WILLIAMS—The Arizona Collectibles and Firearms gun show provides the perfect venue for fathers this weekend. The gun show will be held this Saturday and Sunday the 15th and 16th at the Bob Dean Rodeo Grounds in Williams. The show times are from 9 am to 5 pm and 9am to 4 pm respectively. The cost to enter the show is $7 for one day and $10 for both days. Look for a $2 discount coupon. Gun show dealers and purchasers are reminded that they are obligated to follow all applicable laws.
Category Archives: News
Williams Authors Association meets in Williams
ValJesse O’Feeny reads to the group from her autobiography.
Surrounding me, drug deals are looming. Political corruption reigns as money changes hands for power and favor. Murder is a way of life.
I’m covering the monthly meeting of the Northern Arizona Authors Association in Williams at the Wild West Junction.
The Northern Arizona Authors group meets in various locations once a month around 10 o’clock. The idea is to read portions of their latest works for critique and to encourage writers and potential writers. Anyone is welcome and there are no dues. If you are an author, you can bring a portion of your work to read.
If you have not started, perhaps this is the inspiration you will need to release that one book inside of you.
Hailey, Idaho holds rally in support of Sergent Bergdhal
HAILEY, IDAHO—During the Run for the Wall motorcycle rally, the east coast group Rolling Thunder highlighted the plight of Sergeant Bowe Robert Bergdahl who was captured by insurgents in Afghanistan. This month, a local group in plan a Bring Bowie Back rally in his home State of Idaho.
Sergeant Bergdahl was taken captive on June 30, 2009 as a private and promoted in abstentia. The administration has made attempts to rescue him, but all have failed. He is currently the only known, living prisoner of war.
Stefanie O’Neill, one of the organizers of the event, said that the event started as a tree dedication in a local park, “… but as people heard about the event, it started growing at a rapid rate and has evolved into a full blown rally with both locals and supporters from across the County attending. This will be largest rally for Bowe every held. I am completely overwhelmed by the support pouring in from around the Country for this event.”
Hailey Chief of Police Jeff M. Gunter will escort the rally to the capitol city of Boise
Debbie O’Neill explained that 500 motorcycles are expected to meet in Jerome, Idaho at the Flying J. Hailey Police Chief Jeff Gunter will escort the rally participants 50 miles to Bellevue where they will meet with another motorcycle group from Boise. Chief Gunter will escort the entire group to the event in Boise scheduled for the 22nd of June.
While the event is centered in Idaho, any riders from any State are welcome to attend the event.
The event is supported by the POW Network, the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Group and smaller motorcycle and military groups from the Northwest. The Northeast, Pocatello and Boise Chapters of the POW/MIA organization from Idaho will be attending. In addition, the Elko Nevada POW/MIA Organization are supporting the event. More will probably be added by the date of the event.
If you wish to learn more about the event, you visit the web site for more information.
Business as usual for Sheriff’s deputies.
FLAGSTAFF—Coconino County Sheriff’s deputies were busy Tuesday following a DUI and finding $23K of marijuana in a tire.
On Tuesday, June 4, 2013 at about 6:30 pm Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to reports of a blue Chevy pickup driving recklessly on Silver Saddle Road in the Doney Park area. Upon their arrival Deputies found three vehicles had been struck by the suspect vehicle as it traveled on Silver Saddle Road. An off duty Flagstaff Police Officer witnessed the collisions and followed the vehicle to a residence on Stardust Trail. The off duty officer waited for deputies to arrive and assisted with pointing out the Chevy truck and the driver involved in the collisions. Deputies made contact with the driver at the residence, observed him and detected physical indicators of impairment.
Deputies arrested 39 year old Jimmy Curley, Jr. of Flagstaff, Arizona for DUI and transported him to the Coconino County Detention Facility for additional DUI testing. During the investigation deputies discovered Curley had been arrested for DUI on two previous occasions by the Sheriff’s Deputies since April 30, 2013. Those cases are still pending court appearances. Curley’s license also was determined to be suspended at the time of Tuesday’s arrest.
Jimmy Curley was booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility for Aggravated Driving Under the Influence, Endangerment, and Leaving the scene of an accident. Curley is currently being held on a $45,000 bond for these charges.
