Daily Archives: September 17, 2015

Sunny skies predicted through the week

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800-rainthreat15-09-16-01WILLIAMS — Clouds loomed over Williams, yesterday morning, threatening a storm. A few drops of rain even dropped. By the afternoon, however, the sun came out and the clouds parted.
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Just in time for the Clean and Beautiful event in Williams, the skies became clean and beautiful. The Clean and Beautiful event will start at 9 a.m. at the Williams Visitor Center parking lot and end with a barbecue at noon.

The long range weather forecast predicts sunny skies in Williams and Flagstaff through the weekend until Monday. A chance of showers returns next week.

Zipline should be open all weekend.

Zipline should be open all weekend.

ADEQ Announces New Search Feature for Public Records

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) announced today it now has available through its website an online search engine allowing faster, more direct access to the agency’s 19 environmental databases containing information such as a facility’s operating permits and compliance history.

Known as MegaSearch, the tool allows customers to enter search criteria such as a facility’s name and address or its unique ADEQ file number to view a list of relevant environmental records and files of interest. Once identified, the files may be selected from the results page and emailed to the ADEQ Records Center for retrieval and viewing. By conducting their own independent research, customers can save time by eliminating the need to wait for results from a traditional records request with the help of Records Center staff.

“MegaSearch helps prospective land and business owners or anyone who wants to see instantly what environmental activity has been reported for a given location,” ADEQ Records Manager Eric Flohr said.

For example, Flohr said if you previously had wanted to know if a nearby gas station had a history of leaking underground storage tanks, you would have contacted ADEQ to submit a research request. Staff would then have accessed these same databases now available online to see what records of activity had occurred at the site. The process could take several days depending on the number of pending research requests, he said.

“Tools like MegaSearch give customers direct and instantaneous access to ADEQ’s vast amounts of environmental data from all over the state, which supports more transparent government for our citizens,” Flohr said.

ADOT: Beware of fraudulent ‘DMV’ websites and misleading

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PHOENIX — Many motor vehicle services can be performed online nowadays. Unfortunately, scam artists, misrepresenting themselves as official motor vehicle division entities, are using the Internet to take a customer’s money and personal information.

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division wants to alert customers that there are fraudulent websites falsely offering motor vehicle services such as Arizona driver licenses, IDs, and vehicle titles and registration. The fraudulent websites appear in searches with keywords such as MVD or DMV.

ServiceArizona.com is the only authorized website for all Arizona MVD transactions. Customers can use ServiceArizona.com to conduct many routine motor vehicle transactions, such as applying for a duplicate driver license or driver license reinstatement, renewing a vehicle registration and purchasing a specialty or personalized license plate.

Currently, a person cannot obtain a driver license online. To do so a customer must visit a local MVD or Authorized Third Party office.

Additionally, ADOT does not offer MVD services through phone solicitations, nor does it endorse or advertise for online businesses claiming to provide MVD services.

There are, however, legitimate Authorized Third Party businesses that are licensed and authorized to perform MVD transactions in person. A list of Authorized Third Party businesses can be found at azdot.gov/locations.

ADOT’s goal is to prevent its customers from becoming victims of fraud or identity theft. ADOT also wants customers to be aware of unauthorized sites that may offer MVD services at an extra cost. The only authorized ways to conduct Arizona driver license or motor vehicle services are either in person at any ADOT MVD or Authorized Third Party office, online through ServiceArizona.com or by standard mail.

For more information about MVD services, please visit azdot.gov/mvd.

US 60 east of Superior to close briefly for blasting operations Sept. 22-24

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Motorists traveling along US 60 between Phoenix and Globe next week need to plan ahead or allow extra time as the Arizona Department of Transportation continues blasting work as part of an improvement project to build a new passing lane and widen roadway shoulders east of Superior, approximately 65 miles east of downtown Phoenix.

The construction of the two-mile-long climbing lane from Devil’s Canyon to Oak Flat (mileposts 231-233) will require five separate full closures of US 60 for up to 90 minutes:

> Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
> Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
> Thursday, Sept. 24, at 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Traffic on eastbound US 60 will be stopped east of Superior (milepost 227) and westbound US 60 will be stopped at the Top of the World, west of Miami (milepost 235) until the blasting work is completed and the roadway is reopened after all debris is cleared. Law enforcement officers will be stationed at each closure to assist with traffic control.

ADOT anticipates the highway will be closed at least once per week for blasting for up to three months. As blasting continues there will be a lesser impact on traffic and delays will be reduced.

Motorists seeking an alternate route can consider state routes 77 and 177, which is approximately 68 miles long. Motorists headed to the White Mountains region, including Show Low and Springerville, can also take State Route 87 through Payson and travel east on State Route 260 as an alternative.

The $8.8 million safety improvement project will make it easier for motorists to pass large trucks and slow-moving vehicles whose speed drops because of the sustained grades along this stretch of highway from Devil’s Canyon to the Oak Flat area.

The project will include the following:

> Construction of a new westbound passing lane from Devil’s Canyon to Oak Flat (mileposts 231-233)
> Widening shoulders in the Devil’s Canyon area (mileposts 233-234)
> Improvements to the Waterfall Canyon bridge (milepost 229)
> Box culvert drainage improvements (milepost 242 just west of Miami)

ADOT will work to minimize the traffic impacts as much as possible, including scheduling some nighttime work.

There will be narrow traffic lanes, wide-load restrictions and a reduced speed limit through the work zone. Flaggers and pilot cars will be used at different times throughout the project.

Drivers are asked to use caution, watch for construction equipment and personnel, and allow extra time for your commute.