Category Archives: Counties

Veterans Court not just for Stand Down

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stand-down-1FLAGSTAFF — Tomorrow is the third annual High Country Stand Down organized by Philan Tree—Assistant to Coconino County Supervisor Mandy Metzger. The event will open with the posting of the colors at 10 a.m. and run until 3 p.m.

The services that will be available are numerous. There will be hot meals, hygiene kits, and clothing and survival gear available. Services include notary, dental, vision, medical care and pet food and care.

The services and products are free and available to any veterans that require them.

There will be a special version of Veterans Court held by Judge Cathleen Brown Nichols and Flagstaff Justice of the Peace Howard Grodman. Veterans with warrants for arrest that can be transferred to Veterans Court can have them removed at this special session.

DNA legal services of Flagstaff will be available for consultation at the event.

The Veterans Court is a service of the Coconino Superior Court system and the other judicial courts of Coconino County. It is not just available at the High Country Stand Down. This special court meets the first and third Thursday of each month at 1:30 p.m. Warrants that are transferable to this special court setting may be eliminated at this special court system, but possible penalties are subject to the laws of the State of Arizona.

In an interview with Justice of the Peace Rob Krombeen of the Williams Justice Court, he noted the significant savings to taxpayers to quash outstanding warrants.

Judge Krombeen said, “[W]hen you look at the out-come from a warrant arrest—the police involvement, the detention facility involvement, and then everything else that has to happen to get that defendant back into court—there’s a significant cost.

“In fact, Maricopa County did a study this last year, and through their research down in their county they found that a warrant arrest cost the taxpayer about 793 and some-odd cents. So it’s a significant amount of money per warrant that acutally ends up being closed by arrest. So this is saving, literally, thousands of dollars by getting folks to voluntarily appear and get their cases back underway.”

The special Veterans Court at the Stand Down is empowered to hear cases from all judicial jurisdictions in Coconino County. Veterans can also obtain more information about the Veterans Court system at the Stand Down.

Philan Tree, organizer of the event, said that last year over 200 veterans took advantage of the services last year. She said that there could be as many as 500 this year because the word is getting around about the event.

Public Meeting for State Route 260 widening set for May 20 in Camp Verde

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, will host a public information meeting on Wednesday, May 20, in Camp Verde to discuss the upcoming State Route 260 widening project that is slated to begin in spring 2016.

The $62 million safety improvement project in Yavapai County will upgrade a nine-mile segment of SR 260 from a two-lane roadway to a four-lane, modern divided highway east of Cottonwood between Thousand Trails Road and the Interstate 17 junction in Camp Verde (mileposts 209-218).

This project is the final step in transforming SR 260 into a continuous four-lane divided highway between the I-17/SR 260 junction and Cottonwood to enhance safety and improve traffic flow for the Greater Verde Valley area, which includes the communities of Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Jerome, Sedona and Camp Verde.

The project will include the construction of seven full-access roundabout intersections at Thousand Trails Road, Coury Drive, Cherry Creek Road, Horseshoe Bend Drive, Wilshire Road and two new locations to accommodate future traffic demands and meet the forecasted commercial and residential development in the area.

The May 20 meeting will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. (presentation starts at 6 p.m.) at the Cliff Castle Casino Hotel, 555 Middle Verde Road in Camp Verde. Members of the project team will be available to provide information, answer questions and discuss the project.

Local Attorneys Given the Opportunity to Advertise Services in Detention Facility

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FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has developed a unique program by which attorneys are given the opportunity to advertise their services at the Coconino County Detention Facility.

Attorneys who choose to invest in this advertising will be able to reach out to individuals who may be in need of legal services. At the same time, an advertising purchase will assist in funding important programs in the Coconino County Detention Facility to include the Inmate Welfare Fund.

The cost of advertisement displayed in a 14” x 11” space in the detention lobby is $5,000 per year. This works out to a little more than $400 per month which is far cheaper than many other forms of advertising. The cost includes the cost of printing a color poster of personalized advertisement and the acrylic display frame with a holder for business cards.

The advertisements in the lobby can assist individuals coming into the jail lobby in connecting with legal assistance. All moneys generated from renting an advertisement space will go to the Inmate Welfare Fund which supports important programs such as Exodus (our in-custody drug and alcohol treatment program), re-entry programs, and other services that directly benefit our inmate population.

Is there snow in your future?

