Category Archives: National Government

Some of us did not have a Merry Christmas nor a Happy New Year

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IRAN – While you were passing presents amongst yourselves and hoisting a glass to a mythical baby with a 2015 banner, American hostages were languishing in an Iranian prison.

saeedAccording to his wife, Naghmeh, Pastor Saeed Abedini—who has been in prison for over two years and subject to harsh beatings for his Christian Faith—is in severe pain. The American Center for Law and Justice posted a portion of a letter he wrote which described his difficulty and how his Christian faith has seen him through.

The ACLJ was also gratified when Obama noted the plight of Pastor Saeed at the National Prayer Meeting held in Washington D.C. in February of 2014. In September, a UN panel “blasted” Iran over the imprisonment of Saeed.

Amir_Mirza_Hekmati_USMCPastor Saeed is not the only prisoner being held by the terrorist regime. Amir Hekmati, a former United States Marine, is also being held. Rumors have surfaced that the lawyer for Hekmati, Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaei, was quoted as saying that a proposal was made for a prisoner exchange. It was allegedly sent from the Administration was sent to the Iranian government via the Swiss embassy. The rumor was denied by Washington.

Hekmati was born in Flagstaff, Arizona and served as a U.S. Marine from August 2001 to 2005. He obtained the rank of sergeant. He was a translator in Iraq but received no military intelligence training. He was arrested for spying.
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Jason Rezaian holds dual American and Iranian citizenship and was working as the bureau chief for the Washington Post in Tehran since 2012. He was arrested in July for unspecified charges. According to his family, Iranian judiciary has held him without bail and access to legal representation.

According to U.S. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke, the prisoner exchange rumor is false, but the U.S. does call for the release of American prisoners and to assist in locating Robert Levinson.

Robert Levinson was a former DEA and FBI agent turned private investigator who was in Iran allegedly researching a cigarette smuggling case. He was taken hostage, according to reports, by Iranian security forces on March 9, 2007 and has not been seen since.

Fire equipment vendors invited to information session

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FREDONIA – The USDA Forest Service Southwestern Region announces an information meeting for vendors interested in providing resources to support wildfires and other emergency incidents. The meeting is scheduled Jan. 7, 2015, from 1 to 4 p.m. MST via video teleconference at Forest Service offices throughout Arizona.

The meeting will discuss a variety of topics including the following:

  • How to become a government vendor
  • How to locate and respond to solicitations through the Virtual Incident Procurement (VIPR) system
  • How to read and understand contract requirements for specific equipment

The Southwestern Region is seeking competitive quotations for the following resources for fiscal year 2015:

  • Miscellaneous Heavy Equipment (Feller Bunchers, Masticators, Road Graders, Skidders)
  • Mobile Laundry Units
  • Potable & Gray Water Trucks and Trailer-Mounted Handwashing Stations

Interested vendors can obtain copies of the solicitations at https://www.fbo.gov. Type VIPR into the keyword search box and press Search to obtain a list of VIPR solicitations from all over the country. Look for the ones from the Southwestern Region, Region 3.

Vendors can attend the meeting at the following Kaibab National Forest office location:

North Kaibab Ranger District
430 South Main, Fredonia, AZ
(928) 643-7395

Other Forest Service office locations in Arizona that will be hosting the session are as follows:

  • Apache-Sitgreaves NFs—Supervisor’s Office, 30 S. Chiricahua Drive, Springerville, AZ
  • Coconino NF — Supervisor’s Office, 1824 S. Thompson Street, Flagstaff, AZ
  • Prescott Fire Center, 2400 Melville Road, Prescott, AZ
  • Tonto NF—Supervisor’s Office, 2324 East McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ
  • Tucson Fire Center, 2646 E. Commerce Center Place, Tucson, AZ

 

For information about VIPR, go to http://www.fs.fed.us/business/incident/vipr.php or contact Anne Weiskircher, Region 3 Fire Contracting Officer at aweiskircher@fs.fed.us.

Forest Service closes Bill Williams Mountain Road for winter

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WILLIAMS – The Kaibab National Forest is closing the Bill Williams Mountain Road, also known as Forest Road 111, for the winter season beginning at 8 a.m. Dec. 24.

