Monthly Archives: May 2016

Surface treatment to begin on SR 98 east of the US 160 Junction

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Arizona Department of Transportation crews will begin applying surface treatment to protect and provide a new driving surface for a 9-mile segment of SR 98 (milepost 340 to 349); east of the US 160 Junction towards Page on Monday (May 9). Work will take place during weekdays during daylight hours, Monday through Friday and is anticipated to be completed near the end of the month.

What to expect:

  •        Traffic will be reduced to one lane during construction
  •        Pilot car escort will allow for alternating travel through the work zone
  •        Anticipate 15 minute delays during lane closures
  •        Work scheduled for Monday – Friday, early morning to sunset

Please allow for extra time for travel in the area. There will be reduced speeds and lane restrictions at various locations during work hours and flaggers will be used to guide vehicles through the work zone.

UPDATE: Four-hour closure CANCELED on SR 89 at Hell Canyon due to weather

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CHINO VALLEY — Due to the anticipated inclement weather on Friday (May 6), crews have canceled the scheduled deck pour on the new bridge on State Route 89 at Hell Canyon (milepost 345). The closure of SR 89, scheduled for tomorrow night between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m., will not occur and has been rescheduled for Friday (May 13) starting at 9 p.m. through Saturday (May 14) at 1 a.m.

Drivers traveling next week on Friday night into Saturday morning need to plan ahead, as the road will be closed in both directions. Law enforcement will be on site to assist with the road closure.

As preparations take place leading up to the closure, crews will have SR 89 narrowed to one lane through the work zone from 6 p.m. on Friday night to 8 a.m. Saturday morning. Minimal delays are expected.

The project is expected to be complete by late summer.

ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zones with caution, slow down, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

Sheriff’s Office presents two Community Emergency Response Team Trainings for the Flagstaff area and Surrounding Communities

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FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Emergency Management Division will present two (three) day Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training classes at the Law Enforcement Administration Facility located at 911 E. Sawmill Road. More than 100 CERT classes have been delivered to urban, rural and reservation communities throughout Coconino County.

The first class will be begin Tuesday, May 10,2016 from 8:00 am to 5:00 prn, Wednesday, May 11 from 8 am to 5 pm and Thursday, May 12 8 am to noon.

The second class will begin on Friday, May 13,2016 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Saturday, May 14 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday, May 15, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. These training sessions are offered to all community members free of charge.

Basic CERT Training addresses the following areas:

Session I, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: Addresses hazards to which people are vulnerable in their community. Materials cover actions that participants and their families take before, during, and after a disaster.

Session II, DISASTER FIRE SUPPRESSION: Briefly covers fire chemistry, hazardous materials, fire hazards, and fire suppression strategies. However, the thrust of this session is the safe use of fire extinguishers. sizing up the situation, controlling utilities, and extinguishing a small fire.

Session III, DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS PART I: Participants practice diagnosing and treating airway obstruction, bleeding, and shock by using simple triage and rapid treatment techniques.

Session IV, DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS, PART II: Covers evaluating patients by doing a head to toe assessment, establishing a medical treatment area, performing basic first aid, and practicing in a safe and sanitary manner.

Session V, LIGHT SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS: Participants learn about search and rescue planning, size-up, search techniques, rescue techniques, and most important, rescuer safety.

Session VI, DISASTER PSYCHOLOGY AND TEAM ORGANIZATION: Covers signs and symptoms that might be experienced by the disaster victim and worker. It addresses CERT organization and management principles and the need for documentation.

Session VII, COURSE REVIEW AND DISASTER SL\1ULATlON: Participants review their answers from a take home examination. Finally, they practice the skills that they have learned during the previous six sessions in disaster activity.

Community members who would like additional information or who wish to register for one of the basic training sessions are encouraged to call the Community Programs Office of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 226-5089.

Bubbling Ponds Preserve dedication to be held this Saturday, May 7

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SEDONA — The Arizona Game and Fish Department and the Northern Arizona Audubon Society will hold a dedication ceremony for the Bubbling Ponds Preserve at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 7. The dedication will be at the Anita MacFarlane Ramada, located adjacent to the Bubbling Ponds native fish ponds on the west side of the Page Springs Fish Hatchery grounds, about 10 miles south of Sedona.

Bubbling Ponds Preserve is a wildlife-viewing and outdoor educational facility located on the grounds of the Page Springs Fish Hatchery, an approximately 100-acre facility that raises both native and sport fish for Arizona’s rivers and lakes. It consists of a recently upgraded 1.8-mile Black Hawk Nature Trail together with a large ramada, two wildlife-viewing decks, an outdoor educational area, informative signage, and conveniently located benches.

