Category Archives: Flagstaff

Amateur Radio Winter Field Day 2019 is January 26 to 27

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FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino Amateur Radio Club participates each year in the American Radio Relay League Summer Field Day the last weekend in June. This year they are working on participating in the Winter Field Day sponsored by the Winter Field Day Association.

The Winter Field Day Association (WFDA) sponsors the 2019 running of Winter Field Day, January 26 to 27. WFDA says that the ability to conduct emergency communication in a winter environment is just as important as the preparation and practice that take place each summer, but with some additional unique operational concerns.

“We believe that maintaining your operational skills should not be limited to fair-weather scenarios,” WFDA said in announcing this year’s event. “The addition of Winter Field Day will enhance those already important skills of those that who generously volunteer their time and equipment to these organizations. Preparedness is the key to a professional and timely response during any event, and this is what local and state authorities are expecting when they reach out to emergency service groups that offer their services.”

Members of the Warren County (NY) Radio Club (WCARC) will activate Maxim Memorial Station W1AW during 2019 Winter Field Day. Club members will work a rotating 24-hour operating schedule to ensure the most band/mode coverage.

The Winter and Summer field Day events are a chance for amateur radio operators to test equipment and alternate emergency power sources. The event is open to all radio amateurs.

For anyone wanting to get an amateur radio license or upgrade their current license, the Coconino Amateur Radio Club (CARC) is holding a license exam session in Flagstaff. The exams will be held at North Country Health Care Center at 2920 N. 4th Street in Flagstaff.

Two foxes test positive for rabies

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FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Public Health Services District (CCPHSD) confirmed that two captured foxes have tested positive for rabies.

The foxes were captured and tested following reports of attacks in the Country Club area and near Mars Hill in Flagstaff. The four individuals involved in the animal attacks are being treated with post exposure rabies prophylaxis. Two dogs were also bitten. Both are current on rabies vaccinations and are being quarantined by their owners for 45 days for observation.

CCPHSD is reminding individuals to use caution to protect against rabies exposure when walking, hiking, camping or in a situation where wildlife may be present. Health officials recommend the following precautions to protect against rabies:

  • Avoid wildlife, especially nocturnal mammals that are active during the daytime and animals that are exhibiting unusual wildlife behaviors which can include; showing no fear of humans, aggressive behavior, staggering and/or acting sickly.
  • Keep all pets current on vaccinations and obey leash laws.
  • Always keep pets away from wild animals.
  • Never pick up, touch, or feed wild or unfamiliar animals, even if they do not appear sick or aggressive.
  • Report any wild animal exhibiting erratic or aggressive behavior.
  • Seek immediate medical attention if you are bitten by, or have contact with, a wild animal.
  • Pet owners should seek medical care from their veterinarian if their pet is bitten by wildlife.

To report unusual wildlife sightings or behavior, call the Coconino County Public Health Services District Animal Management Program at 928-679-8756. To report a wildlife emergency, call 911.

For more information on rabies visit www.azhealth.gov/rabies.

New Year’s Eve Multi-Agency DUI Task Force – Don’t Drive Under the Influence

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Northern AZ Law Enforcement Agencies wish everyone a happy and safe Holiday Season. We want to remind you, as always our Officers, Deputies and Troopers will be patrolling 24 hours a day 7 days a week to keep our communities safe.

As New Year’s approaches, we know there will be many parties and festivities. We will have increased enforcement patrols during this busy time of the year. In addition, Law Enforcement in Northern Arizona will conduct a multi-agency DUI Task Force on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Police Department, AZ Department of Public Safety and Northern Arizona University Police will be participating. We will be posting several DUI trailers throughout the area where officers can take possible violators to gather samples of breath and blood draws if driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is suspected.

It is our hope that by publicizing this task force and advising the public of this event, people will be encouraged to not drive while under the influence. A taxi, Uber, LYFT, Shuttle or Designated Driver is a much cheaper and safer option than taking a chance of driving while intoxicated. In addition, NAIPTA will be offering free bus service on New Year’s Eve until 1:15 am.

