Daily Archives: April 2, 2015

Board of Supervisor regular session April 7

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Coconino-County-4FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Board of Supervisors meets next Tuesday, April 7 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Board of Supervisors First Floor Meeting Room, 219 E. Cherry Ave, Flagstaff.

They remind you that if you are carrying electronic devices, that they are set to silence before the meeting begins.

Some highlights of the meeting include:

  • Approve the request to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey to designate Coconino County as a Local Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Area under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014.
  • Approve the appointment of John Lamb as Justice of the Peace Pro Tempore for Coconino County, February 9, 2015, through June 30, 2015, on an as-needed basis.
  • Approve the renewal of the contract with GPS Monitoring Solutions for an additional one (1) year term to provide home detention, electronic monitoring and continuous alcohol monitoring of clients in all four (4) Justice Courts and in Superior Court. The term of the renewal is from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.
  • Approve the budget amendment and grant award totaling $22,200 from the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) Substance Abuse Prevention and Education Program for the term of 4/1/15 – 9/30/15 for drug tests and substance abuse assessments for those clients that are court-ordered and require a thorough assessment for treatment/prevention referrals for Integrated Family Court and DUI/Drug Court.
  • Approve a Grant Award, Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning (HMEP) Grant FFY 2015, Grant Award Agreement Number, HM-HMP-0454-01-00 for the amount of $5700 from the Arizona Emergency Response Commission (AZSERC) and a budget adjustment of $6567.
  • Approve the purchase of two (2) vehicles under Arizona State Contract No. ADSPO12-01667 from San Tan Ford in the amount of $57,546.66.
  • Pass and adopt Flood Control District Resolution 2015-01 authorizing and directing District staff and legal counsel to accept the counter offer made by the Defendants in settlement of Cause Number CV 2014-00390, and to execute any documents that may be necessary to carry out the purpose of the resolution.

Brief Agenda (PDF)

Fleas Test Positive for Plague in Picture Canyon

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640px-HookeFlea01FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County Public Health Services District (CCPHSD) officials confirmed that fleas collected in Picture Canyon, a popular hiking area located in northeast Flagstaff, tested positive for plague (Yersinia pestis).

Picture Canyon is located east of Highway 89 North, and north of Interstate 40 and Old Route 66.

The tests were recently conducted by the Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics at Northern Arizona University.

CCPHSD Environmental Health staff collects and tests flea samples from locations throughout the County. The recent samples were collected from burrows located along the Picture Canyon hiking trails. Visitors to the area are asked to avoid rodent burrows and keep dogs on a leash as required by Arizona State law.

The CCPHSD and the City of Flagstaff have notified nearby residents of the situation and posted signage at the trailheads. The burrows are being treated and the area will be closely monitored to determine if further action is required.

This positive test is the first evidence of plague activity reported in the County this year. While this is the only location within the County where the plague has been confirmed, the disease is endemic to areas throughout the County and may be more widespread.

The CCPHSD is urging the public to take precautions to reduce their risk of exposure to this serious disease, which can be present in rodents, rabbits, and sometimes predators that feed upon these animals. The disease can be transmitted to humans and other animals by the bite of an infected flea or by direct contact with an infected animal.

Symptoms in humans generally appear within two to six days following exposure and include the following: fever, chills, headache, weakness, muscle pain, and swollen lymph glands (called “buboes”) in the groin, armpits, or limbs. The disease can become septicemic (spreading throughout the bloodstream) and/or pneumonic (affecting the lungs), but is curable with proper antibiotic therapy if diagnosed and treated early.

Additional Information: PDF

House Democrats revive armor piercing bullet ban

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m855ammoAR15WASHINGTON — The Bloomers are at it again. After the failed attempt by the BATFE to unconstitutionally outlaw ammunition, the Representative of New York have taken up the gauntlet. Representative Eliot L. Engel (D-NY-16) submitted H.R.1358—the Armor-Piercing Bullets Act of 2015.

This bill would actually increase the types of ammunition considered “armor-piercing” and include shotgun “slugs.” The kicker in the bill is that it would change 921(a)(17) of title 18 to allow:

“…the Attorney General may treat a projectile as not primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes if substantial evidence exists that the projectile is not primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes”

Who determines what is intended for “sporting purposes” is the Attorney General.

H.R. 1358 was submitted on March 13, but the Republicans have not remained silent. On March 16, Representative Patrick McHenry [R-NC-10] has submitted the Ammunition and Firearms Protection Act, H.R.1365. The Republican bill would change Section 921(a)(17) of title 18, to read:

“(D) Notwithstanding subparagraph (B), the term ‘armor piercing ammunition’ does not include—
“(i) any M855 (5.56 mm x 45 mm) or SS109 type ammunition; or
“(ii) any ammunition designed, intended, and marketed for use in a rifle.”.

H.R. 1358 is currently in the House Committee on the Judiciary while the Republican bill has moved to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. If co-sponsors are any indication, the ammo ban bill has nine while the Republican bill sports 41.

Representative Michael Honda [D-CA-17] submitted H.R.378 – Responsible Body Armor Possession Act in January. This bill with five co-sponsors has been in the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations since February. This euphemistically titled bill actually states that private citizens are not responsible enough to possess body armor.

The problem is that the Second Amendment does not protect hunters and sport shooting. The amendment does not read “A well-regulated hunters, being necessary to the security of a free State…” Hunting and hunters are protected by the Ninth Amendment.

The Second Amendment does not protect “firearms” and ammunition specifically. The Second Amendment provides that,

…the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

The ban on any arms is technically unconstitutional. According to Federalist Paper No. 29. This was so that local militias could protect the rights of themselves and their communities.

SMART meters explode in Stockton after accident

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Updated 4/2/2015, 9:49 p.m.

STOCKTON, CA [March 30]— According to CBS 13 in Stockton, California, more than 8,000 customers were left without power when their SMART meters exploded after a truck crashed into a utility pole.

Leigh Martinez reported that residents of South Stockton:

…described it as a large pop, a bomb going off, and strong enough to shake a house.

She said that more than 100 PG&E workers were working to restore power. The amount of time to restore power to a home depended on how bad the meters were damaged.

SMART meter caused fires have been suspected for some time, but utility companies are obviously reticent to reveal just how many. The California Public Utilities Commission has proposed an opt-out plan for customers who do not want the wireless technology. It would require the customer to pay additional charges.

Utility companies are allowed to sell the personal information they gain from SMART meter technology to other companies without your permission. SMART meters collect data on how you use electricity including what appliances and how you use the Internet.

SEE ALSO: Wireless Smart Meters and Potential for Electrical Fires (PDF)