Monthly Archives: August 2017

Man Arrested on Charges Related to Domestic Incident near Parks

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PARKS – On August 8, 2017 at approximately 12:24 pm, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic dispute occurring between a male and female driving eastbound on I-40. Information was that the couple was travelling from Las Vegas, NV to Texas when a dispute occurred. The female reporting party had tried to exit the vehicle at a gas station in Parks, AZ. At some point during the incident the male fired a shot out of the window from a handgun.

The male subject was located with the vehicle and taken into custody. Thirty-six year old Johnnie Wilcox, III of Killeen, TX was booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility with expected charges of Disorderly Conduct with a Weapon and Felony Endangerment.

Kaibab National Forest employee captures first image of rare beetle

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Art Gonzales and his family love exploring the outdoors and identifying species. Photo by Gonzales family. Kaibab National Forest photo.

WILLIAMS – A Kaibab National Forest employee recently captured the first and only known image of a rare beetle.

Art Gonzales, who is currently serving as the acting district ranger for the Williams and Tusayan districts of the Kaibab National Forest, was out with his family this summer near an earthen stock tank on the Williams Ranger District when he came across a beetle that, until now, had no photographic evidence in the scientific literature.

Gonzales, who is an avid birder, can now not only claim fame for his prized photo of the Typocerus gloriosus beetle but also for it being selected as the “Observation of the Week” on the free online platform iNaturalist.org. At the beginning of 2017, the Kaibab National Forest began a citizen science project to identify and document the biodiversity of the forest by encouraging visitors and employees alike to take photos of plants and animals and post them to the project page using the iNaturalist app.

Photo of the Typocerus gloriosus beetle that was submitted to iNaturalist. Photo by Art Gonzales, Kaibab National Forest.

In what was described as an important observation of its taxon by iNaturalist, the Typocerus gloriosus beetle did not have any image sources available until the submission by Gonzales, according to Boris Büche, who is described as “an invaluable beetle expert on iNaturalist who currently has 48,662 identifications.”

Büche used The Cerambycidae of North America guide to identify the observation and added, “In 1976, no more than five specimens were known to science. It is readily identified by its colour pattern, being one of the most beautiful, and most scarce Longhorn beetles on U.S. territory.”

Gonzales, who is known as “birding4fun” on iNaturalist and currently has 593 observations, is an avid outdoorsman and is fascinated with learning about the biodiversity that exists in the Kaibab National Forest. Gonzales said he and a former colleague became engrossed in birding as a hobby, and with it came the stimulation of finding new places, discovering species and the thrill of the chase.

“All those feelings of excitement I got from the chase, identifying new birds, and visiting new locations happened again as I caught the iNaturalist bug,” he explains. “Now I find myself trying to identify just about every living organism I walk past, which makes for some seriously long short walks. Despite my years of being outdoors, I am blown away by how many more life forms I have learned to identify in just the last few months.”

The Kaibab National Forest created its year-long citizen science project with a couple goals in mind. First, biologists and planners hope to increase knowledge of plant and animal species, especially unusual or rare ones such as the Typocerus gloriosus beetle, and to inform the overall species list for the forest as well as management approach. Second, forest managers see the project as a way to build relationships with local communities and visitors, creating an opportunity for shared stewardship and turning visitors into scientists and champions of public lands and the resources they offer.

“Our iNaturalist citizen science project has also helped the employees of the Kaibab National Forest connect kids at the local school to nature through a project called the Williams Middle School BioBlitz,” Gonzales said. “It’s a fantastic way to get kids outdoors.”

Gonzales encourages all visitors to and employees of the Kaibab National Forest to get involved in making observations. The discovery of the Typocerus gloriosus beetle is filling in missing gaps of information about the elusive species and providing invaluable documentation to forest managers. But, Gonzales admits that “secretly” he and a coworker seem to be in a race to find the most species on the forest, which not only serves as a source of motivation but also fun and inspiration.

“Through iNaturalist, I hope to share my excitement with others and share my observations on the Kaibab National Forest with people across the globe,” Gonzales said. “As I walk through the woods, I’m constantly reflecting on the treasures we are provided with all that public lands offer to every one of us. All of the observations my family and I have made were on U.S. Forest Service lands and are available for everyone else to enjoy.”

