Tag Archives: News

ADHS reminds residents to take precautions to prevent rabies

Posted on by


Although human exposures to rabies are not common,
always enjoy wildlife from a distance.

PHOENIX — Outdoor recreationists and other members of the public are reminded, as always, to enjoy wildlife from a distance.

The Arizona Department of Health Services on June 19 issued a news release advising that there has been a statewide rise in animal rabies cases and encouraging the community to follow prevention guidelines to stay safe from the disease. According to ADHS, as of May 31, 2018, there have been 77 rabid animals reported this year compared with 54 at the same time last year, with the majority of animals identified in rural counties in the state. Most rabid animals identified to date in 2018 have been skunks and foxes, with 25 rabid skunks and 31 positive foxes reported from January through May. An increase in rabid bats is expected as the weather gets warmer.

“Rabies is a very serious disease that can be fatal, so it is important for people to take precautions such as keeping their pets on a leash and vaccinated against the disease,” said Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. “People can still walk, hike, or camp in areas where there are reported cases of rabies, but it is critical to make sure you and your pets are not interacting with wild animals. When at home, pets should be supervised or kept in a fenced yard.”

Rabies is a virus spread by the bite of or contact with saliva of an infected animal. Rabies causes severe damage to the central nervous system and usually leads to death once symptoms appear. Human exposures to rabid animals are usually rare (and can be treated through prompt administration of anti-rabies vaccine and rabies immune globulin), but domestic animals, such as cats and dogs, often come into contact with wild animals and are at an increased risk.

“In Arizona, bats, skunks, and foxes are the main animal sources of rabies,” said Anne Justice-Allen, D.V.M., a veterinarian and wildlife health specialist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “The first sign of rabies is usually a change in the animal’s behavior. Animals may act more aggressive or more tame than usual, be out during the day, stagger, tremble, or seem weak. Rabid animals may appear agitated and excited or paralyzed and frightened. Sometimes, rabid animals do not show any signs of illness before death from rabies.”

To prevent rabies and other diseases spread by animals (such as plague and tularemia), ADHS and AZGFD advise that people should not touch or feed wild or unfamiliar animals, even if they do not appear sick or aggressive. Any wild animal exhibiting unusual, erratic, or aggressive behavior should be reported to local animal control officials or the Arizona Game and Fish Department at (602) 942-3000. If you or your pet is bitten or has contact with a wild animal, seek immediate medical or veterinary attention and contact your county public health department.

For more information on rabies, go online to www.azhealth.gov/rabies.

Truth in Taxation hearing set

Posted on by

Coconino County is publishing the Truth in Taxation notice, as required by Arizona state law, explaining potential changes in the amount of property taxes collected.

Interested citizens are invited to attend the public hearing which is at 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 26, in the County Administrative Building Board Chambers, 219 East Cherry, Flagstaff, Ariz.

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors is notifying its property taxpayers of Coconino County’s intention to raise its primary property taxes over last year’s level. Coconino County is proposing an increase in primary property taxes of $187,911 or 2 percent.

For example, the proposed tax increase will cause Coconino County’s primary property taxes on a $100,000 home to increase from $54.79 (total taxes that would be owed without the proposed tax increase) to $55.89 (total proposed taxes including the tax increase).

Truth in Taxation hearings for the Library, Health and Flood Control Districts will also take place at 6 p.m. June 26 in the County Board Chambers on 219 E. Cherry Ave.

The Coconino County Library District is proposing an increase in secondary property taxes of $152,037 or 3.61 percent, the Coconino County Public Health Services District is proposing an increase in secondary property taxes of $148,620 or 3.61 percent and the Coconino County Flood Control District is proposing an increase in secondary property taxes of $74,228 or 2.85 percent.

Eric Peterson selected County Public Affairs Director

Posted on by

FLAGSTAFF — Interim County Manager James Jayne has announced the selection of Eric Peterson as the County Public Affairs Director. The Board of Supervisors approved the selection during their regular meeting June 19.

The Public Affairs Director is responsible for the supervision of all governmental and community relations functions, including communications and legislative issues. The Director leads a team that implements initiatives and projects and advocates for legislation that benefits Coconino County residents. The Public Affairs Director is a part of the Coconino County Leadership Team and reports directly to the County Manager.

“We look forward to Eric joining our team and bringing his wealth of experience to Coconino County,” said Interim County Manager James Jayne. “He has represented diverse communities, fostered relationships and led teams to accomplish many legislative goals. The Public Affairs Department, under Eric’s guidance, will continue building relationships with community partners throughout the County and work with local, state and federal officials to better serve Coconino County residents.”