Don’t take a chance of ruining your life or the life of someone else by driving intoxicated or recklessly. Being arrested for DUI is very a costly life event. If you are arrested and convicted of DUI, you can face a low-end cost of around $5000. That does not include missed time at work or with family. DUI results in mandatory jail time if convicted, with a minimum of one night in jail, and incarceration increases with severity of the crime.

Please take this time to prepare for your travel and other festivities. Help us keep everyone safe on the roads this New Year’s Eve.

County and City transfer animal shelter operations

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FLAGSTAFF – Coconino County and the City of Flagstaff will transfer animal shelter operations to High Country Humane (HCH) starting December 28, 2018. The HCH Animal Shelter is located at the former Second Chance Center for Animals (SCCA) site at 11665 US-89 in Flagstaff. The 20,000-square-foot building and surrounding acreage were donated to the County following the closure of SCCA.

Paw Placement of Northern Arizona, doing business as HCH, will run the new shelter under a five-year contract to provide animal welfare services for both the City and the County.

Coconino Humane Association (CHA), 3501 E Butler Ave, Flagstaff, will continue to accept all stray and surrendered animals as the County and City shelter through December 27, 2018. Beginning December 28, 2018 all stray animals picked by a city or county animal control official will be taken to the HCH facility.

Individuals who have lost a pet should call HCH at (928) 526-0742 and leave a detailed description of the animal. In addition, any pets brought to HCH will be posted with a general description on the “Lost and Found Pets Flagstaff” and “High Country Humane” Facebook pages.

The HCH shelter will open January 2, 2019 with regular hours of 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. CHA will remain open after this transition and can be reached at (928) 526-1076.

To contact the City of Flagstaff Animal Control services, please call (928) 774-1414. Call 928-679-8756 to reach the CCPHSD Animal Management office. HCH can be reached at 928-526-0742.

Coconino County offices closed for winter holidays

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FLAGSTAFF — All Coconino County administrative offices will be closed Tuesday, December 25, 2018 and Tuesday, January 1, 2019 for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

While the administrative offices at the Sheriff’s Office will be closed, Dispatch, Patrol and Detention will be open. Records will be closed on Tuesday, December 25 and open Tuesday, January 1, 2019 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with limited staffing. Please dial 9-1-1 for emergencies. For non-emergencies, dial 928-774-4523 to connect with the non-emergency Dispatch number or to leave a message for one of the administrative offices.

In the event of a snow storm or other impactful weather during the holiday, County Public Works crews will be deployed to keep County roadways open and passable.

Coconino County’s parks and natural areas will remain open during the holiday, but administrative offices at Fort Tuthill will be closed and limited staff or services will be available. The Fort Tuthill Bike Park is currently closed. Please do not sled on the Fort Tuthill Bike Park or you will damage the features which were built specifically for cyclists to hone their skills on jumps and flow trails. Drinking water has been turned off at all parks, but bathrooms are still available at Raymond, Peaks View and Sawmill County Parks. Water and bathrooms are available at Louise Yellowman County Park, located in Tuba City.

Coconino County Public Health Services District (CCPHSD) Animal Management will have an officer on call on Tuesday, December 25 for emergencies only. An officer will be working on Tuesday, January 1, 2019 from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Contact the CCPHSD Animal Management office at 928-679-8756, leave a message and an officer will respond.

County salvages Lowell Observatory water tank

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FLAGSTAFF – Coconino County Parks and Recreation has accepted a donation of a water tank from Lowell Observatory. The tank will be located near the Grandstands at Fort Tuthill County Park and used for harvesting rainwater.

The salvaged water tank is expected to be functional this spring. The tank can hold up to 30,000 gallons of water which will be used for preparing arenas for equestrian events, mitigating dust and other special event uses. Further uses for the water are being explored.

“I’m excited that we were able to partner with Lowell Observatory to salvage this water tank,” said Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Art Babbott. “This is a classic win-win for both parties. Lowell gets to safely remove the tank while they begin construction on the Giovale Open Deck Observatory and the County utilizes rain water harvesting to offset its’ potable water consumption at Fort Tuthill. On behalf of the Board of Supervisors, I want to extend our appreciation to Lowell and BEC Incorporated of Flagstaff.”