To participate with the Kaibab National Forest in its citizen science project, visit Kaibab NF 2017 Citizen Science Project on iNaturalist.org. Follow the Kaibab National Forest on Facebook and Twitter @KaibabNF.

Ben Avery Clay Target Center offers deal for dove hunters

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PHOENIX — While practice might not make perfect when it comes to dove hunting, it sure could put more of the fast-flying, acrobatic birds in the game vest. As part of the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s “Getting Ready for Dove” campaign, the Ben Avery Clay Target Center is offering dove hunters an opportunity to sharpen their wing-shooting skills in advance of the season opener September 1.

A $5 coupon has been posted online, good for one round (25 targets) of trap, skeet or sporting clays. The coupon is valid for one visit between August 19 and September 2. Visit https://www.azgfd.com/Shooting/BACTC/ or https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/species/smallgame/dove/ to print the coupon. Or just show the coupon on your mobile device when checking in.

“We want Arizona’s dove hunters to have a successful and enjoyable season,” said Jonathan McCraw, range manager. “We’re pleased to be able to offer them an opportunity to come out and break some targets, while saving a few dollars when they bring in a printout of the online coupon or show it on their mobile device.”

“This is a great way to dust off the shotgun and squeeze in a little preseason practice.”

The Ben Avery Clay Target Center is a professionally managed public shotgun-shooting facility, located at 5060 W. Skeet St. (about 1.5 miles west of Interstate 17 on West Carefree Highway) in north Phoenix. Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday (closed Mondays through September). For more information, call (623) 434-8119, or visit https://www.azgfd.com/Shooting/BACTC/.

As a reminder, dove hunters can purchase their Arizona hunting license and Arizona migratory bird stamp online at https://license.azgfd.gov/home.xhtml. Both documents must be in a dove hunter’s possession in the field when the season opens September 1. Save time, buy online!

For more information about dove hunting, visit www.azgfd.gov/dove.

FCC proposes $82-Million finde for spoofed robocalls

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WASHINGTON – The Federal Communications Commission on August 3 proposed an $82,106,000 fine against an individual and his companies which apparently made more than 21 million illegally spoofed robocalls in violation of the Truth in Caller ID Act. The law prohibits callers from deliberately falsifying caller ID information—a practice called “spoofing”—to disguise their identity with the intent to harm, defraud consumers, or wrongfully obtain anything of value.

The FCC found that Best Insurance Contracts and its owner/operator, Mr. Philip Roesel (doing business as Wilmington Insurance Quotes) apparently made millions of illegally spoofed
robocalls consumers around the country. Mr. Roesel of Wilmington, North Carolina displayed inaccurate caller ID information when making robocalls in an effort to sell health insurance, which especially targeted vulnerable consumers, including the elderly, the infirm, and low-income families.

In December 2016, a medical paging provider called Spok complained to Commission staff that robocalling campaigns were disrupting its network. Using information provided by Spok to
connect these calls to Mr. Roesel, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau subpoenaed Mr. Roesel’s call records from October 2016 through January 2017. Based on these records, FCC investigators verified 82,106 health insurance telemarketing calls made during that time used falsified caller ID information. These calls are the basis for today’s proposed fine.

The Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 and the Commission’s rules prohibit spoofing with the intent to cause harm, defraud, or wrongfully obtain anything of value. Consumers rely on caller ID information to make decisions about what calls to accept, ignore, or block. Accurate caller ID information is a vital tool that consumers use to protect their privacy, avoid fraud, and ensure peace of mind.

The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau also issued a citation to Best Insurance Contracts and Mr. Roesel, doing business as Wilmington Insurance Quotes, for apparent violations of the Telephone
Consumer Protection Act’s robocall limits. Under the Act, the Commission must first provide a warning––in the form of a citation––to TCPA violators if the person or entity in question does not possess a license or authorization issued by the FCC. If those violations continue, they may be subject to additional fines.

The FCC has focused on malicious caller ID spoofing recently. Changes in technology have made it easier and cheaper for scammers to make robocalls and to manipulate caller ID
information. To address this consumer problem, the FCC has focused both on enforcement actions like today’s and on pursuing policies to help consumers and their service providers block
malicious robocalls.

