Monthly Archives: April 2015

Williams Water responds quickly

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Wenesday 2015-04-15 002WILLIAMS — While walking in Williams, this reporter happened upon a burst pipe at the train park on Railroad Avenue across the street from I-40 Fleet Rentals.

The burst irrigation pipe was reported at 3:33 p.m. and an investigator responded in less than four minutes. In ten-minutes, a crew was on the scene to secure the water.
Wenesday 2015-04-15 005
It appears that the pipe had just burst and because of the quick response only about 30-gallons may have been lost, at most.

Even though the city may be in Level 1, it is important to report leaks and bursts pipes immediately to the city at 928-635-4451 so that they can be secured.

Flagstaff Police respond to Marshall Elementary School threatening call

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flagstaff-policeFLAGSTAFF — Flagstaff were dispatched to Marshall Elementary School (850 N. Bonito) at about 1 p.m. today in regards to a threats call. Staff at Marshall Elementary School received a computer generated call which stated, “I am in the school and I want to kill 100’s of children.” This computer generated call was repeated several times.

Marshall Elementary School Principal John Coe initiated a lock down of the school and communicated to the Police Department as well as the surrounding schools.

Officers responded immediately to the area in conjunction with Administrative Staff from Flagstaff Unified School District. Officers conducted a room by room search of the building, including the playground and surrounding residential area with negative contact with any suspicious armed persons.

The Flagstaff Police Department are currently investigating. Last month police responded to Thomas Elementary school due to a threatened suicide.

Blue Water Navy act will expand presumption of exposure to Agent Orange

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Photo americanorange.com

Photo americanorange.com

WASHINGTON — The bipartisan Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2015, H.R. 969, would include the territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam for the purpose of presuming exposure to “certain herbicide agents” while serving in Vietnam.

The bill, with 209 cosponsors, has not moved from the the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs since March 6. The list of cosponsors is apparently growing.

The bill is intended to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam, and for other purposes.

300agent-orangeAccording to the Vets 101 web site, the presumption of exposure to certain environmental hazards may make a veteran entitled to certain VA disability compensation and more VA health care services. The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes several diseases which have been linked to the use of the chemical known as Agent Orange.

Agent Orange was a chemical defoliant used indiscriminately in Vietnam. At the time it was believed to be safe. An Army medic who served in Vietnam told me that they had to wear wet weather gear when the chemical was sprayed in his area of operations.

Navy personnel could have been exposed when loading and unloading the chemical on transport ships.

More information on Agent Orange: History Channel.

ISIS Camp a Few Miles from Texas, Mexican Authorities Confirm

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350Ciudad_juarez_street

Wikipedia Photo

MEXICO — Recent reports racing across the Internet indicate that ISIS has set up cells inside Mexico and that Mexican authorities are aware of their presence.

Judicial Watch reports that the ISIS terrorists are being assisted by the Mexican drug cartels. Their report states;

…cartel-backed “coyotes” are also smuggling ISIS terrorists through the porous border between Acala and Fort Hancock, Texas.

According to Judicial Watch:

ISIS is operating a camp just a few miles from El Paso, Texas, according to Judicial Watch sources that include a Mexican Army field grade officer and a Mexican Federal Police Inspector.

The exact location where the terrorist group has established its base is around eight miles from the U.S. border in an area known as “Anapra” situated just west of Ciudad Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Another ISIS cell to the west of Ciudad Juárez, in Puerto Palomas, targets the New Mexico towns of Columbus and Deming for easy access to the United States, the same knowledgeable sources confirm.

During the course of a joint operation last week, Mexican Army and federal law enforcement officials discovered documents in Arabic and Urdu, as well as “plans” of Fort Bliss – the sprawling military installation that houses the US Army’s 1st Armored Division. Muslim prayer rugs were recovered with the documents during the operation.

This report should certainly shed light on one of the purposes of the Second Amendment and why “civilians” are supposed to be able to own “military-style” weapons according to Federalist Paper No. 29.

