Grand Canyon Railway train backs in to load passengers against a backdrop of fog.
The weather is expected to clear Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday the chance of snow returns and continues throughout next weekend.
PHOENIX – Restrooms, drinking fountains and vending machines won’t be available at the Interstate 10 Burnt Well Rest Area west of Phoenix from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, January 18, due to utility work in the area.
Motorists will still be able to stop at the rest area, which has locations in both directions at milepost 86 near Tonopah, while the power is out and services aren’t available.
Other ADOT rest areas along I-10 between Phoenix and the California state line are Bouse Wash at milepost 53 and Ehrenberg at milepost 4.7.
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and Coconino National Forest wants citizens to be aware of the work being done by the Coconino Sheriff’s Inmate Work Crew and Forest Service personnel to help mitigate the unsightly broken sleds and other trash left behind on public lands during winter recreation. Many residents and visitors have voiced their concerns about large amounts of trash that has been left behind during winter recreation. Few agencies have enough resources to handle the trash issues alone and there are no trash services on public lands, which is why it is important for people recreating in the snow to clean up any trash or broken sleds before leaving the area.
As more and more people leave their trash behind, more and more help is needed to clean it up. The Coconino Sheriff’s Inmate Work Crew helping to pick up trash and take care of public lands is yet another example of the many ways inmates are giving back to the community in a positive way. The Inmate Work Crew has worked closely with the Coconino National Forest on this and other projects such as flood mitigation and cleanup of transient camps in the area. The Inmate Work Crew is regularly involved in picking up trash on public lands and has had work days in Williams, Tusayan, Tuba City, Timberline, and Picture Canyon, to name a few. The Crew also regularly assists other organizations such as County Public Works with graffiti removal, social service organizations with wood cutting for people in need, and County Parks and Recreation with projects.
Please help keep Flagstaff and the surrounding communities beautiful, and take care of your public lands so everyone can enjoy them. Pack out your trash after enjoying time playing in the snow in Northern Arizona.
FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Arizona Snowbowl has conducted two search and rescue missions on the San Francisco Peaks in the last couple of days.
The first was a search for two lost hikers who had attempted to summit Humphrey’s Peak by using the Humphrey’s Trail on January 10th. The trail was mostly indistinguishable due to the snow cover. The adult male and adult female called 911 at approximately 4:45 PM from a location at approximately 10,750 feet. The two hikers were unable to navigate back to the trail head and were becoming cold and did not have equipment for night time hiking. Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue personnel responded to the call and were assisted by the Arizona Snowbowl grooming snowcats so that they could be inserted near the wilderness boundary near the top of the Humphrey’s Chair Lift. The SAR personnel then hiked to the location of the hikers and provided them with warm clothes, food, and water before bringing them back to the top of the Humphrey’s Chair Lift where the snowcats transported them back to the Agassiz Lodge at 9:00 PM. Neither hiker requested any medical attention.
On January 11th at 12:45 PM Arizona Snowbowl Ski Patrol notified the Sheriff’s Office about two lost snowboarders who had left the ski area boundary and were in the area known as First Gully south of the ski area. The two snowboarders were separated by approximately half a mile. Ski Patrol, at the request of the Sheriff’s Office, left the ski area and skied down First Gully to locate one of the snowboarders. SAR personnel hiked in to the Viet Spring area to attempt to locate the second snowboarder. The second snowboarder eventually hiked out to the Viet Spring parking area where he was located by SAR personnel. Both snowboarders were reunited at the Viet Spring parking area and then reunited with friends at the Agassiz Lodge. Neither requested any medical attention.
In both missions the subjects were not adequately prepared for the winter backcountry. Winter trails that appear on maps may not be discernible in the field due to snow cover. Good backcountry navigation skills may be necessary including map reading, compass skills, and GPS skills. All backcountry travelers should be prepared with the “ten essentials” plus three winter backcountry essentials in addition to a cell phone. The “ten essentials” include water, food, extra warm clothing, navigation equipment, headlamp/flashlight, first aid kit, shelter material/space blanket, fire starting kit, pocket knife/mulit-tool, and whistle/signal mirror. The winter backcountry essentials are an avalanche shovel, avalanche probe, and avalanche beacon. A cell phone is a good item to carry but backcountry travelers should be aware that cellular service may not be available. Even if your cell phone does not indicate that it has signal, if you have an emergency you should still attempt to call 911. All backcountry travelers should leave a detailed trip plan with a trusted person who can contact emergency services in the event that the traveler does not check in or return by a specified time. When exploring the winter backcountry on the San Francisco Peaks the backcountry travelers should be aware of the potential for avalanche hazards. Additional education about avalanche hazards and avoidance is available from the Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center at www.kachinapeaks.org.
PHOENIX – One of the most common Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division transactions just got a bit easier with the addition of more Authorized Third Party providers permitted to offer driver license services including road testing, written testing and photos.
There are now 22 third-party providers, operating at 33 locations, authorized to offer these transactions. To do so, they must meet stringent qualifications set by MVD.
These services are provided at all MVD offices and require an in-person visit. Customers looking for convenience may wish to consider an Authorized Third Party.
“Partnering with Authorized Third Party providers is a very successful example of government and the private sector cooperating to offer outstanding customer service,” Motor Vehicle Division Director Eric Jorgensen said. “These offices are a convenient and popular supplement to MVD locations. Having more of them offering driver licenses is another great example of MVD getting people out of line and safely on the road.”
All Authorized Third Party providers must follow MVD guidelines and are monitored for compliance. Operators that offer driver license services have additional requirements, including having been a third-party provider for at least three years, conducting at least 1,000 transactions per month for one year, having an appropriate facility and meeting certain financial requirements.
