From the KATO Newsroom
William Perry - News Director

9/06/08

FOUNDERS OF 'MARIJUANA CHURCH' IN ARIZONA FACING PRISON

The founders of an Arizona church that deifies marijuana have pleaded guilty to two criminal charges. Dan and Mary Quaintance are each facing up to 20 years in prison.

Sentencing in federal court is set to take place within the next 75 days, but the Quaintances are confident an appeal will keep them out of prison.

The couple pleaded guilty August 18th to two counts relating to their 2006 federal arrest and both involve marijuana.

The sentence will depend on the discretion of the judge and Dan Quaintance predicts the case could go as far as the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Quaintances -- both in their 50s -- live in Pima..

They founded the Church of Cognizance in 1991 in Pima.

       

9/05/08

SPD CONFISCATES METH AND PIPES

A Safford Patrol Officer discovered a man who was in possession of methamphetamine and a marijuana pipe while he was on his way to search a residence for drugs.

At around 3:00pm, Saturday, August 30th, a Safford Officer stopped a man who was in possession of a meth pipe with burnt residue.

The man told the officer that he could search his residence for drugs and the officer was on his way to the residence when he observed a black Nissan pickup pulling out of the driveway of the residence.

The officer stopped the man in the Nissan pickup and allegedly observed several unopened beer bottles inside the vehicle.

The officer asked if the driver had any guns, knives, or any other illegal items in his possession and the man answered,"No".

The man was identified as Arthur Derrick and he was allegedly breathing hard, he was nervous, and his eyes were wide open. The officer asked if he could search Derrick's vehicle and Derrick said, "Yes."

Derrick stepped out of the vehicle and as the officer searched Derrick's person he found a marijuana pipe and less than a half-gram of methamphetamine.

Dispatch advised that there was also a warrant out for Derrick's arrest.

Derrick was taken to the Graham County Jail and was told that a copy of the incident would be sent to the Graham County Attorney's Office.

       

09/04/08

MT. GRAHAM TELESCOPE HELPS VIEW GALAXY

The University of Arizona Sub millimeter Telescope on Mt. Graham has helped astronomers capture an unprecedented close-up view of the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

The virtual image, created by combining measurements from radio telescopes at three locations, show what scientists believe is a super massive black hole at the center of the galaxy.

The detailed images were obtained by the U of A's Sub millimeter Telescope on Mt. Graham, along with the telescopes in Hawaii and California.

According to Lucy Ziurys, director of the Arizona Radio Observatory, "It basically establishes the fact that there really is a black hole in our galactic center."

Unlike traditional optical telescopes, which measure visible light, radio telescopes use radio frequencies throughout the electromagnetic spectrum to measure distant objects.

Using very short radio wavelengths, the three telescopes are able to pierce dust and other objects surrounding the center of the galaxy, linking together to create an image roughly 1,000-times finer that those seen by the Hubble Space Telescope.

With help from the Mt. Graham Sub millimeter Telescope, scientists say that their "observations have a resolution equivalent to being able to see, from Earth, a baseball on the surface of the moon."

       

9/03/08

EA TASK FORCE RELEASES LABOR DAY DUI STATS

The Eastern Arizona DUI Task Force has released the results of the Labor Day DUI prevention detail that was held from Thursday, August 28th, through Tuesday, September 2nd, along Gila Valley highways.

The Eastern Arizona DUI Task Force is made up of volunteer law enforcement officers from DPS, Safford PD, Thatcher PD, Pima PD, and The Graham County Sheriff's Department.

The idea is to have extra officers on patrol in the Gila Valley during holiday weekends.

This Labor Day Holiday weekend, the Eastern Arizona DUI Task Force made 593 contact stops and wrote 23-non-DUI citations.

31 officers from different agencies in the Gila Valley participated. No Aggravated DUI citations were written and no extreme DUI citations were written during the Labor Day Holiday weekend.

8 misdemeanor DUI arrests were made & 6 minor consumption citations were written along with 3 seat belt tickets were also written.

       

9/03/08

GRAHAM COUNTY PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS

Of the 18-precincts counted in Graham County, 5,025 or 31.11 percent of the registered voters cast their ballots on Tuesday during the 2008 Primary Election.

Mary Kim Titla was a big winner in Graham County in the Democratic race for Representative of District 1, receiving 52.65-percent of the vote - but State-wide, Ann Kirkpatrick was the big winner in the rest of District 1 with 48-percent of the vote. Titla received 33-percent, District-wide.

Republican candidate and mining lobbyist Sydney Hay captured the Republican nomination in in the District 1 primary race.

In Graham County, Hay received 1,239 votes or 57.28-percent of the vote and won by a smaller margin among a field of four Republicans, she collecting 39 percent of the vote.

Incumbent District #1 Graham County Supervisor Drew John defeated challenger Steve Bingham in the Democratic race to retain his seat.

Incumbent Republican District #2 Graham County Supervisor Jim Palmer ran unopposed and will face Democrat Bud Henager in November. Incumbent Republican District #3 Graham County Supervisor Mark Herrington defeated Joseph Chapin and will face Max Hinton in the General Election.

Graham County Sheriff Frank Hughes ran unopposed and will face Republican candidate P.J.Allred in the General Election. Allred received 124 more votes than Hughes in Tuesday's Primary. Democrat incumbent Graham County Assessor Jackie Attaway ran unopposed and received 2,228 votes. She will face Republican challenger Darlene Alder - who received 1,877 votes - in the General Election.

County Attorney Kenneth Angle retained his seat, as he ran unopposed along with County Treasurer Jean Reynolds, County School Superintendent Donna McGaughey (McGoy), and Graham County Recorder Wendy John. Pima Town Council members are: Russell Woods, Carter McEuen, and T om Claridge. Thatcher Town Council members are: Wayne Griffin, Bob Rivera, Eric Merriman, and Charles Morris.

       

9/03/08

RENZI TRIAL POSPONED UNTIL SPRING

09/02/08 WSP RENZI TRIAL POSPONED UNTIL SPRING The corruption trial of District #1 U.S. Representative Rick Renzi has been postponed by a U.S. District Judge until spring.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge David Bury set a new trial date of March 24, 2009, approving a motion filed jointly by prosecution and defense lawyers who said the delay was needed because of the complexity of the case.