In recent months, the Commission has taken a number of significant enforcement actions related to spoofing and robocalling. It proposed a $120 million fine against an individual who apparently used “neighbor spoofing” while making nearly 100 million robocalls to sell timeshares. It also fined a New Mexico company $2.8 million for providing a robocalling platform which also allowed easy caller ID manipulation.
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AZGFD takes possession of newborn fawn “kidnapped” from wild

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PHOENIX — An approximately three-day-old deer fawn “kidnapped” from the wild near Salome will now be forced to a life in captivity.

On Saturday, the Arizona Game and Fish Department took possession of the days-old fawn after learning an unknown man took it from the wild, then stopped off at the local bar to show the patrons. A short time later, AZGFD was notified and took possession of the fawn.

“This truly is an unfortunate situation for this deer fawn. Instead of living a life in the wild, it must now remain in captivity due to the irresponsible actions of one person,” said Mike Demlong, AZGFD Wildlife Education program manager. “The fawn is healthy, but requires feeding every three to four hours, which is time consuming and costly in the long run. The Department will keep the fawn for a few days to ensure it is healthy and feeding well, then it will be transferred to wildlife sanctuary in Arizona.”

The fawn will eventually be transferred to Keepers of the Wild Nature Park near Kingman.

The public is also invited to help name the fawn by visiting the AZGFD Facebook at www.facebook.com/azgafd page by leaving a comment or on Instagram @azgfd.

To help defray rising costs of caring for Arizona’s wildlife, AZGFD recently began its “Be a Hero for Wildlife” donation campaign to give the public an opportunity to support its efforts to treat sick, injured, orphaned and confiscated wildlife by texting CRITTER to 41444 from any smartphone.

“Unfortunately, the department does not any receive state general fund dollars, including funds to provide long-term care for captive wildlife. That’s what makes donations that much more important,” Demlong said.

Funding raised through the “Be a hero for Wildlife” text-campaign will be used to care for the sick, injured, orphaned and confiscated animals housed at the Wildlife Center, in addition to the many nonreleaseable animal ambassadors – such as a great-horned owl, golden eagle, desert tortoises and prairie dogs – that are used in educational outreach statewide.

In addition to donations, the public can also help keep wildlife wild by leaving baby wildlife alone. Young wildlife is rarely abandoned so there is often little reason to “rescue it.” One or both of its parents is likely nearby searching for food and will return.

Baby birds and bunnies are the most common wildlife species misguidedly removed from the wild by the public. Young birds that have fallen from the nest can be placed back in the nest or as close as possible. Baby birds that are partially flighted should be left alone or moved nearby out of harm’s way.

Those with questions about a specific situation should contact one of the Department’s licensed wildlife rehabilitators listed on the department’s website at: www.azgfd.com/wildlife/urbanrehab/ or contact your local Game and Fish office.

Investigation of Apparent Suicide at Walnut Canyon

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FLAGSTAFF – On August 6 around 3:20 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a suicidal subject in the Walnut Canyon area. The subject had texted a friend that he could be found in a canyon east of Flagstaff beneath the island. He was suspected to be carrying a handgun.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies, National Park Service Rangers, and Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) Ranger helicopter searched for the subject. Just before dark, he was located deceased within Walnut Canyon National Monument, a short distance from the Island Trail. On August 7 the Coconino Sheriff’s Search and Rescue along with DPS Ranger performed the body recovery.

The deceased has been identified as Christopher Preston 49 year old male of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The subject had an apparent gunshot wound. The body has been released to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office for further investigation on this matter.

MVD and feds partner to make E-Verify more secure

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PHOENIX – The E-Verify process just got more secure for Arizona employers.

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division has signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that makes it possible for DHS to verify the validity of driver’s license and ID cards against the MVD database.

The Records and Information from DMVs for E-Verify (RIDE) initiative is an enhancement to E-Verify that verifies the validity of driver’s license and ID card information by matching the data entered by employers against participating state motor vehicle department records. Approximately 80 percent of E-Verify cases use a driver’s license or ID card as proof of identity, making RIDE a critical tool to the program. With this agreement, when an employee presents an Arizona driver’s license or ID card for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification during the hiring process, E-Verify employers will now have the added benefit of confirming that identity document issued by the MVD is genuine. The employer does not see the MVD record, but will receive a match or no match response from E-Verify.

E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee’s Form I-9 to data from DHS and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility. Additional partnerships such as RIDE allow for the verification of other documents which are acceptable for the Form I-9 process. RIDE enables two-part verification by validating the information on select identity documents issued by the Arizona MVD in addition to the existing employment authorization check.

