Monthly Archives: May 2015

Multi-Agency Response to Injured Hiker in the Area of West Clear Creek

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FLAGSTAFF — On May 10th at approximately 2:30 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit responded to a report of an injured hiker in West Clear Creek. The adult male victim was believed to have a broken leg and was in need of rescue.

The Blue Ridge resident deputy sheriff and the Pine-Strawberry Fire District responded and requested Search and Rescue. The Search and Rescue team responded for a litter carry. Given the time of day and the conditions in the bottom of West Clear Creek it was determined that a helicopter short-haul rescue would be the safest option.

Arizona Department of Public Safety Central Air Rescue in Phoenix responded to the area and a Coconino County Sheriff’s Office SAR volunteer who is trained as a heli-rescue technician boarded the helicopter and performed heli-rappel into the scene.

Once on scene the SAR heli-rescue technician and Pine-Strawberry Fire District personnel packaged the patient on a backboard and then placed him in a Bauman Bag device for the short-haul. The patient and the SAR heli-rescue technician were then short-hauled out of the canyon to the intersection of State Route 260 and State Route 87 where a ground ambulance was waiting for the patient.

This mission was another good example of interagency coordination among northern Arizona responders and the Department of Public Safety Aviation Bureau.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Police Department, and US Forest Service Offer Woods Watch Training and Orientation

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Coconino-County-3FLAGSTAFF — Concerns regarding very dry conditions and the impending Wild Land Fire Season are on the minds of many community members who live in cities and unincorporated areas throughout Coconino County. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Police Department, and the US Forest Service are offering “Woods Watch” training and orientation.

This volunteer program is similar to Neighborhood Watch and is of vital importance in residential areas that interface with forested land. Volunteers are trained to assist local officials in watching for and properly reporting people accessing closed areas or people who are using fire carelessly or against fire restrictions, especially on forested lands.

Woods Watch has been very successful in years past. Volunteers assist Northern Arizona law enforcement officers in watching access points to the forest. By providing additional sets of eyes in our community, Woods Watch Volunteers assist law enforcement officers in keeping unlawful fire activity under check. With the extremely dry and windy conditions our communities often experience, a fire start may spread very quickly endangering lives and property.

This year, we are offering Woods Watch re-certification and new volunteer training on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 6:00 pm at the Law Enforcement Administration Facility located at 911 E. Sawmill Rd. Citizens who have attended this training in previous years are asked to attend again as a review and to receive updated information. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office will also provide Woods Watch training to our established volunteer groups such as Search and Rescue, existing Neighborhood Watch Programs, and CERT during their regular meetings. The training takes approximately one hour.

The Woods Watch Program is a commitment to join local law enforcement officers with community members to keep our communities and our forests beautiful, safe and free of wild land fires. For any additional questions or information, please contact Gerry Blair of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 928-226-5089 or Sergeant Margaret Bentzen at 928-556-2300.

Veterans Court not just for Stand Down

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stand-down-1FLAGSTAFF — Tomorrow is the third annual High Country Stand Down organized by Philan Tree—Assistant to Coconino County Supervisor Mandy Metzger. The event will open with the posting of the colors at 10 a.m. and run until 3 p.m.

The services that will be available are numerous. There will be hot meals, hygiene kits, and clothing and survival gear available. Services include notary, dental, vision, medical care and pet food and care.

The services and products are free and available to any veterans that require them.

There will be a special version of Veterans Court held by Judge Cathleen Brown Nichols and Flagstaff Justice of the Peace Howard Grodman. Veterans with warrants for arrest that can be transferred to Veterans Court can have them removed at this special session.

DNA legal services of Flagstaff will be available for consultation at the event.

The Veterans Court is a service of the Coconino Superior Court system and the other judicial courts of Coconino County. It is not just available at the High Country Stand Down. This special court meets the first and third Thursday of each month at 1:30 p.m. Warrants that are transferable to this special court setting may be eliminated at this special court system, but possible penalties are subject to the laws of the State of Arizona.

In an interview with Justice of the Peace Rob Krombeen of the Williams Justice Court, he noted the significant savings to taxpayers to quash outstanding warrants.

Judge Krombeen said, “[W]hen you look at the out-come from a warrant arrest—the police involvement, the detention facility involvement, and then everything else that has to happen to get that defendant back into court—there’s a significant cost.