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20121214flagFLAGSTAFF/WILLIAMS — The long-rage weather forecast shows a slight chance of rain and snow on Wednesday for Williams and Flagstaff. There is another chance next Sunday. Little or no accumulation is expected.

Otherwise temperatures will hang between 50 and 60 during the day with temperatures just above 20s at night.

There is a hazardous wind advisory for tomorrow for Apache, Coconino, Northern Gila, Navajo and Yavapai counties. Wind gusts of 40 miles-per-hour are expected across Coconino County.

A fire watch will be in effect Monday for the northeast quarter of the State.

Board of Supervisor regular session April 7

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Coconino-County-4FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Board of Supervisors meets next Tuesday, April 7 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Board of Supervisors First Floor Meeting Room, 219 E. Cherry Ave, Flagstaff.

They remind you that if you are carrying electronic devices, that they are set to silence before the meeting begins.

Some highlights of the meeting include:

  • Approve the request to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey to designate Coconino County as a Local Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Area under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014.
  • Approve the appointment of John Lamb as Justice of the Peace Pro Tempore for Coconino County, February 9, 2015, through June 30, 2015, on an as-needed basis.
  • Approve the renewal of the contract with GPS Monitoring Solutions for an additional one (1) year term to provide home detention, electronic monitoring and continuous alcohol monitoring of clients in all four (4) Justice Courts and in Superior Court. The term of the renewal is from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.
  • Approve the budget amendment and grant award totaling $22,200 from the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) Substance Abuse Prevention and Education Program for the term of 4/1/15 – 9/30/15 for drug tests and substance abuse assessments for those clients that are court-ordered and require a thorough assessment for treatment/prevention referrals for Integrated Family Court and DUI/Drug Court.
  • Approve a Grant Award, Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning (HMEP) Grant FFY 2015, Grant Award Agreement Number, HM-HMP-0454-01-00 for the amount of $5700 from the Arizona Emergency Response Commission (AZSERC) and a budget adjustment of $6567.
  • Approve the purchase of two (2) vehicles under Arizona State Contract No. ADSPO12-01667 from San Tan Ford in the amount of $57,546.66.
  • Pass and adopt Flood Control District Resolution 2015-01 authorizing and directing District staff and legal counsel to accept the counter offer made by the Defendants in settlement of Cause Number CV 2014-00390, and to execute any documents that may be necessary to carry out the purpose of the resolution.

Brief Agenda (PDF)

Fleas Test Positive for Plague in Picture Canyon

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640px-HookeFlea01FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County Public Health Services District (CCPHSD) officials confirmed that fleas collected in Picture Canyon, a popular hiking area located in northeast Flagstaff, tested positive for plague (Yersinia pestis).

Picture Canyon is located east of Highway 89 North, and north of Interstate 40 and Old Route 66.

The tests were recently conducted by the Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics at Northern Arizona University.

CCPHSD Environmental Health staff collects and tests flea samples from locations throughout the County. The recent samples were collected from burrows located along the Picture Canyon hiking trails. Visitors to the area are asked to avoid rodent burrows and keep dogs on a leash as required by Arizona State law.

The CCPHSD and the City of Flagstaff have notified nearby residents of the situation and posted signage at the trailheads. The burrows are being treated and the area will be closely monitored to determine if further action is required.

This positive test is the first evidence of plague activity reported in the County this year. While this is the only location within the County where the plague has been confirmed, the disease is endemic to areas throughout the County and may be more widespread.

The CCPHSD is urging the public to take precautions to reduce their risk of exposure to this serious disease, which can be present in rodents, rabbits, and sometimes predators that feed upon these animals. The disease can be transmitted to humans and other animals by the bite of an infected flea or by direct contact with an infected animal.

Symptoms in humans generally appear within two to six days following exposure and include the following: fever, chills, headache, weakness, muscle pain, and swollen lymph glands (called “buboes”) in the groin, armpits, or limbs. The disease can become septicemic (spreading throughout the bloodstream) and/or pneumonic (affecting the lungs), but is curable with proper antibiotic therapy if diagnosed and treated early.

Additional Information: PDF

Coconino County Board of Supervisors meet tomorrow in support of illegal immigration

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300-illegal-alienFLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Board of Supervisors will be conducting a special executive session (PDF) tomorrow at 10 a.m. on the first floor board room in Flagstaff. The location is 219 E. Cherry Avenue.