Concerned about the slow response by prosecuting attorney's in turning over all electronic documents to defense lawyers in a timely fashion, Judge Bury was told that all such material would be turned over by August 15th, and the judge set that as a firm deadline. He also set a schedule for various pretrial filings.

Renzi was indicted in February on 35 counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, extortion, money laundering and insurance fraud.

Renzi and his former council and company president have all plead not guilt

       

9/02/08

BORDER PATROL RESCUES TWO IN COCHISE COUNTY

U.S. Border Patrol agents assisted in a pair of rescues Sunday and Monday; one of a 72-year-old U.S. citizen near Naco and the other of a 9-year-old Mexican girl.

Family members of a 72-year old man from Bisbee contacted authorities late Sunday night after the elderly man did not return home.

The family alerted authorities that the man was diabetic and had gone out earlier in the day with a metal detector.

Cochise County Deputies and Border Patrol agents were sent out on on foot and on ATV's and eventually found the man on Border Road near the International Boundary.

The man was lost, tired, and cold but was in good condition and did not require medical attention.

Sunday morning, Border Patrol agents tried to stop a vehicle carrying illegal immigrants on Kansas Settlement Road south of Willcox.

The vehicle was stopped and the occupants bailed out of the vehicle and ran in every direction.

Some of the illegals were caught and taken to the Border Patrol Station in Willcox where a woman told agents that her 9-year-old daughter, who was with her when they were stopped, was missing.

Border Patrol along with Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine helicopter got a description of the 9-year-old and began a search for her.

Agents found the girl, her aunt and two others about one mile east of where they bailed out and the girl was reunited with her mother at the Border Patrol Station.

       

9/02/08

GRAHAM COUNTY S.O. WON'T RELEASE PUBLIC INFORMATION

Graham County Sheriff's Department Officials have the information but will not release information related to the shooting of a young boy and an adult male at the Thunderbird Mobile Home Park, that occurred last Friday evening, August 29th.

The only information that was released was that an adult male, identified as Brian Mazzini, was shooting a 380-pistol inside the trailer park and accidently shot a young boy, identified as Dylan McKay, who lives in the Mobile Home Park.

Information provided by many hear-say sources claim that after shooting the young McKay, Mazzini then turned the pistol on himself and took his own life.

Safford Police were also called to the scene and a report from them provided the name of the boy who was shot.

Both the Graham County Sheriff's Office and the Safford Police Department claim that their reports have to be sent to and then cleared by the Graham County Attorney's Office before public information can be released.

       

9/02/08

MARIJUANA PLANTS FOUND DURING WELFARE CHECK

Graham County Deputies were called to a residence to check on a man who had been threatening to kill himself.

When Deputies arrived, they spoke to a woman who said that a man identified as “Frankie” was threatening to pour gasoline on himself and start himself on fire.

The woman said that Frankie was in his bedroom.

The deputies went into the bedroom and searched through out the house but could not find Frankie.

One of the deputies asked if he could search Frankie’s room and the woman gave him permission.

Inside the room the deputy found several pipes and bongs and what looked like marijuana seeds.

The deputy also found what looked like four marijuana plants – about two feet tall - growing in small pots inside the room.

The search for Frankie was called off until around midnight, Thursday morning, when dispatched was advised that Frankie had returned home.

Deputies went back out to Frankie’s house.

He allegedly admitted that he was growing the marijuana inside the home.

The plants, seeds and smoking devises were taken as evidence and a report was sent to the Graham County Attorney’s Office.

       

9/02/08

ADEQ PROPOSES NEW AIR QUALITY PERMIT FOR FREEPORT

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality announced Friday that they are proposing a revision to the air quality permit for the Freeport-McMoran copper mine, North of Safford.

“This permit revision will enable the mine to continue its operation more effectively, while making sure that air quality and public health in the community are protected,” according to Steve Owens, ADEQ director.

The proposed permit revision allows the company to build and run a new facility to produce sulfuric acid, which is used in the process that extracts copper from soil.

The permit requires the company to install air pollution control equipment which will limit, to safe levels, emissions of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and sulfuric acid mist.

To ensure that the Freeport-McMoran mine remains within state and federal standards, the permit requires the company to monitor emissions on a continuous basis and regularly provide the monitoring data to ADEQ.

A public hearing on the permit is scheduled for Tuesday, September 23rd, in the Safford City Hall Annex, beginning at 6:30pm.

       

8/28/08

GRAHAM COUNTY NUDIST WILL CHANGE HABIT

A Graham County Deputy answered a call from a resident, early Wednesday morning. She claimed that her neighbor is a nudist.

When the Deputy arrived at around 8:00am, Wednesday morning,

at a residence in the area of South Stockton Road, the woman, who’s name was not released, stated that she wanted the deputy to speak to her neighbor about the fact that he continues to run around naked on his front porch, and everyone in the neighborhood can see him.

She claimed that other neighbors have spoken with him about his nudity but he continues to walk around on his porch, naked.

She was worried that the children in the neighborhood might see him naked and be offended.

She asked the deputy to speak with him.

The deputy went to the man’s house and advised him that if the neighbors decide that they are victims of his naked-ness then he would be arrested and charged with indecent exposure.

The man – who was fully clothed during the deputy’s interview – told the deputy that he would change his habit of walking around in the nude and put his clothes on when he’s on his front porch.

The deputy thanked him and no further action was taken.

       

8/28/08

KONOPNICKI SPEAKS TO GRAHAM COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Graham County Chamber of Commerce held an early morning breakfast, Thursday morning in the Graham County General Services Building, with guest speaker, District 5 Representative Bill Konopnicki.

Konopnicki informed Chamber members about his involvement in the Legislature and included updates on the State Budget, Education, Health Care, and how new Propositions on this year’s General Election Ballot will effect Graham County residents.

During a question and answer portion of his presentation, Konopnicki was asked about the possibility of Eastern Arizona College eventually becoming a four-year College.

Konopnicki stated that the only organization that was standing in the way of EAC becoming a 4-year school was the University of Phoenix.

He said, “They don’t want to open the door for Community Colleges to provide four-year degrees.”

