Category Archives: News

County Superintendent of Schools to host 2020 Spelling BEE

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FLAGSTAFF – Twenty-two Coconino County students will compete to be the top speller at the 2020 Coconino County Spelling BEE. The County BEE will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 8 in the Coconino High School mini-auditorium at 2801 N. Izabel Street, Flagstaff.

The 2020 Coconino County Spelling BEE consists of home, public, charter and private school-students from throughout the County who won their school or district Spelling Bee.

The Rotary Clubs from Flagstaff, Grand Canyon and Williams donate monetary prizes for the top three spellers. The clubs also provide experienced and qualified judges who determine if the contestants have spelled the words correctly.

The winner of the County Spelling BEE will advance to compete with 26 other top spellers at the state level. The Arizona Educational Foundation State Spelling Bee is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, March 21 at AZ PBS, 500 N. Central Avenue, 6th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004.

The winner of the state bee will represent Arizona at the 2020 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. in late May or early June.

The County Spelling BEE is coordinated and hosted annually by the County Superintendent of Schools Office. Spectators are welcome to attend.

For information please contact Betsey Williams at (928) 679-8070 or e-mail bwilliams@coconino.az.gov.

Coconino County Detention Facility Upgrades Video Visitation System

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FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Detention Facility recently upgraded its Video Visitation System so that friends and family can now visit from anywhere using a smart phone, computer or tablet. Visitors no longer need to go to the jail lobby to use the free video visitation feature.

Inmates now receive 60 minutes of free video visitation each week. Visitation can take place from anywhere, and inmates can use their weekly free minutes for the visits. The 60 minutes can be split up into different visits and can be used with any type of visit, whether to a computer, phone, tablet, or with someone in the Flagstaff or Page jail lobbies.

For more information and to set up an account, please visit www.gettingout.com or from a smart phone or table visit the app store to download the free app GettingOut Visit.

Sexual assault suspect in custody

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FLAGSTAFF – On January 25, at approximately 4:30 am, Jason Gonnie was taken into custody during a traffic stop at 4th Street and Highway 66 by Deputies from Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and Officers and the Flagstaff Police Department.

Gonnie was taken into custody without incident, during an early Saturday morning traffic stop, where he was then transported to the Coconino County Detention Facility.

Gonnie was booked for Kidnapping, Sex Assault, 3 counts of Endangerment, Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon, Burglary 2nd degree, Possession of Marijuana and a Probation Warrant. Gonnie currently has a $150,000.00 bond.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Flagstaff Police Department, Department of Public safety, United States Marshals Office, the media and the public for their assistance in bringing this matter to a peaceful resolution.

Barricaded Subject in Kachina Village not found in residence.

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FLAGSTAFF – On January 23, 2020 around 5:20 pm, after continued efforts by negotiators to contact the suspect Jason Gonnie with negative results, the Tactical Team was deployed and made entry into the residence off Chof Trail where Gonnie was last seen.

The entire multilevel residence was cleared and searched by the Tactical Team with the assistance of a canine and robot. Gonnie was not in the residence.

Detectives found through investigating the incident that the suspect was familiar with the family and the residence. Gonnie is believed to have broken into the lower level of the residence and contacted the victim sometime Wednesday night.

Gonnie remained at the residence until Thursday morning at which
point, he presented a weapon and refused to allow the victim and children to leave the home. It was during this time Gonnie reportedly sexually assaulted the victim. Around 1:00 pm on Thursday the victim was able to escape the residence with her two children after Gonnie moved to another level of the residence, leaving her alone.

Efforts to locate Jason Gonnie are ongoing. Gonnie is considered a threat to the public and potentially armed. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to use caution if they come in to contact with Gonnie. If anyone is aware of Gonnie’s location or sees him, they are asked to immediately
call 911 or Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.

Barricaded Subject in Kachina Village

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FLAGSTAFF – On January 23, 2020 since around 1:16 pm, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has been working a barricaded subject accused of Sexual Assault in the area of Chof Trail in Kachina Village. On scene deputies are still trying to confirm if the suspect is in the residence.

Information obtained from the reporting party was the victim along with two other children had removed themselves from the house and made their way to the reporting party’s residence. The reporting party advised that the suspect was the only one in the residence.

After arriving on scene, deputies confirmed the safety of the victim and children who had been in residence. Deputies set up a perimeter around the residence in which the suspect was last seen. At this time no contact has been made with the suspect. The Sheriff’s Office is continuing to attempt to contact the suspect through phone and loudspeaker. The suspect has been identified as Jason Gonnie an 18-year-old Native American male, 5 foot 9 inches tall, slim build, black hair and black eyes.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter has been deployed along with the Northern Arizona Regional Tactical Team. Efforts are ongoing to confirm Gonnie is still in the residence. Due to the ongoing investigations, no further details are available at this time. More information will be made available as the investigation progresses.

Pop-Up Art Show Featuring Drawings and Sketches by Inmates of the Coconino County Jail

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FLAGSTAFF – Artistic drawings and sketches created by individuals while they were in-custody at the Coconino County Jail will be on display at the Exodus Pop-Up Art Show at the Coconino Center for the Arts, located at 2300 N Fort Valley Rd, Flagstaff, Arizona. The opening reception will be Friday, January 24 from 6 – 8 pm with an entrance fee of $5 at the door. The art can also be viewed Saturday, January 25 and Sunday January 26 from 11 am – 5 pm.

This is the second official Exodus Art Show highlighting artistic pieces from individuals who participated in the Exodus program at the Coconino County Jail. The first show was held in 2016 at a Firecreek Coffee and recently pieces of inmate art also were displayed at the Art in Action exhibit at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany.

