Category Archives: Flagstaff

Elections Department Prepares for Arizona Presidential Preference Election

Posted on by

FLAGSTAFF — Election officials are prepared for tomorrow’s Presidential Preference Election (PPE), with 29 polling places across Coconino County. In this year’s PPE, only registered Republicans and Democrats can participate.

While polling places are consolidated, voters can utilize any of the 12 vote centers throughout the County to cast their ballot on Election Day. Polling locations will be open between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. local time. All voters in line at 7 p.m. will have the opportunity to vote. Voters can find their polling location and check voter registration online at My Arizona Vote.

With training completed, Coconino County is set to deploy nearly 300 bipartisan election board workers to provide assistance to voters on Election Day. These dedicated community members have undergone rigorous preparation to ensure a smooth and efficient voting process.

“While we expect a moderate turnout, we strongly encourage voters to make a plan for voting on election day,” said Elections Director Eslir Musta.

This call underscores the county’s commitment to facilitating secure, accessible, and inclusive elections. The public can expect to see the first batch of election results in Coconino County shortly after 8:00 PM on the county’s website coconino.az.gov/elections.

For more information, voters can also contact the Elections Department hotline at 928-679-7896.

Subject Arrested for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

Posted on by

DONEY PARK — On January 25, 2024, at approximately 7:20 am the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant in Pioneer Valley, a subdivision of Doney Park, for possession of underage pornography.

As a result of the investigation, Matthew Dillon, a 33-year-old male, was arrested for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility. He is being held on a $200,000 bond.

Additional charges are expected, pending further investigation. No further information is available at this time.

CCSO responds to Fatal Shooting in Doney Park

Posted on by

Doney Park — On January 18, 2024, at approximately 11:36 PM, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a shooting in Doney Park near Flagstaff.

Upon arrival Deputies encountered multiple subjects, two of whom sustained gunshots wounds. Deputies rendered emergency aid to one patient until medics were cleared to enter the scene. The patient was transported to the Flagstaff Medical Center for further treatment and later released. The second patient was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Initial investigation indicates there was a small get together on Thursday night January 18th at a residence on N. Bryant in Doney Park. During the party, an argument ensued between two of the people in attendance.

One of the people was asked to leave the property. This person complied with the request and left the property. This person went back to his residence, which was next door, and later returned to the residence where the party was with a handgun. He entered the front door and shot one person with the handgun inside the house. Two other people retreated to a bedroom to try and escape the shooter.

The shooter followed both subjects into the bedroom, where a struggle for the firearm ensued. During the struggle, one of the subjects was able to take possession of the gun from the shooter. The initial shooter was fatally shot during the struggle and was later pronounced deceased on scene. The deceased person was later identified as David Navela.

The initial person who was shot was transported by Guardian Medical Transport to the Flagstaff Medical Center. He was treated and released later that evening.

It is the Sheriff’s Office practice to not release names of victims in cases. The Investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time. If anyone has any information reference this incident, you are asked to contact the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 774 – 4523.

Coconino County Opens New Elections Center in Flagstaff

Posted on by

FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Elections Department (Elections) announced today the opening of the new Elections Center in Flagstaff. The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on Monday, January 22, 2024, and was attended by local dignitaries, including Arizona Secretary of State (SOS) Adrian Fontes.

The new Elections Center, spanning 9,000-square-feet, provides space for the entire Elections Department staff to work on-site, consolidating operations under one roof. The Center emphasizes County leadership’s commitment to integrity and transparency of election administration processes. Drawing on best practices and feedback from partners, like the AZ SOS and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Election Center incorporates accessibility, transparency, and security in the administration of elections in Coconino County. The facility is equipped with tools and resources to conduct candidate filing, ballot tabulation, and statutory hand audits accurately and precisely.

“Having separate rooms for ballot tabulation, as well as the hand-count audits, permits our staff to be more efficient in counting the votes by allowing these functions to be conducted simultaneously,” said Jeronimo Vasquez, Chair of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors and Supervisor for District 2. “Also, each room has windows for observers to see and document every step of the tabulation process.”

