Category Archives: Williams

Winter Field Day in Williams hailed a Success.

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The Coconino Amateur Radio Club and Bill Williams Mountain Radio Club set up for Winter Field Day in the Visitor Center parking lot.

WILLIAMS – Every year on the last full weekend in June, the amateur radio community conducts an operation called Field Day to practice setting up emergency operations and introduce people to amateur radio. The summer exercise is conducted by the Amateur Radio Relay League. Another group of amateurs felt it was just as important to be able to set up in winter conditions. They formed the Winter Field Day Association and held the first Winter Field Day January 13 and 14 in 2007.

On Saturday January 26 and Sunday January 27, the Coconino Amateur Radio Club (CARC) and Bill Williams Mountain Radio Club (BWMRC) combined talents to conduct the first Winter Field Day in Coconino County. Williams was selected as the location and it was set up in the Williams Visitor Center parking lot.

“Thanks to the City of Williams, our first Winter Field Day was a success,” said Glen Davis KG7YDJ. “It was a short notice operation and they worked with us to get this thing going.”

Jacob Miller KI7WNS, who organized the event said, “Thank you all for a great Winter field day. Over 200 contacts were made and we couldn’t have done it without your help and support setting up, maintaining that generator, and breaking down. ”

“We definitely learned a number of lessons from this winter field day and look forward to more winter field days for years to come,” he added.

Joe Hobart W7LUX shoots a fishing line over a lamp post to raise one end of the antenna used for the operation.

A high frequency antenna is strung from one lamp post to another across the parking lot. This antenna allows operators to make contacts across the country.

During these Field Day exercises, amateur radio operators set up amateur radios and try to make as many contacts as possible through all of the frequency ranges that amateur radio, or Ham, operators are allowed to use. During actual emergencies, amateurs have the capability and latitude to operate outside of their normal frequencies. For example, transmitting on general mobile radio serive (GMRS) frequencies with an amateur radio is illegal during normal conditions. In an emergency situation where there is a possibility of loss of life or property, however, anyone is allowed to use any frequency to summon and respond to a summons for help.

Volunteers from CARC and BWMRC set up the CARC emergency trailer for the Winter Field Day. The trailer is set up to perform several modes of communication.

Amateur radio emergency communications has existed almost since amateur radio began in the early 1900s. During the cold war, the Federal Communications Commission developed the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) to respond with emergency communications in the event of a nuclear engagement. RACES required special licenses and training and only responded to nuclear war. The Amateur Relay Relay League established the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES Pronounced air-ease) to respond to all emergency situations. The special license requirement for RACES has been dropped over time and their role has expanded. ARES and RACES groups now work together toward the same goal.

Coconino ARES members provide emergency communications in a variety of situations. They provide emergency communications for different events, such as the Lion’s Club Route 66 Labor Day run in Williams and the 100 mile Stagecoach race from Flagstaff to Tusayan. At the beginning of the Blueridge Fire, cell communications were unavailable. Amateur radio was used to communicate with the Emergency Operations Center in Flagstaff to relay evacuation notices which was credited with saving lives.

The next ARRL Summer Field Day will be held June 22-23, 2019.

Volunteers from CARC and BWMRC set up the CARC emergency trailer for the Winter Field Day. The trailer is set up to perform several modes of communication.

Joe tests the radios during the set up phase of the Winter Field Day.

Morgan Conklin KI7WTS and Jacob Miller KI7WNS start making contacts for Winter Field Day.

Williams Event Huddle scheduled for Monday

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WILLIAMS – The annual Williams Event Huddle will be held again on Monday, January 21 beginning at 5:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Williams Recreation Center at 314 Railroad Avenue across the street from the bank.

The event brings together various non-profit groups and County agencies who have three minutes to speak about the goals and visions for their particlar activity. The groups exhange contact information and assist each other where they can.

This year people may come in to listen to the groups and perhaps learn where they can get help or find organizations of their interest to join. The event lasts about two hours.

Man Arrested for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor for Computer Child Pornography

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WILLIAMS – On 12/20/18 Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Detectives and Deputies served a search warrant at a residence in the Red Lake neighborhood, 9 miles north of the city of Williams.

