Category Archives: Yavapai

Primary results for Congressional District 1 still in question.

Posted on by

Arizona-electsCOCONINO/YAVAPAI – The race for the Republican nomination for Congressional District 1 is still in question. This is the only race which remains undecided in the primaries. The office of the Secretary of State reports that 2,508 ballots remain to be counted in the counties of Coconino and Yavapai.

The race between Andy Tobin and Gary Kiehne has narrowed four votes with only 366 separating the two candidates. The latest news is that the outstanding votes in Yavapai county have dropped to 619 yet to be counted down from 2,401 as of yesterday. Currently 815 votes separate the two candidates in Yavapai county so Tobin will take Yavapai event after all the remaining votes are counted.

In Coconino County 1,889 ballots remain to be counted. The spread between the two candidates in the county is 980 votes. Because the county recorder will not count ballots over the weekend, we will have to wait until Monday before we get the final results. These votes could change the course of the primary election for Congressional District 1. The name recognition that Tobin enjoys could give him the edge in the vote count, however.

It is apparent that the fat lady hasn’t sung in Congressional District 1.

Yavapai County Primary Election night reporting delay

Posted on by

Arizona-electsPRESCOTT – During Primary Election Night Reporting, Yavapai County, working with new election equipment, experienced technical difficulties properly exporting the results file out of its system. Yavapai County worked throughout the night and exported a results file at approximately 5:40 a.m. Once Yavapai exported the file, that data was successfully uploaded into the state election night reporting system without difficulty. It does not appear to significantly change the results of the primary.

A press release from Leslie M. Hoffman, Yavapai County Recorder, stated:

The elections results for the Primary Election of August 26, 2014 were accurately tabulated, published on the Yavapai County website, and reported to the Arizona Secretary of State. There was a delay in reporting election data to the Secretary of State due to a communication issue that slowed the export of the data to the Secretary of State. The new Unisyn Voting Solutions’ equipment installed by Yavapai County pursuant to ARS 16-442(F) performed as designed. The new equipment is certified by the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission and used in multiple jurisdictions across the country. The vote tabulations were accurate and posted on the County website beginning at 9:30PM and the election data uploaded to the Secretary of State by 6:00AM. The Elections Department is working closely with Unisyn Voting Solutions to resolve the communication issue that created the delay.

The office of the Secretary of State stated in their email:

In May 2014, Yavapai County approved this election equipment for experimental use pursuant to A.R.S. 16-442(F). Since the Secretary of State’s Office certifies an end-to-end voting system, the system as configured in Yavapai County was not certified by the State. This new election system, Unisyn OpenElect, is only used in Yavapai County.

A.R.S. 16-442 referenced provides:

The secretary of state or the governing body may provide for the experimental use of a voting system or device without a final adoption thereof, and its use at the election is as valid as if the machines had been permanently adopted.

Unisyn OpenElect voting systems is part of International Lottery & Totalizator Systems corporation which makes online wagering systems for horse racing and lottery systems. According to the company website, Berjaya Lottery Management (HK) Ltd. in Wan Chai, Hong Kong has become their major shareholder. The Unisyn OpenElect voting system was approved for use by the Election Assistance Commission in 2005.

It appears that the voting problem is not a significant factor in the CD-1 race between Andy Tobin and Gary Kiehne, despite television news reports.

What is a factor are the votes yet to be tabulated. According to a press release by the Secretary of State there are still votes yet to be tabulated in Coconino and Yavapai Counties. There are still 2,596 early and 984 provisional ballots yet to be tallied in Coconino. There are 1,894 early and 507 provisional ballots remaining in Yavapai. Only 470 votes separate Tobin from opponent Kiehne.

The current results are not official as the canvasing process is not over. Counties have five-days until the close of business Wednesday, September 3 to verify and process the remaining ballots. A state canvas to certify the election results for national, State and legislative races is scheduled for September 8.

Yavapai County election officials did not respond to a phone call for an interview, but did issue a press release through the office of the Secretary of State.

One Dead Following a One Vehicle Rollover Collision near Williams

Posted on by

WILLIAMS – Coconino County Sheriff’s deputies and detectives are investigating a one vehicle roll over collision that occurred on Monday, July 21, 2014 at about 5:25 pm on Drake road in close proximity to the Bar Heart Ranch headquarters. There were two vehicle occupants; the driver and a front seat passenger.

At this point in the investigation deputies believe the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed as it crested the hill just to the east of the Bar Heart Ranch. It is believed the driver began to lose control as the vehicle reached the bottom of the hill and slid across both lanes of traffic. The vehicle hit a large rock on the shoulder of the road and eventually rolled over once completely and then flipped end over end one time completely. Deputies believe 32-year old Rocky Deibler of Williams was ejected at the beginning of the roll and came to rest approximately 20 feet from where he left the vehicle resulting in severe head trauma.