The new facility helps uphold the core values of democracy and empowers our community to make a meaningful impact through their vote.

The event also featured a screening of the documentary “No Time to Fail,” presented by The Carter Center.

“Transparent and credible elections are a cornerstone of the Carter Center’s work. The Center commends Coconino County election officials for ensuring that their new Elections Center will be a reliable source of information for voters and will help strengthen ties between election officials and the local community,” said David Carroll, director of the Carter Center’s Democracy Program.

Following the screening of the documentary, we had the privilege of welcoming Rob Rock, Rhode Island’s Deputy Secretary of State and one of the leaders featured in the movie, to engage in a Q&A session.

By collaborating with the Center and utilizing its guidance materials, Coconino County Elections empowers its full-time, temporary, and volunteer elections staff to deliver exceptional service that upholds the highest standards of excellence.

For more information about Coconino County Elections, including polling locations, candidate filings, financial disclosures, and other services, visit www.coconino.az.gov/Elections.

Flagstaff and Winslow Police arrest bank robbery suspect

Posted on by

FLAGSTAFF – On January 12, 2024, the Flagstaff Police Department in cooperation with Detectives from the Winslow Police Department were able to arrest George Villas, 33, of Flagstaff in connection with the three local bank robberies over that past two months. Villas is also believed to be involved in an attempted bank robbery that occurred in Winslow, Arizona on January 8, 2024.

This investigation is still ongoing. If you have any additional information regarding this investigation, you are urged to contact the Flagstaff Police Department at 928-774-1414 or Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.

Coconino County Closures for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Posted on by

FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County’s Administrative Center, the County Manager’s Office, the County Attorney’s Office, and the County Superior Court and Justice Courts will be closed on Monday, January 15, 2024 in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.

Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) offices and clinic will also be closed. There will be an Animal Services officer available on Monday from 7 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Contact the CCHHS Animal Services office at 928-679-8756 to leave a message and an officer will return the call. Call 911 for emergencies.

Parks and Recreation offices will be closed however, County parks and natural areas are open for the public to enjoy. Please observe all posted road and trail closure notices.

The Coconino County Sheriffs Records Office will also be closed. CCSO would also like to remind all residents and visitors of the County’s seasonal parking ordinance regarding parking on county roads and rights of way, effective through April 1, 2024, and wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday three-day weekend.

The full ordinance can be found here: https://coconino.az.gov/DocumentCenter/View/54497/Ordinance-2022-06-Seasonal-Parking

Free use firewood collection area open near Flagstaff

Posted on by

FLAGSTAFF — Free firewood is available on a new area of the Coconino National Forest’s Flagstaff Ranger District for valid permit holders.

The free use area is located roughly 1.5 miles down Little Elden Springs Road (Forest Road 556). Directions are included in the attached map.

Collection areas are clearly marked. Free use permits are needed to collect wood and can be obtained by calling or visiting the Coconino National Forest’s Flagstaff Ranger Station located at 5057 N. Highway 89 during business hours.

The Flagstaff Ranger Station is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding federal holidays.

Due to limited staffing, permit seekers are advised to call the Flagstaff Ranger Station at 928-526-0866 before arrival to ensure permits can be processed that day.

Permits are currently unavailable at the Supervisor’s Office.

Only dead and down wood may be collected in the free use area, which includes slash piles from a recent timber sale contract.

Free use permits are separate from personal use paid permits. Free use permits are valid only for collection within the designated area. Free use permits allow the cutting of up to five cords of dead and down wood in specified areas, and a maximum of five cords per household per year is allowed under free use.

Permit holders are asked to keep safety in mind and be considerate of other forest visitors. Please leave unused wood stacked in slash piles. Drivers should remain wary of tight turns on roads and in collection areas and watch for uneven surfaces both on forest roads and in collection areas.

Little Elden Springs Road is accessible by most vehicles, and high clearance vehicles are not required. There are about half a dozen cords of wood in the collection area, with more becoming available as crews continue work along the road. The wood is all small diameter (less than 9 inches) and is stacked along the side of the road.

