Fri 31 Aug 2007
It finally had to happen.
Housing prices in the Flagstaff region have declined — if only by a fraction.
New figures Thursday from the federal Office of Housing Enterprise Oversight show that home values in the Flagstaff region dropped 0.55 percent in the second quarter of this year compared to the prior quarter.
Statewide, housing prices also waded into the red last quarter — the first time that’s happened in 16 years.
Fri 31 Aug 2007
HOUSTON - News media are invited to spend a day with NASA’s planetary rovers, robots and futuristic spacesuits as the agency tests hardware for missions to the moon. A media day for the event, known as Desert RATS, will be held Sept. 12 northeast of Flagstaff, Ariz.
Desert RATS (Research and Technology Studies) highlights the partnership between humans and robots in space exploration. This year’s event is a field test of advanced concepts that may be used for missions to the moon, which NASA plans to begin by 2020. The tests will take place near a site used to train for the first moon landings during the Apollo Program in the 1960s.
Fri 31 Aug 2007
Northern Arizona started its season in style Thursday night, routing Division II Western New Mexico 47-0 at the Walkup Skydome.
It was the Lumberjacks’ 15th consecutive home-opening win, and they started quickly, surging to a 24-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
“That was a good win for our program; not knowing exactly what we were going to see coming into the game presented some preparation issues,” NAU coach Jerome Souers said.
Robbie Dehaze opened the scoring with 21-yard field goal. The Lumberjacks added two touchdown catches by wide receiver Alex Watson and a 16-yard fumble return for a touchdown by linebacker Joe Mitchell.
Fri 31 Aug 2007
Students at Northern Arizona University and their families have a new and fast way to learn about campus emergencies.
Northern Arizona University today announced a new emergency text notification system that sends urgent text messages to students, faculty, staff and even family members.
NAU is partnering with e2Campus to create NAU Alert, a mass notification system to send text messages to cell phones in case of an emergency, including weather-related closures.
“The public safety partnership here at Northern Arizona University between the students, faculty, staff and the NAUPD will benefit tremendously from the improved communication created by the NAU Alert program,” said NAU Police Department Chief GT Fowler.
Thu 30 Aug 2007
A 54-year-old Coconino County resident has tested positive for West Nile virus, making this the first human case of the virus the county has seen this year.
She was briefly hospitalized and has since been released. The woman had traveled out of state and may have contracted the virus there, Coconino County Health Department officials said.
In June of this year, a bird located in the Flagstaff area tested positive for West Nile virus.
West Nile virus can spread to humans through infected mosquitoes, with symptoms typically lasting three to six days. Most people will feel no symptoms. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 20 percent will feel mild, flu-like symptoms that may include fever, headache, body aches, and muscle weakness. Symptoms usually appear in 3 to 14 days. A smaller percentage of people infected with West Nile virus will experience severe symptoms requiring hospitalization, and the infection may lead to death.
Wed 29 Aug 2007
Police are constantly on the lookout for reckless drivers, especially near school zones. But in Northern Arizona, it’s the students officers are warning. Those who carelessly cross the road could end up with a ticket.
If you’ve been to Flagstaff, you know the lunch hour in Flagstaff can be busy and chaotic. If you’re near any of the three high schools, it’s a traffic nightmare.
Traffic often comes to a screeching halt when dozens of students make a run for it. It’s not uncommon to witness a few close calls between drivers and young pedestrians.
That’s why police say they’re getting tough on teenagers. They don’t want to see a tragedy simply because students were in a rush to grab lunch.
Wed 29 Aug 2007
Experts will gather this week in Tucson to discuss issues that have plagued southern Arizona for decades: Sustainable water. Unlimited growth. Quality of life. Can we have it all?
The short answer is no, most experts agree. But despite decades of academic discussion and changes in water policy on local, state and federal levels, the region still doesn’t have answers to the complex question that pits state against state, county against county and city against city across the West.
“I do think there is a growing awareness of these issues, but we really aren’t connecting the dots,” said Peter H. Gleick, director of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security, who is a keynote speaker for the 2007 Regional Water Symposium here.
The event brings government, academic and business experts together to discuss the state of affairs and possibilities for the future. Numerous solutions will be discussed, Gleick said.
“There is no one answer,” he said.