Konopnicki also told of an I-10-bypass coming from New Mexico to Phoenix that would create a freeway that would by-pass Safford and Thatcher. He said it was in the works on the ADOT planning board.

Konopnicki also said, “It’s coming, whether we like it or not. We just don’t know when or where.”

       

8/27/08

BURGLAR FOUND IN ATTIC OF HOME

Safford Officers were dispatched to 616 7th Street, at around 12:30am, Tuesday morning, to a home that is owned by Elizabeth Marques.

Marques, who was out of town, told the Graham County Dispatcher that she had been receiving phone calls, from her home phone, from a man identified as Jeffery Stratton whom she stated she had an order of protection against.

Safford Officers also responded to 616 7th Street in reference to a motion alarm that had gone off at the residence.

There was not supposed to be anyone at the residence but when officers arrived, they could see light coming from inside the house.

An officer found a whole in one of the walls that was used to hold a room air conditioner and yelled to whomever was inside to come out of the front door with their hands up.

The officer stated that he could hear movement coming from inside the home but got no response.

Safford Officers decided to break down the east-side door to the house and continue to search.

When several Safford Officers secured the inside of the home, they discovered where it was believed that a burglar went up into the attic.

An officer went up into the attic and found Jeffery Stratton trying to hide under an air conditioning duct.

The officer commanded Stratton to come out and as he stood up and tried to move through the attic Stratton stuck his foot through the ceiling.

Stratton was taken out of the attic, handcuffed, and taken to jail for Breaking and Entering.

Officers had to call Elizabeth Marques to inform her of the damage to her home. She did not seem too concerned about the damage, just that Stratton was caught.

       

8/26/08

BEER STOLEN FROM FIRTH PARK CIRCLE K

The theft of beer and alcohol using a “snatch and run” technique by thieves is becoming more prominent in the Gila Valley.

All three Circle K’s in Safford have been “hit” several times in the last few months.

The most recent “beer run” took place at the Firth Park Circle K on Highway 70 in mid-town Safford, early Sunday morning.

According to a report from the Safford Police Department, three males walked into the Circle K wearing hooded sweat shirts and hats.

The night manager, identified as Sharon Silva, told Safford Police that the three males walked to the beer display inside the store and each took an 18-pack of beer.

Silva said that she told the subjects that it was too late to buy beer, but the three continued to walk out of the store carrying the beer, and ran toward Firth Park.

The Circle K has video security cameras and Safford Detectives will try and identify the thieves.

A search of the area to try and find the beer thieves turned up negative results.

       

8/26/08

SAFFORD PRESENTS AWARDS TO MANY FOR THEIR WORK

The City of Safford presented awards to several organizations, Monday night, for their valuable contributions to several projects around the city.

A Certificate of Appreciation was presented to the Arizona Army National Guard, the 258th Engineering Company in Safford for their work on the Dry Lake Park Road Project.

The Arizona Department of Corrections received a Certificate of Appreciation from Safford for their work on numerous projects including Victim’s Rights and work on the Glenn Meadows Park.

Eastern Arizona College in conjunction with Arizona Corrections Industries received an award for their numerous masonry projects that they have built around Safford.

And The Blake Foundation was recognized by the City of Safford for their Main Street Watering Project.

Representatives from all four of the organizations were at the Safford City Council meeting, Monday night, to receive the awards.

       

8/26/08

SAFFORD COUNCIL CHOOSES NEW INTERIM MANAGER

The Safford City Council entered into executive session, Monday night, and decided to choose a new interim City Manager.

The Council decided on Paul Beetcher, who, according to Safford Mayor Ron Green, came “highly recommended” from members of the Arizona Association of Cities and Towns.

Paul Beetcher was the City Manager of Kingman, Arizona, until recently.

According to Mayor Green, the City is still in the negotiating process with Beetcher, negotiating salary, benefits, and other details before Beetcher is scheduled to take over as Interim City Manager.

Beetcher will work as Interim Safford City Manager for 3 to 6-months until Safford can find a permanent City Manager.

       

8/26/08

LONESTAR CIRCLE K RECEIVES COUNTERFEIT $100-BILL

A midnight clerk at the Lonestar Circle K, on Highway 70, East of Safford, called the Graham County Sheriff’s Office, at around 5:00am, Saturday morning, to report that he had just received a counterfeit $100-bill and had the customer still inside his store.

A deputy arrived and a man who identified himself as Miguel Angel Rodriquez admitted to the deputy that he was the one with the counterfeit $100-bill.

Rodriquez explained that he had cashed his check at Thriftee Grocery, Friday evening, and stopped at the Circle K to get $20.00 worth of gas that he paid with the counterfeit $100.

Rodriquez showed the deputy 8-more $100-bills in his wallet and none of them were counterfeit.

Information on Rodriquez was taken and the counterfeit $100-bill was confiscated and placed into evidence at the Graham County Sheriff’s Office.

Rodriquez was released from the scene and Graham County Detectives are continuing to investigate the case.

       

8/26/08

CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES ON GILA RIVER BRIDGE

The Arizona Department of Transportation has announced that they are continuing the replacement of the Gila River Bridge near Three Way on Highway 191 in Greenlee County.

The total project includes three miles of highway, to and from the new bridge and several miles of new roadway starting at Three Way and continuing South for three miles into York Valley.

Construction began in November of 2007, and is approximately 65-percent complete. The new bridge and highway is expected to be completed by the end of May 2009.

ADOT is asking motorist who have to travel through the new bridge area to please be careful and watch for construction personnel and public safety officers.

Please obey all posted speed limit signs and detour routes. Motorists should note that the speed limit from Three Way to the K-7 Ranch road is 35-MPH.

Oversized loads must continue to use alternate routes.

       

8/26/08

RESEARCH SAYS CLIMATE CHANGE ALREADY DRYING OUT SOUTHWEST

Human-caused climate change has already shifted the jet stream that brings the Southwest its winter snowstorms to the north.

New research by a team of Arizona scientists shows that's making the region's late winter and early spring drier.

University of Arizona researcher Stephanie McAfee has looked at rainfall data and found that the climate shift is already happening.

McAfee says not every year will be dry, but the shift increases the proportion of years with below-average rain and snow. Scientists say the buildup of greenhouse gases from burning coal, oil and other fossil fuels is changing Earth's climate.

