Lake Mead is shrinking — and with it Las Vegas’ water supply

LAKE MEAD, Nev.—When you head out on Nevada’s Lake Mead, the first thing you notice is a white line. That’s where the water used to be.

What did this look like a decade ago?

“This was all underwater,” said Pat Mulroy, the general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority. “I mean boats were everywhere. There was a whole marina here.”

Mulroy said that the drought began 14 years ago. Satellite photos show the Colorado River, which feeds Lake Mead, is drying up — so the lake is rapidly shrinking. Islands are growing, and boats are floating far from where they once were.

Read more at CBS News

More than 1,800 vets’ records intentionally destroyed or misfiled by 2 clerks

The National Archives at St. Louis has shelving that reaches 29-feet high for the storage of military records.

The National Archives at St. Louis has shelving that reaches 29-feet high for the storage of military records.

By Robert Patrick
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

ST. LOUIS —More than 1,800 personnel records for U.S. veterans were destroyed or misfiled by two student employees of the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis County, federal criminal court documents show.

One of the student employees, Lonnie Halkmon, 28, was sentenced Thursday to two years of probation and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service. The other, Stanley Engram, 21, is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 7. Both pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government records and faced probation to six months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.

Engram’s guilty plea says that 241 military records were found in the woods near the center on July 3, 2012, with 300 names and Social Security numbers visible on the documents.

The records were traced to Engram, who admitted disposing of the records found in the woods, “abandoning” files in the center and throwing them away at home. In all, he admitted destroying or purposely misfiling more than 1,000 records.

Read more at Stars and Stripes

Snow predicted through next week.

snow-20140131Snow possibility is predicted by the National Weather Service through next Thursday. While this is only the beginning of our heavy snow period, it is questionable whether or not it will be enough to prevent a dangerous fire season this summer.

Today, 80% chance of snow is predicted with with a 40% chance overnight. Winds up to 18 mph with gusts to 32 are expected. Snow began to fall about 9:30 this morning, less than an inch is expected.

Saturday, snow is likely during the day after 11 with calmer southeast winds of 5-9 mph. The chance of snow drops to 40% overnight.

Sunday is expected to be clear with a 20% chance over Sunday night. Chance of snow increases Monday to 40% and drops to slight chance through Thursday of next week.

Overall snow accumulation could be about 3″. The heavy snow period for this area is usually February and March.

Timberline/Fernwood Neighborhood Watch Meeting

neighborhoodwatchFlagstaff––Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll and Coconino County Supervisor Liz Archuleta would like to invite residents of the Timberline and Fernwood communities to the monthly Neighborhood Watch meeting on Tuesday, February 4, 2014. The meeting will be held from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at Summit Fire Station 33, located at 6050 Firehouse Lane, off of North Highway 89. Members of the Sheriff’s Office staff will be at the meeting to share information and encourage continued neighborhood participation.

Paul Currivan who is a Coconino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Volunteer and participant of the Timberline Neighborhood Watch program will give a presentation on Driving Safety Tips during Inclement Weather. Community Deputy Robert Smith will give a presentation on Preparedness for and Survival of Severe Winter Weather.

Neighborhood Watch is similar to the Block Watch program commonly conducted in urban areas and goes back to the concept of “neighbors looking out for neighbors” that many people remember from 30 years ago. It is one of the most effective ways to prevent and deter criminal activity, attend to home and personal security, address the safety of our children and the elderly, and to alleviate fear and isolation. Residents learn how to observe and report suspicious activity and reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime.

For more information about the Neighborhood Watch program and the meeting schedule, please call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 226-5089.

Doney Park Neighborhood Watch Meeting

neighborhoodwatchFlagstaff—Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll and District 4 Supervisor Mandy Metzger would like to invite residents of the Doney Park community to attend the monthly Neighborhood Watch meeting on Thursday, February 6, 2014. The meeting will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Summit Fire District Station 32 and Administrative Offices located at 8905 Koch Field Road Flagstaff, AZ

Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll will be at the meeting to encourage continued neighborhood participation and to share information. Doney Park Community Deputies will be available to answer questions and provide support to this partnership between law abiding citizens, law enforcement and county government. District 4 Supervisor Mandy Metzger will be present to share information from Coconino County Government.

Supervisor Metzger will speak about forest access in the Doney Park area and will have a representative of the United States Forest Service on hand to answer questions. Michelle Hart who is an Adult Probation Officer III will speak about her assigned duties and will present an overview of the Coconino County Adult Probation Department.

Two Men Arrested for Attempted Homicide

suspectsFlagstaff—On Tuesday, January 28, 2014 at about 9:00 pm Coconino County Sheriff’s Detectives and Deputies arrested eighteen-year old Garrett McCabe of the Greater Flagstaff area and subsequently arrested nineteen year-old Christian Cordova also of Flagstaff both for Attempted Homicide in the first degree.

On January 28, 2014 at about 6:19 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center was advised that a victim arrived at an urgent care facility in Winslow, AZ suffering from multiple stab wounds to his shoulder and back which he had received during an attack that occurred in the earlier that day.

