Adult Probation Department issues Naloxone for opioid emergencies

FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Adult Probation Department recently issued Naloxone to all probation officers. Naloxone (sold under the brand name Narcan) is an opioid reversal drug used in suspected opioid overdoses.

The department trained all officers to recognize suspected opioid overdoses and how to correctly administer naloxone in the field. While numbers of reported overdoses are low in Coconino County, officers are now equipped to address them.

“Our probation officers routinely conduct home and field contacts with our clients, many of whom suffer from substance use disorders,” said Chief Probation Officer Sarah Douthit. “We wish to ensure that our officers are equipped to deal with crisis overdose situations with the hopes that we never have to deploy these resources. We believe in treatment and recovery and work with our clients to develop treatment plans to overcome addiction. This is one more tool to help in the community in which we live and work.”

In June 2017, Governor Doug Ducey issued a Declaration of Emergency to address the State’s ongoing fight against opioid abuse. Working with the legislature and the Department of Health Services (DHS), the Opioid Action Plan was created. Part of this plan created a DHS program to train and equip first responders with life-saving doses of naloxone at no cost to qualifying agencies.

Information sought about cow elk poached in Alpine Valley closure area

PINETOP, Arizona — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is seeking information about a cow elk poached near Alpine in the early morning on Thursday, October 26. The elk was shot in the Alpine Valley closure, south of Luna Lake. There was a legal hunt for cow elk open during this time.

AZGFD officers believe that other hunters in the area may have seen the violation occur.

“Anyone who saw or heard anything that might be related to this unlawful act should call in,” said Officer Aaron Hartzell, an AZGFD field supervisor. “This isn’t the action of a sportsman; it’s a criminal act of stealing wildlife resources from the people of Arizona.”

The department’s Operation Game Thief program encourages anyone with information about such cases or the illegal take of wildlife in Arizona to call its 24/7 hotline at (800) 352-0700 or visit www.azgfd.gov/ogt.

Anyone reporting information about this case can remain anonymous and are eligible for a reward of up to $500. Reward funding comes from donations, court fines and civil restitution by violators who commit wildlife crimes.

Anyone with information about the elk poaching should refer to case #17-4152.

Sandhill cranes winging their way back to Arizona

McNEAL, Arizona — It happens every year. As if on cue, they pick up and travel thousands of miles from places like Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, and some from as far away as Canada, Alaska and even Siberia.

They are Arizona’s true “snowbirds,” content to spend winter days basking under mild, sunny skies before getting the itch to turn around and head back north sometime in March or early April.

For the past few weeks, sandhill cranes by the thousands have been trumpeting their annual arrival in southeastern Arizona, primarily at the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area in the Sulphur Springs Valley – and a lot more of them are on the way.

“We are excited to see the sandhill cranes return for the winter,” said Randy Babb, watchable wildlife program manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “While there are only a few thousand in the area now, their numbers will grow to more than 30,000 before they migrate in the spring.

“The cranes afford wildlife lovers one of Arizona’s greatest wildlife spectacles through visual and sound experiences that most of us will never forget.”

The department’s Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area serves as a roosting and loafing place for the cranes and offers viewing decks and trails from which other migratory birds, such as waterfowl, grassland sparrows and an assortment of raptors, often can be seen. The fields surrounding the Willcox Playa in the vicinity of Kansas Settlement, or farther south near Elfrida and McNeal, also are good places to see cranes. In western Arizona, along the Colorado River south of Ehrenberg, many cranes winter at the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge.

For those who can’t make the trip to view the raucous birds with long necks, beaks and legs, the department has made it convenient for anyone with an Internet connection to enjoy this thrilling wildlife-watching experience. This marks the third year that a “crane cam” will live stream the wintering habits of the cranes at the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area.

The live stream can be viewed at HERE. It even has audio. The best time to see the birds is about the first hour after sunrise, before they leave the roost to feed for the morning. The cranes usually return later in the morning (before noon) and remain at the wildlife area for the rest of the day. On occasion, the birds will fly out to feed again in the afternoon and return at dusk.

The department will do its best to keep the camera focused on the cranes, but there might be times when that’s not possible due to the unpredictability of wildlife. Viewers who don’t see activity are encouraged to check back on a routine basis.

Follow-Up Discussion of Draft Queen Creek TMDL Report

SUPERIOR – The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) will hold a second public meeting to discuss the draft Queen Creek Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report.

This public meeting will take place on Monday, November 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Superior Town Hall Auditorium 199 North Lobb Avenue Superior, AZ 85173

A TMDL defines the total amount of a particular constituent or pollutant which can be introduced into a water body without causing an exceedance of state surface water quality standards.

The TMDL process enlists the participation of stakeholder groups and other interested parties to assist in identifying possible sources of pollution, to allocate loads of those pollutants in accordance with the objectives of the analysis, and to identify the most reasonable measures that should be implemented in order for the stream to achieve surface water quality standards.

View Draft TMDL, Public Notice & associated documents.

Please direct any questions you have regarding this event to Kyle Palmer, 602-771-4540; Email palmer.kyle@azdeq.gov.