Sheriff’s Office detectives received information that a resident in the Red Lake Neighborhood was possibly in possession of child pornography on a personal computer at his residence. During the investigation the subject turned over a computer, which was examined by a Sheriff’s Office Computer Forensics Investigator. After securing a search warrant to examine the computer, the investigator located several images consistent with child pornography on that computer.

After confirming the presence of the images on the initial computer, another search warrant was obtained to search the residence for additional devices. During the search of the residence, additional computers and electronic devices were seized. Detectives and Investigators are currently reviewing the additional items of evidence seized during the search warrant and additional charges could result. If anyone has information that may assist this investigation they are encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office.

Charles Henry Hightower, 83, was arrested and booked into the Coconino County Jail for 10 counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Hightower was released to Pre-Trial Services on a $50,000 unsecured bond.

Pile Burning on Bill Williams Mountain to Begin Late December

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WILLIAMS — Fuels reduction efforts on Bill Williams Mountain on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest are set to commence next week after the Christmas holiday. Prescribed burning of several units of slash piles along forest road 111 on the north and east slopes of the mountain will begin taking place as weather conditions permit.

Crews will start by treating small blocks each day in order to minimize smoke production and reduce the potential for impacts to the surrounding roadways and adjacent community.
During ignition operations, smoke will be highly visible from the City of Williams and from the Interstate 40 corridor from both the east bound and west bound lanes approaching the city.

Minimal to light smoke impacts may occur, however winds are expected to transport smoke to the south away from the developed areas and be very short in duration.

These pile burns are just one of many ongoing forest restoration projects happening on Bill Williams Mountain that are critical to improving forest health and increasing the protection of vital watershed resources for the city.

Work will also be continuing in the weeks ahead between Parks and Spring Valley on the south side of Government Hill, where crews began pile burns earlier this month.
As with all prescribed burns, weather conditions will determine the day’s most suitable for ignitions that have the least amount of negative effects on air quality and the best possible ventilation.

The public can view approved prescribed fires for any given day on the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s website at smoke.azdeq.gov/.

To learn more about smoke and public health, visit bit.ly/SmokeHealthAwareness.

Notifications of upcoming prescribed fire projects are provided regularly throughout the year. Additional information can also be obtained through the following sources:

· Kaibab National Forest Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
· Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF
· Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF
· Fire Information Recorded Hotline: 928-635-8311
· InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5922/

Recent Pile Burns Continue Smoldering on Kaibab National Forest

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WILLIAMS – Kaibab National Forest fire officials are alerting the public that recent prescribed fire activities may be visible at several locations across the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts over the next several days and could possibly linger into the approaching Christmas holiday.

Forest visitors may see fire activity from recent pile burning operations that have been occurring over the past two weeks on the Kaibab National Forest. Low intensity surface creeping, smoldering logs, and light smoke in the vicinity of these project areas will continue to be visible as unseasonable warmer and dryer weather continues into the week ahead. All of these active burns are confined within their containment boundaries, and pose no control problems as they continue to consume debris.

Prescribed fire project areas are being monitored daily by fire personnel to ensure public safety and to continue meeting fuels reduction and forest restoration objectives.

As winter weather conditions continue on the Kaibab National Forest, fire managers will look for additional opportunities to treat landscapes whenever appropriate. Additional information will be provided as specific prescribed fire projects are scheduled in the future.

The public can view approved prescribed fires for any given day on the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s website at smoke.azdeq.gov/.

To learn more about smoke and public health, visit bit.ly/SmokeHealthAwareness.

Notifications of upcoming prescribed fire projects are provided regularly throughout the year. Additional information can also be obtained through the following sources:

· Kaibab National Forest Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
· Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF
· Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF
· Fire Information Recorded Hotline: 928-635-8311
· InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5922/

Pile Burning Continues North of Parks on Williams Ranger District

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Persistent wet weather has presented favorable opportunities for fire crews to continue burning piles at numerous locations across the Kaibab National Forest. Fire personnel on the Williams Ranger District will be moving to an area known has Kaufman Springs today approximately 4 miles north of the community of Parks to continue with operations.