“In fact, Maricopa County did a study this last year, and through their research down in their county they found that a warrant arrest cost the taxpayer about 793 and some-odd cents. So it’s a significant amount of money per warrant that acutally ends up being closed by arrest. So this is saving, literally, thousands of dollars by getting folks to voluntarily appear and get their cases back underway.”

The special Veterans Court at the Stand Down is empowered to hear cases from all judicial jurisdictions in Coconino County. Veterans can also obtain more information about the Veterans Court system at the Stand Down.

Philan Tree, organizer of the event, said that last year over 200 veterans took advantage of the services last year. She said that there could be as many as 500 this year because the word is getting around about the event.

Williams says good-bye to Run for the Wall

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Corrected 5/14/2015, 11:59 p.m.
640-AL-15-05-13-02WILLIAMS — The sun was lower than normal as The Riders of the 2015 Run For The Wall event rolled into town later than usual. They even managed to miss the snow predicted for this weekend.

Run for the Wall has stopped exclusively in Williams in the past. For the last two years, the group has split with some proceeding to Flagstaff as the popularity of the event grows. The Williams group conducted their normal parade down historic Route 66.

After which they formed up at the American Legion Cordova Post #13 where volunteers from the community served dinner and deserts for the riders.

The American Legion dedicated the event to the memory of the late Richard Aguilar. Richard was a member of the post and worked hard every year to make this event successful.
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Rain did come the next morning as they gathered to have breakfast at the Wild West Junction. Mayor John Moore has been supportive of the event since he took office. He even came out in the blizzard of 2011 that met the group when they arrived.

640-RunWall-15-05-14-11The annual event is run to keep the memory of prisoners of war and those missing in action alive. There was some good news in 2014 with the remains of 14 Vietnam Veterans located and returned and their names removed from the Vietnam Veterans memorial.

Walt “Detour” Reichard is a Vietnam Veteran from Virginia and the Virginia State Coordinator for Run For The Wall. His motorcycle reflects the dedication of the rider of this event right down to his license plate. It reads simply “R4TW.”

Walt said that he makes the ride from Virginia to California only to return on this ten-day ride because he appreciates the dedication of this group. He is a seven-time veteran of the ride.

Sadly, many of the Vietnam veterans are either getting too old to ride or are passing away. The event organizers have opened up the event and active-duty military and some civilians have been making the memorial ride.

Paving project on Interstate 17 between SR 169 and Middle Verde Road continues

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The Arizona Department of Transportation continues work next week on a project to repave a 12-mile segment of Interstate 17 between State Route 169 and the Middle Verde Road traffic interchange (mileposts 279 to 291).

Crews will be resurfacing the off-and-on ramps at the General Crook Trail traffic interchange Sunday, May 17 through Thursday, May 21 between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. each night.
In order to provide a safe work zone the following restrictions at General Crook Trail have been scheduled:

  • The northbound I-17 off-ramp will be closed on Monday, May 18
  • The northbound on-ramp to I-17 will be closed on Tuesday, May 19
  • The southbound I-17 off-ramp will be closed on Wednesday, May 20
  • The southbound on-ramp to I-17 will be closed on Thursday, May 21
  • Drivers are encouraged to use the next exit as an alternate during work hours

This $7.5 million project consists of the removal of a layer of the existing pavement, repaving the roadway, bridge work and shoulder improvements. Work is expected to be complete by September.

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. 

Run for the Wall update

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640-r4w-5-05-13-02WILLIAMS — The latest news from the American Legion Cordova Post #13 is that the motorcycle riders of Run for the Wall were delayed. They will not be arriving until later in the evening. They are currently expected from 6 to 7 p.m. Half of the riders should arrive in Flagstaff about 30-minutes later.

Run for the Wall motorcade arrives today

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UPDATED 5/13, 9:21 a.m.
WILLIAMS — The motorcycle riders of Run for the Wall will arrive today as their first stop on their ride to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington. The riders goal is to bring attention to the plight of those real prisoners of war and missing in action from all wars. They also honor those active-duty military who carry on the tradition.

On the east coast, Rolling Thunder serves the same function.

Each year the riders plan their journey to reach the Vietnam Memorial in Washington on Memorial Day meeting up with Rolling Thunder.

