Category Archives: News

Whole Foods Recalls Frozen Pizza Products Due to Misbranding

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Whole Foods/North Atlantic Kitchens, an Everett, Mass. establishment, is recalling approximately 73,898 pounds of pepperoni pizza products due to misbranding, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The product is labeled as containing uncured beef pepperoni. However, the pizzas contain uncured pork pepperoni, which is not declared on the product label. Some individuals have a sensitivity or intolerance to pork.

The fresh pizza items were produced Jan. 5, 2015, through Jan. 22, 2016.
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  • 10-oz. vacuum-sealed packages of “WHOLE FOODS MARKETS, PIZZA, PEPPERONI, 8”.
  • 19-oz. vacuum-sealed packages of “WHOLE FOODS MARKETS, PIZZA, PEPPERONI, 12”.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 20234” inside the USDA mark of inspection and Sell-by dates of Jan. 12, 2015 through Jan. 30, 2016 printed on the packaging. These items were shipped for wholesale and retail sale in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.

The problem was discovered by FSIS during a label review at the establishment and occurred as a result of a change in ingredient suppliers.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to 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.

Berks Packing Co. Recalls Beef Products Due to Misbranding

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Berks Packing Co., a Reading, Pa. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,320 pounds of beef products that may be misbranded, and may contain pork and erythorbate, an additive, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The beef knockwurst links were produced on Nov. 12, 2015.
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>> 1-lb. (plastic shrink wrapped) packages containing links of “BERKS Heat & Serve Knockwurst.” The packages have a sell by date of March 11, 2016 printed on the package.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 8782” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, West Virginia, Virginia, and Delaware.

The problem was discovered by company personnel who learned of the incorrect labels being applied to the product and notified FSIS inspectors.

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.

TOPS holds open house Thursday

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Take Off Pounds Sensibly, TOPS Chapter AZ#0516, will be hosting an open house on Thursday, January 28 at the Family Harvest Church across the street from Safeway. Women, men and teens are invited to attend. The meeting is from 5:30 to 6:30 with a weigh in at 5 p.m. TOPS is a low cost support group to aid in the loss of weight.

Williams is thawing

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Buckskinner16-01-23-02WILLIAMS — People have gotten used to the temperatures which froze over the reservoirs at Buckskinner and Santa Fe dams. Since early January, however, the temperatures have rarely dropped to freezing. That is thinning the ice over the reservoirs. People should take care when trying to walk on the reservoirs. The condition should become more hazardous with higher temperatures throughout this week.

A hole has formed on the Buckskinner reservoir as seen in the picture. In addition, the melting snow is causing very muddy conditions. Four-wheel drives are recommended if you plan to take a trip to Dogtown, White Horse or other reservoirs around Williams.
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You might also want to take note that some animals are coming out in search of food. Some may be sick. Take care if you plan to walk off path into the woods.
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Sunny weather through the week

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Moon over Williams early this morning.

WILLIAMS — If you have those outdoor chores to do, this week is the week to do them. The long-range forecast show the temperature rising from a high of 39-degrees in Flagstaff and 41-degrees in Williams to the low 50s by the end of the week. That should burn off much of the remaining snow from the storm at the beginning of the month. Winds should remain calm throughout the week with a chance of around 13-mph tomorrow being the highest. A slight chance of showers returns Saturday night.

Williams Council Meeting to accept resignation of City Manager

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WILLIAMS — There will be a special meeting of the City Council on Monday at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. The purpose of the meeting is to accept the resignation of City Manager Brandon Buchanan effective February 19.

The Council will discuss the appointment of an Interim City Manager and the recruitment process for the City Manager position.

Sean Casey of Bearizona wrote in an email, “We were lucky to have him for so long I guess. He added a high level of professionalism to our Williams team.

“Good luck in your future endeavors Brandon. I am sure you and your family will be very successful wherever you land.”

Al Richmond of the Arizona State Railroad Museum added, “Williams has been the beneficiary of Brandon’s tenure and hopefully his successor will come close to being as positive for the City and community. This move is good for him professionally and in the best interests of his family. I will miss working with him.”