Prior to joining Coconino County, Peterson most recently served as the Government Affairs Liaison for Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. He was also the Chief of Staff to Wisconsin State Senator Lena Taylor (D-4) for 7 years. Peterson studied Agricultural Marketing at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Peterson will start as director on July 9, 2018.

70-Year-Old Scottsdale Woman Arrested on 2nd Degree Homicide Charges in the Death of Her 94-Year-Old Husband

Posted on by

COCONINO COUNTY -– On May 20, 2018, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a deceased elderly male in the Forest Lakes, AZ area. The deceased man had severe trauma and was found on the side of the road in the area of Forest Service Road 512 (Young Road) and SR 260. The deceased was identified as 94-year-old William Max Rudd of Scottsdale, Arizona, and the death was investigated as a homicide.

Subsequent investigation by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office led to the identification of 70-year-old Marie Carmen Rudd, the spouse of the deceased, as a suspect in the homicide.

On June 13, 2018, Marie Carmen Rudd was arrested and booked into the Maricopa County Jail on the charge of 2nd Degree Murder. She is currently being held on $500,000 cash bond.

No further details are available at this time.

Stage II fire restrictions and Bill Williams Mountain closure remain in effect on Kaibab National Forest despite recent rain

Posted on by

WILLIAMS — While the Kaibab National Forest received some rain over the weekend, forest managers would like to remind visitors that fire danger levels continue to be elevated and that Stage II fire restrictions as well as an area closure of the Bill Williams Mountain watershed will remain in place until much more significant and widespread precipitation is received.

Officials emphasize that the Kaibab National Forest is still at the height of its fire season and that northern Arizona continues to have the potential for large, severe wildfires. The Kaibab National Forest needs the public’s continued support in preventing unwanted, human-caused wildfires.

“We have had excellent compliance with the fire restrictions and area closure that are already in place on the Kaibab National Forest,” said Jerry Parker, Forest Service law enforcement officer. “Members of the public can continue to do their part in protecting our forests by remaining vigilant and abiding by all fire restrictions and area closures.”

The Forest Service uses fire restrictions and closures to help prevent unwanted, human-caused wildfires and to limit the exposure of visitors during periods of potentially dangerous fire conditions.

Forest officials remind visitors that having a campfire on the National Forest while under fire restrictions is a violation of law requiring a mandatory appearance in federal court and consequent fines and possible jail time. Visitors should use extra caution when recreating on all public lands during times of the year when fire danger is increased.

For detailed information about the Stage II fire restrictions and the area closure of the Bill Williams Mountain watershed currently in effect on the Kaibab National Forest, reference the following sources:

Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF (Text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404 to receive text messages.)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF
Arizona Fire Restrictions: firerestrictions.us/az

As the monsoon pours down, open this Smartphone App to help protect Arizona waterways

Posted on by

PHOENIX –– Protecting Arizona waterways is as easy as opening an App on your Smartphone. As the monsoon kicks off, download the Arizona Water Watch Mobile App, recently developed by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). Users can easily submit photos and data for any stream, wash, river or lake in the state within a few minutes.

This will be the first monsoon where people can report the status of waterways in Arizona using the Arizona Water Watch App. The information is used by ADEQ scientists to update flow patterns in streams and washes, address water quality issues across the state and identify water bodies for future studies. It is especially important to record when water is observed in normally dry streams and creeks to help ADEQ better understand how water moves through ecosystems.

“Working together, volunteers and state employees can cover more of Arizona, expanding our knowledge of the state’s waterways, especially during the monsoon when desert landscapes are transformed after heavy downpours,” said Meghan Smart, ADEQ Water Quality Scientist. “As information is submitted through the App and our network of Citizen Scientists expands, so does our ability to protect these important natural resources.”

After verification, the submitted information is plotted on an interactive GIS map of the entire state. The Arizona Water Watch Mobile App can be used even when out of range of cell phone service, as is common in the more remote areas of Arizona. Data are sent automatically to ADEQ when the phone returns to a service area.

Resources:

Video Interview with Meghan Smart and b-roll
Mobile App
Mobile App User Guide (PDF)
Arizona Water Watch Program

After you “Pull Aside, Stay Alive,” what comes next?

Posted on by

PHOENIX – You know not to drive into the towering wall of dust. And if a dust channel whips across a highway and engulfs your vehicle, the mantra “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” can lead you to safety.