The steep and winding road, which goes to the top of Bill Williams Mountain just south of the City of Williams, is closed seasonally to ensure public safety during snow season.

The temporary closure will be lifted in the spring after the snow and ice thaw.

Not just clouds in the sky

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640-141218-85WILLIAMS – There are not only clouds over Williams. The Kaibab Forest Service is burning piles of debris while the weather is so pleasant. There was not enough snow, however, to burn as much as they wanted. You can expect more pile burns as weather permits.
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Wyatt J. Martin killed in action in Afghanistan

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morris-martinPHOENIX – Governor Jan Brewer ordered flags at half-staff for the death of an Arizona soldier. Specialist Wyatt J. Martin of Mesa was killed on Friday, December 12 along with Sgt. 1st Class Ramon S. Morris of New York city. The pair died as a result of a homemade bomb in Parwan Province in Afghanistan.

Specialist Martin joined the Army in August of 2012. He was assigned to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry in June 2014.

The proclamation of the governor reads:

I have ordered that flags at all state office buildings be lowered to half-staff from sunrise until sunset Monday, December 15, 2014, in honor of United States Army Specialist Wyatt J. Martin, 22, of Mesa, Arizona.

Specialist Martin died Friday, December 12, in Parwan Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. According to initial reports, Specialist Martin died of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

He was assigned to A Company, 3rd Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Please join me in offering a prayer for Specialist Martin, for his loved ones, and for all the men and women who have risked and given their lives to preserve and protect freedom throughout the world.

North Zone Fire Managers Plan More Pile Burns

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forestFREDONIA – With the predicted onset of snow this weekend on the Kaibab Plateau, North Zone Fire Managers plan to begin preparations for burning hand piles at multiple locations across the North Kaibab Ranger District.

It is estimated that 100-200 acres of hand piles may be burned if weather conditions are agreeable.

Forest visitors should be aware that the planned treatment areas include Stina Point and the Dry Park Lookout area.

Generally, the pile burn season is an annual winter objective for fire crews to take advantage of snow conditions to burn piles and remove these fuels from the forest floor.

Fire managers will continue to monitor forecasts prior to igniting piles and burns will only be initiated if conditions are within established parameters for safe, effective fuel reduction treatments.

Weather conditions must allow for safe burning and the elimination of any threat of fire spreading to surrounding vegetation; pile burning will continue throughout the winter as weather permits.

All prescribed burning on the Kaibab National Forest is subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

For additional information regarding the North Kaibab Ranger District pile burns, contact the North Zone Fuels Specialist, Dave Robinson, at (928) 643-8138.

Fire managers to burn piles as winter weather moves into area

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WILLIAMS – Kaibab National Forest fire managers plan to begin burning slash piles in multiple locations across both the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts as an approaching weather system is forecast to bring rain, snow and cooler temperatures to northern Arizona over the weekend. Piles are the result of past forest health and restoration treatments and are primarily composed of small-diameter trees, branches, twigs, pine needles and other remaining tree slash. The goal of pile burning is to remove fuels in the forest, lessening the potential for spread of future wildland fires and improving overall forest health conditions. In order to limit the chances of fire from a pile burn spreading into nearby trees or other fuels, fire managers often ignite piles just prior to or during snow or rain events.

Williams Ranger District

There are six areas of slash piles on the Williams Ranger District that fire managers plan to ignite this winter.

  • As early as today, fire managers are looking to burn 56 acres of piles on the south side of Davenport Hill north of Forest Road 140. Smoke from the pile burn may be visible in the Sherwood Forest Estates subdivision and from Interstate 40.
  • There are about 85 acres of piles near the Elephant Rocks Golf Course in Williams that are scheduled to be burned once snow flies. When these piles are ignited, residents of the Highland Meadows subdivision may notice some lingering smoke overnight.
  • The large slash pile at Moonset Pit in Parks will need to be burned once sufficient snow is on the ground. During much of the year, the Forest Service allows local residents to use the pit to dispose of woody debris from private property as a way to encourage creating defensible space. Each winter, the pit needs to be burned in order to allow that community service to continue. When the Moonset Pit pile is burned, smoke will be visible for several days due to its large size.
  • About 26 acres of piles are scheduled to be burned in the Brannigan Park area east of Parks. Minimal smoke impacts are anticipated.
  • There are 197 acres of piles in the McCracken project area that will be burned when conditions are appropriate. These piles are located near the junction of County Highway 73 and Forest Road 110 about 9 miles south of Williams. When the piles are burned, localized smoke impacts are likely, but these will dissipate rapidly.
  • Fire managers hope to burn 124 acres of piles on High School Hill just east of Williams once there is sufficient snow. Depending on conditions, the piles may be burned in segments over multiple days or all on a single day. Smoke from this pile burn will be visible from Williams and Interstate 40.

