
LISTEN: What you need to know about Cottonwood's new distracted driving ordinance
Police Chief Steve Gesell talks enforcement, state culture change
COTTONWOOD -- As state lawmakers push legislation to curb distracted driving, Arizona cities and towns are taking the lead on the issue. Most recently, Cottonwood and Jerome.

Should Bible studies be part of public school curriculum?
Issue being studied for Camp Verde schools; request also sent to Mingus Union
CAMP VERDE – In January, Cottonwood residents Barry Jones and Tony Isola asked the Camp Verde School Board to “teach the Bible for credit.”
New homeless center opens in Sedona
SEDONA -- The Sedona Area Homeless Alliance new homeless resource center in Sedona has opened on a “Wing” and a “prayer.”
Site Steward program seeks volunteers
Archaeology Center regional coordinator for Sedona/Verde Valley sites
CAMP VERDE – After a lifetime in Southern California, Tom Burris moved to the Verde Valley in 2013.

County Assessor releasing tax year 2020 notices of value
Yavapai County Assessor Judd W. Simmons mailed out nearly 162,000 Notices of Value, Feb. 15, for the tax year 2020, according to a news release. These values have an effective valuation date of Jan. 1, 2019, and will be used to calculate your 2020 tax bill.

Westcott begins superintendent internship at Mingus
COTTONWOOD – In 2016, Mike Westcott was named Yavapai County Teacher of the Year. Now working with Mingus Union under an administrative consulting contract, Westcott is working on his superintendent’s certificate through Brandman University, an online program.

Mingus attorney goes ‘beyond the basics’ of Open Meeting Law
COTTONWOOD – New to the Mingus Union School Board, Chip Currie admitted to the district’s attorney that he’d like to “define my role as a board member – and define my role as a citizen.”
City to hold first hearing on food truck ordinance
COTTONWOOD -- Cottonwood City Council will have its first public hearing Tuesday on a more relaxed ordinance for food truck vendors.

Drought: Arizona lawmaker vows to press on despite tribe’s threat
PHOENIX -- House Speaker Rusty Bowers is blowing off a threat by the Gila River Indian Community to pull out of the drought contingency plan -- and deny the state its water -- if he pursues his own legislation on forfeiture of water rights.

Cottonwood to discuss adjusting fees for fire, safety, medical
COTTONWOOD -- Tuesday, Cottonwood City Council will consider a Notice of Intent to adjust fees for the city’s building and safety; and Fire and Medical Departments.

Georgie’s Café honored in annual community outreach awards
The Cottonwood Fire & Medical Department presented their annual Community Outreach and Fire & Life Safety awards Tuesday to local recipients.

NWS: Winter storm warning until Monday night
Up to nine inches of snow forecast in Sedona
The National Weather Service reports snow showers this weekend all the way into next week.

Cottonwood City Council deadlocked on new city hall
COTTONWOOD -- The proverbial can of a new city hall for Cottonwood has once again been kicked down the road.

Camp Verde Economic Development Director Steve Ayers talks water rights, allocation, adjudication
VERDE VALLEY – Whether or not the Camp Verde’s town government acquires the Camp Verde Water System, Economic Development Director Steve Ayers “think[s] it’s in everybody’s best interests to get an understanding of the process, history and what proof exists of historic water rights, with the understanding that the inventory of surface water rights is limited.”

Water rights: anxieties, legalities, difficulties … and shortages?
VERDE VALLEY – As Natural Resource Advisor to the Camp Verde Town Council, Tony Gioia has been tasked with organizing the town’s water portfolio.

An ironclad understanding of water rights
VERDE VALLEY – Ask anyone in the know about water rights and water use agreements and they will admit they don’t know it all.
Significant flooding throughout Verde Valley (with videos)
8 a.m. report shows Verde River in Camp Verde at 50,000+ cfs
VERDE VALLEY – Residents throughout the Verde Valley began mopping up this morning following one of the most significant floods in years along the Verde River, Oak Creek and Beaver Creek.

Silent Witness offers $500 reward for arrest of Wesley Dean Stewart
Yavapai Silent Witness is offering a $500 cash reward for information leading to the arrest of Wesley Dean Stewart.

Jerome passes accessory building ordinance
Ordinance 446 amends the definition of an “accessory building” as being a building or structure that is “visually” subordinate to the main building. The proposed amendment adds that an accessory building “shall not be used for human habitation.”

Is your cellphone spying on you?
Arizona lawmakers seek disclosure on digital information collected and how it’s used
PHOENIX -- Rep. Kelly Townsend says she knows her phone is watching and listening to her, even when she’s not talking on it.

Lawmaker seeks judicial-retention vote for city magistrates
Saying magistrates can be squeezed politically, a House panel voted Wednesday to all but strip city councils of their ability to fire them.

Yavapai College board approves tuition hike beginning in 2019 fall semester
The Yavapai College District Governing Board approved a tuition increase for the college Tuesday at its monthly board meeting.

Arizona 107 years old today, Valentine's Day 2019
Arizona became a state on February 14, 1912, the last state in the continental U.S. to achieve statehood.

Floods on Verde, Oak Creek, Beaver Creek expected to peak into Friday
Most severe flooding forecast in Camp Verde
Floods along the Verde River and Oak Creek are forecasted to peak into Friday, rising above levels from earlier this month.

Forecasts show more flooding along Oak Creek this week
Water levels are expected to rise around 11 feet on Oak Creek, according to NWS. These levels are analogous to the flooding levels on Feb. 2 and 3, according to Brian Klimowski, meteorologist with the National Weather Service
- Significant flooding throughout Verde Valley (with videos)
- Heavy snow in forecast throughout Verde Valley, Sedona
- Road closures: What you need to know
- Flood forces breach of 105-year-old Clarkdale dam (with video)
- Winter storm prompts school closures Thursday
- New homeless center opens in Sedona
- The BIG Flood
- Floods on Verde, Oak Creek, Beaver Creek expected to peak into Friday
- Yavapai Silent Witness seeks public’s help in locating Daniel Sanchez Martinez
- Winter weather advisory continues until tonight
- Significant flooding throughout Verde Valley (with videos)
- Heavy snow in forecast throughout Verde Valley, Sedona
- Road closures: What you need to know
- Flood forces breach of 105-year-old Clarkdale dam (with video)
- Flat-rate cash-pay medical practice opens in Cottonwood
- Cottonwood woman arrested in Old Town burglary
- Elderly man shoots self at Cottonwood Police building
- The Perfect Crime? Three years later, Cottonwood police, FBI stymied on $350,000 Cottonwood Bank of America burglary
- Cottonwood woman accused of stealing $7K-plus from Maverik store
- Floods on Verde, Oak Creek, Beaver Creek expected to peak into Friday