WILLIAMS — Those who have grown used to the 60-degree, spring-like weather in Williams may find themselves chilled over Washington’s Birthday on Monday. Temperatures could dip as low as 58-degrees. Temperatures are expected to rise to the mid 60’s again on Tuesday.
Night time temperatures will run from the mid-20’s to around 30-degrees through Tuesday. There will be a slight chance of showers Thursday.
Motorists using US 60 between Phoenix and Globe next week should plan ahead and consider alternate routes as the Arizona Department of Transportation continues blasting work to build a passing lane and widen roadway shoulders east of Superior.
Construction of the two-mile-long climbing lane from Devil’s Canyon to Oak Flat (mileposts 231-233) will require one full closure lasting four hours on Thursday, Feb. 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
There will be no closures the following week, Feb. 22 through Feb. 26.
Traffic on eastbound US 60 will be stopped east of Superior (milepost 227), and traffic on westbound US 60 will be stopped at the Top of the World, west of Miami (milepost 235), until the blasting work is completed and debris is cleared.
Approximately 30 minutes prior to each blast, motorists should be prepared for possible delays and lane closures as crews set concrete barrier prior to each scheduled closure.
Motorists seeking an alternate route can consider state routes 77 and 177, which is approximately 68 miles long. Motorists headed to the White Mountains region, including Show Low and Springerville, can take State Route 87 through Payson and travel east on State Route 260.
Drivers should use caution, watch for construction equipment and personnel, and allow extra time.
McCain Foods USA, Inc., a Lisle, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 25,215 pounds of bacon fritters that may be contaminated with extraneous plastic materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The potato, egg, cheese, and bacon fritters were produced on Nov. 11, 2015. The following products are subject to recall:
1,681 cases bearing a batch code 1001487402 containing four 3.75-lb. plastic vacuum-packed packages containing “McCain EARLY RISERS Potato, Egg, Cheese & Bacon Fritters.”
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 18846” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to food service distributors in Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Oklahoma, Ohio, Texas, Tennessee, and Utah.
The problem was discovered after the firm received a consumer complaint and subsequently notified an in-plant FSIS inspector.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. FSIS has received no additional reports of injury or illness from consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.
Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
WICKENBURG — Due to this weekend’s 68th annual Gold Rush Days celebration, US 60 in downtown Wickenburg (mileposts 107-110) will be closed in both directions on Saturday (Feb. 13) from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Drivers should expect delays or adjust travel plans accordingly. Traffic will be rerouted through a clearly marked detour.
Eastbound traffic on US 60 will be detoured to Vulture Mine Road to US 93 and US 93 southbound to reconnect to US 60.
Westbound traffic on US 60 will be rerouted to the US 93 bypass northbound, US 93 to Vulture Mine Road and Vulture Mine Road back to US 60.
State Route 169 will be reduced to one lane tomorrow and Thursday (Feb. 10 & 11) between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. as crews repair potholes on the roadway on a two-mile segment (mileposts 2 to 4).
Traffic will guided through the work zone in alternating directions. Drivers can expect delays of up to 15 minutes.
The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage. ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.
PAGE — Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives are investigating the death of 54 year-old Michael Murphy of Page, Arizona who collapsed on the houseboat dock at Antelope Point on Lake Powell.
On February 8th at approximately 1:50 pm personnel of the National Park Service at Glen Canyon received a report from Antelope Point of an unresponsive person lying on the marina dock. National Park Rangers, Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies, Page Fire Department, and Guardian Air Helicopter responded.
According to a coworker, he and the victim were laying carpet on a houseboat when the victim stepped off of the boat and onto the dock and collapsed. An employee of Antelope Point Marina who is an Emergency Medical Technician immediately responded and administered a defibrillator and began CPR. Upon arrival, medical personnel from the National Park Service and Page Fire Department continued administering lifesaving procedures. Shortly after 2:30 pm Murphy was declared deceased on scene.
The cause of death is currently under investigation by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office. At this point in the investigation Detectives do not believe that foul play was involved with this death.
CHINO VALLEY — The Arizona Department of Transportation will restripe the roadway at the intersection of State Route 89 and Perkinsville today between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to allow crews to begin construction of a new roundabout.
In addition to the restriping of the roadway, crews will close Perkinsville Road for the next five weeks and drivers will need to use alternate routes, to access SR 89 until the work is completed on the east side of the project. Traffic will be shifted to the west side of the roadway on SR 89 to make room for construction activity.
Drivers may have minimal impacts during work hours and ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.
This $1.5 million project consists of a new roundabout at the intersection of SR 89 and Perkinsville Road between mileposts 328 and 329. Additional work includes removal and replacement of existing pavement, drainage improvements, new pavement markings and lighting.
This project is expected to be complete by September.
PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today issuance of a first of its kind air quality permit in Arizona to Concord Blue Eagar, LLC (Concord) for a new facility in Apache County, to produce renewable electricity and wood char using innovative processes. In record time for a class II permit, it took ADEQ only 85 days to complete the process from an administratively complete application to issuance, which gives the company authorization to construct and operate the facility.
Located in rural Arizona, the new facility is expected to create more than 40 new jobs – 30 during construction and 12 full-time once operation begins – benefitting the local economy, community and the environment. According to Concord, the facility will process 75 tons per day of wood fuels to operate.
“The Concord Blue facility in Eagar, Arizona offers the potential to increase the market value for small diameter ponderosa pine stands that we need to thin in order to create fire adapted communities and resilient ecosystems in the forested regions of our state,” said the State Forester, Jeff Whitney.