University of Arizona scientist Jonathan Overpeck says McAfee's study is important because it shows that climate change is not merely a scenario for the future, but may already be under way.

       

8/25/08

LOST SUBJECTS FOUND IN ARIVIPA –TURKEY CREEK AREA

Two men who’s vehicle was broken down in the Arivipa –Turkey Creek area were found, Wednesday morning, and are OK, according to a report from the Graham County Sheriff’s Office.

The two men, identified as Timothy Smith, 39, and his father, Thomas Smith, 67, were traveling in the Arivipa area on Tuesday. They drove their blue Suburban onto Turkey Creek Road. Apparently, Turkey Creek Road is very rough and a drive line was broken on the Suburban.

The two Smith’s then decided to walk to a higher area to try and get a cell phone signal to call about their emergency.

They were able to call a Pima County Deputy who in turn contacted the Graham County Sheriff’s Department, who called out the Search and Rescue squad.

After many attempts, Search and Rescue Captain Jerry Nelson was able to contact one of the lost men by cell phone and was told that they had enough food and water with them to be able to survive through out the night and would be OK.

Search and Rescue had called out the Phoenix-based DPS Ranger Helicopter and the next day were able to locate the two men.

The helicopter landed close to where their camp was and took them out of the area to the Search and Rescue base station.

From there, Timothy and Thomas were flown out of the area and were in good condition. V

       

8/21/08

SCIENTISTS WORKING WITH TOBACCO PLANTS FOR CANCER VACCINE

Arizona scientists believe that tobacco plants may hold the key to developing a personalized cancer vaccine as well as potential treatments for other diseases.

According to an article in the Arizona Republic, experiments with tobacco plants and a growing field of science known as plant-based biotechnology has attracted interest from German drug giant Bayer.

Arizona State University scientist Charlie Arntzen said Bayer’s bet on a vaccine to fight cancer represents an important step for advancing the vaccine.

“Most important is that the vaccine has been successfully used in human clinical trials,” said Arntzen, director of ASU Biodesign Institute’s Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology.

The vaccine triggers an immune response in 70-percent of patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma who were tested in an early-stage clinical test.

Earlier this year, Biodesign Institute secured a $1.5-billion grant from the federal government to study whether tobacco plants can yield a vaccine that blocks the West Nile virus from attacking a person’s central nervous system. It is similar technology to the cancer vaccine, Arntzen said.

       

8/21/08

FIRE BURNS HOME ON LEBANON ROAD

A Graham County Deputy was dispatched to 970 West Lebanon Road, South of Safford, at around 4:30pm, Wednesday afternoon, and found the East side of a residence was fully engulfed in flames.

The deputy spoke to a witness, identified as David Gunnett, who told the deputy that he was going home and thought he saw a fire at the residence.

He saw that the East side of the carport was on fire and he stopped and ran up to the house and knocked on the door to notify the residents that their home was on fire.

The owner of the home, identified as Ray Sanchez, got his wife out of the burning house and he and Gunnett began trying to put the fire out with a garden water hose.

Sanchez stated to the deputy that the fire was too advanced to put it out with a garden hose and the Safford Fire Department was called to the scene.

Sanchez told the deputy that he had been burning weeds on his property and around his home earlier in the day.

The deputy spoke to Safford Fire Chief, Mike Rhodes, and he stated that he thought that the fire was started from embers that were still flammable after Sanchez finished burning weeds.

Sanchez stated that he could not put a price on all of the property that was destroyed in the fire.

       

8/19/08

SEMI ACCIDENT IN THATCHER

Thatcher Police were called to the corner of 3rd Avenue and Highway 70 to a report of two semi tractor trailers being involved in a accident.

According to Thatcher Police Chief Mark Stevens, two tractor trailer semi’s were traveling Westbound on Highway 70 at around 7:30am, Tuesday morning.

The lead semi was owned by Arrow Trucking and the second semi was owned by Domino’s Pizza.

Stevens said that the Arrow truck was in the lead and the Domino’s Pizza truck was on the inside lane. He said that the Domino’s truck was changing to the outside lane coming up on the corner of 3rd Avenue when he ran into the back of the Arrow tractor.

A result of the impact, the drive-line to the Domino’s truck was broken and the bottom of the engine caught fire.

Thatcher Police arrived and called the Thatcher Fire Department. Between the two agencies, the small engine fire was extinguished.

The driver of the Domino’s truck was taken to Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center for minor cuts and bruises received in the accident.

He was also cited by Thatcher Police for Failure to Control to Avoid an Accident. The Domino’s Pizza semi was towed from the scene.

There was very slight damage to the Arrow semi and the driver was not injured.

       

8/18/08

MAN ASSAULTED AT DANKWORTH PONDS

Graham County Sheriff’s Deputies received a report from a man who claimed that he was stabbed with a small knife at Dankworth Ponds, Saturday evening.

Three Deputies arrived at the residence of Robert Owens on Apache Drive, at around 9:10pm, Saturday night.

Owens told a Deputy that he was fishing along the bank of Dankworth Ponds when he was approached by three Hispanic males.

He said that they asked him about the fishing and spoke to him for a while when he suddenly felt a pain in his lower abdomen.

Owens said that he stood up and yelled and the three males ran off.

Owens stated that he did not know any of the men and could not describe them to the officer.

He stated that they did not ask for anything other than ask about the fishing.

Owens was taken the Mt. Graham Regional Hospital and the doctor stated that the cut to Owen’s abdomen was not life-threatening and did not penetrate deep enough into his body to reach any vital organs.

Owens stated that he did not know why the three males would want to stab him.

       

8/18/08

TWO IOWA WOMEN CHARGED WITH METH POSSESSION

An alert Safford Patrol Officer stopped a vehicle with Iowa license plates, Saturday afternoon, and discovered that the two female occupants were in possession of a small amount of meth and marijuana.

The Safford Officer witnessed the passenger of the 1997 Chevy Cavalier throw a cigarette out the window of the vehicle as he was passing by and he also noticed that the front windshield of the vehicle was busted and in need of repair.

The officer activated his emergency lights and stopped the vehicle near the 500 block of Highway 70.

