Category Archives: News

Applications sought to fill Maine Consolidated Governing Board vacancies

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FLAGSTAFF – Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Risha VanderWey is seeking applicants for three vacant seats on the Maine Consolidated Unified School District 10 Governing Board.

Per MCUSD Bylaws, the appointments will be two-year terms ending December 31, 2020. Applicants must be Arizona registered voters and residents of the school district for at least one year prior to the date of appointment. Applicants or their spouses can’t be an employee of the district.

Application information:

· Download the application here http://www.coconino.az.gov/schoolboardapplication
· Deadline to submit the application is January 31, 2018
· Submit by email esorg@coconino.az.gov (Live signature on original application is required)
· Submit by fax 928 526-1469 (Live signature on original application is required)
· Mail/drop off Coconino County School Superintendent, 2384 N Steves Blvd, Flagstaff, Ariz. 86004

An advisory committee, consisting of district residents and a current board member will be assembled to conduct interviews and advise Superintendent VanderWey on the appointments.

For more information, please call Elizabeth Sorg at the Office of the Coconino County School Superintendent at 928-679-8070 or e-mail: esorg@coconino.az.gov.

Sheriff’s investigation reveals evidence of carbon monoxide in death of four

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PARKS – Yesterday investigators from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office employed the assistance of a professional, licensed heating/cooling service provider to investigate the heating system of the cabin in which four people were found deceased yesterday.

The contractor found a significant failure in the heating system which would be consistent with carbon monoxide overcoming the residence. The heating unit was the only gas appliance in the home. This provides additional evidence regarding a possible carbon monoxide related event.

The manner and cause of death is still to be determined by the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to recommend that people install not only smoke detectors, but also carbon monoxide detectors in your home. These need to be tested and inspected at the manufacturer’s recommended intervals. The heating/cooling industry generally recommends that heaters are inspected yearly.

If you have questions regarding your heating/cooling system,
you are urged to contact a certified heating/cooling expert to check your system. If you use wood stoves, be sure these also are annually serviced and cleaned.

Paper application due Jan. 30 for 2018 elk, pronghorn draw

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department has posted the 2018 Pronghorn Antelope and Elk Hunt Draw Information online at www.azgfd.gov/draw.

The department now is accepting paper applications for hunt permit-tags. Paper applications can be dropped off at any department office statewide or mailed to:

Arizona Game and Fish Department
Attn.: Drawing Section
P.O. Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052

The printed “2018 Pronghorn Antelope and Elk Hunt Draw Information” booklets are expected to be available the first week of January at department offices and license dealers (PDF) statewide.

In an effort to provide better customer service by announcing draw results sooner, all paper applications must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Tuesday, January 30, 2018. Postmarks do not count.

The online application service for the random draw is expected to be available in early to mid-January. Online applications must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Tuesday, February 13, 2018.

The department encourages all applicants to sign up for a free AZGFD portal account and apply online. The portal allows customers to create a secure account where they can manage and view their draw applications, license history, bonus points, gain access to their “I Support Wildlife” membership and more in the “My AZGFD Dashboard” section. A portal account also provides convenient access to the online license purchase and draw application systems. Draw results will be posted only to portal accounts.

It’s easy to create an account. Just click on “My Account” in the upper right-hand corner of the www.azgfd.gov home page and then select the “Register” option, filling in the requested information. A portal account is mobile-friendly, so customers can view their information on their smartphones.

AZGFD is dedicated to assisting applicants with the online process. All department offices are equipped with customer computers that can be accessed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Customer service representatives can be reached by calling (602) 942-3000. As a reminder, customer service representatives will be available to provide assistance only until 8 p.m. February 13. (deadline day).

A valid hunting license (or combination hunting and fishing license) is required to hunt wildlife in Arizona. No one under 14 may hunt big game without having completed a Hunter Education course. While it is not necessary for anyone 10 to 13 to complete a Hunter Education course before applying for a hunt permit-tag, these courses fill quickly. Consider registering now by visiting www.azgfd.gov/huntered or calling 623-236-7239.