The riders will stop in Williams tonight to eat at the American Legion Cordova Post #13. They will depart early tomorrow morning after a breakfast provided by Wild West Junction and served by the Kiwanis Club of Williams.

The event was formed by Vietnam Veterans and included them and their families on the ride. The last few years, however, others—including active-duty military—have joined in the ride. The organizers of the event now invite everyone to ride for those who can’t.

METRO Flagstaff arrests man on drug and weapons charges

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William Brown -Flagstaff Police Photo

William Brown -Flagstaff Police Photo

FLAGSTAFF — The Northern Arizona Street Crimes Task Force (METRO) arrested 20 year old William N. Brown after an ongoing investigation into narcotic activity at 901 S. O’Leary. This investigation led to a search warrant at Brown’s residence at 901 S. O’Leary # 82.

METRO was assisted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshall’s office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Seized during the search warrant were approximately 90.5 grams of Cocaine, 6 grams of Molly (MDMA), over 1,000 pills believed to be Xanax, and a variety of other illegal prescription medications including Morphine 30mg, OxyContin 20 mg, Clonazepam 2 mg. Alprazolam 2mg, as well as several other random pills.

Also seized during the search warrant of his apartment were 5.1 grams of marijuana and various items of drug paraphernalia. The street value of the seized narcotics is estimated to be over $25,000.

Police seized a firearm and ammunition, belonging to Brown, found in the search of his apartment.

William N. Brown was taken into custody and charged with

  • Weapons Misconduct
  • Possession of Narcotics for Sale – 2 counts
  • Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – 2 counts
  • Possession of Marijuana
  • Possession of Dangerous Drugs for Sale
  • Possession of Narcotic Drug
  • Transport of Dangerous Drugs
  • Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
  • Possession of Marijuana

 

This investigation is ongoing and further arrests are expected.

If you have any information regarding any criminal drug activities please call 928 779-4549, or if you have any information regarding any Felony crimes please contact SILENT WITNESS at 928 774-6111.

Tennessee Pastor and veteran completes 3,200-Mile National Prayer Walk

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PC_EndofTrail1SANTA MONICA — Tennessee Pastor Walter “Chick” McGill passed through Williams on a blistery February day this year carrying the flag. His goal was to carry the flag from Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina to Santa Monica pier. The 69 year-old Vietnam veteran completed the 3,200-mile journey on April 29.

Pastor McGill was greeted by supporters and social media contacts. Los Angeles-based ABC Eyewitness News 7 documented his arrival at the Pier.

640-McGill-01Pastor McGill hand-carried his large American flag the full distance from coast to coast and saluted every passing motorist on the walk route as a gesture of honor and respect for his fellow Americans. He received a “Day of Recognition” certificate from Tennessee Governor Haslam’s office in Nashville, and numerous cities along the 14-state route demonstrated recognition by giving the veteran city lapel pins, keys to their cities, city memorial coins, and certificates of appreciation. McGill received police escorts through towns in Georgia and Tennessee and was published at Wikipedia online as one who had successfully walked across America.

McGill’s “TransAmerican Crosswalk 2014,” billed as a national prayer-walk, promoted “’a new birth of freedom’ and integrity in America,” while calling attention to the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, and the nation’s founding documents.

You may visit www.walkingcoast2coast.com to read about this historic cross-country adventure.

Waskay wabbits in Williams

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640-wabbit-1505121WILLIAMS — The wildlife is emerging in Williams. A frequent visitor to our city is the rabbit.

That means, however, that we should be visited by skunks in the evening and night hours. There were even rumors of a mountain lion in the city a few nights ago. Some warnings might be in order about wildlife. While they may be pleasant to look at, they are wildlife and can be dangerous.
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Beside the known reason for keeping away from skunks, skunks have been known to be rabid. Rabbits and squirrels will bite.

Whether or not a mountain lion appeared in town, larger animals—such as elk and deer—do roam the streets. A 200-pound mountain lion was reported struck on Highway 64 by the Williams News in 2008. Deer have been killed along Route 66 in the city limits in traffic collisions.

Please use caution when driving Highway 64 to the Grand Canyon and Perkinsville Road—Popularly known as South Road—toward Dogtown and White Horse lakes.