Category Archives: News

New lighting problems observed

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640-Lights-5032301WILLIAMS — New solar light have been installed around Williams since January. They were initially installed on the east end of town along historic Route 66. Since then about 200 lights have been placed all along Route 66 and Grand Canyon Boulevard.

While some commented that it looked like an airport runway, most comments overheard were positive.

300-Lights-150323-02Yet some problems have been observed. Residents have noticed missing lights and some of the new lights not working.

Mayor John Moore of Williams—Who has said the lights are being donated by a private citizen—confirmed that at least three lights have been knocked down by vehicles parking in the downtown area. Like the older lights in Williams, they have been placed along the sidewalks to provide the most access to pedestrians. Thus they are closer to the street.

Other repairs being observed, he said, were because of faulty lights which the company is replacing at no charge.

Even with the problems noted, the lights seem to be a popular addition to the streets of Williams.

Upcoming Neighborhood Watch meetings for Doney Park and Timberline/Fernwood areas

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FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll and District 4 Supervisor Mandy Metzger would like to invite residents of the Doney Park community to attend the monthly Neighborhood Watch meeting on Thursday, April 2, 2015. The meeting will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Summit Fire District Station 32 and Administrative Offices located at 8905 Koch Field Road Flagstaff, AZ.

In Timberline/Fernwood, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll and Coconino County Supervisor Liz Archuleta would like to invite residents to the monthly Neighborhood Watch meeting on Tuesday, April 7, 2015. The meeting will be held from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at Summit Fire Station 33, located at 6050 Firehouse Lane, off of Highway 89N. Members of the Sheriff’s Office staff will be at the meeting to share information and encourage continued neighborhood participation.

The guest speaker at both events will be Charlotte Peterson who is an Animal Management Officer for Coconino County. Charlotte will speak about animal abuse, animal hoarding and will give a broad overview of the animal management department and county ordinances that pet owners should be aware of.

Community Deputies will be available to answer questions and provide support to this partnership between law abiding citizens, law enforcement and county government.

Neighborhood Watch is similar to the Block Watch program commonly conducted in urban areas and goes back to the concept of “neighbors looking out for neighbors” that many people remember from 30 years ago. It is one of the most effective ways to prevent and deter criminal activity, attend to home and personal security, address the safety of our children and the elderly, and to alleviate fear and isolation. Residents learn how to observe and report suspicious activity and reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime.

For more information about the Neighborhood Watch program and the meeting schedule, please call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 226-5089.

Electronics Waste Recycling Event will be held Saturday, April 4 at Town of Payson Multi-Event Center

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PAYSON — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality officials announced today that the Sixth Annual Payson Free Electronics Waste Recycling Event will be held Saturday morning, April 4 from 8 a.m. until noon at the Town of Payson Multi-Event Center, 1400 S. Beeline Highway.

ADEQ and its partners – Payson Water Department, Gila County, Tonto Apache Tribe, Northern Gila County Sanitary District, Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District, CH2MHill and eGreen-IT Solutions of Phoenix — anticipate collecting tons of unwanted televisions, computers, monitors, batteries, chargers, cell phones, VCRs, CD and DVD players, printers, small appliances, fax machines, cables and cords during the event. No more than two televisions or monitors per vehicle will be accepted during the event.

The recyclable material will be collected at the Multi-Event Center, in the south part of Payson across Beeline Highway from Mazatzal Hotel and Casino. eGreen-IT Solutions uses state of the art software to erase all hard drives and will provide companies and individuals donating e-waste a certificate of disposal for their records. The event has grown in popularity since its inception with 10,601 pounds collected in 2010, 20,345 pounds in 2011, 23,350 pounds in 2012, 29,842 pounds in 2013 and 29,047 pounds last year.

“It’s been exciting to see the Payson area get behind this event,” ADEQ Director Henry Darwin said. “This is a great opportunity for people to dispose of all the unwanted electronics they have collected over the years while at the same time ensuring that this potentially toxic stream of waste is disposed of responsibly and does not take up valuable landfill space.”