The driver presented the officer with an Iowa drivers license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance.

He also noticed that both women were very nervous as he was asking them questions.

He finally asked if they had any weapons or anything illegal inside the vehicle. He also asked if he could search the vehicle and the women’s purses.

The women allowed the search.

The officer searched the vehicle and found approximately a half-gram of methamphetamine inside the passenger’s purse.

He also found a quantity of marijuana. A search of the vehicle found no more illegal substances

The officer told the two women that a report of the incident would be forwarded to the Graham County Attorney’s Office for a review of the drug possession charges.

The Iowa women were not arrested because they were not under the influence of the meth or marijuana and were not in possession of a sellable quantity of the drugs.

They were sited and allowed to go on their way.

       

8/18/08

VEHICLE STOLEN FROM SAFFORD WOMAN

A Safford woman and her husband returned home Sunday and found that their 2003 Chevy Tahoe was missing from their driveway.

Heather Mack and her husband had been out of town since last Thursday according to a report from Safford Police.

Heather told an officer that her mother had driven by her home, Sunday morning while Heather was gone and saw that the Tahoe was still in the driveway.

Heather told the officer that she thought that the Tahoe was stolen sometime between 7:00am and 3:00pm, Sunday. She also said that the keys might have been left inside the vehicle.

Safford Police gave Heather a victim’s rights form and she signed a stolen vehicle affidavit.

Dispatch entered the vehicle as being stolen into the NCIC database as being stolen.

       

8/15/08

COUNTY LOOSES TEX SALAZAR IN ATV ACCIDENT08

Graham County Search and Rescue were called out to search for a long-time resident, Tex Salazar, when his daughter reported, late Monday night, that he had not been heard from since Monday morning.

According to a Graham County Sheriff’s Department report, Bobby Salazar-Allred, a daughter of Tex Salazar, called the Sheriff’s Department and told dispatch that her 80-year-old father had gone out to the family ranch near Klondike, but had not been heard from since approximately 11:00am, Monday.

After a number of calls to Tex’ cell phone that went unanswered, a Graham County deputy was dispatched to the Salazar ranch to search for Tex.

The deputy reported that he had found Tex’ truck but noticed that his ATV-four-wheeler was gone.

A search was organized by Graham County Search and Rescue with help from Greenlee County Search and Rescue along with the Salazar family and a DPS Helicopter out of Tucson.

The teams searched all Monday night and Tuesday morning without any results and according to a member of the search team, the teams regrouped just around sunrise, Tuesday morning.

They continued to search and were finally able to find the body of Tex Salazar at around 7:30am.

According to the witness, he had driven off a high embankment while riding on his ATV and the vehicle was found on top of him.

The body was taken to Caldwell’s Funeral Chapel.

       

8/15/08

SEARCH CONTINUES FOR 15 IN GILA FOREST IN NEW MEXICO

Search teams in Southwestern New Mexico continue to look for 14 children and an adult who have been reported missing during a school trip in the Gila National Forest.

New Mexico State Police Lt. Eric Garcia says that 15 children and two adults went on a hiking trip Wednesday and failed to return by the afternoon.

Garcia says an adult and a child walked out of the wilderness after they became separated from the main group, and a search was launched Wednesday afternoon. It continued Thursday, with 12-Search and Rescue teams, some on horseback, and National Guard quick response teams are also looking for the hikers.

Garcia says that State Police and U.S. Border Patrol aircraft are also involved in the search.

The group were from a charter school in Silver City, New Mexico.

       

8/14/08

MARIJUANA FOUND ON STUDENT AT GILA PREP

Safford Police were called to the Gila Prep Academy in the Mt. Graham Shopping Center to a report from the Principal of the Charter School that she had found a quantity of marijuana in the possession of a student, on Wednesday.

The Principal stated to the officer that she had gotten a tip that two of the students had brought marijuana to school.

She said that she brought the two students into her office and had them empty their pockets and take off their shoes. She had them lift their pant-legs and she noticed a bulge in one of the students socks.

The item was removed and it was found to be marijuana.

The student was detained under the advisement of Juvenile Probation. He was then he was taken to the Graham County Juvenile Detention Center and booked.

A test of the green-leafy substance found in the student’s sock was tested and it tested positive for marijuana.

       

8/14/08

HOUSE BURNS IN SAN JOSE

A Graham County Deputy and the Safford Fire Department were called to a vacant home that was on fire, across Highway 70 from the San Jose Lodge, at around 9:00am, Tuesday morning.

When the Deputy arrived he observed flames coming from the roof and the house was engulfed in flames.

The deputy observed that he didn’t see anyone around or inside the vacant house.

A witness who lives close by told the deputy that she has seen children playing around the house all of the time.

Graham County Electric Coop workers arrived at the scene of the fire and told the deputy that there was electric power to the utility box but there was no electrical current running to the house.

The Safford Fire Department had arrived on the scene and extinguished the flames to the burning house.

Safford Fire Chief, Mike Rhodes stated that he believed that the fire started where a chair had been sitting on the floor. He was not sure what might have ignited the flames.

Safford Fire will continue an investigation into the cause of the house fire.

       

8/13/08

SAFFORD TAX LEVY LOWERS PROPERTY TAXES

The Safford City Council, Monday night, actually lowered the amount of City tax charged to property owned by city residents at Monday nights Safford City Council meeting.

The tax rate per one hundred dollars of the assessed value of taxable property was lowered from .4474-cents to .4120-cents of every $100.00 of primary property tax.

The taxes were levied for the General fund of the City of Safford and was fixed at .4120.

Several Safford Council members said that they were glad to be able to pass a resolution to lower the property taxes for residents of Safford. Councilman Jerry Hancock said, “It’s almost unheard of, in this day and age, that we get a chance to lower property taxes so we’re glad to get a chance do it.”

       

8/11/08

THATCHER/SAFFORD ANNOUNCE SUCCESSFUL ANNEXATION OF MT. GRAHAM GOLF COURSE

The Town of Thatcher and the City of Safford have officially announced that they have come to an agreement on the annexation of the Mt. Graham Golf Course.

