Category Archives: Flagstaff

Investigators seek tips to catch cow elk, calf poacher near Happy Jack

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operation_game_thief_footerFLAGSTAFF — The Arizona Game and Fish Department is investigating the poaching of a cow elk and her calf sometime between Sept. 7 and 9 in Game Management Unit 5A near Happy Jack.

Game and Fish officers received information that the cow elk and calf had been shot from Highway 87 near Happy Jack, which is about 40 miles south of Flagstaff. The poaching was reported in an effort to help the department catch the suspected poacher(s).

“We hope the public will again come forward to help us bring this poacher to justice,” said Game and Fish Wildlife Manager Garrett Fabian. “Poaching isn’t hunting. It’s a crime against all Arizonans, and our sportsmen and women have shown a long, committed history of helping the department combat poaching.”

Anyone with information about the case can call the Department’s Operation Game Thief Hotline toll-free at (800) 352-0700 or use the online form at www.azgfd.gov/thief. Callers should reference case number 16-003184.

Callers may remain confidential upon request. A reward of up to $1,500 is being offered in this case for information leading to the arrest of the violator(s). To learn more about Operation Game Thief, visit www.azgfd.gov/thief.

Nighttime paving at Milton Road and Plaza Way intersection in Flagstaff on Thursday

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FLAGSTAFF — Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) crews will be paving the intersection of south Milton Road and Plaza Way from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Thursday (Sept. 22).

During paving, access on Plaza Way will be closed along with one lane of southbound travel on Milton Road. Detours will be in place at Yale Avenue and University Drive, please watch for signage and reduced speeds in the area.

Expect delays during paving. Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction equipment and personnel.

For more information about this project, please call Coralie Cole, ADOT Senior Community Relations Officer at 602.501.4899 or email ccole@azdot.gov .

Kaibab National Forest to host National Public Lands Day event Sept. 24

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WILLIAMS — Members of the public are invited to a National Public Lands Day event Sept. 24 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cataract Lake Day Use Area in Williams hosted by the Kaibab National Forest.

The event will include several outdoor clinics, environmental education opportunities, fishing, interpretive presentations, and service projects to clean up the lakeshore and picnic area.

“We are excited to offer an opportunity for the community of Williams to come together to enjoy Cataract Lake, participate in some fun events, and make the area even nicer in recognition of National Public Lands Day,” said Lisa Jones, recreation program manager for the Williams Ranger District. “We hope members of the public will bring their families and friends and make this a day to celebrate the outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities we have right here in our backyards.”

Community members planning to attend should meet on the Kaibab National Forest side of Cataract Lake at N. Cooper Ranch Road in Williams. Participants are advised to wear clothing and shoes appropriate for outdoor fun and adventure and to bring their own water and snacks.

For additional information on the event, contact Lisa Jones at lljones@fs.fed.us or (928) 635-5619 or Dutch Maatman at jmaatman@fs.fed.us or (928) 635-5661.

This year is the 23rd annual National Public Lands Day, which is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands. The goals of National Public Lands Day are to connect people to public lands in their community, inspire environmental stewardship, and encourage use of public lands for education, recreation, and general health.

National Public Lands Day events will be taking place across the country at thousands of sites on public lands. To learn more or to find events, visit https://www.neefusa.org/public-lands-day.

“Please join us on Sept. 24 as your work will help ensure our public lands continue to be beautiful places for all to enjoy,” Jones said. “We invite you to take this day to enjoy the great outdoors and celebrate the lands that give us so much.”

HIgh Wind Advisory today through tonight.

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noaaThe National Weather Service has issued a high wind advisory from 11 a.m. today through 7 p.m. tonight from Ash Fork to Flagstaff. The high wind advisory extends to Tusayan and Prescott.

Winds will be from the southwest from 20 to 30 mph gusting up to 50 mph. Travelers should take caution driving from Ash Fork to Flagstaff.

911 Call Reporting a “Home Invasion” in Doney Park was not Random Act

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The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a vehicle crash and an altercation at a home in Doney Park that appear to be related. At least two but possibly several individuals were involved in the events that occurred in the area of Slayton Ranch Road last night.

