Editorials

Years from now, it may be instinctive to look back on 2021 with a cringe or, for many, a moan of mourning.

Once feeling ignored, the Verde Valley became the plaything for the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission up to the 11th hour as it was deciding on the final draft maps for legislative and congressional districts for the next 10 years.

In 2020, there were 1,982 deaths in Arizona attributed to opioid overdose. That was a 45% jump from the year before, indicating the public health emergency declared by Gov. Doug Ducey in 2017 has not ebbed.

You know the polls, every few months, asking people in the street how they feel about their economic stability. Back in February 2020, barely into the battle with COVID-19, nearly half of the people CNBC pollsters spoke to said their No. 1 worry was the rising cost of living.

It’s that time of year when local charities make the big push to get local help to serve their constituents through the doldrums of winter.

The past few years have been so fraught with political division at every level of our lives, it’s no surprise some want to inflate that acrimony. That would be the natural fallout of a proposal by a state representative to make local elections partisan.

The Arizona Supreme Court on Tuesday, Nov. 2, sent state lawmakers a strong message: Don’t pile multiple, unrelated issues into a single piece of legislation.

Times certainly have changed.

Yes, it’s great to see Cottonwood and Sedona step up and jointly hire a housing professional to find the answers, but it’s questionable what either community can realistically do to find a solution.

We saw the very best in community spirit from the folks in Cornville in the midst of what easily could have been a tragedy.

Last week, the Turquoise Circuit Finals Rodeo announced it would move its 2021 event from Prescott Valley’s Findlay Toyota Center to the new equestrian complex in Camp Verde.

Monday we will honor our nation’s ultimate defenders of freedom in Memorial Day services all over the United States.

If you spend any time at all on local social media sites, you likely have heard about a vicious assault that occurred at the Verde Valley Fair.

There are two important distinctions that need to be made concerning news that the Mingus Union High School football field is an unsafe playing surface.

We get it. Wearing facemasks has gotten old.

Last weekend, classic cars and “Rat Rods” resulted in thousands of people flocking to Old Town Cottonwood.

Of all the things totally wrecked this past year by COVID-19, public education took one of the hardest hits.

Today, Rough Cuts is back on the market under new ownership. It’s being touted as the perfect site for a new Cottonwood City Hall, no doubt at a higher price tag than if the city had rolled the dice on this building a decade ago.

You may be doing all you can to keep your vessel afloat and chart a good course to home port, but the actions of another might become counterproductive.

Local control seemed like a great idea a year ago when Gov. Doug Ducey allowed Arizona municipalities and county governments to establish their own COVID-19 safety protocols.

Be careful what you wish for. That is a message that applies to Arizona’s stance on the Second Amendment.

This is the week in which young people are encouraged to let loose and enjoy life.

One must ask if Michaels fully understands her scope of authority in making such change.

The sour taste from this incident will not soon fade away.

In February, we’ve been on the right path in this war with COVID-19. We’ve won this battle.