Lectric e-bike being raffled by the Matthew Broehm VFW post.
Tickets are $10 each and only 300 will be sold. The raffle will be held when all tickets are sold. The VFW post is currently working out distribution of tickets and other formalities, but you can contact a member to get tickets.
The Lectric model being raffled is foldable for easy storage or placing in your vehicle to take with you. This model has a 500-watt motor and is expected to run around 45-hours on a charge.
PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has announced that Arizona continues to be clear of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal wildlife disease that affects the nervous system of deer and elk.
Department officials did not find any cases of CWD in the 1,589 deer (mule and white-tailed) and elk that were sampled in 2020 — the most in more than a decade. AZGFD collected 519 samples from animals that were harvested and voluntarily submitted by hunters, and another 1,070 samples through partnerships with game processors and taxidermists.
AZGFD has been testing for the presence of the disease in Arizona since 1998. While CWD has been found in the neighboring states of Utah, New Mexico and Colorado, the disease has not been detected in Arizona. CWD has not been documented to cause disease in people.
The department is grateful for the assistance of hunters who submit deer and elk heads for testing, as well as the cooperation of game processors and taxidermists. For more information about CWD, visit the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance website at http://cwd-info.org/. Also, check out a video that addresses 14 of the most commonly asked questions about CWD. The questions were submitted by hunters from across the nation, and the answers were provided by top CWD experts and researchers. The video was produced by the National Deer Alliance.
Junipers dying in northern Arizona
Current assessments by US Forest Service-Forest Health Protection office in Flagstaff suggest that the majority of this mortality is caused by the exceptional drought that this part of Arizona is experiencing. While there have been some scattered observations of insects on dead trees, Forest Health Protection believes that the initial cause of death is directly tied to water stress. Trees impacted by drought show a change in color of their needle-like scales, which typically starts at the branch tips and spreads down the tree, fading from green to a bright yellow.
In order to provide short-term protection against drought-caused mortality, homeowners can protect individual high-value trees through watering. As this die-off is not currently related to insects, insecticide treatments are not recommended. As a reminder, deep but infrequent watering at the drip line, the area below the edge of the tree’s canopy, is the most effective method for active water absorption. Watering at the trunk base is not effective. Generally, homeowners should water until soil is moistened to a depth of 18 inches and wait until soil dries to water again, about every two weeks. Homeowners should avoid overwatering as this can also harm tree health.
More information can be found at:
· USDA Forest Service Southwestern Region Forest Health Protection: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r3/forest-grasslandhealth
· For proper watering techniques, refer to the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension brochure: https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1298-2017.pdf
SELIGMAN – On 04/10/21 at 3:08 PM Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a report of an explosion at Rose Well Camp, north west of Seligman on the Boquillas Ranch. Reports indicated a ranch house had caught fire after the explosion and was spreading to adjacent structures and brush. Seligman Fire Department responded to suppress the fire.
Ranch staff from Rose Well Camp observed a column of smoke and responded to the camp to investigate. Upon arriving they found one of the camp houses engulfed in flames.
They observed a vehicle, belonging to the ranch staff member who lived in the house, parked near the south porch. While Seligman Fire personnel were extinguishing the flames, human remains were located in the burnt structure.
The fire spread to several adjacent structures, to include a historic hay barn, which was destroyed by fire as well. Once the fire was extinguished, detectives processed the scene and identified human remains which were later removed by the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The cause of the reported explosion/fire and death of the unidentified human remains are being investigated by Sheriff’s Office Investigators and the Medical Examiner’s Office.
BLUE RIDGE – On April 9, 2021 Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to Highway 87 near the Hwy 260 junction for a report of a wildland fire.
Upon arrival, the deputy interviewed a witness that said they were driving along the highway and saw a fire in the forested area. Upon seeing the fire, the witness stopped and attempted extinguish the fire.
During this process, the witness noticed a suspicious person, later identified as Adam Gilliam, a 29-year-old man from Oregon, near the fire.
Shortly after, an Arizona Department of Public Safety Trooper arrived and detained the suspicious person.
During the deputy’s interview with Gilliam, he admitted to starting the fire with a lighter he had in his possession. Fire resources were able to successfully extinguish the fire, which was described as approximately 30 feet in diameter.