Delays on SR 87 for pavement work September 21

Posted on by

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation advises drivers to plan for lane restrictions on State Route 87 from just south of the State Route 260 junction to Clints Well (Lake Mary Road) beginning Thursday, September 21, through the end of October.

Drivers should allow extra travel time while the following daytime restrictions are in place from 3 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 6 a.m. to noon on Fridays:

  • SR 87 will be narrowed to one lane only with alternating north- and southbound travel between mileposts 277 – 291.
  • On-site flaggers and a pilot car will guide drivers through the work zone.
  • Expect delays entering and exiting from forest roads.
  • A 10-foot vehicle width restriction will be in place Mondays through Thursdays. Wide loads can be accommodated on Fridays.
  • The speed limit will be reduced in the work zone.

Crews will return in spring 2024 to complete final, permanent striping of the roadway.

This project is part of a $90.5 million dollar allocation for highway pavement repairs initiated after a record amount of snow and rain this past winter that created ideal conditions for worn sections of pavement and potholes to form.

For additional information, contact Community Relations Project Manager Jason Stephens at jstephens@azdot.gov or 480.751.7104.

Public Input Sought for Amendments to County Dark Sky Ordinance

Posted on by

FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Board of Supervisors is asking for the public’s input into proposed amendments to the County’s Outdoor Lighting Standards Zoning Ordinance, commonly known as the Dark Sky Ordinance. These amendments were recommended by the County’s Community Development staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission after recent studies suggested the Ordinance be brought up to date with current lighting technology, and to mirror standards already implemented by the City of Flagstaff.
The significant amendments to the Ordinance include:

  • Reducing the three current lighting zones around observatories to two zones.
  • Changing the preferred lighting source from outdated low-pressure sodium bulbs to Narrow-Spectrum Amber LED’s.
  • While any previously permitted lighting remains valid, any 25% increase in use, new development, or lumens on existing residential property will require compliance with the new standards.

Before the next work session or public hearing, the Board would like to hear comment from County residents regarding these proposed amendments. Members of the public can view the proposed changes to the ordinance and comment here: https://coconinocounty.konveio.com/draft-dark-sky-ordinance

“As we’ve seen, dark skies are a resource to Coconino County, not only for our observatories but also for recreation,” commented Chair Jeronimo Vasquez. “It’s great to see new amendments to our standards for lighting in the County and I look forward to our next public hearing.”

Since a cooperative land use planning effort between the County, City of Flagstaff, Naval Observatory, and Arizona Army National Guard Camp Navajo was implemented in 2019, each partner has been tasked with upgrading their respective outdoor lighting standards to ensure consistency, to move away from obsolete technologies, and modernize measurement of absolute lumens to account for increased use of LED lighting.

The County’s ordinance, in place since the early 1980’s, was originally developed to minimize what is known as “light trespass” across private property lines but has also been utilized to minimize light pollution that disrupts observations of the night sky. Coconino County is home to multiple observatory sites, including Lowell Observatory and the United States Naval Observatory, which rely on consistent dark sky conditions to conduct their observations.

CCSO Deputies Investigate Unfounded Bomb Threat to Cromer School

Posted on by

Flagstaff – On August 17, 2023 at approximately 9:00 PM CCSO received a tip that a subject had threatened to “set a bomb off at their daughter’s school.” After further investigation, it was determined this was Cromer School in the Doney Park area north of Flagstaff.

CCSO, in conjunction with the Flagstaff Unified School District, worked through the night and were ultimately able to determine this threat to be unfounded. Deputies and school officials immediately responded to and cleared the school of any suspicious objects or devices. Deputies were able to contact the subjects named in the threat and determine that the threat was baseless.

After assessing the information garnered from the investigation, FUSD determined it was safe to continue with a normal school day. Deputies will remain in the area of Cromer School, but at this point in time there is no information indicating there is any danger stemming from this threat.

CCSO Detectives continue to investigate the tip and its origins. We are unable to release any additional information at this time. If anyone has information regarding this case or any other investigation, they are urged to contact CCSO at 928-774-4523 or Coconino County Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.