Category Archives: News

Tips on preventing auto burglary at home and while shopping

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coco-sheriff-300pxFlagstaff — The Coconino County Sheriff’s office would like to provided tips on preventing auto-burglary. Auto-burglary prevention, like all crime prevention, involves limiting the criminal’s ability and/or opportunity to commit the crime. With very little time and effort, you can make a huge difference in your vulnerability to auto-burglary.

Lock ALL your vehicle’s doors even if you plan to be gone for only a brief time. Every year, we have items stolen from unlocked vehicles where the owner was only going to be gone “just for a second.” It only takes seconds to steal your stuff! It’s not uncommon for thieves to walk down a row of parked vehicles and check vehicle doors to see if they are unlocked. Don’t leave any window open or even cracked open, including vent/wing windows and sunroofs.

Don’t leave valuables in your car. That sounds like “common sense,” but drivers/passengers do leave items of value in plain view every day. If you leave valuable items visible in your car, your car is automatically a target.

Try to park in busy, well-lighted areas. Try to park in well-traveled areas. Large anonymous lots are hit by thieves much more often than parking immediately adjacent to residential housing or other occupied buildings.

Set any alarm or anti-theft device. If you have one, use it! Many people believe that car-alarms no longer make a difference, but they can be an effective deterrent to an auto-burglar, who most often chooses the easiest target.

Mark your valuables! As a last line of defense (not really to prevent theft as much as to aid in recovery), mark your valuables. Recording serial numbers is dandy, but nowadays many serial numbers are on removable “labels” rather than “engraved” into valuable items. Sheriff Pribil suggests inscribing/engraving a “personal identifier” on all valuables.

Take Removable Equipment with You. If you have an after-market stereo/CD-player with a removable face plate, remove it. Without the face plate, the unit is less attractive/useful to many thieves, and harder to “fence.” If the unit can be pulled, pull it! Take it with you. Just covering a valuable radio (or ANY valuables in your car) with something (like a blanket or towel) to hide it will probably only draw thieves’ attention.

What Items are Most Commonly Stolen from Vehicles?
• Backpacks, gym bags, briefcases, day-planners
• Cash/coins, checkbooks and credit/debit cards
• Wallets/purses (even when hidden under a seat or in an unlocked glove compartment)
• Laptop computers, iPods and MP3 players (and docking stations)
• Cell phones (and chargers)
• Portable GPS navigation systems
• Stereo/CD players (and faceplates), amps, speakers (even when bolted down!)
• Jewelry, keys, mail (identity theft), tools
• Anything of obvious value

Report Suspicious Activity. If you see suspicious activity, report it to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 774-4523 or call 911

What should you do if something is stolen out of your car? As soon as you notice something’s stolen (or that your car has been broken into) do not touch/adjust anything in, on, or around the car. As soon as possible, call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office to report the incident.

Two Flagstaff Men Arrested for Vehicle Burglaries in Doney Park

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hankins-peavy-1Flagstaff, AZ — During the early morning hours of Sunday, January 3, 2016 Dispatchers of the Flagstaff Regional 911 Center received multiple calls from concerned citizens regarding suspicious activity and reckless driving by a vehicle and its occupants. One caller reported seeing the vehicle enter the driveway of his home located in Doney Park and then slowly back out. The reporting citizen attempted to follow the vehicle; however he lost sight of it. The investigating Deputy put out an attempt to locate message with the vehicle description.

Later that day Flagstaff Police Officers located the vehicle which was occupied by two adult males. The officers arrested the men on unrelated charges.

During the investigation, a wallet was located in the vehicle with identification that did not belong to either occupant. The Deputy contacted the person listed on the identification who lived in the Doney Park area. According to this person his wallet was last known to be inside his vehicle. The Deputy and the victim checked his vehicles that were in front of his home and discovered that two of them had been burglarized.

Twenty-one year-old Samuel David Hankins and twenty year-old Scott Julian Peavy both of Flagstaff were charged with two counts each of burglary from a vehicle. Coconino County Sheriff’s Detectives are continuing this investigation in an effort to determine if the two suspects are involved in other burglaries that have occurred in the area.

Snowbowl at capacity

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sf-peaksFLAGSTAFF — If you were planning a trip to Snowbowl, today is not your day. Reports are that a capacity crowd beat you to it.

Currently there are reports of trying to turn back a 14-mile line of cars leading up to Snowbowl which is at capacity.

File photo of Oak HIll Snow Play area west of Parks.

File photo of Oak Hill Snow Play area west of Parks.