In an agreement finalized and approved by the Safford City Council on July 28th, and approved by the Thatcher Town Council on August 7th, the Town of Thatcher will annex the Golf Course in exchange for tax-revenue sharing in an arrangement that will benefit the entire Gila Valley by consolidating Thatcher’s property lines and eliminating multiple planning and zoning ordinances. In the agreement, the City of Safford will retain ownership of the Golf Course.

Thatcher will share tax revenues with Safford in a 60-40-split and are hoping that further housing and possibly a resort development will be in store for the area in the future.

       

08/08/08

SAFFORD UTILITY BILL DUE AUGUST 26TH

If you’re having trouble paying your Safford Utility Bill by the 20th of every month, the City of Safford has extended your due date – for the month of August only - and given water customers an extra six days to pay.

The reason for the delayed utility deadline is that the Safford City Council decided to lower the percentage that utility customers were scheduled to pay in August, on water and sewer at a Council meeting held August 4th.

Water and sewer customers were scheduled to pay 7.5-percent more for water and 20-percent more for sewer beginning with the August utility bill.

The Safford Council held a special meeting on Monday, August 4th, and after discussion, decided to raise the water rate 5-percent and raise the sewer rate 10-percent.

The garbage pickup was also raised 3-percent.

The Safford Utility Department had to recalculate all customers bills to reflect the change, causing the billing process to be delayed several days. Safford Utility bills – for the month of August only – will be due on Tuesday, August 26th.

       

8/08/08

MISSING MAN’S BODY FOUND EAST OF SAFFORD

The body of David Lawrence Stalder, 44, of Pima, was found by the Graham County Search and Rescue unit, on Sunday, August 2nd, East of Safford near Hackberry Ranch.

According to Graham County Sheriff Frank Hughes, Stalder was last seen by his family on June 26th and was last seen by his girlfriend on July 1st.

He had apparently left a note to his girlfriend that he was leaving and she wouldn’t see him again.

Stalder’s truck was discovered by rancher Pete Brawley and he reported the truck abandoned to the Graham County Sheriff’s Office.

A deputy investigated the abandoned vehicle on Tuesday, July 28th. He found several empty shotgun shells around the truck and called dispatch to find that the truck was registered to David Stalder.

After several calls to relatives, Graham County Search and Rescue decided to form a search team and go and search the Hackberry Ranch area where Stalder’s truck was found.

The search began Saturday, August 2nd, with approximately 11-deputies and volunteers searching about a mile radius around where the truck was found.

The search team were unable to locate Stalder, so Search and Rescue Captain Jerry Nelson decided to contact the Pima County Search and Rescue squad and he asked them to bring two cadaver smelling dogs to help in the search.

Nelson said that as soon as the cadaver dogs arrived in the search area, early Sunday morning, they went right to the site where Stalder’s body was finally found.

He had taken his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot.

Stalder’s body was found about a mile-and-a-half from where the truck was abandoned.

He had been missing since July 1, 2008.

       

8/08/08

COUNTERFEIT $100’S TURN UP AT BANK OF AMERICA

Safford Police were called to the Bank of America on Main Street in Safford, Wednesday, to a report that the bank manager had found four counterfeit $100 bills.

According to a Safford Police report, Bank of America Manager, Brenda DeLao called Safford officers.

She advised them that she had discovered the counterfeit bills while doing a routine counterfeit bill check with the computerized counterfeit bill check machine.

Brenda told the officer that she discovered four – one dollar bills that had been washed and made into $100 bills.

Two of the bills had apparently been passed at the Dollar General Store in Safford and two more had been passed at the Dollar Tree in Thatcher, and were mixed in with their daily deposits at the bank.

Photographs were taken of the bills and they were sent to the Secret Service.

       

8/07/08

YAZZIE ARRESTED FOR DISORDERLY CONDUCT

Two Safford Officers were called to 412 West 16th Street, Tuesday Night, at around 6:00pm, to a report of an Indian male threatening people with a bow.

When officers arrived, they saw an Indian male restraining another Indian male and was dragging him into another residence next door.

The man who was being dragged was yelling and screaming.

An officer looked inside the residence and saw that one man was holding another man against the wall.

The officer told the man to let the other man go and then told him to come talk to the officer.

The man who was being held got up and started yelling and was becoming belligerent. He started walking toward the officer in an allegedly aggressive manner.

Both officers at the scene told the man to stop and turn around but the man kept coming.

One of the officers pulled out his tazer and shot it at the man advancing toward the officers.

The man fell down.

The other Indian suspect then began walking towards the officers and he was also tazed, and he fell on top of the other Indian suspect.

Both men were handcuffed and the officers then found out that the second man that they tazed, identified as Elijah Grant, was trying to settle the first Indian suspect down, identified as Jacques (Hawkkez) Yazzie.

The neighbors were the ones who had been threatened by Yazzie with a bow and who had called police.

The bow was found inside a pickup truck.

Yazzie was taken to the Graham County Jail and booked for Assault, Disorderly Conduct, and threatening.

       

8/06/08

STATE BUDGET WOES – DPS LAB TO CHARGE FOR SERVICES

Local law enforcement agencies in Graham County will be facing new fees to have crime-scene evidence processed by DPS labs.

The new state budget has cut $7.8-million in funding from the DPS budget so the state is allowing DPS Crime Labs to begin charging law enforcement agencies from all over the state a fee for their laboratory services.

Previously, DPS evidence testing and lab services, which was funded by the Arizona taxpayer, was free to agencies like the Graham County Sheriff’s Office, Safford PD, Thatcher PD, and Pima PD.

Another surprise is that all of the local law enforcement agencies involved have already had their 2008-2009 budgets approved and did not budget for these new fees.

According to a DPS Crime Lab cost summary, the Graham County Sheriff’s Office has submitted 125 cases to the DPS Crime Lab and owes them $13,070.00, which is a pro-rated fee to make up for state budget money that DPS lost.

Safford PD is the biggest looser in this surprise deal. Safford has submitted 465 cases to the DPS Crime Lab this year and owes them $40,440.00.

The sub total owed to DPS from Graham County Law Enforcement Agencies is; $87,245.00 that was not budgeted for in this years budget.

       

8/06/08

CPS ACCUSES 2 PREGNANT WOMEN OF DRUG ACTIVITY

Safford Police Officers were called to 1401 South 8th Avenue to investigate a report of two pregnant women allegedly involved in smoking marijuana and methamphetamine.

