The 12 Days of Williams: August 2014

Williams started August with rain and hail so heavy that it caused traffic to slow to the speed limit.

The weather caused some beautiful displays in Williams.

Congressional Democrats were so busy complaining about obstruction by the Republicans that they forgot to pass over 350 bills which languished on the desk of Harry Reid. Steve Stockman of Texas introduced a bill to address the border crisis. Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas submitted her own proposal. This probably helped Independent voter registration to rise in Arizona.

The Panama Canal saw its 100th anniversary.

Senate Web Site photo

Senate Web Site photo

Deputy County Attorney Ammon Barker received Prosecutor of the Year Award.

Arizona State Senator Chester Crandell passed away in August. Former State Senator Sylvia Allen was chosen to replace him on the ballot in November.

Using sophisticated statistical analysis, the Northern Arizona Gazette predicted the outcome of the city council race in Williams. Primary 2014 had few surprises.

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Cool Country Cruise-In returned to Williams. (See Also)

Friends of the Williams Aquatic Center held a pool party.
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The annual Thunder Over Coconino event was held in Valle.

A 38-year-old male was arrested for trespassing on a houseboat on Lake Powell and apparently holding a party. A man turned himself in for sexual misconduct with a minor. A Flagstaff man was arrested for sexual assault.

Coconino County Sheriff Photo

Coconino County Sheriff Photo

Coconino County Deputies were called to investigate a man struck by lightning and participated in an armed intruder response exercise.

The Coconino County Sheriff and Flagstaff Police warned against phone scams.

A serious accident occurred on I-40 near Bellemont.

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Williams held its annual Labor Day weekend celebration.
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Deaths
Arizona State Senator Chester Crandell

The 12 Days of Williams: July 2014

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let-freedom-ringSheriff Julian Whittington of Bossier Parish, Louisiana vowed that the ACLU would not stop the second annual “In God We Trust” rally. One editorial noted that it “…followed the best of our traditions.” He took the line from the Supreme Court decision of Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306 in which they stated:

We are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being. We guarantee the freedom to worship as one chooses. We make room for as wide a variety of beliefs and creeds as the spiritual needs of man deem necessary. We sponsor an attitude on the part of government that shows no partiality to any one group and that lets each flourish according to the zeal of its adherents and the appeal of its dogma. When the state encourages religious instruction or cooperates with religious authorities by adjusting the schedule of public events to sectarian needs, it follows the best of our traditions. For it then respects the religious nature of our people and accommodates the public service to their spiritual needs.

James_MadisonIn preparation for the Independence Day holiday, we presented a good read from the “Father of the Constitution,” James Madison. His paper, known as Property or On Property, is one of his unpublished papers reflecting his thoughts on what property is. Here is another thought by our fourth President. You might be interested in some thoughts on the Tenth Amendment. Here is a quote from Thomas Jefferson.

A newspaper owned by Benjamin Franklin which became available at an auction contained a simple report of a significant event in American history. It confirms that Independence was actually declared on July 2.

In the midst of celebrating our Independence, the administration allegedly celebrated by suing an American company for requiring their workers to speak English. In Mississippi a disgruntled former employee entered Keith’s Superstore and stabbed the manager eight times. A concealed carry permit holder chased the criminal down and held him for police. The manager then posted no guns signs.

Arizona was accused in court of denying drivers licenses to immigrants. This, of course, is a lie. Arizona denied licenses to illegal aliens. Recently the courts ordered Arizona to start issuing licenses to illegal aliens. Arizona was accused of batching an execution because Joseph Rudolph Wood III snored before he died. Unlike his victims who died in pain.

KOREAJuly 27 is a day to honor Korean War veterans in Arizona.

After the devastating Slide Rock fire, State Route 89A and Oak Creek Canyon businesses started opening.

The forest near Williams suffered some lightning caused fires. 32-year old Rocky Deibler of Williams lost his life in a one vehicle accident near Williams. An inmate committed suicide at the Coconino County Detention Facility.

Bearizona held its annual Backwoods BBQ.

The sun came out tomorrow

sno150101-36WILLIAMS – If there is any truth to the wives tale that what you are doing on New Year’s day you will be doing the rest of the year, it should make the City of Williams happy. With the water problems the city has experienced, a reported 14″ of snow fell on Williams on New Year’s day. Flagstaff received 18″ while Mountainaire topped out at 20″.
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There was expected to be a few more inches on New Year’s day, but instead the sun came out. The blanket of snow, though not enough to stay the water problem, was a beautiful sight. Since then the weather has been warm and the snow has been melting off.
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The long range forecast shows sunny and warm through Friday when the next amount of precipitation should occur. Flagstaff has a 30% chance for a dusting of snow on Saturday and rain through Monday. Williams can expect rain showers through Monday.
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This should help melt off much of any remaining snow, but could cause icy road conditions. Temperatures should remain in the mid-40s dropping to mid-20s overnight.