The preserve project is a great example of a public-private partnership. Arizona Game and Fish provided the land and staff who supported the project from its inception. The $45,000 cost of the project was funded by Northern Arizona Audubon, thanks to donations from its members. Members of Audubon also handled the design and project management, and assisted in constructing many of the improvements.

The dedication will feature comments from the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Northern Arizona Audubon Society, and culminate with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The public is invited to attend. Hosts will be available for tours after the ceremony and refreshments will be served. Carpooling is suggested.

The Bubbling Ponds Preserve is located on Oak Creek approximately 10 miles south of Sedona and 10 miles north of Cottonwood, off Highway 89A on the Page Springs Road.

Through detailed study and public input, need for South Mountain Freeway is clear

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south-mountain-freeway-portalPHOENIX — Rigorous analysis that included extensive public involvement, an overwhelming need for the project and a lack of viable alternatives are among the reasons a federal judge should dismiss lawsuits challenging the South Mountain Freeway, the Arizona Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration contend in a legal filing.

ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration are scheduled to present oral arguments on May 11 in U.S. District Court in Phoenix as a judge considers motions for summary judgment in the case.

In their motion filed April 25, the agencies note that Maricopa County voters twice approved building the South Mountain Freeway, most recently in 2004 through Proposition 400, which authorized the comprehensive, multimodal Regional Transportation Plan. They note the current and anticipated congestion on freeways and roads in one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions, especially Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix, and how a new freeway corridor will improve how people and goods get around.

ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration completed a rigorous 13-year analysis, taking into account thousands of formal comments from community members, according to the motion. That includes developing a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement that complies with federal law and follows best practices for transportation projects.

“The need for the South Mountain Freeway is clear, and Valley voters have realized this for more than 30 years. While there is no ‘perfect’ freeway project, ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration have worked to study the likely impacts of this project and designed ways to minimize those impacts, just as we have done for decades throughout the Valley as the freeway system was developed,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “You only need to travel through the Broadway Curve on I-10 during rush hour to see the problem – Phoenix today doesn’t have the highway capacity to meet traffic demand. The South Mountain Freeway will better meet today’s traffic needs, while supporting better mobility in the future.”

The 22-mile freeway, expected to open in late 2019, will provide a long-planned direct link between the East Valley and West Valley, and will complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 systems.

In February, ADOT finalized the state’s first highway public-private partnership agreement through which the project team, Connect 202 Partners, will build the freeway at a taxpayer savings of more than $100 million and will open it to traffic three years sooner than originally projected. The fixed $916 million contract for design and construction makes this the largest highway project in state history. The development team will be responsible for 30 years of maintenance following the completion of the project, supporting construction with innovation and built-in cost efficiencies for the long term.

With construction scheduled to begin this summer, ADOT is conducting preliminary engineering, addressing cultural resources in the right of way, acquiring and preparing properties, and relocating utilities. ADOT received final federal clearance to move forward with the project in spring 2015.

For more information, visit azdot.gov/SouthMountainFreeway.

Four-hour closure scheduled Friday night on SR 89 at Hell Canyon, weather permitted

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CHINO VALLEY — As progress continues on the new bridge over Hell Canyon on State Route 89 (milepost 346), approximately 13 miles north of Chino Valley, crews will need to close the road to pour concrete on the bridge deck Friday (May 6) between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m.

Drivers traveling on SR 89 Friday night into Saturday morning need to plan ahead as the road will be closed in both directions. Law enforcement will be on site to assist with the road closure.

As preparations take place leading up to the closure, crews will have SR 89 narrowed to one lane through the work zone from 6 p.m. on Friday night to 8 a.m. Saturday morning. Minimal delays are expected.

The next milestone for the bridge replacement project will be to open the new bridge to two-way traffic in mid-June.

ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zones with caution, slow down and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

Northern Arizona cannot seem to shake winter

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800-BillWilliams-16-05-01 001WILLIAMS — Flagstaff and Williams cannot seem to shake the winter doldrums despite a mild mid-winter. Last week was filled with light snow and some heavy rains which continued through this weekend.

This morning Williams and Flagstaff received cold weather and snow causing some icy road conditions. Less than a half-inch of snow may fall this afternoon turning to rain throughout the night.
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50% chance of thunderstorms are expected tomorrow dropping to 20% chance of rain over Monday night. Tuesday through Thursday will be clear with temperatures in the 60s.
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The chance of rain and cooler weather will return next weekend.

Latino Bible Study at First Baptist Church of Williams

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Pastor Manuel and Mariana will be at First Baptist Church on Monday May 2nd for a Bible Study at 6:30 in the conference room. This great opportunity for those who speak Spanish or who know a little of it. The First Baptist Church is at 629 W Grant Ave across the street from Safeway.