Several Units of slash piles on the south side of Government Hill, west of county road 141 are scheduled to be treated over the weeks ahead. 114 acres will be ignited today just west of Wright Hill and crews hope to continue working in this area next week if weather conditions allow.

Other pile burns will probably continue in the Williams and Tusayan areas. On The Williams district, 139 acres of piles off of Forest Road 186 just south of Forest Road 108 near Coleman Lake will be ignited Thursday with an additional 52 acres to be treated on Friday. On The Tusayan district, 19 acres of piles will burned on Thursday approximately 2 miles west of the Grand Canyon Airport.

Objectives for these pile burns include reducing fuels resulting from previous forest restoration projects and improving overall forest health and resiliency. Piles typically burn rapidly and produce far less smoke for shorter durations than larger broadcast burns over the landscape.

Minimal to light smoke impacts are anticipated, however air quality will be monitored closely and actions will be taken as necessary to minimize the effects to residential developed areas.

Heritage Elementary students prepare food bags for community.

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Arrron, of Hope for the World Ministries instructs Heritage 6th graders in sorting food.

WILLIAMS – Students from the Heritage Elementary at 790 Rodeo Road in Williams prepared food bags, today, at Hope for the World Ministries in the downtown mall. This is the second year the students have worked with Hope for the World in the Christmas Season.

Students sort food and hand it to those who are bagging.

Third and Fifth-graders packed 14-bags Thursday morning and Sixth-graders packed ten more in the afternoon. Seventh-graders will pick up the work Friday morning. Some students are packing up other bags at the school for other purposes.

Students bagged about 24-bags, at this point, to distribute in the community.

The students collected over 500 food items at the school . The bags are to be distributed at the Kiwanis community dinner on Sunday.

Children at the Heritage Elementary school collected over 500 pieces of food to distribute this season.

Hope for the World provides food and clothing for the homeless and needy in Williams. This project is with St. Vincent DePaul, but they work with other agencies to help the homeless and Veterans.

UPDATE: Interstate 40 ramp closures at Grand Canyon Boulevard and SR 64

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WILLLIAMS – Northern Arizona motorists on Interstate 40 near Williams, west of Flagstaff, should expect ramp closures at Grand Canyon Boulevard (exit 163) and State Route 64 (exit 165) during daytime hours for paving work on December 6 and December 10 to 12.

Work is scheduled between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day.

Drivers are advised to follow the signed detour routes while the following on- and off-ramp closures are in place:

  • Thursday, December 6: Westbound on- and off-ramp at State Route 64 (exit 165) closed.
  • Monday, December 10: Westbound on- and off- ramp at Grand Canyon Boulevard (exit 163) closed.
  • Tuesday, December 11: Eastbound on- and off-ramp at Grand Canyon Boulevard (exit 163) closed.
  • Wednesday, December 12: Eastbound off-ramp at State Route 64 (exit 165) closed.

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

Interstate 40 ramp closures at Grand Canyon Boulevard, SR 64 set for Dec. 5-6 and Dec. 11-12

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Northern Arizona motorists on Interstate 40 near Williams, west of Flagstaff, should expect ramp closures at Grand Canyon Boulevard (exit 164) and State Route 64 (exit 165) during daytime hours for paving work on Dec. 4-5 and Dec. 10-11.

Work is scheduled between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day.

Drivers are advised to follow the signed detour routes while the following on- and off-ramp closures are in place:

Wednesday, Dec. 5: Westbound on-ramp at State Route 64 (exit 165) closed.
Thursday, Dec. 6: Westbound on- and off- ramp at Grand Canyon Boulevard (exit 164) closed.
Tuesday, Dec. 11: Eastbound on- and off-ramp at Grand Canyon Boulevard (exit 164) closed.
Wednesday, Dec. 12: Eastbound off-ramp at State Route 64 (exit 165) closed.

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

Kaibab National Forest offices closed today

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WILLIAMS – Kaibab National Forest offices will be closed on Wednesday, December 5, in recognition of the National Day of Mourning honoring President George H. W. Bush.

In honor of President George H. W. Bush, President Trump has issued an Executive Order closing federal offices on Wednesday, December 5.

All Kaibab National Forest offices will resume normal business hours on Thursday, December 6.