A funny thing about the weather

santa-fe-201412270-02WILLIAMS – Friday night I came home after walking the dog in about 25-degree temperature. The wind chill factor made it seem more like about 18-degrees. A friend reported that overnight temperatures reached the predicted 12-degrees.

I turned on the news and the Phoenix weather man reported that it was going to get cold in Phoenix and that temperatures had already dropped to 40-degrees in some areas.

That was more than our daytime temperature.

This being our coldest month, Williams and Flagstaff can expect a chance of rain and snow showers starting Tuesday through Friday with a possibility of about 3-inches, according to the long range forecast.

The highest temperature expected will be about 38-degrees tomorrow dropping to around 33 on New Year’s Day. The low at night will be about 17 tomorrow dropping to about 14-degrees on the First of January.
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While the cool weather has caused ice to form on top of the Santa Fe reservoir and kept snow on the ground, so far it is not near enough to affect a change in the water situation of the northern Arizona.

Flagstaff police officer shot by a suspect

flagstaffpdFLAGSTAFF – A Flagstaff police officer was shot at about 1:30 p.m. today by a “person of interest” in a domestic violence complaint. The officer was shot in the face by the suspect who was subsequently killed.

The officer is listed in critical condition at the Flagstaff Medical Center.

SEE ALSO: FLAGScanner

It might look a lot like Christmas

640sno141218-67WILLIAMS – There is a 20% chance of snow for Williams and Flagstaff on Christmas day after 11 am. Little accumulation is expected though it will snow over over night Thursday returning to clear and sunny Friday. The breezy weather will cause a chill factor making it feel colder than the predicted 40-degree weather. Ash Fork will be mostly sunny.

Snow today, gone tomorrow

Clouds covers Bill Williams mountain.

Clouds covers Bill Williams mountain.

There is a chance of snow in the afternoon for Williams while Flagstaff may get some more snow overnight. Accumulation of snow will be less than 1-inch.

The long range forecast shows temperatures returning to around 50 during the day through Wednesday dropping to around 30s at night.

Some still found ways to enjoy what little snow we are receiving.
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Robbery at the Highway 89 Express Stop

FLAGSTAFF – On Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at approximately 9:57 pm a 911 dispatcher received the report of a robbery that had just occurred at 4525 N. Highway 89 at the Express Stop.

During the investigation deputies learned that a male approximately 5’6” to 5’7” in height and last seen wearing all black clothing with his face covered, walked into the Express Stop and handed the clerk a note instructing her to empty the register. The clerk gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of cash. After taking the money the suspect exited the business and walked in a westerly direction towards the Wendy’s Restaurant.

Investigators believe the suspect waited until no customers were in the store before he approached the victim handing her the written note. Witnesses who were outside of the store reported seeing a male who was acting in a suspicious manner, possibly of Native American decent loitering in the parking lot just before the robbery occurred.

A Sheriff’s Deputy and her K-9 dog responded to the scene in an attempt to track the suspect’s scent. The dog followed a scent to a wooded area located west of the El Paso Natural Gas facilities at which point the K-9 appeared to lose the scent. No contact was made with any potential suspects.

Individuals who believe they may have information about this robbery or the identity or location of a possible suspect are urged to call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 774-4523 or toll free at 1-800-338-7888 or Silent Witness at (928)774-6111.

Master Chorale performance Sunday

peaks141209-07FLAGSTAFF – The Master Chorale is having their Christmas program this Sunday (Dec 14) at 3 pm. “Christmas in the Mountains” will be performed at the Ardrey Auditorium, NAU campus. A perfect addition to make this time of year even more special. For more information contact Shaula Watson.

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, December 18, 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. This will be our end of the year Holiday Pot-Luck meeting, so all participants are asked to prepare and bring their favorite Holiday dish.

Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll will be at the meeting to encourage continued neighborhood participation and to share information. District 4 Supervisor Mandy Metzger will be present to share information from Coconino County Government. 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.

Our guest speaker will be Joe Meehan who is the former director of the Pioneer Museum. Mr. Meehan will give a very interesting and educational presentation on the History of the Doney Park area. All residents of the Doney Park area are welcome and encouraged to attend.