The sun is out in Williams and there are still some snow play areas close by. The Oak Hill Snow Play Area between Williams and Parks on Route 66, for example. Benham Trail and Dogtown Road along Perkinsville Road south of Williams has some areas great for sledding. The Williams Snow Play area one mile south of Williams should have some great snow.

It might also be a great time to visit Bearizona or the Grand Canyon Deer Farm east of Williams.

The latest weather check shows a weak front coming in which could leave another 1-inch of snow tonight through Sunday night. It should clear up Monday through Wednesday.

US 60 east of Superior to temporarily close for blasting operations Jan. 12 and 14

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PHOENIX — Motorists traveling along US 60 between Phoenix and Globe next week need to plan ahead or allow extra time as the Arizona Department of Transportation continues blasting work as part of an improvement project to build a new passing lane and widen roadway shoulders east of Superior, approximately 65 miles east of downtown Phoenix.

The construction of the two-mile-long climbing lane from Devil’s Canyon to Oak Flat (mileposts 231-233) will require three full closures of US 60:

· Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
· Thursday, Jan. 14 at 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

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 the roadway is reopened after all debris is cleared. Law enforcement officers will be stationed at each closure to assist with traffic control.

Approximately 30 minutes prior to each blast, motorists should be prepared for possible delays and lane closures as crews set concrete barriers 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 also take State Route 87 through Payson and travel east on State Route 260 as an alternative.

ADOT will work to minimize the traffic impacts as much as possible, including scheduling some nighttime work.

There will be narrow traffic lanes, wide-load restrictions and a reduced speed limit through the work zone. Flaggers and pilot cars will be used at different times throughout the project.

Drivers are asked to use caution, watch for construction equipment and personnel and allow extra time for your commute.

Emergency Response Training for teens this Saturday

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Sheriff-Patch005WILLIAMS/PARKS/TUSAYAN/VALLE — Sergeant James Steng of the Coconino County Sheriff’s office will be holding a training course starting this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CERT, Community Emergency Response Team grew out of the natural desire to help others during and after a natural disaster. The first people on most scenes after a disaster are survivors who want to help.

The primary objective of Teen CERT is to teach young citizens how to keep themselves, their family members and their fellow students safe before and during a disaster and how to assist them during the aftermath of a disaster. Teens will learn how to best prepare for a disaster and how to assess the scene after a disaster. They will also learn how to conduct a search and rescue operation and how to suppress small fires.

The advantage of this type of training is that it is something a teen can carry throughout their lifetime. FEMA even sponsors online training courses one can take to further their education.

The training sessions will start this Saturday, January 9, 2016 8 am to 5 pm. The next session will follow the next Saturday, January 16, 2016 8 am to 5 pm and finish with a last session on Saturday January 23, 2016 8 am to 12 noon.

Interested teens who would like more information or who wish to register for this training are asked to call Sergeant James Steng at (928) 679-8735 or (928) 607-6470.

Be Prepared Before Going into the Backcountry and Understand Avalanche Hazards

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Sunday Benham Trail 2015-12-13 007FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino National Forest are warning backcountry mountain travelers to be alert for potential avalanche hazards on the San Francisco Peaks. The early season snowpack, coupled with recent clear and cold nights, wind events, and a large amount of new snow could produce hazardous conditions in the backcountry. This includes the side country bordering the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Area.

Avalanche mitigation and patrolling is conducted within the boundaries of the Arizona Snowbowl, but there is no avalanche control or routine patrolling in the forest outside of the Snowbowl. Those traveling into the backcountry need to be prepared for and understand the conditions prior to venturing out.

Avalanches most commonly occur during a storm or within 24 hours of the storm ending. However, unstable conditions may persist long beyond that timeframe. Backcountry travelers need to understand the conditions and the warning signs of avalanche activity.

People venturing into mountainous terrain should carry avalanche rescue equipment such as a shovel, avalanche rescue beacon, avalanche probe, and winter survival gear. Good wilderness navigation and route finding skills are essential. Be prepared for travel and emergencies in the remote winter mountain environment where rescue is not immediate. Do not travel alone, and always leave a detailed trip plan with a responsible person. It is important to review recent weather reports and forecasts as well as driving conditions prior to and during your trip. Carrying a cell phone is recommended; however, it may not always work in backcountry locations and should not substitute for good judgment and preparation.

While there is no avalanche forecasting center for the San Francisco Peaks, the backcountry community can obtain a snowpack summary from the Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center at www.kachinapeaks.org and see observations by other backcountry travelers. Natural avalanche activity had been reported on the San Francisco Peaks prior to this current storm. In addition to snow observations, the Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center provides educational materials on the website as well as sponsoring Introduction to Avalanche seminars and more in depth avalanche field training. The next Introduction to Avalanche seminar will be on January 15th at 6:00 pm at Aspen Sports in downtown Flagstaff.