In this session the Board of Supervisors will discuss the possibility of filing an amicus brief in support of President Obama and the defendants in Texas v. United States, No. 1:14-cv-254 (PDF). This is case in which a Texas federal judge ordered a cease to executive orders stopping deportation of illegal aliens. The case is in the 5th Circuit Court while Arizona is part of the 9th Circuit Court.

The session is an executive session, which means there will be no discussion allowed by the public.

Texas and 13 other States and several governors have filed suit against the United States representatives who have decided not to enforce the immigration laws passed by Congress.

Upcoming Neighborhood Watch meetings for Doney Park and Timberline/Fernwood areas

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FLAGSTAFF — 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, April 2, 2015. 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.

In Timberline/Fernwood, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll and Coconino County Supervisor Liz Archuleta would like to invite residents to the monthly Neighborhood Watch meeting on Tuesday, April 7, 2015. 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 Highway 89N. Members of the Sheriff’s Office staff will be at the meeting to share information and encourage continued neighborhood participation.

The guest speaker at both events will be Charlotte Peterson who is an Animal Management Officer for Coconino County. Charlotte will speak about animal abuse, animal hoarding and will give a broad overview of the animal management department and county ordinances that pet owners should be aware of.

Community Deputies will be available to answer questions and provide support to this partnership between law abiding citizens, law enforcement and county government.

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.

PROPOSED ARIZONA POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (AZPDES) PERMIT DENIAL

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Pursuant to the Clean Water Act and in accordance with Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) R18-9-B903(C) the Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) proposes to deny an Arizona Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (AZPDES) Permit to discharge pollutants to Waters of the United States to the following applicant:

Public Notice No. 15-44                   Published on Friday, March 13, 2015
Published in the Prescott Courier

AZPDES Permit No. AZ0025925
Chimney Ranch Mobile Home Park, LLC
P.O. Box 1012
Rocklin, CA 95677

Chimney Ranch Mobile Home Park, LLC applied for a renewal AZPDES permit for the discharge of up to 0.017 million gallons per day (mgd) of treated domestic wastewater from the Chimney Ranch Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to the Big Bug Creek in the Middle Gila River Basin in Township 12 N, Range 1 E, Section 23, in Yavapai County, Arizona. ADEQ proposes to deny the application for the AZPDES permit pursuant to A.A.C. R18-1-507(C). This preliminary decision is based on the applicant’s failure to sufficiently respond to all items in the notice of administrative deficiencies sent February 10, 2014, the Second Notice of Administrative Deficiencies sent July 3, 2014 and a follow-up notice sent on October 7, 2014.

The public notice and related documentation also are available for public review, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the ADEQ Records Center, 1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix, Arizona, 85007. In Phoenix, please call (602) 771-4380 or e-mail recordscenter@azdeq.gov 24 hours in advance to schedule an appointment to review the file.

Persons may submit comments or request a public hearing on the proposed action in writing, to Jacqueline Maye, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division, 1110 W. Washington St., 5415B-3, Phoenix, Arizona 85007. All written comments received by ADEQ by the close of business on the date 30 days after publication of this notice will be considered in the final permit decision. A public hearing request must be in writing and must include the reasons for such request. If there is a significant degree of public interest, the Director will hold a hearing in accordance with A.A.C. R18-9-A908(B).

 

Woman held in Doney Park death

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300susan-jacobsonFLAGSTAFF – Coconino County Sheriff detectives are continuing to investigate and conduct additional interviews in the death of 54-year-old Marvin Neal James at his home in the Doney Park neighborhood. Investigators believe this crime occurred sometime between the late night hours of Wednesday, February 25, 2015 and the early morning hours of Thursday, February 26, 2015.

Susan Joy Jacobson remains in the Coconino County Detention Facility on a $500,000 bail in connection with the death.

On Friday, February 27, 2015 at approximately 5:00 pm 43 year-old Susan Joy Jacobson came to the Law Enforcement Administration Facility and initially spoke with a Flagstaff Police Officer who subsequently referred her to speak with a Sheriff’s Deputy.

When Susan met with the deputy, she informed him that she shot and killed Marvin Neal James. She further disclosed that his body was still inside their home. While the interview continued, deputies went to the residence, looked through a window and observed what they believed to be Mr. James’s body. A search warrant was obtained for the residence.

While interviewing Susan Jacobson detectives obtained a general description of the location of the gun used in the commission. On Saturday, February 28 members of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit conducted an evidence retrieval line search in the area Jacobson described. They located a handgun that was wrapped in plastic and buried.

While in custody, she gave birth to a second child she has in common with James. The couple also has a three year old.