More at Judicial Watch

Williams looses Williams

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300-m-williamsWILLIAMS — Kaibab National Forest Supervisor Mike Williams has accepted a position in the Pacific Northwest Region of the USDA Forest Service after serving in his current role since 2001. Williams was recently announced as the Forest Supervisor for the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, headquartered in Wenatchee, Wash.

“I am thrilled to announce the selection of Mike Williams as the new Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest Supervisor,” said Jim Peña, Pacific Northwest Regional Forester. “Mike is a proven leader and he brings an extensive set of skills and experience to the Northwest spanning fire ecology, restoration and natural resource management. His experience in community relations and collaboration will be a great asset to the forest and region.”

Williams became Forest Supervisor of the Kaibab National Forest in 2001 and has since worked diligently on improving forest health and restoring fire-adapted ecosystems through efforts such as the Four Forest Restoration Initiative and reintroducing fire on a landscape scale. Williams has worked for the Forest Service for more than 30 years and has served in many leadership roles throughout the agency. During that time, he has maintained a commitment to community relations and collaboration as key elements in achieving results on the ground.

“I started my permanent Forest Service career in the Pacific Northwest and am really excited to return,” Williams said. “At the same time, it is with great sadness that I leave the Kaibab National Forest and its employees and partners. We have set the stage for an unprecedented scope and scale of forest management work in northern Arizona in the coming years, and I expect that important work to continue. I am proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish through a commitment to shared stewardship of our public lands.”

Williams is a native of southern Minnesota and grew up in a small agricultural town north of the Iowa border. He holds a bachelor’s of science degree in forest resource management from the University of Minnesota College of Forestry. His first permanent job with the Forest Service was on the Siuslaw National Forest on the Oregon coast in 1977. Subsequent jobs took him to northern California and assignments on the Klamath, Plumas and Lassen national forests. He was a district ranger on two forests in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains for more than a dozen years and also served on the forest management staff at Forest Service national headquarters.

Williams will report to his new assignment next month.

Governor Ducey appoints new member to State Transportation Board

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Photo by Chris Mooney; From Picor.com

Photo by Chris Mooney; From Picor.com

PHOENIX — Governor Doug Ducey has appointed Michael S. Hammond to the State Transportation Board, representing the Pima County region in the planning and development of Arizona’s transportation network.

The seven members of the State Transportation Board serve six-year terms while representing local communities throughout Arizona to prioritize transportation needs, projects and funding.

“As someone who has lived in Southern Arizona for 39 years and traveled extensively throughout our state and the state of Sonora, Mexico, both for pleasure and business, I have a keen appreciation of our transportation infrastructure and its importance in adding to our quality of life, not to mention driving economic development and job growth,” Hammond said. “It is a privilege and an honor to have a voice in the future infrastructure investments made by the state of Arizona.”

His appointment requires confirmation by the Arizona State Senate. Hammond is expected to attend his first board meeting April 17 in Phoenix.

Hammond has been in commercial real estate since 1978 and is president, founder and managing shareholder of Cushman & Wakefield|PICOR, an independent commercial real estate brokerage and management firm based in Southern Arizona. In 2002, with his background in industrial real estate and interest in regional economic development, he began focusing on the border region and, more specifically, the state of Sonora, Mexico.

Hammond received “Tucson Man of the Year” honors from Greater Tucson Leadership in 2013. He is a member of various local, regional and national organizations, including the Arizona District Export Council, the Business Development Finance Corporation, Southern Arizona Leadership Council and Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities. He is a full member of the Urban Land Institute, and serves on the Urban Land Institute State of Arizona Steering Committee.

Hammond is a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle.
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National Public Safety Dispatcher Appreciation Week

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640-911-Flag-Police-PhotoFLAGSTAFF — For the past several years Public Safety Agencies nationwide have recognized the pivotal role played by the telecommunicators, dispatchers, communication operators, and radio and control personnel.