Winter backcountry travel into the Kachina Peaks Wilderness Area from Arizona Snowbowl and Snowbowl Road requires an annual backcountry permit. This includes the parking areas at FR 522 and Lamar Haines Wildlife Area.

Backcountry permits are available for free in Flagstaff at the Peaks Ranger Station, 5075 N. Highway 89, and the Coconino National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 1824 S Thompson St. Permits also will be available at Arizona Snowbowl’s Agassiz Lodge on weekends during business hours.

Might be 13″ by the end of the day.

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OldTrails16-01-06-01WILLIAMS — About 4″ of snow fell this morning, in Williams, and Fox 10 in Phoenix reported that almost 9″ more may fall today. NOAA has predicted as much as 13″ through Friday, but we may be in for much more. Williams is predicted to get about twice as much snow as Flagstaff today. However the sun began to peek out about 9:45 a.m.

People planning to go to Flagstaff may want to reconsider for the next few days. I-17 around Munds Park is currently closed to traffic and there may be more closures in store. We do not recommend attempting to use Route 66 through Parks as an alternate route. Check ADOT before you travel.

Thanks to Old Trails True Value Hardware, I was able to clear snow in about half the time as I did with my old shovel.

New storm front could bring 13″ of snow

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Tuesday snow 2016-01-05 003WILLIAMS — A new storm front coming from Washington State is bringing more moisture into the area and could bring as much as 13″ of snow by Thursday.

Today the snow is predicted at a reasonable half-inch with wind gusts as high as 18-mph. Tonight rain and snow with gusts as high as 14-mph.
Friday Dogtown Road 2015-12-18 016
Tomorrow as much as 3-inches of snow is predicted beginning before 11 a.m. Winds from 11- to 16-mph are expected overnight with gusts up to 25-mph. Up to 4-inches of new snow could accumulate overnight.

On Thursday 8-inches are possible during the day with 4-inches overnight. Winds of up to 15-mph are expected.

Some snow is expected over the weekend with a 60% chance on Friday.

Overcast cools Williams

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Weather2016-01-03-2WILLIAMS — It was warm much of the early afternoon, in Williams, until the clouds blew in cooling temperatures in the city.

SnoAngel16-01-01-1Williams and Flagstaff share nearly the same forecast over the next week with snow possible from tonight through Friday. Six-inches of snow could be possible over the week.

The chance of snow starts tonight with 30% overnight with a possible half-inch of accumulation overnight. The chance of snow shifts between 50% to 80% throughout the week. Winds will remain relatively normal at about 10-mph maximum with gusts up to 18 through Tuesday.

This, of course, means a chance of snow angels. It also means icy roads, so people should take the appropriate precautions by slowing down on I-40 and the highways.

It also means that the snow plows will be out enforce so motorist should watch out for them. Parking downtown will be risky as the city workers battle the influx of new snow for the new year.

Litter Hotline delivers reminder that trashing Arizona costs us all

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PHOENIX — Those who litter along Arizona highways can face fines up to $500. But those fortunate enough to have fellow motorists rather than law enforcement see them may wind up getting a letter warning about the harm litter causes – and a litter bag.

In partnership with Keep Arizona Beautiful, a statewide nonprofit organization that empowers citizens to care for their environment through litter prevention, recycling and beautification, the Arizona Department of Transportation maintains a Litter Hotline allowing the public to report those who trash our highways. Providing a vehicle’s license plate number and other details to 1-877-3LITTER, or through an online form on Keep Arizona Beautiful’s website at kazb.org, results in a cautionary letter being sent.

About 1,500 letters go out each year. Nothing is shared with law enforcement, and those reported have no points added to their driver licenses.

“Besides harming Arizona’s land, water and quality of life, littering along highways is a significant cost to ADOT and, in the end, to all of us,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “While those who litter deserve what they get if caught by law enforcement, a gentle reminder through the Litter Hotline can make someone think twice about tossing something out the window.”

In the Phoenix area alone, highway maintenance crews pick up enough litter each year ‒ about 1.2 million pounds in all ‒ to fill more than 111,000 garbage bags.

In addition to the Litter Hotline, ADOT combats litter through its Adopt a Highway programs. Adopt a Highway volunteers can apply for two-year permits to clean up roadside litter, or businesses can contract with maintenance providers to perform the work as part of the Adopt a Highway sponsor program.