Category Archives: News

Coconino County Teacher of the Year finalists announced

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left to right: Jillian Worssam, Sara Zsenai and Angela Buzan

FLAGSTAFF — The office of the Coconino County Superintendent of Schools has announced the 2017 Teacher of the Year finalists.

“The three Teacher of the Year finalists are Angela Buzan of Coconino High School, Jillian Worssam of Sinagua Middle School, and Sara Zsenai of Cromer Elementary School,” said Superintendent of Schools, Risha VanderWey. “I look forward to announcing the winner later this month in a ceremony celebrating the great achievements of all our teachers and staff.”

The fifth annual Coconino County Teacher of the Year Ceremony will be at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 19 at the High Country Conference Center, Flagstaff, AZ. Teacher of the Year (TOY) is the only countywide teacher recognition program that spotlights the contributions of state-accredited, full-time, public and charter school educators teaching pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade.

To be eligible for the TOY title, nominated teachers must personally complete an in-depth, multiple essay question application and submit it with three letters of support. A panel of judges score the applications using a rubric and group discussion to determine the top six candidates to interview. Next, the judges discuss, score, and determine the three finalists. The finalists are recognized and awarded cash prizes worth a total of $3000.

The winner will also receive a complimentary one year lease of a 2017 Toyota Tacoma from Findlay Toyota of Flagstaff. This event is funded entirely through sponsorships of local and statewide businesses, and community members.

Avoid a line and print that annual off-highway road vehicle decal at an MVD kiosk

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PHOENIX – Just in time for spring, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division has added a new feature to its self-serve kiosks. For the first time, customers can use a ServiceArizona kiosk to print the annual off-highway vehicle (OHV) decal, eliminating the need to wait in line.

“Off-highway vehicles are very popular in Arizona, and the law requires that owners renew their decals every year,” said MVD Director Eric Jorgensen. “Rather than make people wait in line to get this credential, we expanded this service to kiosks located at many MVD offices as well as court buildings in a number of communities throughout the state. This is another way MVD is getting people out of line and safely on the road ‒ or, in this case, off-road.”

OHVs made primarily for use over unimproved terrain and weighing 1,800 pounds or less are required by law to display a valid OHV decal, which costs $25 and must be purchased annually. This includes “street legal” vehicles that meet those requirements. Getting the decal isn’t to be confused with registering the vehicle, which is required only for those OHVs that are meant to be street legal.

While OHV decals and registration are handled by the Motor Vehicle Division, renewal notices are sent by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. For more information, please visit azgfd.com/OHV.

In fiscal year 2016, nearly 86,000 decals were issued. Thirty percent of the funds collected go into the state’s Highway User Revenue Fund, which is distributed to counties and cities for road and highway maintenance.

The remaining funds are split as follows:

· 60 percent to Arizona State Parks for grants, agreements, trail construction, development and maintenance, signage and maps
· 35 percent to the Arizona Game and Fish Department for law enforcement education and outreach
· 5 percent to the Arizona State Land Department for mitigation signage and enforcement

For an interactive map showing court and MVD office locations with self-serve kiosks, please visit azdot.gov/MVD and click the Hours and Locations link under MVD Services.

Route 66 Good Friday procession this Friday

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WILLIAMS – This Friday the churches of Williams gather to carry a cross down Route 66 (Railroad Avenue) in the annual Route 66 Good Friday Procession. The group will gather at the Mustang on the east end of town and travel west to Memorial Park.The churches start gathering about 5 p.m. with the procession beginning at 6:45 p.m. The Stations of the Cross will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Family Harvest Church on Grant and 7th Avenue across the street from Safeway.

The Williams PD ensures the safety of the procession each year.

The procession is sponsored by the Williams Churches, but anyone is invited to join in on the event that leads up to Easter. The churches of Williams also hold a combined worship service in the evening of the last Sunday of the month.

ADOT set to reopen routes to lakes in White Mountains

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PHOENIX – After a long winter’s nap, three state highways to lakes in the White Mountains are scheduled to reopen Thursday, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

They are State Route 261 between Eagar and Big Lake; State Route 273 between Sunrise Park and Big Lake; and State Route 473 between State Route 260 and Hawley Lake.