Mr. Deibler was flown to the Flagstaff Medical Center by Native Air medical transport where he was subsequently pronounced deceased. The second vehicle occupant was taken to the Yavapai Regional Medical Center by Lifeline Medical transport where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Deputies are investigating the possibility that impairment from the consumption of alcohol or other substances may have played a role in this collision. Investigators are attempting to determine which of the two occupants was driving at the time of the collision. No enforcement action has been take at this time.

The deceased victim was taken to the office of the Coconino County Medical Examiner for further examination and investigation.

Arizona Department of Public Safety Officers assisted with this investigation. Additional agencies that responded and assisted with patient care, the collision investigation, or scene management include the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, Chino Fire Department, and the Ash Fork Fire Department.

Slide Fire Community Meeting Planned planned for tomorrow

Posted on by

Slide Fire Information Facebook photo

Slide Fire Information Facebook photo

SEDONA – A community meeting is scheduled in Sedona to discuss the possibility of flooding from the Slide Fire during the monsoon season. The meeting will be held tomorrow—Thursday, June 19 from 4 to 6 pm—at the Sedona Red Rock High School Performing Arts Center; 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Road.

The meeting will be conducted by the City of Sedona, Coconino and Yavapai counties, and the cooperative agencies which assisted in fighting the human-caused blaze. Residents will receive an update on the U.S. Forest Service’s Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) assessment of the Slide Fire. Attendees will also learn how multiple agencies have spent the past several weeks assessing Oak Creek Canyon properties in anticipation of possible monsoonal flooding this summer.

A video recording of the meeting will be posted June 20 at the Coconino County YouTube Channel for those unable to attend the meeting. A link to the video will be posted at the Coconino County Post-Slide Fire Information web page.

The Slide Fire began May 20 just north of Slide Rock State Park and charred more than 21,000 acres north of Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. The fire was fully contained on June 6. Investigation into the start of the fire is still on-going.

Overnight work on I-17 south of Camp Verde scheduled tonight

Posted on by

CAMP VERDE – The Arizona Department of Transportation will move concrete barrier on southbound Interstate 17 tonight, April 17 between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. south of Camp Verde as part of the climbing lane project. 

 

Southbound drivers can expect a single lane restriction and northbound traffic will be guided through the project work zone with flaggers and a pilot car. 

 

Starting Monday, April 21 crews will begin the milling and paving work on I-17 through the project.  For the next two weeks, overnight work will require a single lane restriction in both directions and drivers are encouraged to allow extra travel times to reach their destination.     

 

Work hours are from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and drivers can expect minimal delays. 

 

During construction, bicyclists are not permitted through the project work zone as the shoulders along I-17 are closed.   

 

This project is expected to be complete by the summer 2014. 

 

The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage. ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel. 

 

For more information, email projects@azdot.gov or call the ADOT project information line at 1.855.712.8530. To stay up-to-date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at www.az511.gov or call 511.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies search for missing hiker

Posted on by

thomas langThe Coconino County Sheriff’s office in conjunction with the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information concerning a 22-year old, white male hiker missing since December 18th.

Thomas Lang was last seen at the Manzanita Campground in Oak Creek Canyon outside of Sedona on Wednesday December 18 and was due back to the campground on Sunday December 22.

Thomas is 6-foot 1-inches, 140 pounds with blonde dreadlocks. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a dark blue sweat shirt and carrying a red sleeping bag, a white tarp, a guitar and a blue backpack.

Anyone with helpful information are requested to call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 1-800-338-7888 Or the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (928)771-3260.

AZ: No Shooting Unless Zoned for it? Rancher Prevails Against Zoning Department

Posted on by

Headhunter-Ranch-LLCArizona – -(Ammoland.com)- An interesting case from Arizona, where a rancher was dragged into court on the unfounded pretext that he was illegally building a shooting range on his large acreage near Prescott. From the Daily Courier:

PRESCOTT – In what has become an issue pitting gun rights against land use codes, a Williamson Valley landowner had his Second Amendment rights upheld in a Tuesday hearing in Prescott.

Brad DeSaye, owner of Headhunter Ranch LLC, said he never intended to build gun ranges on his properety. (sic)

“The wild rumors that brought us to this point hopefully were dispelled a little bit,” DeSaye said. “I feel vindicated that they dismissed it, but at the same time I feel frustrated and I expect the county to come back at me in a different way. This is a private property right; a Second Amendment issue.”

DeSaye and his attorney must have been persuasive, because the the County ruled in his favor:

After more than three hours of testimony on Tuesday, Yavapai County Hearing Officer Peter Van Harin ruled in DeSaye’s favor, allowing him to shoot firearms on his property, overriding the objections of his neighbors and Yavapai County land use officials.