Tue 28 Aug 2007
WINDOW ROCK (AP) — Funding for a temporary jail facility on the Navajo Nation will have to wait.
The tribal council voted Monday during a special session to delete all but one bill off its agenda, including a $1.265 million appropriation to set up a modular jail for the Chinle police district.
The council met for less than two hours and approved about $4 million in spending.
Delegates voted 76-7 for a $2 million measure that provides drought relief. Billed as emergency legislation, it was amended to include a $93,641 grant to two Navajo runners to train for the Olympic trials and $1.8 million in discretionary funds for council delegates, the speaker’s office and the president’s office.
The drought relief bill provides for rehabilitating water wells, earthen dams, storage tanks and minor and major repairs on equipment.
The majority of the discretionary funds, used for financial and educational assistance for constituents, went to the delegates. The president’s office and the speaker’s office received $100,000 each.
Tue 28 Aug 2007
A former Coconino County supervisor will fill a vacancy in the state House from a northern Arizona district that includes Flagstaff and the Navajo Reservation.
The county Board of Supervisors chose Flagstaff resident Tom Chabin (CHAY’-bin) from among three Democrats recommended by party precinct committee members from Legislative District 2.
The legislative vacancy was created by Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s resignation to run for the U.S. House seat now held by Republican Representative Rick Renzi.
Flagstaff City Councilwoman Kara Kelty and attorney Tony Gonzales were the other two candidates for the legislative opening filled Monday.
Democrat Albert Tom of Chambers is the district’s other state representative.
Tue 28 Aug 2007
PAGE, Ariz. — A man who was hospitalized following a wakeboarding accident on Lake Powell has died, National Park officials announced Monday.Colton Dixon, 20, fell face first into the water during the crash, officials have said. The incident occurred when the board dipped into the water after Dixon did a flip.
Dixon started having seizures soon after the crash. He was taken to a houseboat, then to the Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment.
Colton was a resident of Emmett, Idaho, according to park spokesman Kevin Schneider.
His death brings the park’s total accidental deaths for 2007 to six.
Tue 28 Aug 2007
Two adult male hikers stranded near Humphreys Peak early Sunday morning were rescued hours after they phoned for help.
On Sunday at 3:30 a.m. the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a call from two hikers who indicated that they were cold, hungry and tired and were not able to continue hiking. They were not equipped for the weather conditions or for an overnight stay.
Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Coconino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue Unit began a search. DPS Air Rescue located the hikers near the false summit above the Humphreys Saddle. Air rescue was not able to land to pick up the hikers because of the location, so sheriff’s search and rescue members began hiking up the Humphreys Trail from the Arizona Snowbowl.
Mon 27 Aug 2007
Better jump on the treadmill, Arizona. The state’s residents are just as obese as ever, according to statistics released Monday.
Arizona’s adult obesity rate was projected at 21.7 percent, making it the 43rd-heaviest state in the nation, according to Trust for America’s Health, a research group that focuses on disease prevention.
That rate was an increase of just under a percentage point from the previous survey.
While only seven states were less obese than Arizona, Trust for America spokeswoman Laura Segal said the numbers still are troubling.
“While states like Arizona are on the lower end of the spectrum, it’s still pretty alarming from a health point of view,” Segal said. “It’s putting people at increased risk for a range of health problems.”
States that weighed less than Arizona include Montana, Massachusetts and Hawaii. Colorado was the leanest state at an obesity rate of 17.6 percent. Mississippi was the heaviest state at a rate of 30.6 percent.
Mon 27 Aug 2007
PAGE, Ariz. — Lake Powell recreation proved dangerous for two young adults over the weekend.A 20-year-old woman was killed Saturday on Lake Powell after the speedboat in which she was riding crashed into a rock wall.
In a separate incident, a 20-year-old man fell face-first while wakeboarding on the lake Friday and was hospitalized in critical condition, according to National Park Service officials.
Sun 26 Aug 2007
Optimism permeated the ballroom at Caesars Palace, where, a few days before Christmas last year, Colorado River users from seven states allowed themselves to believe they had achieved some sort of peace with a drought plan that ended years of bickering.
In the 15 minutes it took to screen a film clip depicting families on the Navajo Reservation hauling water across miles of dirt roads, the mood shifted and a nervous silence fell across the room.