It is confirmed that a gun was fired inside the home, but there are no indications that anyone was injured by gunshot. One person was treated and released from Flagstaff Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries sustained during the altercation. From initial investigations, it appears the assailant(s) and victim(s) know each other.

The call originally came into the Sheriff’s as two separate 911 calls that appear related. At approximately 9:30 pm on August 29, the Sheriff’s Office received a report of a truck that crashed on Slayton Ranch Rd. A few minutes later, the Sheriff’s Office received a report of a home invasion and assault at a nearby residence. DPS Ranger out of Flagstaff also responded to assist in locating suspect.

Initial investigations confirm this was not a random act home invasion. We do not have reason to believe there is an ongoing threat to residents in the area, but as always citizens are asked to be aware of their surroundings and report anything suspicious.

Detectives currently are working to determine all of the involved parties and interview them. The event is still under investigation.

ADEQ, ADOT and Keep Arizona Beautiful Host Free Environmental Resources Roadshows in Flagstaff & Sedona

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Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and Keep Arizona Beautiful (KAZB) staff will conduct two “Environmental Resources Roadshows,” where attendees will learn about ways to improve their local environment.

FLAGSTAFF
Wed., August 24, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Coconino County Health Services District
Coconino County Community Services
2625 N King Street
Flagstaff, AZ 86004

SEDONA
Thurs., August 25, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
City of Sedona City Hall Complex
Vultee Conference Room
102 Roadrunner Drive
Sedona, AZ 86336

The Environmental Resources Roadshow partnership encourages community members, Tribes, business people, elected officials, government agencies and school representatives in Flagstaff and Sedona and the surrounding area to attend one of the no-cost, two-hour events. Following brief presentations, attendees can engage in open dialogue and participate in a question and answer session.

Topics

ADEQ: successful recycling programs such as electronic waste and food recovery
ADEQ: how communities can benefit from ADEQ’s brownfields grants and technical expertise
ADOT: volunteer process for adopting sections of Arizona highways for litter cleanup
KAZB: statewide litter prevention, recycling and beautification programs

Kiss Every Step author visits Williams

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Kiss Every Step 2016-08-09 001 Williams had the opportunity, yesterday, to hear the story of a survivor of the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. Doris Martin came to Williams from Flagstaff with husband and co-author Ralph to sign copies of her book Kiss Every Step: A Survivor’s Memoir from the Nazi Holocaust at the Wild West Junction. Doris and Ralph also founded the Martin-Springer Institute at Northern Arizona University, whose purpose is to apply the lessons learned from the Holocaust to benefit Mankind.

Mayor John Moore stops by to speak with Doris, husband Ralph and others having lunch before the book signing.

Mayor John Moore stops by to speak with Doris, husband Ralph and others having lunch before the book signing.

Doris has been invited to speak at schools and other venues on her experience. Her whole family was among only about 125 Jewish survivors of her hometown of Bendzin. “We were blessed from God that our family was still together,” she said in her radio interview on KZBX in Williams.Kiss Every Step 2016-08-09 012
During her radio interview, she told the tale of her older brother who attempted to escape the Nazi regime. He attempted to escape Poland to the neighboring Soviet Union. He was caught by the Germans and when he was asked his name he gave his real name of Szpringer. He was beaten and thrown into a river and the Germans shot over his head. He managed to make it to Russia, but once there he was declared a German spy and sent to Siberia.

She related the terror inflicted by the Germans on the Poland Jews. They would be dragged from their homes on several occasions for various reasons and eventually sent back home. One time they were told to go to a stadium to get a stamp. They were told not to bring any food for the children because they were only going to get an identification stamp and would be sent back home.

They were taken to a stadium where the reality was much different. The whole town was herded into a stadium to receive the stamp.

“The whole town took the children, everybody to the stadium. But when we went into the stadium, it was not like that. We were only surrounded with the Nazis, with the German Shepherds, with the rifles,” she said in the interview. “We couldn’t go out from the stadium. And in the stadium was sitting a Nazi at a small table. And he would choose who should live, and who should die.”

Tuffy, the Wild West Junction mascot.

Tuffy, the Wild West Junction mascot.