Another highway that closes for the winter, State Route 67, leading to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, is anticipated to reopen in mid-May.

Before heading off to enjoy the mountains, motorists should do the following:

  • Make sure all occupants in a vehicle are buckled in.
  • Check tire pressure, fluids and more to make sure a vehicle is in proper running condition.
  • Be patient, including not following other vehicles too closely and building in extra travel time.
  • Get enough sleep before the trip.
  • Bring extra water and food.
  • Never drink and drive.
  • Check for information about highway restrictions and more by visiting az511.gov, calling 511 or following ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT).

Ozone Air Pollutant for Maricopa County today and tomorrow

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is issuing ozone High Pollution Advisories (HPAs) for Maricopa County, effective Tues., April 11, and Wed., April 12, 2017. These HPAs are due to ozone levels expected to accumulate enough to exceed the federal health standard for ozone.

People most affected by ozone include children, senior citizens, people who work or exercise outdoors and people with pre-existing respiratory disease. Ozone can irritate the respiratory system, aggravate asthma and reduce the immune system’s ability to fight off respiratory infections. Ozone-related health problems include shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, headaches, nausea, and throat and lung irritation.

Employers and Travel Reduction Program Transportation Coordinators are advised to activate their HPA Plans immediately. ADEQ further recommends that the general public limit outdoor activity while the HPA is in effect, especially children and adults with respiratory problems.

ADEQ, MCAQD and Valley Metro recommend residents and businesses use the following tips and resources to reduce ozone pollution and make the air healthier to breathe:

Drive as little as possible, carpool, use public transit or telecommute
Re-fuel your vehicle after dark
Avoid waiting in long drive-thru lines, for example, at coffee shops, fast-food restaurants or banks – park your car and go inside
Visit valleymetro.org and ShareTheRide.com to plan a transit trip or find a carpool or vanpool
Use low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) or water-based paints, stains, finishes and paint strippers and delay big painting projects
Make sure containers of household cleaners, garage and yard chemicals and other solvents are sealed properly to prevent vapors from evaporating into the air
Visit cleanairmakemore.com to learn more about reducing air pollution

While the new, more stringent federal health standard for ozone triggers more frequent Health Watches and HPAs, the fact is that over the past two decades, Arizona has achieved significant improvements in our overall air quality and more specifically, lower ozone levels. Each and every one of us can make a difference in continuing to improve the quality of the air we breathe through simple actions that follow.

Courthouse and Administrative Space RFI Open House

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FLAGSTAFF – Coconino County and the City of Flagstaff are inviting the public to a joint Community Open House regarding the Courthouse and Administrative Space Project Request for Information (RFI).

The Community Open House will provide an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the project, view maps and fill out comment cards with their ideas on the project. County and City staff will be in attendance to answer questions and provide additional information.

The RFI is the first in a multi-step process. Area residents, downtown business owners, community partners, developers, contractors and other stakeholders are encouraged to participate and bring forth ideas.

For more information on the RFI, please go to www.coconino.az.gov/developrfi.

Public input sought on proposed 4FRI forest restoration alternatives for Rim Country

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PHOENIX — The U.S. Forest Service and the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) Stakeholders Group are seeking public input regarding draft alternatives for proposed forest restoration activities along the Rim Country of Arizona.

Two public workshops are scheduled this month for the U.S. Forest Service to present, and obtain public comment upon, the alternatives for the 4FRI Rim Country project area. The draft alternatives describe various ways to meet restoration goals, and input is desired by 4FRI project proponents to ensure the public’s interests are included.

The meetings/workshops are scheduled for:

Thursday, April 13, Payson, 5-8 p.m., Julia Randall Elementary School Gymnasium, 902 W. Main St., Payson, Ariz.

Tuesday, April 18, Show Low, 4:30-7 p.m., Show Low City Hall, Deuce of Clubs meeting room, 180 N. 9th St., Show Low, Ariz.