Roosevelt Lake among 2017 U.S. “Waters to Watch”

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The National Fish Habitat Partnership has unveiled its list of seven “Waters to Watch” for 2017, a collection of rivers, streams, estuaries, lakes and watershed systems that will benefit from strategic conservation efforts to protect, restore or enhance their current condition.

Roosevelt Lake in the Tonto National Forest was listed for its collaborative partnership that has been formed to address habitat issues.

“We’re honored to have this project recognized by the National Fish Habitat Partnership and it wouldn’t be possible without the cooperation of our outstanding partners,” said AZGFD aquatics branch chief Chris Cantrell. “We hope that within the next 5-10 years anglers can enjoy higher numbers of trophy bass and memories that come out of Roosevelt Lake. This effort should also have a positive economic impact on local communities.”

Read more about this Tonto National Forest Lakes Habitat Improvement Project that is a cooperative effort with numerous anglers, as well as volunteers from organizations such as Gila Basin Angler Roundtable and Midweek Bass Anglers.

Supporting agency partners include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sport Fish Restoration Program, Tonto National Forest, and the National Fish Habitat Partnership-Reservoir Fish Habitat Partnership.

Portions of state routes 261, 273 to close for winter Tuesday, Jan. 2

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PHOENIX – State routes 261 and 273 in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona will close for the winter on Tuesday, January 2, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. They are among a handful of routes across the state that close for the winter and reopen in the spring.

State Route 261 will close between milepost 404.9, several miles south of State Route 260, and the SR 273 junction at Crescent Lake.
State Route 273 will close between Sunrise Park and Big Lake. The 4-mile portion of SR 273 between SR 260 and Sunrise Park remains open to provide access to the ski area.

Three other highways have already closed for the winter.

State Route 67 between Jacob Lake (US 89A) and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park.
State Route 473 to Hawley Lake in the White Mountains.
A portion of State Route 366 that leads up Mount Graham near Safford.

Tips on winter driving are available at azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

ADOT, GEICO partner to offer rest area Safe Phone Zones

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PHOENIX – As drivers take to Arizona’s highways over the holidays, Arizona Department of Transportation rest area Safe Phone Zones sponsored by GEICO encourage motorists to pull off the road before using smartphones for talking, texting and more.

“Even a moment’s distraction can be deadly,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “We are at our best as drivers when we are focused on the road, rested and sober. Using Safe Phone Zones at rest areas allows drivers to stay connected in a safe way.”

Taking your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel or mind off the task of driving is a hazard, regardless of the reason for doing so. Texting while driving is an especially great concern because it distracts visually, manually and cognitively. During the 5 seconds a person can look away from the road to send or receive a text, a car going 55 mph can travel the length of a football field.

The ADOT partnership began in 2014, with GEICO sponsoring Safe Phone Zones at 14 rest areas to encourage drivers to safely and conveniently use their phones and other mobile devices for calling, texting, navigating and accessing mobile apps. Signs bearing the GEICO logo alert motorists to Safe Phone Zones at each rest area.

GEICO has similar partnerships with Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Texas.

More facts and tips on ways to avoid distracted driving can be found at SafePhoneZone.com as well as at Geico.com/More.

Elk poaching investigated northwest of Williams

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WILLIAMS – The Arizona Game and Fish Department is investigating the poaching of a bull elk, which occurred on Sunday morning, December 17.

The elk was shot and left to waste in Game Management Unit 10 along U.S. Forest Service road 6, south of Martin Draw northwest of Williams. There was not a lawful bull elk season going on at the time and the elk was shot with a large caliber rifle behind the shoulder.

Investigating officers are seeking information to locate two individuals last seen wearing orange hats that may have left the scene in a low-profile Nissan Titan pickup truck accented with chrome.