The Nazis decided that children under the age of thirteen and those with handicaps would have to die. They divided up families into three groups and it is here, Doris said, that the miracles of God began to manifest. When it came to her family, the Nazis were done dividing the families for the day and her family was sent home.

The family lived on a second floor of an apartment building. When they returned home, her mother told them that they should kiss every step up to their apartment, which they did. That was where the title of the book came from.

Though they were eventually separated and Doris was sent to Auschwitz, her whole family survived and were reunited. Unfortunately their hometown of Bendzin no longer existed.

Her story of survival is told in her book Kiss Every Step which is available online at Amazon and is available at Barnes and Nobles in Flagstaff.

Paving work on eastbound Interstate 40 to continue near Flagstaff

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Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) crews continue with paving operations on eastbound Interstate 40 near Flagstaff (milepost 196-197), just before the Interstate 17 junction on Tuesday (August 9) from 4 a.m. to noon.

Lane restrictions and reduced speeds will be in place during construction; please allow for extra time for travel in the area, and watch for crews and equipment in the work zone.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned roadway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule.

One fatality in plane crash near Flagstaff

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FLAGSTAFF — At least one fatality has been confirmed in an aircraft crash just south of Forest Highlands—a neighborhood south of Flagstaff, AZ. The victim has been tentatively identified as 76-year-old Homer “Mac” McClure out of Mesa, AZ.

Around 9:24 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 the Flagstaff/Coconino 911 Center received reports from several citizens in the Forest Highlands and Kachina Village areas of a loud crash, possibly a downed aircraft.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Arizona Department of Public Safety Troopers responded to an area just south of Forest Highlands on SR89A and noticed the odor of fuel. They located the crash site near the highway. Highlands Fire Department and DPS Air Rescue also assisted in this response.

The aircraft was a Twin Engine Piper Seneca (1980, PA-34-200T). The crash site was approximately 5 miles SW of Pulliam Airport in the forest near a residential area.

County and Coconino NF seek advisory committee members

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FLAGSTAFF — The County and Coconino National Forest are seeking candidates to fill vacancies on the Coconino Resource Advisory Committee (RAC), which will review and recommend projects to the forest supervisor that benefit national forest land in Coconino County.

The committee will be comprised of 15 members who represent a particular set of interests, and members must commit to serving a full term of four years—meeting only a handful of times annually. Committee members are volunteers and do not receive pay.

Current vacancies on the Coconino RAC include seats which represent the following interests listed in the Secure Rural School Act and reauthorized by Congress:

· Organized labor or non-timber forest product harvester
· Developed outdoor recreation
· Off-highway vehicle users
· Energy and mineral development interests
· Commercial timber industry
· Federal grazing permittees or other land use permittees
· Nationally, regionally, or locally recognized environmental organizations
· Dispersed recreational activities
· Archaeological and historical interests
· Nationally or regionally recognized wild horse and burro groups
· County or local-elected officials
· State-elected officials
· American Indian tribes
· School officials or teachers
· The public-at-large

National forests which fall within Coconino County that the committee would consider projects for include the Coconino, Kaibab, as well as parts of the Prescott and Apache-Sitgreaves national forests.

“We’re looking for people with energy and commitment to the long-term benefit of our national forests, who also are interested in working with a diverse array of interests represented on the committee,” said Laura Jo West, forest supervisor for the Coconino National Forest.

Under the Secure Rural Schools Act, federal payments to states and counties were reauthorized in April 2015 and will be allocated according to the amount of national forest land in the county and other factors. These funds can be used for projects that enhance forest ecosystems and restore and improve land health and water quality.

Any Arizona resident interested in serving on the committee must complete an application form that will be used for a required background check. Applications are available at Forest Service offices in the Coconino National Forest, and online at http://tinyurl.com/CoconinoRAC.

Applications are due by 4:30 p.m. September 2, 2016 and must be mailed or dropped off, with original signature, to Coconino National Forest, Attn: Brady Smith, Resource Advisory Committee, 1824 S. Thompson St., Flagstaff, AZ 86001. Scanned copies cannot be submitted.

For more information, call Brady Smith, the Coconino National Forest public affairs officer, at (928) 527-3490, or email him at bradysmith@fs.fed.us. For more information on RACs, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/srs/.