Also on Tuesday, Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies seized 37 pounds of marijuana out of a tire at a vehicle salvage yard on Leupp Road. The marijuana was discovered after a customer of the U-Pick-It Salvage Yard removed the tire from a pile of scrap tires. While an employee attempted to remove the tire from the rim, they discovered the marijuana between the tire and rim. The employee called the Sheriff’s Office to report the suspicious packages. A total of 12 individually wrapped packages of marijuana were removed from the tire. Investigators are working with salvage yard employees in an attempt to determine which vehicle the tire and wheel were mounted on.
According to officers assigned to the Northern Arizona Metro Street Crimes Task Force, the current average street value for one pound of marijuana in this area is estimated to be about $625.00 which would value the entire load at about $23,125.
If you lost this merchandise, you can call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 928-774-4523 to claim it.
Lost 14 Year Old Hiker Located in Paria Canyon
PAGE—Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, the Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue Helicopter from Flagstaff and the Kane County, Utah Sheriff’s Office located and rescued a lost 14 year old boy, who had become separated from his party while hiking Paria Canyon.
Around 11:00 pm, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a lost hiker in the Paria Canyon in Northern Arizona, just off the Utah border. A church Boy Scout group from Mesa, AZ consisting of a scout leader and six scouts were on day two of a multi-day hike in the canyon. The group had entered the canyon at the Wire Pass Trailhead.
At some time Wednesday afternoon, the 14 year old boy became separated from his party. Due to a lack of communication from inside the canyon, the scout leader hiked the group out to Lee’s Ferry where they reported the lost subject.
The Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit requested assistance from DPS Ranger Helicopter, while searchers from Kane County Sheriff’s Office and Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area to conduct ground searches.
The DPS Air Rescue Helicopter and crew flew into the canyon and located the missing boy around 3:30 am. The flight crew was able to land the helicopter in the canyon and transported the boy out to Lee’s Ferry.
The boy had become separated when he stopped due to a muscle cramp. He attempted to catch up to his party, but could not do so before nightfall. The boy walked back up the canyon to a wide area in the canyon, where he placed his sleeping bag out in the open to be visible for searchers. He was medically assessed on scene and suffered no injuries. Search and Rescue crews transported the boy to Flagstaff, where he was reunited with his parents.
The availability and response of the DPS Air Rescue Helicopter was invaluable in the quick location and recovery of the hiker.
Arizona Cowpunchers Rodeo returns to Williams
Real Cowboys
WILLIAMS—It’s summer and rodeo season is here. The Arizona Cowpunchers rodeo returns to the Bob Dean Rodeo Grounds in Williams this month. The Cowpunchers rodeo features real working cowboys much like the first rodeo in Prescott in 1888. While it has grown over the years, most of the cowboys in this rodeo are from central and northern Arizona.
Make plans to see the performances at 1 p.m. starting Friday, June 21st through the 23rd. There is a barn dance Friday and Saturday from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
If you are visiting from anywhere, but especially from a foreign land, this is the rodeo you must see if you are interested in western culture.
Pro wrestling comes to Williams
WILLIAMS—Williams will have it’s first professional wrestling match tomorrow at 8 p.m. at the Williams High School gym. The gym is located at 440 S. 7th street. It is just up the street from the Williams Medical Clinic.
The card includes:
1. Dexter Verity vs. Super Rich
2. Mercer vs. Parrallax
3. The Monstrous Mongo the Hobo vs. the Suburban Ninja
Intermission/Sell merchandise
4. Ram Rock vs. Alex Sage
5. R3 vs. Jay Garland
6. THE MAIN EVENT
Pete “the Heat” Petrocelli vs. Graves
These are the scheduled matches and there are other fun things planned in between matches to keep the crowd excited and wanting more.
The match is set up by former pro wrestler-turned-Pastor Andy McDaniel of the First Baptist Church of Williams. He has been offering pro wrestling training for the community for some time giving the youth another activity.
Outbreak of Rare Strain of Hepatitis A Spreads to Hawaii
By Dan Flynn |
Another Western state was touched by the outbreak of a rare strain of hepatitis A, adding two more individuals to the list of those sickened nationwide. Hawaii is the sixth state to be added to the growing outbreak.
State health officials in Hawaii say two adults, one from the island of Oahu and the other from Kauai, are among those sickened with the liver disease. Like at least another 30 victims on the mainland, the Hawaii residents are believed to have consumed a frozen organic berry mix purchased at local Costco outlets.
The national warehouse outlet based in Seattle has removed the product from its shelves, and contacted it members who purchased the mixed berry product. But the weekend passed without any official recall by manufacturer of the suspect product, Townsend Farms, based in Oregon.
Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend contains berries from multiple locations (Argentina, Chile and Turkey) and a pomegranate seed mix from Egypt, according to health officials.
Read more at Food Safety News
SEE ALSO: Case Count Rises to 49 in Hepatitis A Outbreak Linked to Frozen Berries
Williams City Council votes to install “smart meters.”
WILLIAMS—At the May 23rd meeting of the city council, the Williams City Council voted to allow APS to install “automatic meters,” also called “smart meters,” in place of traditional electric meters.
According to the minutes of the meeting [PDF] on the city web site, none of the council members addressed the Fourth Amendment concerns that have been raised throughout the country concerning these smart meters. Recently there have been concerns raised about illnesses from these meters because of the electromagnetic radiation they emit.
Joe Carter of APS noted in the meeting that the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) has become industry standard and that APS began installing these meters throughout their service area in 2006. Installing the meters would “bring Williams up to date.”
Installation of these meters will take three- to four-weeks after the approval by the council. Customers would be notified by mail and door hangers and the meters would be installed up to three-days later.
Carter responded to a question on reading the meters from Councilman Heimenz by explaining that it is done by radio and cell phone technology. Heimenz did not ask, nor did Carter explain, concerns about hacking into these meters by others with cell phone technology. In England, where people pay for the meters and television, this is a growing concern.
These meters can be used to determine what appliances you have and how they are used. Even what types of DVDs and CDs you watch or listen to according to some sources. This information has been sold by some utility companies. Hacking the meters can tell a potential criminal the times that you are away from your home.
A 2012 article by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, smart meters can be used as part of a data retention program.
Smart Meter Hacking for Privacy
On day four of the 28th Annual Chaos Communication Congress, Smart Hacking for Privacy explored the privacy-intrusive potential of smart meter technology. EFF has articulated the privacy concerns around smart meters – including how this technology can be used to monitor what appliances a consumer uses in the home and exactly when she uses them. According to Network World, Smart Hacking for Privacy went a step further and showed that under certain circumstances, researchers could use smart meters to “determine devices like how many PCs or LCD TVs [were] in a home, what TV program was being watched, and if a DVD movie being played had copyright-protected material.” This builds off of research (PDF) by a team at the University of Washington on the electromagnetic interference (EMI) signatures produced by televisions. Smart Hacking for Privacy also demonstrated how smart meters could be hacked so that the readings were incorrect. The entire presentation is available on YouTube.
In 2012, the California Public Utilities Commission approved an opt-out program according to the Agriculture Defense Coalition.
We sent an email to the Arizona Corporation Commission on smart meter technology and are waiting a response. They may not have had time to formulate a response to the questions we asked because we only sent the email last night.
Texas has a bill in the Senate to ban the use of these meters.
Smart meters are not a concern only in the United States. On the other side of the world groups in Australia are fighting against this technology. A group called the East Gippsland Action Group [Facebook page] offers a sign to be posted by the owners of property warning electric companies not to install the meters.
Their web site complains that these meters allow electric companies to control your airconditioner, heaters and other appliances in your home.
SEE ALSO:
Smart Meter Dangers
Two Neighborhood Watch meetings slated for Flagstaff
FLAGSTAFF—Coconino County Sheriff Bill Pribil and two of the county supervisors are encouraging members of two communities in Flagstaff to attend a Neighborhood Watch meetings in their areas.
Neighborhood Watch is similar to the Block Watch program many people might remember from thirty-years ago. Residents will learn how to observe and report suspicious activity as an effective means of preventing criminal activity.
The first meeting will be June 4 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Summit Fire Station 33 for members of the Timberline and Fernwood communities. The station is located at 6050 Firehouse Lane off of north Highway 89. Sheriff Pribil and members of his staff will join County Supervisor Liz Archuleta at the meeting.
The second meeting for the Doney Park neighborhood will be held on Thursday, June 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Cromer School, 7150 E. Silver Saddle Road. County Supervisor Mandy Metzger will join Sheriff Pribil and his deputies for this meeting.
At the meetings, the Supervisors will also discuss county issues. County Parks and Recreation director Judy Weiss asks input on how to use the $500,917 directed to revitalize the Peaks View County Park at 8805 N. Koch Field in Flagstaff. “We are asking residents what new features or recreational amenities they would like to see in the park,” she is quoted as saying.
Residents can also send input concerning the park by email to parksrec@coconino.az.gov or the County’s Community Voice Website.