All the women and men of the communication center at the Flagstaff Police Department/Coconino County Sheriff’s Office who utilize telephones, radios, computers and technical skills to provide support to Law Enforcement, Fire Services, Emergency Medical Services and other governmental field personnel are being celebrated the week of April 12-18th. Our dispatcher’s work 24/7, 365 days a week to assure that officers have the information they need as first responders.

Each year, the second week of April is dedicated to the men and women who serve as Public Safety Telecommunicators. In 1991, Congress proclaimed it as a national recognized week of recognition.

The Flagstaff Police Department will celebrate this year’s Telecommunicators Week – April 12-18 in honor of their dedicated dispatchers who handle several thousand wireless 9-1-1 calls each month within Northern Arizona. The week will be filled with various activities including Mayor Nabors making a proclamation on Tuesday, 4-14-2015.

When you dial 9-1-1 on your cellular phone in Northern Arizona a dispatcher answers the call. Please know where you are and stay on the line so they can help get the assistance you need.

Facts about the Flagstaff 9-1-1 Communications Center:

  • Number of employees: currently 22 civilian dispatchers (Emergency Communication Specialists)
  • Supervisors: 6 with 1 serving as the 9-1-1 Coordinator
  • Call Taker: 2
  • Consoles: 10 (telephone/radio)
  • Entry level Emergency Communications Specialist pay per month: $3019.20
  • Entry level Call Taker pay per month: $$2257.00
  • Telephone calls received in March 2015:
  • 4,229 cellular/wireless 911 calls
  • 12,865 on non-emergency and other land lines

EMPLOYMENT
Are you searching for an exciting and rewarding career? 9-1-1 Dispatchers serve as a vital link in the public safety response chain. Some have provided life-saving CPR instruction and others have brought babies into the world. This is your chance to make a difference in your community. Be a part of our team; a valuable and rewarding career – apply today!

Local weather shows chance of snow and rain

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WILLIAMS — Weather today is warm with a high of 65 expected and southwest winds from 25 to 28 mph with gusts up to 44. Tomorrow a high of 53 is expected with 14 to 20 mph winds from the north with gusts up to 26.

There is a chance of snow tomorrow after midnight and Thursday morning with rain showers at night and Friday morning. Chance of precipitation is 10%.

Flagstaff weather is about the same with more chance of precipitation through Friday morning.

For the free weekend at the Grand Canyon, Saturday and Sunday is expected to be mostly sunny with highs around 65 and lows around the mid-30s.

Paving work on US 93 at Wickenburg Ranch scheduled this week

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WICKENBURG — Final paving on US 93 north of Wickenburg will begin today, April 14 through Friday, April 17 on the new roundabout at the Wickenburg Ranch entrance. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, April 14 through 16 and 6 a.m. to noon on Friday, April 17.

Drivers can expect intermittent single-lane restrictions on US 93 and delays of up to 15 minutes during work hours. Flaggers will direct traffic in alternating directions using the single lane that is open.

Southbound drivers on State Route 89 at the US 93 junction need to be aware of stopped traffic as a result of the scheduled paving work.

The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage. ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

Red Flag Warning in effect today for North Kaibab and Tusayan Districts

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TUSAYAN — The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for today from noon to 8 p.m. that covers the North Kaibab and Tusayan ranger districts of the Kaibab National Forest, as well as other areas of northern Arizona, due to strong winds and low relative humidity.

Visitors to the North Kaibab and Tusayan districts of the Kaibab National Forest are advised to refrain from having a campfire when Red Flag Warning conditions exist. This advisory covers all campfires across the districts, including in developed campgrounds.

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are expected and that a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures will create an increased potential for large fire growth. The campfire advisory remains in effect until the Red Flag Warning ends.

The Kaibab National Forest is committed to educating visitors about their role in helping prevent unwanted, human-caused fires. Avoiding having campfires on windy days is one way they can do that.