But even after you’ve pulled aside, one of the most important actions must still be taken – turn off your lights!

Turn off headlights, emergency flashers, dome lights and take your foot off the brake. Stay buckled up, set the parking brake, go dark and wait for the dust storm to pass.

Here’s why: If you become caught in a dust storm and have pulled off the highway, you’re in a dangerous spot – less dangerous than driving blind on the road, though – and want to hide. You can do that by turning off all vehicle lights. If you leave lights on, drivers behind you might believe you’ve found the way out and follow, crashing into your parked car because low-visibility affects depth perception.

The Arizona Department of Transportation has produced 30-second public service announcements – in English and Spanish – on this topic that will air statewide on television and radio throughout monsoon season as part of ADOT’s partnership with the Arizona Broadcasters Association. The PSAs can be viewed on ADOT’s YouTube channel.

As Monsoon Awareness Week begins and we near the official start of monsoon season, ADOT wants to remind drivers of the No. 1 dust-storm driving tip: Do not drive into a dust storm.

“Road trips are a great way to get out and experience all that Arizona has to offer,” Governor Doug Ducey said. “If there’s a dust storm in your path, it’s time to take a break from driving. Make the safe and smart decision to delay your travel plans and wait for the storm to pass.”

Towering, dense, blowing dust can drop visibility to zero. Just as dangerous are the small dust channels that whip across roadways in an instant, affording drivers little or no opportunity to avoid them. In such events, ADOT has developed the following “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” dust storm safety driving tips, which can help travelers survive a storm.

  • Avoid driving into or through a dust storm.If you encounter a dust storm, immediately check traffic around your vehicle (front, back and to the side) and begin slowing down.
  • Do not wait until poor visibility makes it difficult to safely pull off the roadway – do it as soon as possible. Completely exit the highway if you can.
  • Do not stop in a travel lane or in the emergency lane. Look for a safe place to pull completely off the paved portion of the roadway.
  • Turn off all vehicle lights. You do not want other vehicles approaching from behind to use your lights as a guide, possibly crashing into your parked vehicle.
  • Set your emergency brake and take your foot off the brake.
  • Stay in the vehicle with your seat belt buckled and wait for the storm to pass.
  • Drivers of high-profile vehicles should be especially aware of changing weather conditions and travel at reduced speeds.

More information on dust storm safety can be found at PullAsideStayAlive.org and safety tips for driving in rainstorms can be found at azdot.gov/monsoon.

Happy Flag Day and Honor America Days

Posted on by

But let it be admitted, for argument’s sake, that mere wantonness and lust of domination would be sufficient to beget that disposition; still it may be safely affirmed, that the sense of the constituent body of the national representatives, or, in other words, the people of the several States, would control the indulgence of so extravagant an appetite. It will always be far more easy for the State governments to encroach upon the national authorities than for the national government to encroach upon the State authorities. The proof of this proposition turns upon the greater degree of influence which the State governments if they administer their affairs with uprightness and prudence, will generally possess over the people; a circumstance which at the same time teaches us that there is an inherent and intrinsic weakness in all federal constitutions; and that too much pains cannot be taken in their organization, to give them all the force which is compatible with the principles of liberty. — Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Paper No. 17

Happy Flag Day, Flag Week and Honor America Days? The Stars and Stripes line the streets of Williams, today, in honor of the event.

President Donald Trump issued the annual proclamation making June 14 flag day and this week Flag Week.

It happens to be President Trump’s birthday.

It also happens to be the beginning of Honor America Days. Honor America Days are a United States Federal Observance observed June 14 to July 4. According to 36 U.S.C. § 112, the 21 days from Flag Day through Independence Day is a period to honor the United States. On these days, U.S. Congress declares that there be public gatherings and activities during that period at which the people of the United States can celebrate and honor their country in an appropriate way.

If you have not heard about Honor America Days that is probably because the Department of Education forbids teaching Patriotic holidays. It does not show up on your calendar. It should, however.

There are a few who actually recognize the holidays. Rome, New York, for example, celebrates with a parade and a 5K Run.

Fort Stanwix honored one of their seasonal rangers who served in Afghanistan at their Honor America Days concert in 2007.

Of course kids can always think on their own. You can take time to read the Constitution of the United States of America. Take a look at the unalienable Bill of Rights. This link will take you to the Bill of Rights as originally written. There were twelve but only ten were approved. WARNING: Your eyes might be opened to how much of your liberty has been eroded. You can even read the Federalist Papers with particular emphasis on Federalist Paper No. 29.