Tusayan Ranger District

Fire managers plan to burn two areas of slash piles on the Tusayan Ranger District as soon as conditions are appropriate.

  • There are 100 acres of piles just west of Grand Canyon Airport. Fire managers will look for the opportunity to burn the piles when there is an east wind, which will push smoke away from the airport and the Town of Tusayan. Given that east winds are predicted Monday, fire managers hope to begin ignitions then.
  • About 12 miles east of Tusayan near Russell Tank, there are another 100 acres of piles that need to be burned. Given the location of these piles, impacts to Tusayan are not anticipated.

Forest service announces job fair in Flagstaff

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forest-01FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino and Kaibab National Forests are hosting two Job Information Sessions to provide information on employment and career opportunities with the Forest Service.

The first session is scheduled for Dec. 12 from 1 to 6 p.m. The second session is Dec. 13 from 9 a.m. to noon. Both sessions will be held at the Flagstaff YMCA, 1001 N. Turquoise Dr., Flagstaff.

Safeway Recalls Safeway Select French Salted Caramel (Fleur De Sel) Premium Ice Cream

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safeway-select-ice-cream-18489PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway is voluntarily recalling Safeway Select French Salted Caramel (Fleur De Sel) Premium Ice Cream sold in all Safeway-owned stores from November 4, 2014 through December 5, 2014 due to the inclusion of an undeclared peanut allergen.

People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. The recalled product is in a 1.5 quart package and displays the following UPC Code and Best Before Date.

Product Name UPC Code Best Before Date
Safeway Select French Salted Carmel (Fleur De Sel) Premium Ice Cream 21130 08970 Nov 03 2015

The UPC Code is located on the side panel. The Best Before Date is located on the bottom of the package.

No illnesses or injuries have been reported. The recipe’s caramel cups ingredient was replaced with peanut butter cups due to a supply error.

The recalled Safeway Select French Salted Caramel (Fleur De Sel) Premium Ice Cream was sold in all Safeway, Carrs, Genuardi’s, Pak ‘N Save, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Vons stores throughout the United States.

Customers are asked to discard the product or return it to their local store for a full refund. Customers who have questions about the recall can contact Safeway at 1-877-SAFEWAY.

Nebraska Firm Recalls Pork Belly Product Produced Without Import Inspection

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WASHINGTON – Quality Meats, Inc., an Omaha, Neb., establishment, is recalling approximately 44,372 pounds of frozen pork belly product because they were not presented at the border for USDA-FSIS Import Inspection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. This is a Class I recall since the benefit of full inspection, a possibility of adverse health consequences exists.

Product subject to recall includes:

  1. Various weight cases of “rosderra IRISH MEATS Swine Pork Belly”

The Frozen Pork Single Ribbed Bellies product was packaged March 18, 2014 through April 10, 2014. The product subject to recall bears the Ireland establishment number “IE 356 EC.” This product was shipped to retail establishments and distributors in Georgia, Illinois, and Washington where the products would have been repackaged.

The problem was discovered during a routine review using the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) database. ACE is a web-based portal for the collection and use of international trade data maintained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

FSIS and the company have received no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a healthcare provider.

FSIS issues a Public Health Alert for an imported product when the country of origin recalls the product. FSIS issues a recall for imported product when the product is not presented for inspection at the U.S. border.

A failure-to-present (FTP) occurs when importers fail to present a shipment to FSIS for import inspection prior to the product entering U.S. commerce. Failure-to-present will result in the recall of the product.