Gilliam was arrested and booked into the Coconino County Jail for Illegal Burning of Wildland and Refusing to Provide a Truthful name.
WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest, in cooperation with the communities of Parks and Sherwood Forest Estates is pleased to announce the reopening of the Moonset Pit on May 8 of this year for residents to dispose of green waste materials from private property.
The pit will be open on the following days this year from 8am to 2pm:
Saturday-May 8, Saturday-May 22, Saturday-June 5, Saturday-June 19, and Saturday-July 10.
Users will only be allowed to access and discard natural woody debris such as logs, limbs, branches, brush, needles, and leaves on these dates while staff is present. No bagged substances, lumber, construction material, household garbage or any other items should be deposited at the site.
The Moonset Pit serves the local area providing a location for the disposal of natural forest debris. Residents are encouraged to take advantage of this facility to make their private property more defensible against the threat of wildland fire.
Moonset Pit is located just west of the Parks community on a dirt road east of Spitz Springs on the north side of old Route 66.
Personal Use Cinder Information: Personal use cinder permits are now available from the Williams Ranger District Office. People who wish to acquire a permit will need to call the district office first and make an appointment to come in. Due to the ongoing pandemic and preventive procedures currently in place, a specific set of guidelines will be required to obtain a permit that will require payment by credit card only.
Click here to learn more: Cinder Permit Requirements 2021
Cinders will only be available for collection on weekends to avoid safety conflicts with Coconino County mining operations.
There are personal use cinders also available to the public all days of the week at the Wright Pit located off Lillie J Ranch road in Parks and the W-Triangle Pit north of Spring Valley.
For information about obtaining permits or questions about all these services, please call the Williams Ranger District office at 742 S Clover Road in Williams. (928) 635-5600.
The success of this community provision is largely attributed to the volunteers of the Parks Area Connection and Sherwood Forest Fire Department who staff the pit on Saturdays during the open hours of operation. This annual service is also supported by the Kaibab National Forest and the Rural Communities Fuels Management Partnership.
PHOENIX – With warmer weather coming to Arizona’s high country, the Arizona Department of Transportation is ramping up construction projects to improve safety and extend the life of the infrastructure.
In the Flagstaff area, ADOT has already started projects to replace the Interstate 40 bridges over Business 40 which connects to Historic Route 66 in west Flagstaff. The project, which is approximately 3 miles west of the junction with Interstate 17, will replace the east- and westbound bridges on I-40 in their entirety. The project is anticipated to be completed by fall of 2022.
Also ongoing in the Flagstaff area is the project to replace the Rio de Flag bridge near Flagstaff City Hall. The work, which involves the use of precast bridge components to significantly reduce the amount of traffic restrictions during the project, will be completed later this summer.
Starting in April, ADOT will begin a project to pave I-40 between I-17 and Walnut Canyon Road in east Flagstaff. Work will include repaving both east- and westbound I-40, including the ramps at four interchanges. Crews will also make repairs to bridge decks within the project area and replace guardrail as needed. This project will last two seasons and is anticipated to be completed by fall of 2022.
Along SR 89 in Chino Valley, ADOT will install a new traffic signal and traffic detection sensors at the intersection with Road 1 North. ADOT will also install a right-turn lane on northbound SR 89 to east Road 1 North, and construct left-turn lanes and widen SR 89 at Road 1 North. The project is set to start later this spring.
In May, a pavement replacement project in the Show Low area will see 6 miles of US 60 and 5 miles of SR 260 repaved with new pavement. The work will take place overnights during the week. Other work includes installing new guardrail, curb and gutter and sidewalks.
This summer, a minor modernization project for the intersection of SR 89A and SR 179 in Sedona will see the replacement of pavement as well as striping and signage to the roundabout. Traffic will continue to have access during construction and work will be completed by the fall.
In the northwest corner of the state, ADOT is currently working on replacing Bridge No. 1 along I-15. Work includes replacing the abutment foundations, piers and the bridge deck of Bridge No. 1. New pavement, pavement markings, guardrail and signage are also included in the project. Work is anticipated to be completed by spring of 2024.
For more information, visit azdot.gov/projects.