With several more Authorized Third Party locations expected to open before the end of the year, information about which offices provide driver license services can be found at ServiceArizona.com or azdot.gov/mvd.
PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department now is accepting online applications for 2017 hunt permit-tags issued through the draw process for pronghorn antelope and elk.
To apply online, visit https://draw.azgfd.gov and scroll down to “Apply for a Draw.” For an overview of the online application service, including license requirements, applying for bonus points and payment information, see Page 10 of the “2017 Pronghorn Antelope and Elk Hunt Draw Information” booklet (PDF). Printed booklets also are available at all Game and Fish offices and license dealers (PDF) statewide.
Paper applications can be mailed to: Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn.: Drawing Section, P.O. Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052, or dropped off at any regional office statewide.
All applications – online or paper – must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017. Postmarks do not count.
In a major change from last year, online applicants must keep their credit card payment information current. If payment is declined at the time of the draw, the application will not be drawn. The department no longer will attempt to reach applicants by telephone to obtain payment on drawn applications where credit cards have failed.
This also marks the first time pronghorn and elk hunters will be able to purchase PointGuard as part of their online application. An innovative new program, PointGuard provides hunters with peace of mind in knowing they can surrender their hunt permit-tag for any reason without losing their coveted bonus points. Information: https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/pointguard.
In the meantime, the department is encouraging all applicants to sign up for a free AZGFD Customer Portal account. The portal allows customers to create a secure account where they can manage and view their contact information, as well as their license and draw results information and bonus points, in their personal “My AZ Outdoors” section. A portal account also provides convenient access to the online license purchase and draw application systems.
It’s easy to create an account. Just click on the “Sign in to Account” button in the upper right-hand corner of the www.azgfd.gov home page and then select the “Create an Account” option, filling in the requested information. A portal account is mobile-friendly, so customers can view their information on their smartphones.
Finally, did you know the department’s online services are available 24/7? >From creating that AZGFD Customer Portal account and purchasing a valid hunting license, to getting the latest wildlife news and applying online for the draw, visit www.azgfd.gov anytime for all of your outdoor needs. Save time, buy online!
For more information, call (602) 942-3000.
PHOENIX – With light snow in the forecast heading into a long weekend, winter recreation areas along US 180 near Flagstaff are likely to attract heavy traffic that leads to delays.
Those planning to visit snow-play areas along US 180 over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend should leave prepared to spend extended time in winter weather – and to face traffic backlogs getting back to Flagstaff that increase as the day goes on.
They also should prepare for the trip by researching the locations of snow-play areas and whether those areas have enough snow to be open. The Flagstaff Convention & Visitors Bureau lists snow-play locations at FlagstaffArizona.org (follow the Winter Snowplay link) and offers a hotline at 844-256-SNOW with the latest snow conditions.
Don’t park along highways or interstates to play in the snow. That’s dangerous for you, other drivers and first responders. It also can exacerbate traffic congestion on US 180.
Once they get to Flagstaff on their trips home, those heading to points south at day’s end can save time getting to Interstate 17 by taking a marked alternate route to Interstate 40 at Butler Avenue, via Switzer Canyon Drive and Route 66, then heading west to I-17.
Motorists traveling to Arizona’s high country should allow extra travel time with snow in the forecast and prepare as they would for any extended period in cold weather. That includes taking winter coats, blankets, a fully charged cellphone and portable charger, plenty of fuel, drinking water, snacks and medications. ADOT offers more tips at azdot.gov/KnowSnow.
Give snowplows a wide berth, staying four car lengths behind. Never pass a snowplow that’s clearing a road.
WILLIAMS – Williams first responders responded to an overturned semi-truck on I-40 about five-miles east of Williams about 9:10 a.m. The multi-agency response also consisted of Arizona Department of Public Safety, Lifeline ambulance and animal control from Flagstaff.
A semi-truck with a load of chicken overturned on I-40 westbound about five-miles west of Williams landing approximately 130-feet off of the freeway. The driver suffered minor lacerations to the face and was transported by Lifeline Ambulance to Flagstaff Medical Facility.
The driver had five Chihuahuas in the cab which appear to have not been injured. The report is three Chihuahua adults and two pups. A team from Flagstaff was dispatched to take care of the dogs.
WILLIAMS – The Williams City Council meets in regular session tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the council chambers at 113 South First Street.
After the standard pledge, invocation and approval of the last minutes, there will be any scheduled presentations and public participation.
The main items under consideration are;
Afterward the council will adjourn to Executive Session and re-convene if necessary.
Flagstaff – At approximately 3:16 am this morning, a Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Deputy engaged in a short vehicle pursuit which resulted in investigative leads in a stolen vehicle, vehicle burglaries, and drug paraphernalia.
During the early morning hours of January 10, a Coconino County Sheriff Deputy was traveling on San Francisco Street when she observed a gray Toyota Tundra traveling at a high rate of speed. The vehicle failed to yield at the red light on Switzer Canyon and San Francisco. The Deputy activated emergency lights and sirens to stop the vehicle on Cedar Avenue near Flagstaff Medical Center, but the vehicle accelerated away from her and ran through another red light. The vehicle was estimated at driving at rates of up to 60 mph.
The pursuit lasted a short distance. When the driver attempted to turn at Pine Cliff Drive, the vehicle slid off the road and crashed into a utility box. Four people exited the vehicle and fled on foot. The Deputy and her canine located one of the occupants who had a valid warrant for arrest.
The Toyota Tundra was reported stolen out of Surprise, Arizona. Inside the vehicle were items that appear to be related to vehicle burglaries that took place in Flagstaff. Drug paraphernalia and a large amount of heroin also were found in the vehicle.
Arrested during this incident was 38 year-old Consuelo Almendarez of Flagstaff.
Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is coordinating with the Flagstaff Police Department in further investigation of this incident and other possible related crimes.