The officers were informed of the activity by Child Protective Service workers.

At around 12:20pm, Monday, August 4th, the officers arrived and spoke to two women at the apartment.

The officers asked the women if they were involved in taking crystal meth of smoking marijuana in front of their children.

The women denied being involved in any drug activity and allowed the officers to search the apartment.

The officers searched and found a meth pipe and parts of a meth bong in the apartment bedroom during the search.

Both subjects denied any knowledge of drugs or paraphernalia and denied any drug use, saying that they haven’t done any drugs because they are both pregnant.

Both subjects were arrested and taken to the Safford Police Station to be drug tested.

Both women agreed to give a urine sample to be examined for possible drug use.

One of the women finally admitted that she had smoked methamphetamine in Phoenix and when the other females urine was tested it came out positive for meth and marijuana.

Both women were photographed and told that a copy of the report would be sent to the Graham County Attorney’s Office and they could be charged with endangering their unborn children.

Both women were then released.

       

8/05/08

COUNCIL LOWERS WATER AND WAIST WATER INCREASE

The Safford City Council held a special council meeting, Monday night, to address a water, waste water, and solid waste increase that was scheduled to go on Safford utility customer’s bills starting this month.

The Safford Council wanted to address a budgeted 7-point-5-percent increase on the use of Safford water and a 20-percent-per-month increase for the disposal of wastewater.

At the council meeting, the Mayor and Council members felt that this was too much of a financial increase and too much of a financial burden for Safford Utility subscribers to bare.

After much discussion, the Safford Council and Mayor agreed to lower the scheduled increase in utilities that was agreed upon by a previous council in November of 2006, to a 5-percent increase in water usage and a 10-percent increase in wastewater usage, starting with the August utility bill.

According to Safford Interim Manager, Don Knight, the increase would cost an average Safford family $1.32 more per month for water and would increase the waste water costs by $3.70, to 40.79-per month.

An increase of .47-cents was added to the cost of solid waste pickup.

       

8/05/08

BATTISTA INJURED IN AIRPORT ROAD

A Safford woman was injured Saturday morning when her vehicle ran into a National Guard Semi on Airport Road.

At around 9:30am, Saturday morning, Jody Battista was traveling Westbound on Airport Road. At the same time, convoy of National Guard trucks was coming toward her, headed Eastbound.

According to Graham County Under-Sheriff, Duane Elders, in a preliminary report, Jody became distracted from something in the back seat of her Dodge Durango, as she headed Westbound.

Her vehicle drifted into the Eastbound lane on a collision course with the National Guard Semi.

The semi driver told a Graham County Deputy that he tried to vear off the road to avoid the collision but the drivers side of the Durango smashed into the back wheels of the semi.

Elders had no information as to the medical condition of Jody Battista but to say that the Safford Fire Department had to extricate her from the Dodge Durango. Battista had to be flown to Tucson Medical Center by helicopter.

Her condition at this time is unknown.

       

8/05/08

DANIEL’S HOME BURNED TO THE GROUND

Graham County Deputies and the Safford Fire Department were called to 8746 South Cheyenne Drive at around 6:23am, Friday morning, to a report of a house on fire.

When Deputies arrived they met with two Border Patrol Officers who had seen the smoke and came to the home to see if they could help.

A Deputy spoke with Timothy Daniels Jr, who said that he was asleep in the residence and woke up when his ceiling fan stopped working.

Timothy then said that he smelled smoke and found that a wall and a couch were on fire.

He tried to put the fire out but could not.

Timothy then began looking for his dad but could not find him.

He continued to search for his dad as more of the house caught fire.

Timothy had help from a neighbor who wet a blanket and ran back into the burning house to look for the father.

The Safford Fire Department arrived and began fighting the fire.

Timothy and the neighbor, identified as Michael Clampett, both sustained burns to their feet, hands, arms, and forehead.

An ambulance was called and Timothy and Michael were both treated for their burns.

Timothy realized that his dad’s truck was gone and was able to call him on his cell phone. He then realized that his dad was not inside the home.

The Safford Fire Department were able to extinguish the flames but the fire had burned the home completely to the ground.

       

8/04/08

SPECIAL SAFFORD COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY

The City of Safford is announcing that they will be holding a Special City Council Meeting on Monday, August 4th, to be held in the Phelps Dodge Room at the City of Safford / Graham County Library.

The Safford Council will be trying to approve a resolution regarding the Utility rate structure for water, wastewater, and solid waste services that was adopted by the previous Safford City Council on November 13, 2006.

The Safford Council will also discuss the expenditure of funds from a previously approved utility budget for materials and services in connection with the relocation of City utility lines across the planned, new, 8th Avenue bridge.

This special meeting will begin at 7:00pm, Monday night.

       

8/01/08

16-YEAR-OLD GIRL KILLED ON ATV, WEDNESDAY

Graham County Deputies were called to the intersection of Hernandez Lane and San Jose Road in San Jose, several miles East of Safford, to a report of a female being seriously injured in an ATV accident.

When the deputies arrived, at around 3:00pm, Wednesday, July 30th, they found a 16-year-old girl, identified as Lanita Turner, laying on her back in the middle of the intersection of San Jose Road and Hernandez Lane.

A witness told Graham County Deputies that Lanita was trying to negotiate a turn when she hit some dirt and her ATV flipped over and she was thrown off.

Lanita was not wearing a helmet and she was traveling approximately 30 to 35-MPH.

Several people were standing around the area and one teenaged male was holding the young girl’s head up off the pavement. She was unresponsive and was suffering from serious injuries.

When the ambulance arrived, they took Lanita to the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center where she was treated for life threatening injuries.

Lanita was then transported by Air Helicopter Ambulance to University Medical Center in Tucson.

A Graham County Deputy called University Medical Center at around 10:30am, Friday, August 01, and was told by a nurse that Lanita Turner had died of her injuries at around 1:00pm, Thursday, July 31.

       

7/31/08

4-YEAR-OLD SAFFORD GIRL BITTEN BY ROTWIELLER

Safford Police and Animal Control were called to 1218 Santa Fe Street in response to a Rotweiller that had bitten a 4-year-old girl.