The water tank was hauled by semi-truck from Lowell to Fort Tuthill County Park on Thursday, December 6.

“Lowell is delighted to be able to help the County by donating our tank, and I look forward to its having many years of use improving Fort Tuthill’s viability and sustainability,” said Dr. Jeff Hall, Director of Lowell Observatory.

BEC Incorporated of Flagstaff, provided site clearing and assisted with the tank removal including draining the tank, cutting bolts and disassembling the plumping and electrical systems.

Governing Board applicants sought for appointment

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FLAGSTAFF – Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Risha VanderWey is seeking applicants for appointment for one seat on the Grand Canyon Unified School District Governing Board and two seats on the Maine Consolidated School District Governing Board.

Applicants must be Arizona registered voters and residents of the school district for at least one year prior to the date of appointment. Applicants or their spouses cannot be an employee of the district.

Application information:

An advisory committee may be assembled, consisting of district residents and a current board member to conduct interviews and advise Superintendent VanderWey on the appointments.

For more information, please call the Office of the Coconino County School Superintendent at 928-679-8070 or email: aterhaar@coconino.az.gov.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Arrest three Suspects in Vehicle Burglary Ring

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Coconino County Sheriff booking photos.

FLAGSTAFF – On November 29, 2018, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office arrested three suspects involved in a vehicle burglary ring. These Burglaries spanned through multiple communities in Northern Arizona.

On November 20, 2018, three separate vehicle burglaries were reported in the Timberline neighborhood, north of Flagstaff. Deputies noted several firearms and personal banking credit cards were taken during the burglaries. Detectives were able to track the credit cards through use at local businesses in Flagstaff and developed potential suspects involved with the theft and use of the stolen property.

On the morning of November 29th at 3:30 am, police officers with the Sedona Police Department responded to a report of a burglary at Thai Palace in Uptown Sedona. Three suspects were observed by officers and fled on foot from the scene leaving a vehicle behind.

A search warrant was served on the vehicle by Sedona Police Detectives. During this search information was obtained identifying Kaiden Cox, Jonathan Hernandez, and Hipolito Zavala Molina as suspects to the burglaries in Timberline on November 20th.

On November 29th at 3:30 pm, Sheriffs Office Detectives located the three suspects at their homes in Flagstaff and served a search warrant at one the home of one of the suspects in the Fox Glenn neighborhood.

Stolen property was located at the residence of the suspects and has been recovered by Sheriff’s Office and Sedona Police detectives. The property included four firearms (two handguns and two rifles), WIIO stolen vehicles, and electronic equipment. Additional items were obtained which link these suspects to additional burglaries within the City of Flagstaff.

The following subjects have been arrested for their involvement in these events:

  • Kaiden Cox, 18-year-old, charged with 1st Degree Burglary, Theft, Theft of a Credit Card, Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia;
  • Jonathan Hernandez, 18-year-oid, charged with 1st Degree Burglary, Theft, Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card, Forgery;
  • Hipolito Zavala Molina, 18-year-old, charged with 1st Degree Burglary, Theft, Theft of a Credit Card, Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card.

Detectives from the Sheriffs Office, Sedona Police Department, and Flagstaff Police Department are following up on additional leads and information that has been obtained during this investigation which could result in additional charges. Cox, Hernandez, and Molina are in Custody at the Coconino County Jail with $25,000 bonds,

The Coconino County Sheriffs Office would like to remind the community to lock their vehicle when unattended and secure valuables out of sight if being stored inside the vehicle.

Kaibab National Forest to host additional public meeting for proposed landscape-scale forest restoration project

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WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest plans to host an additional public meeting later this month to provide information and seek input and comments on a proposed project to reduce the threat of uncharacteristic, high-intensity wildfire and to restore the structure, species composition and function of ecosystems on the Kaibab Plateau.

This will be the third in a series of public meetings for the proposed Kaibab Plateau Ecological Restoration Project on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest. The meeting is scheduled for November 27 from 9:30 a.m. to noon in Flagstaff. There will be a brief overview presentation starting at 9:30 a.m. followed by an opportunity for in-depth group discussion and questions. All interested members of the public are encouraged to attend.