Using a unique technology that heats wood to create a natural-gas-like fuel, Concord plans to generate electricity from materials collected during forest thinning operations, as well as community plant trimmings and sawmill wood debris. Applying this technology at its Eagar plant will produce one megawatt of electricity for the Navopache Electric Co-Op Incorporated, as well as generate enough power to run the plant.
“Concord’s plan to use wood from forest thinning would help foster healthy forests, reduce excess wood that could fuel larger forest fires, clean up unwanted wood debris, and promote community safety,” ADEQ Director Misael Cabrera said. “Swiftly permitting the Concord facility also is an outstanding example of how ADEQ is working with industry to support environmentally responsible economic growth in Arizona.”
Concord Blue Vice President Project Management Scott Noll stated, “Throughout the permitting process, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality air permitting staff provided very helpful guidance regarding air dispersion modeling and did an excellent job expediting their review process once our full application was deemed complete.”
Thanks to significant process improvements implemented agency-wide, ADEQ now issues air quality permits 70 percent faster than just four years ago. Governor Ducey has challenged all state agencies to operate at the speed of business and ADEQ is delivering with faster, cheaper, better government without sacrificing environmental protection. Additional examples include:
Concord plans to begin operating the power plant by the end of 2016 and is working to secure the necessary wood fuel contracts. For more information about the Concord technology, please visit: http://www.concordblueenergy.com/
YUMA — Residents will have a more reliable link with Yuma County’s largest employer, Yuma Proving Ground, thanks to a 600-foot bridge the Arizona Department of Transportation is building across a flood-prone section of US 95.
Work began this week on the $9.3 million bridge spanning Fortuna Wash northeast of Yuma and is expected to be completed by next winter.
In addition to being a key trade route between the U.S. and Mexico, US 95 near Yuma sees increased demand during the winter months from agricultural workers and seasonal visitors. The highway currently passes through the wash, which sees flash flooding that forces closures.
“Building a bridge over Fortuna Wash is a critical safety project for the Yuma County region, the Yuma Proving Ground and the agricultural industry,” said ADOT Southwest District Engineer Paul Patane. “Motorists rely on this roadway every day to travel between Yuma and Interstate 10, and flash flooding at Fortuna Wash has previously closed the only north-south corridor in the region, forcing motorists to take lengthy detours. This new bridge will be a huge benefit to the region.”
The bridge, partially funded through a $3.2 million federal grant ADOT received in 2011, is going in at milepost 34, approximately 12 miles northeast of Yuma and 10 miles south of the turnoff (Imperial Dam Road) to Yuma Proving Ground.
Yuma Proving Ground, a U.S. Army facility with more than 3,000 military and civilian employees, is one of the largest military installations in the world and home to General Motors’ hot-weather vehicle test facility. It has an economic impact of more than $430 million annually.
“I personally have waited many hours on Highway 95 over the years because Fortuna Wash floodwaters flowed over the road,” said Chuck Wullenjohn, public affairs officer at Yuma Proving Ground. “The new bridge will be a boon both for commuters and for YPG cargo shipments that will no longer face being impeded by a flowing wash.”
ADOT’s long-term goal is widening about 15 miles of US 95 between Avenue 9E to Aberdeen Road, but that project would first need to be funded. The Fortuna Wash bridge will be built to accommodate four lanes of traffic but initially striped for two lanes with center-turn lane.
Crews are scheduled to work on the Fortuna Wash bridge project during weekdays between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. Initial work will include setting up a temporary detour road and tree removals, while actual bridge construction is expected to begin in March.
Motorists should allow extra travel time as lane restrictions will be in place and flaggers will occasionally need to alternate traffic through the work zone.
WILLIAMS — A few ham radio licensees in Williams are trying to re-establish the Bill Williams Mountain Radio Group. They are looking for former members who would like to re-establish the group as well as anyone who would like to obtain and amateur radio license.
Glen Davis, who recently obtained an amateur radio license, is one of those making the attempt. He tried to contact some of the former members through the web site, but received no response.
“A strong amateur radio group is important,” Davis explained. “It gives the opportunity for new amateur radio operators to learn from experienced operators. Most people do not know that a person of any age that can past the test can get a license.”
Amateur radio has been around since radio began. People interested in obtaining a HAM radio license no longer have to worry about Morse code.
“In fact you do not even need a radio, anymore,” Davis said. “With programs such as Echolink you can make contacts around the world on your computer or smart phone.”
Amateur radio also serves the community with emergency communication. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—also known as the National Weather Service—has established the Skywarn system that trains weather spotters to report hazardous or unusual weather conditions during a storm. The Federal Communications Commission has established the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES). In some areas, such as Coconino County, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) has established the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES). These services provides emergency communications when other forms of communication fail.
Another advantage of a local group is that experienced amateur radio operators can help those interested in obtaining a license pass the examination. Communications even with a simple Technician license can be expansive through the use of repeaters. Mobile units no bigger than your hand can keep you in communication on the highways even where cell phone service fails.
Davis also noted that there are several new forms of communication that people do not think about. “You can communicate with a 2-meter hand held radio via satellite. You can bounce signals off of the moon. You can do digital communications through a computer. There are contest where you try to make as many contacts as possible in a set time. And you can even learn and use good-old Morse code.”
Anyone who is interested in re-establishing the Bill Williams Mountain Radio Group can contact Glen at kg7ydj@kg7ydj.us.