load of 
the repomd to fail, and then the yum to fail.  The resultant system 
becomes unusable because I need stuff from epel.

I find it difficult to believe that ALL mirrors are bad, unless it's 
the base epel system that's failed.  Does anyone have some clue?

Clueless David in San Francisco