You can read them on your iPad.

World record ahead?

Posted on by

PHOENIX — David Worsham wasn’t at Prescott’s Goldwater Lake on Saturday, June 2 for the family fishing event or even the stocked rainbow trout. He was there to catch big bass. Yet the Avondale, Arizona resident left with a potential state and world record Gila trout.

Worsham caught a 23-inch, 5.12-pound Gila trout that is in the process of certification as an Arizona state record.

“It kind of fought like a catfish at first,” Worsham said. “Once it started getting closer to shore it started peeling drag. I loosened the drag so she could run a little bit. I didn’t want to horse it to shore and chance it breaking off.” Worsham said he kept the fish.

He caught the behemoth Gila on a lipless crankbait. The rest of his rig consisted of a Megabass Levante Diablo Spec-R rod, a Daiwa Tatula 100 baitcasting reel and 15-pound fluorocarbon line. He said he was fishing one of Goldwater’s coves for big bass when he noticed a lunker cruising from deep water to the shallows and back. He switched from a swimbait to the lipless crankbait and hooked the Gila.

The previous inland waters, hook-and-line Arizona state record Gila trout was 3 pounds, 5.6 ounces and 19 1/4 inches caught by Roberts Woods of Flagstaff from Frye Mesa Reservoir in 2011.

This unique fish species is one of two native trout species to Arizona. Gila trout are found only in Arizona and New Mexico. The New Mexico state record Gila trout is 4 pounds, 8 ounces. The International Game Fish Association All-Tackle World Record Gila trout stands at 3 pounds, 7 ounces and was caught by Bo Nelson in 2011 from Arizona’s Frye Mesa Reservoir. Of course, Worsham’s fish is heavier than both. His catch has not yet been certified by the IGFA.

Ironically, Worsham’s record fish came from brood stock in New Mexico’s Mora National Fish Hatchery. AZGFD believes the fish likely came from a 2016 batch of 2- to 3-pound stocked Gila trout.

AZGFD is stocking more Gila trout this month into Goldwater Lake and the West Fork of Oak Creek.

Look out for wildlife when traveling in Arizona’s high country

Posted on by

PHOENIX – It’s a traffic call heard too often this time of year inside the control room at the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Traffic Operations Center: “Car versus deer.”

From sunset to sunup, it’s not uncommon for a dozen vehicle strikes with deer, as well as antelope, elk, bear and other animals, to occur during a single evening as wildlife cross rural roadways. In fact, since 2012, more collisions with animals – wildlife, livestock and family pets – happen in June than nearly every other month – October sees the most. Annually, more than 80 percent of animal-related crashes are with wildlife and 86 percent of crashes involving animals occur in rural areas.According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the higher-than-average number of wildlife-related crashes in June is likely related to the beginning of monsoon season, which translates into a “green up” of plants and provides more available water, allowing wildlife to travel greater distances and forage. It also coincides with more motorists traveling to Arizona’s high country, meaning more vehicles on roadways.

In some of the most heavily-traveled migratory corridors, ADOT has implemented creative solutions that promote safe travel, while protecting wildlife and connecting ecosystems. These projects include wildlife underpasses and elk crossings along State Route 260 east of Payson, desert bighorn sheep overpasses near Hoover Dam on US 93 and two wildlife crossing structures on State Route 77 near Tucson.

Partnering with AZGFD, these efforts have increased vehicle-travel safety, while preserving and protecting wildlife. For example, a fencing project linking three existing crossing structures on SR 260 reduced elk-vehicle collisions by 98 percent over a six-year span.

When traveling in rural areas, drivers are encouraged to pay heed to signs indicating areas where wildlife is prone to cross roadways. Obeying the speed limit and paying attention to the shoulders of roadways will also reduce the chance of crashing into an animal. AZGFD advises:

  • Deer are most active in early mornings and evenings.
  • If you see one animal there are probably more, so slow down.
  • Typically, you should not swerve to avoid hitting the animal. Stay in your lane and firmly brake.
  • However, if it is a very large animal and there is no oncoming traffic and the shoulder is safe on either side of the road, it may be safer to swerve rather than risk the impact from a large animal, like a cow, horse or adult bull elk.

Following crashes with wildlife (81.7 percent), livestock is the next most common at 13.6 percent. Family pets in urban areas make up 1.9 percent of crashes involving animals.