Local News

Due to monsoonal activity and heavy rainfall, the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests will rescind all fire restrictions as of 6 a.m. Friday, July 16.

“Although area thunderstorms to date have not supplied significant rain on the fire, they have been a daily event in the surrounding area and have increased humidity levels,” a news release from the Southwest Area Incident Management Team stated. “The effect has been diminished fire activity as lighter fuels absorb moisture associated with higher humidity and quickly becoming less flammable and unavailable to ignite larger fuels.”

The Coconino National Forest will reopen to the public beginning 6 a.m. Tuesday, after closing on June 23 due to fire danger, dry conditions, and persistent wildfire activity.

Wildland firefighters and Verde Valley residents applauded a couple of milestones in the battle against two major wildfires this week.

Gov. Doug Ducey ordered flags at all state buildings be lowered to half-staff for Wednesday, June 30, in honor of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who lost their lives protecting fellow Arizonans from the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013.

Several fires in Yavapai County have potential for increased runoff and debris flows downstream from the burn areas. Residents and visitors should be aware of the burn areas and pay attention to their surroundings during the monsoon season.

Wednesday morning’s announcement by Prescott forest officials about the complete closure comes just after the Coconino and Kaibab forests made the same decision. Coconino and Kaibab forests are closed to the public as of 8 a.m. Wednesday; Prescott’s forest closure goes into effect Friday, June 25, 8 a.m.

Beginning Wednesday, June 23, 8 a.m., a full forest closure means that the public is prohibited from entering any part of Coconino National Forest at any time.

Fire crews are dealing with eight fires across the north end of the Chino Valley Ranger District of the Prescott National Forest since Thursday, June 17.

With nearly $23 million to spend in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money, the Yavapai County Supervisors agreed this week that the main focus should be on infrastructure improvements.

Even though more than $22 million of American Rescue Plan money has now been deposited in Yavapai County’s coffers, the uses for the funding have yet to be determined.

The Arizona Down race track in Prescott Valley opened its summer season this week, the first event since the track was shut down last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the opening of the new Yavapai County Criminal Justice Center in Prescott now about 15 months away, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office is planning ahead for the massive round of hiring that will be needed to staff the new jail.

The Yavapai College District Governing Board will hold a budget hearing, budget adoption at its regular monthly meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 18 for consideration of the proposed budget for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

May 10 to 24, public access to portions of the Verde River will be closed to allow for feral cattle removal, according to a news release from the Prescott National Forest.

The statistics of suicide in Yavapai County are sobering.

The International Dark-Sky Association’s website describes such a designation as: “A public or private land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, education, cultural, heritage and/or public enjoyment.”

Ponderosa pine trees infested with bark beetles are dying at a dramatically higher rate than usual during the drought conditions of the past year and a half, says the Prescott National Forest.

The 9 a.m. meeting will be broadcast through an online link found on yavapai.us/meetings.

As we come off one of Arizona’s worst fire seasons in over a decade, the National Weather Service in Flagstaff announced that it doesn’t seem 2021 will yield better results as well-below-average precipitation levels in February have allowed severe-to-exceptional drought conditions to continue across Northern Arizona.

Two items that would have helped speed along construction of Yavapai County’s justice center were removed from last week’s Board of Supervisors agenda, with no explanation given.

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office is still working out vaccination details with its county’s health department.

The supervisors will consider approving utility easements for both the relocation of APS electrical lines along Prescott Lakes Parkway for the justice center, as well as for a temporary transformer on-site.

With the recent completion of much of the mass grading at the new Prescott Justice Center and Jail site, Yavapai County is now about 15% into its $75.6 million project.

Despite dire warnings of what was likely to happen during the early months of the COVID-19 shutdown in spring 2020, Yavapai County’s revenues have continued to grow.