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The Rim Country environmental analysis covers 1.2 million acres of National Forest lands. Treatments are planned for the Black Mesa and Lakeside Ranger Districts of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, the Mogollon and Red Rock Ranger Districts of the Coconino National Forest, and the Payson and Pleasant Valley Ranger Districts of the Tonto National Forest. This environmental analysis is the largest of its kind in the country, and will set the stage for forest restoration treatments in its footprint for the next 10 or more years.

The alternatives were developed in response to comments from earlier public scoping as well as National Forest staff’s continuing research and analysis of the Rim Country project area.

Once alternatives are finalized, the specifics of each will be analyzed and presented to the public in the form of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) next year.

More information about the project can be found at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/4FRIRimCountry.

The Rim Country EIS is the second landscape-scale, multi-forest environmental assessment for the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, a collaborative effort between the U.S. Forest Service, the public, and a stakeholder group representing nearly 40 individuals, organizations, and government entities (including the Arizona Game and Fish Department). For more information, visit www.4fri.org.

Medtronic Announces Voluntary Worldwide Recall of its Stratamr Adjustable Valves and Shunts

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DUBLIN – Medtronic plc today announced that on February 22, 2017 it notified customers of a voluntary recall of all unused units of the StrataMR™ adjustable valves and shunts. These products are manufactured and marketed by Medtronic’s Neurosurgery business, which is part of the Brain Therapies division of the company’s Restorative Therapies Group. This recall only applies to StrataMR adjustable valves and shunts and does not apply to Strata™ II or Strata™ NSC products.

As of the initiation of this recall, 2,622 StrataMR valves and shunts potentially affected by this recall had been distributed worldwide. The affected StrataMR valves and shunts were manufactured from October 27, 2015 to November 11, 2016. Medtronic initiated the recall due to an increase in the product complaint rate. As of April 1, 2017, the product complaint rate related to this issue was 2.75 percent of total units distributed.Medtronic StrataMR adjustable valves and shunts are used in the management of hydrocephalus. They control the flow of cerebrospinal fluid being drained from the brain to relieve intracranial pressure. Medtronic is conducting this voluntary recall due to an issue that can occur post-implantation that can lead to the potential for under-drainage of cerebrospinal fluid.

Under-drainage of cerebrospinal fluid may result in the following adverse health consequences: headaches, nausea, vomiting and lethargy.

  • If any of the affected products have been implanted in patients, physicians should refer to the StrataMR customer recall letter sent February 22, 2017 as well as the valve adjustment instructions in the instructions for use (IFU) for continued patient care.
  • Patients and their caregivers should monitor the patient’s condition and if they find they are experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms, they should consult the physician who implanted the StrataMR valve.

If left untreated, under-drainage can potentially lead to coma and death. There has been one reported patient death, but the cause of death has not been confirmed to be related to this issue.

Medtronic initiated customer communication of the recall by letter and is requesting that customers cease use of all affected product that remains in inventory and return all unused units to Medtronic. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory bodies also have been notified.

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online, by regular mail, or by fax.

Precautionary Recall of a Limited Quantity of Organic Marketside Spring Mix Salad is Announced by Fresh Express

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Orlando, Fla. – Fresh Express is announcing a precautionary recall of a limited number of cases of Organic Marketside Spring Mix.

The item subject to the recall is 5 oz. Organic Marketside Spring Mix marketed in a clear container with production code G089B19 and best-if-used-by date of APR 14, 2017 located on the front label, and UPC code 6 8113132897 5 located on the bottom of the container. The recalled salads were distributed only to Walmart stores located in the Southeastern region of the United States.

The recall was necessitated when Fresh Express was notified that extraneous animal matter was allegedly found in a single container of the salad. Out of an abundance of caution, all salads manufactured in the same production run are being recalled.

No other Marketside salads are included in the recall. Fresh Express salads are not subject to a recall.

Walmart acted quickly to remove the product from store shelves.