The Grandmother of the little girl, identified as Margaret Dominguez, stated that her granddaughter was hold one of the smaller dogs that were at the residence when Margaret’s large Rotweiller started to attack her granddaughter, Destiny.

The 4-year-old had bite marks and puncture wounds to her left buttocks, her left front hip, and had scratches to the upper rear right leg.

Safford Animal Control Officer, Randy Damron was on the scene and with help from the Safford Police Officer, they took possession of the dog and transported it to the Graham County Animal Shelter where it will be quarantined for 10-days due to no rabies shots.

Destiny was taken to Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center for treatment of her bites and scratches.

       

7/31/08

SAFFORD COUNCIL GETTING CLOSER TO PICKING A NEW CITY MANAGER

The Safford City Council has finished conducting interviews of candidates for Interim Safford City Manager and have scheduled a Special Council meeting to further discuss the applicants qualifications.

The interviews were concluded Wednesday, July 30, 2008.

The Safford Council has narrowed their search down to seven candidates for the Interim Manager’s position.

They are: Paul Beecher – Mark Fooks – David Kincaid – Jeri Dustir Fred Carpenter – Terry Zerkle – and Don Knight.

The Safford City Council has scheduled the Special Council meeting for August 6, 2008, to further discuss the applicants and hopefully come to a consensus on the position.

       

7/31/08

SAFFORD MAN KILLED IN ROLLOVER ACCIDENT

A Safford man was killed in a single vehicle rollover accident on 8th Avenue, Tuesday night.

According to Safford Police Chief John Griffin, Kevin King, 20, of Safford, was headed Southbound on 8th Avenue when he steered his red Isuzu Trooper toward a main power poll, at the corner of 8th Avenue and El Paso Boulevard, picked up speed and smashed head on into a power pole.

The impact knocked out electricity, cable T.V. and telephone service to dozens of houses in the neighborhood.

The Isuzu Trooper struck the power pole and rolled over twice, for about 50-yards before landing on it’s top.

The impact was so strong that it brought down an electrical transformer with live electric power lines lying across the upside down Isuzu and on the ground.

Emergency personnel were on the scene very quickly but couldn’t go near the Isuzu or King because of the danger of being electrocuted from the downed power lines.

Safford Electrical Utilities workers were called out and were able to turn off the electricity.

Safford Firemen and ambulance personnel were able to retrieve the deceased body of Kevin King from inside his wrecked vehicle and he was taken to Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center.

Upon arrival, emergency doctors confirmed that King had shot himself in the head with a .45-caliber pistol just before he ran his Isuzu into the power pole.

The pistol had been found in the dirt at the wreck scene.

King was pronounced dead at 10:40pm, Tuesday night.

Safford Police are still investigating the accident.

       

7/30/08

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO INCREASE

The incidence of Domestic Violence continues to increase in the Gila Valley. Law enforcement officers representing every city and town in Graham County receive at least one to three calls per day, and sometimes more.

An example happened last Thursday, July 24th.

The Safford Police Department received a call from Safford City Hall reporting that a young woman had come into the Utility Bill Department and asked the women there to hide her from her husband.

She told the women at City Hall, and later Safford Chief of Police John Griffin and Safford Detectives that she had been assaulted by her husband on Wednesday, July 23rd, while coming back from Globe and since then her husband would not let her go anywhere without him.

Going into City Hall was the first time that she was able to get away from him to ask for help.

She had bruises on her right breast and her arms, and bruising around her eyes, and she was very frightened.

The husband was parked outside of City Hall and when police arrived he slowly drove around the block, still waiting for his wife to come out.

When he returned to the City Hall parking lot, Safford Police arrested him for Domestic Violence.

The husband was taken to the Graham County Jail. The wife was given the keys to the vehicle to drive home.

Three of their small children were inside the vehicle at the time of the husbands arrest.

       

7/30/08

BOWIE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT KILLED IN I-10 WRECK

The Superintendent of Bowie Schools was killed in a single-vehicle rollover accident, Saturday afternoon, on Interstate 10, near Willcox.

According to a DPS spokesperson, Bruce E. Brown, 58, was West-bound near milepost 341, when his vehicle began to hydro-plane. The vehicle crossed into eastbound traffic and then into the median where it rolled over, killing Brown.

The accident occurred at around 1:40pm, Saturday.

Brown had been with the Bowie school for approximately 11-years. He was on active on the Bowie Chamber of Commerce and was an advocate for the proposed Bowie Power Plant.

       

7/30/08

S&P: HOME PRICES DROP BY RECORD 15.8 PCT IN MAY

A closely watched housing index shows home prices fell by the steepest rate ever in May, as the housing slump continued to deepen nationwide.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city index is off 15.8 percent for May compared with a year ago, a record decline since its inception in 2000. The narrower 10-city index has fallen 16.9 percent, its biggest decline in its 21-year history.

The steepest decline in the index is in Las Vegas, where prices fell 28.4 percent in the month. Miami is a close second, with prices down 28.3 percent.

Nine metropolitan cities, including Phoenix, posted record lows in May. And the value of housing in Detroit is now lower than it was in 2000.

       

7/29/08

SAFFORD COUNCIL OK’S GOLF COURSE ANNEXATION

The Safford City Council voted, Monday night, to approve a “Memorandum of Understanding” with the Town of Thatcher, allowing Thatcher to annex the Safford Golf Course and the surrounding area.

Thatcher, Safford, Graham County, and Holt Development have begun laying the technical ground-work to create a Five-Star resort centered around the Golf Course.

The Golf Course will continue be operated by the City of Safford but, the “Master Development Plan around the Golf Course will be under the jurisdiction of Planning and Zoning from the Town of Thatcher.

Thatcher will also be responsible for maintaining streets and roads, to the Golf Course as well as providing Police and Fire protection.

Thatcher and Safford have agreed to a 60-40-split, with 60-percent of sales tax and bed tax going to Thatcher and 40-percent going to Safford.

The agreement between Safford and Thatcher will be reviewed every 5-years to determine any discrepancies in the financial split and can be renegotiated if necessary.

The Town of Thatcher is expected to sign the “Memorandum of Understanding” at a Thatcher Town Council planned for August 5th.