“The Town of Payson looks forward to the opportunity to work with ADEQ and our other partners to offer this much-needed recycling event,” said Buzz Walker, Payson’s Water Superintendent. “These events are typically some of the most well-attended of all our various town events.”

For more information, call (928) 474-5242 Ext. 381 or (928) 337-3565.

Aurora Products, Inc. Recalls Certain Walnuts and Trail Mixes Due to Possible Health Risk

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Orange, CT — Aurora Products, Inc. is conducting a voluntary nationwide recall of certain lots of NATURAL WALNUTS and TRAIL MIXES CONTAINING WALNUTS because they have the potential to contain Salmonella which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

Product was distributed nationwide through retail stores. Product was also distributed in Canada and Bermuda.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

Aurora is communicating with stores that have received the affected product. Stores have been instructed to cease distribution of these products and to remove the affected product from store shelves.

The affected products were produced by Aurora Products, Inc. The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing by an outside company contracted by the FDA revealed the presence of Salmonella in one container of natural walnuts product. Organic walnuts are not affected.

Consumers that have the products listed below are urged to not eat it and destroy the product or return it to the point of purchase. Customers with questions can contact Aurora Products, Inc. for further information at (800)-898-1048 between the hours of 9:00AM to 5:00 PM EST Monday – Friday.
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Stock Yards Meat Packing Co., Inc. in Tuscon recalls roast beef product due to misbranding

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stockyard-2WASHINGTON — Stock Yards Meat Packing Co., Inc., a Tucson, Ariz. establishment, is recalling approximately 2,149 pounds of roast beef due to misbranding, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The product was mistakenly labeled as corned beef on the product label.

The following item subject to recall, was produced on February 18, 2015:

  1. 6-10 pound cryovac packages of “Ready to Cook CORNED BEEF Bottom Round Flat.

The product bears the establishment number “EST. 6071” inside the USDA mark of inspection and has “Use or Freeze by: 4/22/2015” printed on the product label. The product was shipped to businesses in Arizona and California.

The problem was discovered when a customer of the recalling firm received the mislabeled product.

FSIS and the company have received no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products, and this product did not enter the School Lunch Program.

Night work scheduled this week on SR 260 east of Cottonwood

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adot-logo-03aCOTTONWOOD — Night work is scheduled tomorrow and Wednesday, March 24 and 25, on State Route 260 on a six-mile segment approximately three miles east of Cottonwood between Ogden Ranch Road and Cherry Creek Road (mileposts 209 to 215) between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. each night.

Crews are gathering soil samples along the roadway in preparation of the widening of State Route 260 between Thousand Trails and I-17. The two-lane roadway will be narrowed to one lane during work hours and drivers will be guided through the work zone with a pilot car and flaggers.

The speed limit through the work zone will be 45 mph and law enforcement will be present.

ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

Possible suicide hoax causes lockdown at Thomas Elementary School

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flagstaff-policeFLAGSTAFF — On Monday, March 23, 2015 at approximately 2:40 p.m., the Flagstaff Police Department received an anonymous call from a subject stating they were suicidal, had a firearm and were near Thomas Elementary School in the 3300 block of East Lockett.

The caller used an administrative line, and when transferred to dispatch stated they were suicidal, armed and near children. The caller did not respond to any other questions asked my dispatch and hung up.

Officers immediately were sent to the area. The school had already activated their lockdown procedures. Officers conducted a room by room search of the school, including the playground area and surrounding residential area with negative contact with any armed subjects or suspicious persons. Area schools were contacted and provided the information regarding the suspicious call.

The Flagstaff Police Department will continue to investigate this call, but at this time we believe the call to be a hoax.

This weekend last chance for guided tour of Keyhole Sink

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keyhole-sinkWILLIAMS — Arizona Archaeology month is nearing the end. This weekend will be the last opportunity for the guided tour of the Keyhole Sink site east of Williams. The site is four-miles west of Parks.