“The Arizona Motor Vehicle Division joined this partnership to help employers gain added assurance that their newly hired employees meet the guidelines required by federal law,” said MVD Director Eric Jorgensen. “We’re very pleased to help streamline this process for Arizona employers.”

For more information about E-Verify and RIDE, visit www.uscis.gov/e-verify

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

State Transportation Board OKs contract for ADOT wrong-way detection system

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PHOENIX – Construction of a first-in-the-nation system to detect wrong-way vehicles and alert law enforcement and other drivers is scheduled to begin in early August following State Transportation Board approval of the contract for installation.

At the direction of Governor Doug Ducey, the Arizona Department of Transportation has accelerated the start of construction on the $3.7 million pilot project along 15 miles of Interstate 17 in Phoenix. That includes pre-ordering materials, including thermal cameras that will detect wrong-way vehicles as well as poles and fiber-optic cable, rather than waiting for a contractor to secure those items.

On Friday, the State Transportation Board conditionally approved a $1.89 million bid from Contractors West Inc. of Mesa to install the system.

Construction is scheduled to begin in early August, a month sooner than earlier project estimates. Installation and testing are expected to be completed by early next year.

The system will use thermal cameras to detect a wrong-way vehicle along an off-ramp, triggering an illuminated wrong-way sign with flashing lights aimed at getting the attention of the driver. The system will immediately alert the Arizona Department of Public Safety and ADOT while warning other freeway drivers in the area through overhead message boards. On the freeway, additional thermal cameras placed at one-mile intervals will signal when a wrong-way vehicle passes to help State Troopers plan their response.

While ADOT and the DPS react quickly to reports of wrong-way drivers, the response right now usually begins with 911 calls from other motorists.

The I-17 pilot system will speed notification, but it can’t prevent wrong-way driving, which in most cases involves impaired drivers. ADOT and partner agencies, including DPS and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, continue to study other potential responses to reduce the risk from wrong-way driving.

Paving scheduled on Interstate 40 near Interstate 17 junction next week

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FLAGSTAFF – Motorists traveling eastbound on Interstate 40 to Flagstaff should allow extra time while paving continues near the I-17 junction. Paving is scheduled from 2 a.m. to noon both Tuesday, August 8, and Wednesday, August 9. A single-lane restriction will be in place to accommodate work between mileposts 195 and 197, located one mile west of Butler Avenue.

Drivers should use caution and watch for construction personnel and equipment while paving is underway.

Schedules are subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors. For more information, call the ADOT Project Information Line at 855.712.8530 or email Projects@azdot.gov. For real-time highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Traveler Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except while driving.

AZGFD receives grant to battle bat-killing fungus

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) was awarded $12,440 in grant funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to help protect the state’s 28 species of bats from white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease.

Funds issued by the FWS were part of $1 million in grants to 37 states to help combat the disease that has killed millions of bats in recent years nationwide. In Arizona, the funding will be used to research whether the fungus is impacting our own bat populations.

“Very little information is available on Arizona’s wintering bat populations as few bats have been found hibernating in caves,” said Angie McIntire, an AZGFD biologist and bat specialist. “The detection of the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome on cave-dwelling bats in Texas is a cause for concern for Arizona populations. These funds will help us to gather as much data as possible to better understand the winter ecology of cave myotis in Arizona.”

First discovered in New York in the winter of 2006-2007, white-nose syndrome received its name from the white fungus that was found on a bat’s muzzle and wings. White-nose syndrome has killed more than 5.7 million bats in eastern North America.

The syndrome has now spread to 33 states and five Canadian provinces and infects eight of the top 10 agricultural producing states. While the syndrome hasn’t yet been detected in Arizona, it’s critical to monitor for the disease and research its impact to better protect our 28 species of bats, which include 13 that migrate or that are active in winter, and 15 presumed to hibernate.

“In addition to wintering locations, two important summer bat roosts would be surveyed with this funding,” McIntire said. “Additional information will be obtained on two roosts used as migratory stop-overs, which will help us to better understand when cave myotis arrive and depart from these roosts under normal conditions.

For more information on Arizona’s bats, visit https://www.azgfd.com/ and search for “living with bats.”