Sun 26 Aug 2007
Reclusive lawmaker leaves legacy of questions
Congressman Rick Renzi, targeted by FBI agents and dogged by political enemies, will leave public office as he entered - somewhat of a mystery.
The 49-year-old Republican, businessman and father of 12 announced Thursday that he will not seek a fourth term as representative of Arizona’s sprawling 1st Congressional District.
As a lawmaker, Renzi was outspoken and opinionated. But as the target of an FBI corruption investigation, he has been largely absent from public view and uncharacteristically quiet. He announced his retirement in a terse news release and did not speak publicly about his decision or his service.
advertisementRenzi’s silence only reinforces a complicated public persona.
The man who emerged seemingly from nowhere to capture an Arizona congressional seat is described by some as personable and gregarious in certain settings, polite but insincere in others. Others recall his overheated run-ins with Capitol Hill colleagues and constant turnover in his office staff.
Sun 26 Aug 2007
The city of Flagstaff has hired a new city manager.
Sorta.
John Holmes will now be referred to as the “city manager” rather than the “acting city manager” after a council action earlier this week.
The title change is a stopgap measure designed to buy the city more time in finding a permanent city manager.
The charter required the city to hire a city manager no more than eight months after a vacancy is created, but the charter language doesn’t specify a commitment from the newly named manager.
City officials believe a legal loophole allows the city to continue searching for a permanent replacement so long as Holmes has a contract as the city manager.
The city’s previous attempt to hire a city manager fell apart this summer when the leading candidate for the position, Fountain Hills Town Manager Tim Pickering dropped out.
Sat 25 Aug 2007
Navajo council delegate Raymond Joe knows all too well the importance of having enough jail beds on the 27,000 square-mile reservation.
A former Chinle, Ariz., police officer of nearly 30 years, he says the lack of a jail in Chinle has caused people to lose faith in the corrections system and has lowered officer morale.
Joe hopes to change that as the sponsor of a bill to appropriate more than $1.2 million to set up a modular jail for the Chinle police district. The council is set to meet Monday in a special session in Window Rock, Ariz., to consider the bill and other legislation.
The Navajo Nation Division of Health closed the Chinle Adult Detention Center in April due to safety concerns over electrical wiring. The decades-old jail doesn’t meet current building codes, and tribal officials say it can’t be repaired.
Sat 25 Aug 2007
Local book publisher Northland Publishing is expected to close its doors next week after 49 years in Flagstaff.
Owners of the company have declined to offer details, but several employees have confirmed that they were laid off Friday afternoon and were offered a severance package. Approximately 15 people worked at the local publisher.
The employees were told the owners of Northland Publishing are close to reaching a deal to sell its assets to an unnamed national book distributor.
Publisher Dave Jenney, along with partners Brian Billideau and John Pavich, purchased Northland in 2000.
Fri 24 Aug 2007
Gov. Janet Napolitano said Friday she wants the state to create a “3-in-1″ ID card that would serve as a driver’s license, a border-crossing document and a proof of citizenship.
The license, which would be voluntary for Arizona residents and cost slightly more than a traditional driver’s license, mirrors ID cards being developed in Washington and Vermont. It’s meant to eventually comply with a federal ID reform program known as Real ID.
“My hope is that this project will lead to an effective permanent program that can be implemented nationwide,” Napolitano said in a statement.
The proposal requires legislative approval.
Fri 24 Aug 2007
Flagstaff, AZ (OPENPRESS) August 24, 2007 — Cool cars, cool pines and Route 66 have got all the makings of a great weekend getaway in Flagstaff. Celebrate the third annual Flagstaff Route 66 Days, September 7-9, in historic downtown.
This year’s Route 66 Days celebration is packed full of free activities, including an arts and crafts festival, a classic car show, continuous live entertainment, a beer pavilion and more.
The event kicks off Friday evening at 6 p.m. on Flagstaff’s Heritage Square with a special screening of the hit animated movie, “Cars.” The highly anticipated, Route 66 Charity Car Show, sponsored by the Route 66 Car Club, will take place on Saturday. A major crowd-pleaser, the Car Show will feature about 300 hot rods and other classic cars that are sure to stir up some fond memories, especially amongst the baby boomer crowd.