Read more at Ammoland

It’s Election Day

Posted on by
"Here" is the Grand Canyon Railway if you are in Williams.

“Here” is the Grand Canyon Railway if you are in Williams.

If you have not already, make sure you take time to vote in the election today. No candidates are on this ballot, but you are voting for something as important. Whether or not to raise property taxes.

In Williams, you will determine whether or not to keep the property tax which supports the Williams Health Clinic.

The Coconino Community College is asking for $4.5 over seven years:

To maintain the operations of Coconino Community College, shall the Coconino County Community College District be authorized to levy a secondary property tax in an amount not to exceed $4,500,000 each year for the next seven years. The incremental funding to be used to continue its missions to:

• Maintain Career and Technical education programs that prepare local students for careers as Nurses, Emergency Medical Technicians, Firefighters, Detention Officers, Computer Technicians, Network Engineers, Alternative Energy Technicians and others; and

• Continue to prepare local students for higher education and for transfer to Arizona’s public universities; and

• Maintain programs to train and re-train local workers, in conjunction with local employers, for new occupations and careers in areas including Health Care, Manufacturing, Alternative Energy and others.

The Grand Canyon School and Sedona-Oak Creek Joint Unified School districts will be asking voters to exceed revenue control limits set by Arizona Revised Statute. The Grand Canyon proposal would add approximately $1.21 per $100 assessed value of your property while the Sedona-Oak Creek proposal claims .21 per $100 assessed value.

At the Williams voting station there is also a poster urging people to become an election board worker. You must be registered to vote in Coconino County and may register online. You may call 928-679-7860 or 800-793-6181 if you have questions.

From the Bench: From the ashes…

Posted on by

rob-krombeenby Justice of the Peace Robert Krombeen

This past month on June 28th, while at the judicial conference in Phoenix, I sat down with Judge Anna Mary Glaab from the Yarnell Justice Court and spoke with her about the fond memories I had of Yarnell while working for Yavapai County back in the 80’s. Neither of us knew at that time that lightning had just struck a mountain and started a fire that would change the community and so many lives forever. Judge Glaab reported this week that two of the four members of her staff lost their homes and possessions. The fire totally caught the community and Judge Glaab’s court by surprise, and now she is working diligently to continue and bring back services to the court. Courts in Baghdad, Prescott, and Mayer are scrambling to provide services for the most pressing and time-sensitive matters at that court. Please continue to keep the community and those families in your thoughts and prayers, as now the challenges of the losses really come to light as families attempt to rebuild their lives.

Because of possibility for that and other types of interruptions at our court, the Williams Municipal and Justice Courts have been working together with Coconino County Court Administration to develop our Continuous Operations (COOP) plan to enable our courts to continue providing services during any unanticipated emergency or contingency. The plan would cover a wide range of possible disruptions including forest fire, winter blizzard, gas leak or other evacuation, court facility structural failure, or other similar events which would cause a major interruption to the operations of our courts. COOP plans are being developed by proactive courts across the state and are being implemented in all of the Coconino County Court facilities. We have two off-site court locations identified and approved for our use in the event of an emergency, and a cache of all court supplies required for continued operations will be stored and maintained at a location outside of our facility.

Court Manager Jennifer Carter has selected Williams High School student Jaiden Pona to be our second high school intern during the upcoming school year. Jaiden joins Devin McNelly in the second year of our internship program at the courts. We applaud Jennifer’s investment of energy and effort in our community’s youth by providing a learning environment and an opportunity for our students to experience the criminal justice system and the operation of our courts.

Chino Valley shooting range to open Saturday

Posted on by

chino-valley-shooting-facThe Town of Chino Valley and the Prescott Sportsmen’s Club will co-host the grand opening of the Chino Valley Shooting Facility Saturday.

The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. with a ribbon cutting, followed by remarks from several speakers including Secretary of State Ken Bennett, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, Arizona Rep. Karen Fann, Yavapai County Supervisor Craig Brown, and Mayor Chris Marley.

Representatives form the National Rifle Association and the Arizona Game and Fish Department also will be on hand for the dedication.

The opening will include the dedication of a 911 monument and several shooting demonstrations, including black powder shooting, cowboy action demonstrations, and cowboy mounted shooting.

Free shooting will be available from noon to 4 p.m. A lunch will be provided as a fundraiser for the club’s Junior High Power Team.

Cindy Ksenzulak, president of the Prescott Sportsmen’s Club, said that while her group has been anxiously looking forward to the grand opening, the normal three to five year time line for opening a range of this size was shortened quite a bit for the CVSF.

Read more at Chino Valley Review
CVSF Official site