The nineteen-year-old male victim of Flagstaff arrived at a Winslow, AZ emergency room on the afternoon of January 28, 2014 with multiple stab wounds to his shoulder and upper torso. Deputies were able to contact the victim’s mother. The victim told his mother that an acquaintance he identified as Garrett McCabe and another unknown male later identified as Christian Cordova arranged to meet him near his house, drove him to a forested area off of Eden Springs Road where McCabe stabbed him multiple times with a knife. He was then driven to McCabe’s residence, where the suspects attempted to bandage his wounds. According to the victim he was eventually dropped off near his home and walked the remaining distance to his house. A family member drove the victim to a medical center located in Winslow. The victim told his mother that during the attack, he believed Christian Cordova chased him with a hatchet.

Deputies responded to Garrett McCabe’s residence and observed a small trail of blood droplets on the concrete driveway and on the handrail leading to the front door. Despite multiple attempts to summons an occupant to the front door, no one answered. Shortly after the Deputies arrival at the residence, a man arrived and identified himself as the owner of the home and as a relative of Garrett McCabe. He allowed Deputies to enter his residence and directed them to a bedroom where they found the suspect asleep. While inside the home, Deputies observed what they believed to be fresh droplets of blood on the floor. Garrett McCabe was transported to the Sheriff’s Office for questioning. During his interview with Detectives, McCabe made statements implicating himself in the offense of Attempted Homicide.

Late Wednesday, January 29, 2014 Detectives located and interviewed Christian Cordova at his place of employment in Flagstaff. During his conversation with detectives, Cordova made statements implicating himself in the crime of Attempted Homicide. Both Garrett McCabe and Christian Cordova are currently being held at the Coconino County Sheriff’s Detention Facility.

Two Vehicle Injury Collision Involving School Bus

Flagstaff—On Wednesday, January 29, 2014 at about 4:12 pm Coconino County Sheriff’s Emergency Dispatchers received multiple cell phone calls from individuals reporting a collision between a SUV and a school bus on Townsend Winona Road in the area of Lindsey Road. Several of the callers reported that the adult female driver of the SUV was trapped inside her vehicle.

Deputies assisted firefighters of the Summit Fire District in extricating the 66 year old female driver of the S.U.V. from her vehicle where she was trapped. Once emergency first responders were able to remove the driver, she received on-scene emergency medical care. The victim was then transported to the Flagstaff Medical Center Emergency Room by Guardian Medical Transport where she was treated for non-life threating injuries. The bus driver who was uninjured was the only occupant of the school bus as there were no student passengers.

Judging from information received during interviews with witnesses and physical evidence found on the roadway, investigators believe that just prior to the collision the S.U.V. was headed eastbound and the school bus was traveling in the west bound lane of Townsend Winona Road. For an unknown reason the S.U.V. partially left the west bound lane and crossed over into the east bound lane resulting in the driver’s side of the S.U.V. impacting the driver’s side front corner of the school bus. This collision remains under investigation.

Congressman in Drug Case Resigns Seat in Florida

28RADEL-master180WASHINGTON — Representative Trey Radel, Republican of Florida, who pleaded guilty in November to a misdemeanor charge of buying 3.5 grams of cocaine and was sentenced to a year of probation, resigned from Congress effective Monday evening.

Mr. Radel, 37, a freshman legislator, quietly returned to Congress in January after nearly a month at a private rehabilitation center in Naples, Fla., but he announced his resignation plans on Monday morning.

Referring to his “personal struggles,” Mr. Radel wrote to Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio, “While I have dealt with those issues on a personal level, it is my belief that professionally I cannot fully and effectively serve as a United States representative to the place I love and call home, Southwest Florida.”

When he was arrested, in Washington, Mr. Radel said he struggled “with the disease of alcoholism.”

His plan to resign was first reported by Politico.

Read more at The New York Times

Base Jumper Fatality at the Little Colorado River Canyon Area

Page—On Friday, January 24, 2014 at 5:30 pm Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies received a report of a possible base jumping fatality near the confluence of the Little Colorado River and main Colorado River channel. Friends of the base jumper waiting on the canyon floor reported him missing after he attempted a second jump from the canyon edge. After hiking out of the canyon they were able to see their missing friend approximately 2000 feet from the top of the canyon. Stather was using a popular wing suit and parachute worn by many jumpers in the sport.

Attempts to reach a 41 year old David Stather of Calgary, Canada by helicopter that evening were not possible due to darkness and lack of visibility. On Saturday, January 25 an Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter assisted Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Search and Rescue in locating Stather. He was confirmed deceased from his injuries due to a fall trauma. Stather was air lifted from the canyon.

David Stather was a well-known and respected respiratory therapist and surgeon at the Alberta Health Center in Canada. He is survived by his parents who reside in Guelph in the Ontario Province of Canada.

This incident is currently under investigation by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Homeowner’s son shoots, kills burglary suspect in Van Zandt County

DALLAS, Tx.—A man suspected of burglarizing a homeowner in Van Zandt County was shot and killed early Tuesday morning by the homeowners son.

The homeowner woke up to see a man burglarizing his pickup truck that was parked in his front yard. He approached the man with a rifle, intending to hold him until law enforcement could arrive, but the man fled the scene, according to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office.

The homeowner fired at the man and then noticed a truck parked in the dark near the roadway, which he believed belonged to the man so he got in the truck and took the keys out of the ignition to prevent him from leaving the scene. The man confronted the homeowner and disarmed him, assaulting him with the rifle, authorities said.

The homeowners son saw the man raising the rifle and, fearing the man was about to shoot his father, shot the suspect, killing him instantly.

More at Dallas News