The Coconino County Detention Facility Exodus program is an in-custody substance abuse treatment program for men and women detained at the jail. The Exodus Program incorporates parenting classes, health education, creative writing, expressive art classes, stress management training and other life skills lessons that are provided by staff and outside agencies.

Goals of the Exodus Program include:

  • Reduce the impact substance abuse has on our community.
  • Provide therapeutic and educational services to assist addicted inmates in making the decision to avoid future alcohol or drug consumption.
  • Enhance inmates’ ability to make positive changes in their lives.
  • Strengthen families, reduce recidivism and provide a proactive response to alcohol and substance abuse related crimes.

Many of the inmates housed in our facility have much to give and share with the community, and art can be part of the recovery and re-entry process. The Sheriff’s Office hopes this art display will enlighten community members as to the talent and abilities of many of our inmates, as well as the positive impact of the Exodus program on the lives of people in our community.

County offices closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

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FLAGSTAFF — All Coconino County administrative offices will be closed Monday, January 20 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

While the administrative offices at the Sheriff’s Office will be closed, Dispatch, Patrol and Detention will be open. Records will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday January 20 with limited staffing. Please dial 9-1-1 for emergencies. For non-emergencies, dial 928-774-4523 to connect with the non-emergency Dispatch number or to leave a message for one of the administrative offices.

In the event of a snow storm or other impactful weather during the holiday, County Public Works crews will be deployed to keep County roadways open and passable.

Coconino County’s parks and natural areas will remain open during the holiday, but administrative offices at Fort Tuthill will be closed and limited staff or services will be available. The Fort Tuthill Bike Park is currently closed. Please do not sled on the Fort Tuthill Bike Park or you will damage the features which were built specifically for cyclists to hone their skills on jumps and flow trails. Drinking water is available at Fort Tuthill County Park and Louise Yellowman County Park (located near Tuba City), and bathrooms are still available at Raymond, Peaks View and Sawmill County Parks. Water has been turned off at all park ramadas.

Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) Animal Management will have an officer available from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, January 20. Contact the CCHHS Animal Management office at 928-679-8756 and leave a message and an officer will respond. Call 9-1-1 for emergencies.

Arrest made in in Cosnino neighborhood death

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Casey Dark – CCSO booking photo

FLAGSTAFF – Detectives with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate the death of 45 year old Cosnino resident, Joshua Dark that occurred on December 26.

Immediately after the incident, Detectives served a search warrant on the residence where the incident occurred and interviewed Joshua’s wife regarding the shooting. Detectives have since interviewed several other witnesses as well.

Detectives presented the case to a Coconino County Grand Jury. The Grand Jury found probable cause to charge the suspect, Dark’s wife, 26 year old Casey Dark with 2nd Degree Murder. An arrest warrant was issued and on January 9, 2020 Casey was arrested without incident and booked into the Coconino County Jail for one count of 2nd Degree Murder. The United States Marshall’s Office assisted in locating and arresting Dark.

New Year’s Eve – Route 66 DUI Task Force

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Northern AZ Law Enforcement Agencies wish everyone a happy and safe Holiday Season. We want to remind you, as always our Officers, Deputies and Troopers will be patrolling 24 hours a day 7 days a week to keep our communities safe.

As New Year’s approaches, we know there will be many parties and festivities. We will have increased enforcement patrols during this busy time of the year. In addition, Law Enforcement in Northern Arizona will conduct a multi-agency DUI Task Force on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Police Department, AZ Department of Public Safety and Northern Arizona University Police will be participating. We will be posting several DUI trailers throughout the area where officers can take possible violators to gather samples of breath and blood draws if driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is suspected.

It is our hope that by publicizing this task force and advising the public of this event, people will be encouraged to not drive while under the influence. A taxi, Uber, LYFT, Shuttle or Designated Driver is a much cheaper and safer option than taking a chance of driving while intoxicated. In addition, NAIPTA will be offering free bus service on New Year’s Eve until 1:15 am.

Don’t take a chance of ruining your life or the life of someone else by driving intoxicated or recklessly. Being arrested for DUI is very a costly life event. If you are arrested and convicted of DUI, you can face a low-end cost of around $5000. That does not include missed time at work or with family. DUI results in mandatory jail time if convicted, with a minimum of one night in jail, and incarceration increases with severity of the crime.

Please take this time to prepare for your travel and other festivities. Help us keep everyone safe on the roads this New Year’s Eve.

Winter weather advisory for northern Arizona

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WILLIAMS — The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory to start at 5 p.m. today and run to 5 a.m. Saturday for elevations above 5000 feet. Travel should be restricted to necessary travel during the period. If you must travel to Flagstaff, stay well clear of snow plows. It is not safe to travel directly behind the plow.

Ash Fork is not included in the weather advisory, but could get up to 4-inches from the storm. Valle could get up to 5-inches of snow.

Starting today Williams will be partly sunny with a 30% chance of snow showers after 11 a.m. Less than 1/2″ is expected today with 2- to 4-inches of snow accumulation overnight. Winds of 7- to 13-mph today lessening to about 8-mph overnight are expected.

Friday an 80% chance of show might bring up to 3″ of snow with less than 1″ overnight.

Weather is expected to clear Saturday with temperatures reaching the 35-degree range during the day. Monday there is a 20% chance of snow with little accumulation clearing again Tuesday through New Year Day.

Snow forecast from 5 PM Today to 5 AM Saturday:
Doney Park 4 to 8 inches
Flagstaff 5 to 9 inches
Forest Lakes 8 to 12 inches
Heber-Overgaard 4 to 6 inches
Payson 2 to 4 inches
Pine-Strawberry 7 to 11 inches
Sedona 0 to 1 inches
Williams 4 to 8 inches