Those planning to attend the November 27 session in Flagstaff should RSVP to Sue Farley, environmental coordinator for the Kaibab National Forest, at 928-635-8331 or sfarley@fs.fed.us. A confirmation, directions and additional background information will then be provided to those who respond.

The Kaibab National Forest has been hosting this series of public meetings in order to provide information and seek comments on the Kaibab Plateau Ecological Restoration Project. The project is designed to increase resiliency and overall health of vegetation and watersheds and to restore low-intensity fire to the fire-adapted ecosystems of the area. Specifically, the proposed action includes prescribed fire and non-commercial, mechanical vegetation treatments on about 511,000 acres of the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.

Most of the Kaibab National Forest’s vegetation is adapted to recurring wildfires, and fire naturally plays a vital role in maintaining ecosystem health. The condition and structure of the project area’s forests, woodlands, shrublands and grasslands have changed dramatically from natural conditions, in large part because fire has been excluded due to decades of successful fire suppression efforts. Today, the project area contains uncharacteristically dense forests with many more young trees than were present historically, and climate change is making them vulnerable to more frequent high-intensity wildfires.

The project is intended to address those changed conditions by implementing prescribed fire and non-commercial, mechanical vegetation treatments. Prescribed fire would include broadcast burning and pile burning to reduce fuel levels and tree densities, control conifer regeneration, and promote understory plant vigor. Mechanical treatments would include pruning ladder fuels, mastication, chipping and thinning to remove smaller trees with the goal of protecting larger or older trees by targeting understory and ladder fuels.

For detailed project information, including the full proposed action document, please visit www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=54226. For questions or to RSVP to the November 27 public meeting in Flagstaff, please contact Farley at 928-635-8331 or sfarley@fs.fed.us.

Rescue off Humphreys Peak

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FLAGSTAFF – An injured hiker was rescued off Humphreys Peak by Coconino County Search and Rescue and Arizona Snowbowl.

On November 12 at approximately 9:20am the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a call about an injured hiker above the Humphrey’s Saddle on the Humphrey’s Peak Trail. A party of three hikers from Flagstaff reported that they were hiking the trail when one slipped on some ice and sustained a shoulder injury. The hikers reported the injured person could not walk and requested a helicopter to pick them up. As Search and Rescue teams were responding, the Arizona Department of Public Safety Northern Air Rescue helicopter responded and visually located the hikers but was unable to assist with the rescue due to the high winds. The temperature on the ridge at 12,000 feet near where the hikers were located, was 17 degrees with winds of 56 miles per hour.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue and Guardian Medical Transport personnel were transported by Arizona Snowbowl Snow Cats to the Midway catwalk to access the Humphrey’s Peak Trail.

At approximately 12:30pm rescuers reached the hiking party and began to treat the injured hiker. The injured hiker’s arm was splinted and he was assisted in hiking down the trail. The Sheriff’s Office Snow Cat was used to transport the hikers and rescuers from the Midway Catwalk back to the Agassiz Lodge. The injured hiker refused additional medical care.

The hikers were identified as 24-year-old NAU student Salvatore Bonanno, 20-year-old Coconino Community College student Christian Matthew and 19-year-old Coconino Community College student Ethan Murray. The group had started the hike at 4:30 am. When interviewed after the rescue, the group told rescue personnel they had checked the weather and felt prepared for the hike. The hikers had minimal outer wear, clothing and gear for the conditions they faced.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind those recreating in the winter backcountry to be prepared for the conditions. Hikers on the San Francisco Peaks can involve encountering snow, ice, and windy conditions on the trail and especially above tree line. Appropriate clothing and equipment is necessary to recreate safely in these conditions. Cotton clothing should not be worn as when it gets wet it does not dry easily or quickly and can lead to hypothermia for the wearer. Instead, synthetic or wool clothing should be chosen. Appropriate footwear is also a necessity. In addition to quality hiking boots, crampons may be needed for hard packed and icy conditions. An ice axe may be needed to assist in travel on steep and icy slopes.