
March 22, 2021
Stories this photo appears in:

Back in 2017, when the state of Arizona announced Rockin’ River Ranch as the next state park, national and state hiking and camping guides quickly added it to their lists for readers to plan their adventures. It was thought the new park would be at least partially open by the end of 2018.

2022 in the Verde Valley was full of important stories and interesting occurrences, triumphs and tragedies, and it would be difficult to gauge for what major story the year will be most remembered. However, there were situations and decisions made locally that will have lasting impact on 2023 and beyond.

A local resident trying to drive home down his narrow street encountered a group of tourists wandering down the pavement and gazing up at the old buildings, as unaware of him as a flock of wild turkeys. He had to honk and shout at them to get on the sidewalk.

This time of year in Arizona is such a combination of warnings, it may be frustrating for newcomers and visitors. Wildfire warnings, heat warnings and now - right on the dot - monsoon warnings come in succession.

Under the guise of improving efficiency and removing politics, Camp Verde Town Council removed the Marshal’s Office from the supervision of the town manager.

The grown-ups have shown up, but it’s a bit late in the day and anything but a sure answer to a crisis.

We are seeing yet another fallout of the failures of the community to lessen the spread of COVID-19 as nurses play hard-to-get.

If you’ve been feeling frustrated with politics and government crises – real or imagined – all around and just want your community to function the way it’s supposed to, Yavapai County has a plan.

They are thinking about it.

When the Omicron variant of COVID-19 first started spreading in Arizona, some businesses started going back to their most rigorous pandemic policies out of precaution.

An idea with support from a cross-section of people is always worth serious consideration.

What do Americans really think about the First Amendment?

A common theme emerges in talks about the present and future in Verde Valley communities. It’s an old theme but a goodie: Affordable housing.

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

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.

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.