Grant will add innovative monitoring technology to I-15 bridges

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PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Transportation engineers in Phoenix will get real-time information on the conditions of four interstate bridges in remote northwestern Arizona thanks to technology funded by a $768,000 Federal Highway Administration grant.

To enhance safety and efficiency, ADOT will use the Accelerated Innovation Deployment Demonstration grant to add structural health monitoring systems to the Interstate 15 bridges, embedding sensors on the superstructures that record, analyze and share data.

The systems, which will be installed by this fall, will help ADOT identify and address problems quickly and decide when the bridges will need major repairs or replacement. They also will help ADOT engineers determine when to conduct inspections, which are required at least every two years and involve lane restrictions.

“The technology made possible by this grant will enhance the safety of the traveling public and help inform Arizona’s investments along this vital corridor,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “We appreciate our federal partners helping to make it possible.”

Since early 2014, ADOT has invested nearly $30 million in several I-15 bridges, including an ongoing upgrade of Virgin River Bridge No. 6. The monitoring systems will be installed on four other bridges, two of them in the gorge and two in its outer reaches. One of those, Virgin River Bridge No. 1, is scheduled for a $33 million upgrade in fiscal year 2019.

“Cutting-edge technology like this takes bridge data to a new level,” Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau said. “The 21st century economy demands innovative tools like these, and they will make Arizona’s highways an even more effective part of the national system.”

Opened in 1973, the stretch of Interstate 15 connecting southwestern Utah and southern Nevada passes through 29 miles of Mohave County, including the Virgin River Gorge. About 1.4 million commercial vehicles use the route annually.

Kaibab National Forest releases draft decision to add camping corridors

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WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest has released a draft decision to add camping corridors and make other improvements to the transportation system of the Williams and Tusayan ranger districts.

The project, which was designed to improve travel management on the two districts in response to public and internal feedback, will designate approximately 291 miles of camping corridors that extend 300 feet from either side of the centerline of certain roads; add 14 spur roads to the Tusayan Ranger District; close 9 miles of currently open roads on the two districts; add 24 miles of roads to the districts’ open road system; and establish an adaptive management strategy for making limited changes to the transportation system in the future.

The final Environmental Assessment and draft Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact for the South Zone Travel Management Revision Project are available for review on the Kaibab National Forest website at http://go.usa.gov/kpQV.

Unresolved concerns about the final EA and draft DN/FONSI will be addressed through an objection process. In order to file an objection, a person must have previously submitted specific comments regarding the South Zone Travel Management Revision Project. Objections may be filed over a 45-day period. Details about the objection process are available on the Kaibab National Forest website at http://go.usa.gov/kpQV.

Changes to the transportation system included in the draft decision were all developed based on several years of monitoring following implementation of the Travel Management Rule on the two districts, which included documenting public concerns about recreational access and other issues.

“I believe our local community members and our visitors will be pleased with these changes and will recognize that they are responsive to the concerns we’ve been hearing over recent years,” said Williams District Ranger Danelle D. Harrison. “We took our commitment to listen to public and employee feedback seriously, and this decision is evidence of that continuing commitment. Our goal is to provide motorized recreational opportunities where we can while still providing for the protection of our natural and cultural resources.”

A final decision on the South Zone Travel Management Revision Project is expected in the spring with a new Motor Vehicle Use Map anticipated soon thereafter. Current Motor Vehicle Use Maps for the Kaibab National Forest are available at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/kaibab/tmr.

ADOT to host statewide workshops for Long Range Transportation Plan update

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PHOENIX — In today’s fast-paced world, a reliable transportation system is vital, as people and commerce move through a statewide network to get to where they’re going. To keep pace, the transportation needs of tomorrow take planning and investment to ensure that Arizona stays competitive and meets the needs of a growing state.

That’s why the Arizona Department of Transportation is looking 25 years down the road to determine the best mix of investment to preserve, modernize and expand the state transportation system with the resources available. It’s a project called the Long Range Transportation Plan, and it’s updated every five years.

Starting next week, ADOT will host a series of workshops across the state that are designed for community members, businesses and stakeholders to provide their input and ideas to shape the long-range vision for Arizona’s transportation system. These “Think Ahead about Transportation” workshops will be the foundation to begin the process of updating ADOT’s Long Range Transportation Plan, also known as What Moves You Arizona.