Traveling from Flagstaff, exit at Parks road and follow historic route 66 west. The tour starts at 2 p.m. Neil Weintraub reports on Facebook that you might expect to get wet from the water fall. There is no cost.

The Keyhole Sink is open to the public year around, but this is one of the few chances to get a guided tour.

COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION: LEVEL 2 SEX OFFENDER ALERT

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robert-leeNAME: Robert Curt Lee
AGE:  54   HGT: 6’01” WGT: 160 HAIR: Brown           EYES: Brown
ADDRESS:  124 S. San Francisco St Flagstaff, AZ 86001

COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION

LEVEL 2 SEX OFFENDER ALERT

The Flagstaff Police Department is releasing the following information pursuant to ARS 13-3835, the Community Notification on Sex Offender Law. The offender in this publication is living in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Notification must be made when certain sex offenders are released from the Arizona State Prison, accepted under an interstate compact or released from the county jail back into the community.  Offenders are categorized into three levels; Level One (low risk to the community), Level Two (intermediate risk to the community), and Level Three (high risk to the community).

The individual who appears on this notification has been convicted of a sex offense, which allows for community notification. He is not wanted by the Flagstaff Police Department at this time.

This notification is not intended to increase fear: rather, it is our belief that an informed public is a safer public. CITIZEN ABUSE OF THIS INFORMATION TO THREATEN, INTIMIDATE, OR HARASS SEX OFFENDERS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. The Flagstaff Police Department may be reached at 928-774-1414 and is available to help you join or start a neighborhood watch program as well as provide you with useful information on personal safety. If you have information regarding current criminal activity on this or any offender, please call 928-774-1414 or Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.

SYNOPSIS: Robert Lee was convicted in 1990 for Child Molestation out of Sarasota, Florida.

Please contact the Flagstaff Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 928-556-2201 with any questions or concerns. If you have information and do not want to leave your name please call SILENT WITNESS at 928 774-6111.

Kaibab National Forest seeks public input on grassland restoration project

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forest-image004WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest is seeking comments on a proposed grassland restoration project on the forest’s Williams and Tusayan ranger districts that would restore the structure and function of grasslands and woodland areas by reducing tree densities, reestablishing natural fire regimes, and promoting grassland-associated wildlife species.

The detailed proposal and associated documents, including maps, are available on the Kaibab National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=44132. Interested individuals are encouraged to submit comments during the 30-day scoping period, which will run from March 24 to April 22.

Comments may be written, hand-delivered, oral, or electronically-delivered. Hand-delivered comments can be submitted to the Williams Ranger District office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, at 742 S. Clover Rd., Williams, AZ 86046, or to the Tusayan Ranger District office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, at 176 Lincoln Log Loop, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023.

Comments may also be submitted via electronic mail to comments-southwestern-kaibab-williams@fs.fed.us. Please include “South Zone Grassland Restoration Project” in the subject line of the email.

The Southwestern landscape, including the Williams and Tusayan districts of the Kaibab, has been greatly altered over the past century by the encroachment of woody plants, particularly juniper, pinyon, and ponderosa pine, into areas that were formerly grasslands and open pinyon-juniper woodlands.

Many factors have played a role in this transition, including historical livestock grazing, fire suppression, changes in wildlife populations, and climate change. These factors have eliminated the vegetation necessary to carry low intensity surface fires across the landscape, thereby altering the natural fire regimes and allowing uncharacteristic forest succession to take place. Encroachment can alter water and nutrient cycling, impact soil integrity, and negatively impact wildlife habitat.

Forest managers are seeking to reduce this encroachment and move toward desired conditions by thinning conifer trees, conducting prescribed burns and implementing associated actions on a broad scale across the two southern districts of the Kaibab National Forest.

“Grasslands serve an important ecological role and provide habitat for wildlife including birds and mammals,” said Roger Joos, wildlife biologist and project lead. “Functional grasslands are much less abundant than they were historically, which reduces the amount of available habitat for grassland-associated species. Understanding the value of these grasslands and the threats they are facing, we recognize the need to work toward restoring them to healthier conditions.”