“This crime isn’t the act of an ethical, responsible hunter. It is the action of a criminal,” said Game and Fish Wildlife Officer Noah Silva. “Poaching is a crime. These people are stealing wildlife from the citizens of Arizona and we need those who have information to come forward to help bring these criminals to justice.”

Anyone with information about the case can call the Department’s Operation Game Thief Hotline toll-free at (800) 352-0700 or use the online form at www.azgfd.gov/ogt. Callers should provide case number 17-004934 and may remain anonymous upon request, and all identities will be kept confidential.

A reward of up to $1,500 is being offered in this case for information leading to the arrest of the violator(s).

Electronic WIC program launched in Coconino County

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FLAGSTAFF – The Arizona Department of Health Services has completed a multi-year effort and launched a system replacing paper checks with a card for families that participate in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program. The new system, called “eWIC,” will make it easier for families to access healthy foods.

“The Coconino County Public Health Services District (CCPHSD) WIC Program provides services to nearly 2,000 participants each month,” said CCPHSD WIC Program Manager Lorraine Ornelas. “The move to eWIC means that our WIC families can shop throughout the month for the same healthy WIC-approved foods. With eWIC, clients have their WIC benefits on one convenient card.”

WIC families can also download the EzWIC app for Apple and Android devices. The app will allow them to search the WIC Food List, scan items in the store to see if they are WIC-approved and check their current benefit balance.

WIC is a successful public health nutrition program that provides healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and connections to community services for income-eligible women who are pregnant and postpartum, infants, and children up to five years old. To learn more, call the CCPHSD WIC Clinic at 928-679-7850 or visit www.azwic.gov.

Williams holds annual Christmas pageant

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WILLIAMS – People crowded around heaters to watch the Williams annual Christmas pagent tonight. Before the pagent there was some excitement as a light appeared in the sky.

It was not the Star of Bethlehem, however. It appeared in the west. That light was a Space X Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

This pageant represents the second annual presentation of the nativity with scripture readings from the Holy Bible by various pastors of the churches of Williams. Between train interruptions, there were songs and some surprisingly good presentations by the kids of Williams.

The pageant could

Weekend Travel Advisory

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PHOENIX – Motorists in Arizona driving to holiday destinations won’t encounter any scheduled freeway closures for construction work during or between the Christmas and New Year’s holiday weekends.

The Arizona Department of Transportation will not schedule any full closures for construction or maintenance work on state highways between Friday, December 22 and Tuesday, January 2, in order to limit traffic restrictions and promote safety over the holidays.

While no closures are planned, travelers should be aware that existing improvement project work-zone restrictions will remain in place. Motorists should allow extra travel time and use caution when driving in work zones.

To encourage smart driving decisions, ADOT’s electronic highway signs at times will display holiday-themed safety messages.

Because unexpected delays can occur due to crashes, disabled vehicles and weather, motorists traveling during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays should:

  • Pack extra drinking water and snacks
  • Avoid the busiest travel times, if possible
  • Be patient and obey speed limits – speeding is a leading cause of crashes
  • Get plenty of rest before driving – drowsy driving is unsafe
  • Check vehicles, including tire pressure, engine belts and fluid levels
  • If traveling to the high country, pack cold-weather clothes and blankets
  • Never drive while impaired – arrange for a designated driver or a ride service

Another option for emergency communications is a Citizens Band or Amateur Radio. Some areas are void of cell phone coverage. Amateur radio requires a license, which is relatively easy to obtain but requires you to take an exam. A citizens band radio does not require a license, but you must follow the rules and regulations in Part 95 of 47 C.F.R. The FCC does allow you to use amateur radio or the General Mobile Radio Service frequencies (both which require a license normally) to call for help in an emergency. Channel 9 of the citizens band radio service is reserved for emergencies only.

Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, by calling 511 and through ADOT’s Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT. When a freeway closure or other major traffic event occurs, our free app available at ADOTAlerts.com will send critical information directly to app users in affected areas – where possible, in advance of alternate routes.