“As Governor Ducey pointed out in his State of the State speech last week, Arizona’s goals include growing our economy, while providing opportunity for all through our ability to work together,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “The work ahead on our Long Range Transportation Plan allows us to accomplish those goals, to ensure Arizona has a transportation system that carries us forward.”

While ADOT’s Long Range Plan is not project-specific, it identifies investment priorities based on current and projected transportation funding over the next 25 years. However, limited revenues will not meet all current and future transportation needs. The process requires distributing transportation funding in order to balance preservation, expansion and modernization of our system.

The 11 “Think Ahead about Transportation” workshops that have been scheduled are listed here. Additional workshops will be scheduled for the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Western Arizona Workshops

  1. Wednesday, Jan. 27: 1 to 3 p.m.
    Mohave County Public Works: Turquoise Room
    3675 E. Andy Devine Ave., Kingman, 86401
  2. Tuesday, Feb. 23: 2 to 4 p.m.
    Lake Havasu City Police Department: Meeting Room
    2360 McCulloch Blvd. N, Lake Havasu City, 86403

Northern Arizona Workshops

  1. Thursday, Jan. 28: 10 a.m. to noon
    Prescott Valley Public Library: Crystal Room
    7401 E. Civic Circle, Prescott Valley, 86314
  2. Wednesday, Feb. 3: 1 to 3 p.m.
    Navajo County Public Works: Chevelon Room
    100 W. Public Works Dr., Holbrook, 86025
  3. Wednesday, Feb. 17: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
    Little America Hotel
    2515 E. Butler Ave., Flagstaff, 86004
  4. Thursday, Feb. 25: 1 to 3 p.m.
    High Country Conference Center: Agassiz Ballroom
    201 W. Butler Ave., Flagstaff, 86001

Central Arizona Workshops

  1. Thursday, Feb. 11: 1 to 3 p.m.
    City of Globe Municipal Building
    150 N. Pine St., Globe, 85501
  2. Thursday, Feb. 25: noon to 2 p.m.
    Casa Grande Council Chambers
    510 E. Florence Blvd., Casa Grande, 85122

Southern Arizona Workshops

  1. Thursday, Feb. 11: 1 to 3 p.m.
    Cochise College: Benson Center
    1025 S. Hwy 90, Benson, 85602
  2. Thursday, Feb. 18: 1 to 3 p.m.
    Pima Association of Governments
    1 E. Broadway, Ste. 401, Tucson, 85701
  3. Wednesday, Feb. 24: 1 to 3 p.m.
    Yuma County Library: Heritage Branch
    350 Third Ave., Yuma, 85364

It’s up to the public, policymakers and communities to tell ADOT what’s important to them throughout the long range planning process and to prioritize projects and funding for those projects.

Visit azdot.gov/whatmovesyouarizona for more information on ADOT’s Long Range Transportation Plan. You can leave a comment at azdot.gov/whatmovesyouarizona/comments. The final version of the plan is expected to be complete in early 2017.

Add this to your snow-play safety checklist: Don’t park along highways

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PHOENIX — Warm clothing and blankets? Check. Plenty of gas in the tank, fully charged cellphone, drinking water? Check, check, check.

Please add this to your safety checklist when heading to play in the snow: Don’t park along highways. Use only designated parking areas.

Highway shoulders are for emergencies, and parking on them to play in the snow is hazardous in several ways:

• Other drivers may be distracted by your vehicle.
• Other drivers may pull over as well to play in the snow, compounding the problem.
• Your vehicle may interfere with first responders who need to use the shoulder.
• Plows can throw snow and ice far off highways.
• It’s much safer to re-enter highways from on-ramps and other designated entrances.

Expect heavy snow-play traffic again this weekend along US 180, which can lead to long backups heading toward Flagstaff at day’s end.

Those making the trip should allow for extra travel time and prepare as they would for any extended period in snowy, icy or cold areas. For more tips on preparing for travel in snow country, please visit azdot.gov/knowsnow.

To avoid congestion heading home through Flagstaff, consider taking a marked alternate route offering a more direct path to Interstate 17, via the Interstate 40 Butler Avenue interchange.