Daily Archives: February 7, 2018

Prescribed Burning to Continue on Reed Rx Project South of Tusayan

Posted on by

TUSAYAN – Fire crews are scheduled to continue burning a 250 acre unit on the Reed Prescribed Fire project beginning Thursday of this week near the Grand Canyon Airport southwest of the town of Tusayan.

Ignitions will occur over a period of a few days in order to minimize smoke production and allow for good ventilation throughout the day. East winds are forecasted and are expected to transport smoke away from developed areas reducing the potential for impacts to residents, businesses and roadways.

“This area southwest of Tusayan is critical for us to maintain with regular intervals of fire” said Brandon Oberhardt, Engine Captain on the Tusayan Ranger District. “Predominant winds come out of this direction most days of the year so keeping this area free of hazardous fuels is essential for reducing the threat to the community”

Smoke may be visible from Highway 64 and from the communities of Grand Canyon, Valle and Tusayan. Light smoke may linger overnight and in the early morning hours.

Fire managers work closely with local officials, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, partners in the Grand Canyon National Park, as well as surrounding Native American tribes to monitor air quality whenever burns are implemented.

Notifications of upcoming prescribed burns are provided regularly throughout the season. The public can find this information online or through a recorded hotline. Contact your local Kaibab National Forest office for additional information.

• Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5160/
• Fire Information Recorded Hotline: 928-635-8311
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF/
• Twitter: twitter.com/kaibabnf (Text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404 to receive text messages.)
• Kaibab website “News & Events”: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab

Free tax preparation available in Tuba City and Fredonia

Posted on by

TUBA CITY – District 5 Supervisor Lena Fowler, in conjunction with United Way of Northern Arizona, is hosting free tax preparations in Tuba City and Fredonia, Ariz. until April 16.

IRS-certified volunteers will be available to help qualified taxpayers prepare and electronically file State and Federal tax returns for free. Families and individuals with a household incomes of $75,000 or less are eligible for this service through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program.

WHO: Families and Individuals with household incomes of $75,000 or less.

WHERE/WHEN:

  1. St. Jude Food Bank 100, Aspen Dr. Tuba City, Ariz. Jan. 29 – April 16
  2. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
  3. Saturday March 3 & 10, 9 – 11 a.m.
  4. Moenkopi Senior Center 20 Reservoir Ln. Tuba City, Ariz. Feb. 3 & Feb. 10, 9 – 11 a.m.
  5. Fredonia Public Library 130 Main St. Fredonia, Ariz. Feb. 14, March 14 & April 14, 10 a.m. -1 p.m.

What to bring:

• Valid picture ID for taxpayer (and spouse).
• Social Security or ITIN cards for all household members.
• Income statements including: W2’s, 1099, 1099-R, S.S. Benefits Statement and any other income received.
• 1095-A If you purchased Healthcare from the Marketplace.
• 1098-T tuition statement for college and technical school students.
• Name, address and tax ID# of child care provider.
• Amount of money paid to child care provider last year.
• DEDUCTIBLE EXPENSES: Mortgage interest paid, receipts for property taxes, medical expenses, charitable contributions, etc.
• Account and routing numbers of your financial institution (for direct deposit of any refund)
• Copy of last year’s federal and state returns, if available.

For more information, contact Supervisor Lena Fowler’s Office at 928.283.4518 or online at coconino.az.gov/1958/Tuba-City-Vita.

Governor Ducey appoints Sam Elters to State Transportation Board

Posted on by

PHOENIX – Governor Doug Ducey has appointed Sam Elters, a transportation engineer with more than 30 years of experience in planning, design, construction and operations, to serve on the Arizona State Transportation Board.

Elters, who is senior vice president and national director of transportation for Matrix Design Group Inc. of Phoenix, will serve on the seven-member panel upon confirmation by the state Senate. He will succeed Joseph E. LaRue, who served as the board’s chairman in the final year of his term.

State Transportation Board members prioritize transportation needs, projects and funding on behalf of communities throughout Arizona. Each serves a six-year term.

Elters’ transportation experience spans the public and private sectors and includes serving as the Arizona Department of Transportation’s state engineer from 2005 to 2008. He also has served as a chief engineer for the Transportation Corridor Agencies providing toll roads in Orange County, California.

Elters has been in Arizona since 1981 and has been a resident of Maricopa County since 2005.

“It is an honor and a privilege to serve on the State Transportation Board,” Elters said. “I look forward to collaborating and working with the other board members and the Arizona Department of Transportation to promote and advance transportation solutions that will energize Arizona’s economy and enhance our quality of life.”

Meanwhile, William F. Cuthbertson, a Freeport McMoRan civil engineer who is from Greenlee County’s York Valley near Duncan, has been named chairman of the State Transportation Board.

Army Corps of Engineers looking to lower lake level at Alamo Lake

Posted on by

PHOENIX — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, has a draft Environmental Assessment for the Alamo Dam Flushing Flow Release available for public review and comment. According to a public notice issued by the Corps, it proposes to release water from Alamo Dam outside of the normal non-flood release schedule in order to facilitate required maintenance activities.

According to the public notice, the proposed release would occur as a flood pulse hydrograph designed to mimic a typical rain event in the downstream watershed released with appropriate seasonal timing. While the exact details of the release are subject to variation based on conditions at the time of release, such as water surface elevation and weather, the release will conform to the following general
parameters:
​​​​​​​

  1. Maximum release will not exceed 5,000 cfs.
  2. Total release time, including ascending and descending limbs, would not exceed 20 days.
  3. Ascending limb of the hydrograph will be moderate.
  4. Descending limb of the hydrograph will initially drop steeply, followed by a gradual return to base flow.
  5. The peak of the hydrograph will be completed prior to March 15.

The Corps is soliciting comments from the public; federal, state, and local agencies and officials; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed project and alternatives.

Comments will be accepted through February 10, 2018.

There are two ways to submit comments. Either by mail to:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Los Angeles District
ATTN: Pam Kostka, CESPL-RGN-L
915 Wilshire Blvd., 13th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017

Or, comments can be sent electronically to: pamela.k.kostka@usace.army.mil.