Consumers who may have already purchased the recalled product should discard and not consume it. A full refund is available where purchased or by calling the Fresh Express Consumer Response Center toll-free at (800) 242-5472 during the hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

Upon receiving notification, both Walmart and Fresh Express food safety and rapid response teams, in close coordination with regulatory authorities, acted immediately to review all relevant records, launch an intensive investigation and initiate product removal and recall procedures.

Fresh Express takes matters of food safety very seriously and rigorously complies with all food safety regulations including the proscribed Good Agricultural Practices. In addition, a range of stringent controls are in place during growing and harvesting to mitigate against field material from entering the raw product system. In manufacturing, additional controls including thorough washing and filtration systems as well as visual inspections that are designed to eliminate unwanted debris.

Recalled Product Details

  • Organic Marketside Spring Mix – 5 oz. clear container
  • Production Code of G089B19 and best-if-used-by date of APR 14 2017, located on the top label
  • UPC Code of 6 8113132897 5 located on the bottom of the container next to the bar code

Recalled Product Distribution

Fresh Express Precautionary Recall, 5 oz. Organic Marketside Spring Mix
(No other Marketside Salads and No Fresh Express Salads are included in this recall)

Brand PRODUCT NAME SIZE UPC PRODUCTION CODE BEST IF USED BY DATE POSSIBLE DISTRIBUTION STATES
Marketside Organic Spring Mix 5 oz. 6 8113132897 5 G089B19 APR 14 2017 AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, VA,

 

AZGFD applauds federal decision to withdraw proposed listing of two fish species under Endangered Species Act

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department applauds today’s decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to withdraw its proposal to list two minnows, the headwater chub and a distinct population segment (DPS) of the roundtail chub in the Lower Colorado River Basin (Arizona and New Mexico), as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The Service’s decision came as a result of new scientific classification information that in 2016 led the American Fisheries Society and the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Joint Committee on the Names of Fishes – the recognized authority on fish taxonomy – to consider the headwater chub and roundtail chub (and the Gila chub, which is currently listed as endangered), to be a single species: the roundtail chub.

Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists in 2015 conducted a complete review of all data and scientific literature available to determine if the available science supported the recognized taxonomic designations of the three species of chub. The department’s review found no justification to support the separation of chub into three separate species, and concluded they should be classified as a single species.

Subsequently, Game and Fish formally requested that the American Fisheries Society re-evaluate the recognized taxonomic designation of the three species.

The analysis was assigned to the Joint Committee, which conducted months of review and listened to presentations by fisheries scientists on the morphology and genetic status of chub. In September 2016, the Joint Committee concluded there is no morphological or genetic data that define populations of roundtail chub in the lower Colorado River basin as members of more than one species.

“The Joint Committee’s determination last year, along with today’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision, is a huge win for chub and for those who manage and conserve chub in the lower Colorado River basin,” said Chris Cantrell, aquatic wildlife chief for Arizona Game and Fish. “The taxonomic history of this species has been debated for decades, which has influenced our management strategies and our ability to implement conservation on a range-wide basis. The decision will open doors to more opportunities to protect and conserve chub in Arizona.”

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said: “I am pleased to see the USFWS is paying attention to Arizonans and deciding against adding to an already lengthy list of threatened and endangered species in Arizona.”

Added Steve Spangle, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Arizona Field Supervisor, in a news release: “Endangered Species Act determinations are founded on the best available science. When new science becomes available, especially midstream in a listing processes, we evaluate it and respond accordingly. Our withdrawal of the listing proposal for the former headwater chub and roundtail chub DPS reflects this new science indicating that these are no longer valid species.”

The Service, together with conservation partners, intends to conduct a species status assessment of the now-larger roundtail chub taxon. This includes the Gila chub, which has been protected under the ESA since 2005. The taxonomic revision of the chubs resulted in Gila chub being recognized as a part of the larger roundtail chub species, necessitating a re-evaluation of its ESA status. Pending this evaluation, the Gila chub will remain protected under the ESA. The Department encourages the Service to make swift resolution to remove the ESA status of Gila chub based on the findings of the Joint Committee and the best available science.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department looks forward to working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and all of its partners to ensure conservation of the roundtail chub throughout its expanded range.