Payson Roundup 062116

Page 1

McCain Can’t keep a good man down: 1B Off-road plan in hot blasted: water: 8A 5A ARIZONA NEWSPAPERS AND NATIONAL LOCAL MEDIA ASSOCIATIONS’ NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

payson.com

PAYSON ROUNDUP TUESDAY | JUNE 21, 2016 | PAYSON, ARIZONA

75 CENTS

Wildfire season upon us with a vengeance Rash of scary wildfires by

How to save a house

Alexis Bechman

by

roundup staff reporter

A “suspicious” brush fire came dangerously close to several homes in Oxbow Estates Sunday night. Around 6 p.m., fire crews got word of flames in the drainage area near St. Johns Creek in Oxbow, located west of State Route 87, south of Payson. Because of the extreme fire danger, the U.S. Forest Service had posted several wildlands crews in the area. Two Forest Service units and two engines, a battalion chief and a water tender from Payson Fire Department quickly converged on the fire, holding the blaze to .14 of an acre. The Forest Service also sent a helicopter to make sure the fire had not spread. The fire burned part of a wooden fence and came within several feet of a storage shed. There were several homes nearby, said a Payson fire official. Had crews not arrived on scene so quickly, it could have been a very different outcome, he said. The fire is still under investigation, but it is “definitely suspicious in nature,” the official said. While still on the scene, crews received word of another suspicious fire in the area. They quickly doused it.

In the midst of the most dangerous time of the year for forest fires, a fire official Monday urged residents to get their homes prepared while they still can. Gary Roberts, the Payson Ranger District’s fire prevention officer, said the last two weeks of June are the most critical time of the year for wildfires. Bone-dry fuels and occasional dry lightning make the region dangerously vulnerable. “We are in the red zone,” he said, speaking at the Library Friends of Payson meeting. But a few steps can dramatically increase the chances a

• See Save homes, page 10A

Heat setting records by

Michele Nelson

roundup staff reporter

Photographer DJ Craig captured a smoky sunset over Green Valley Park (top). The Payson Fire Department took this photo of the brush fire in Oxbow Estates.

Starting Saturday, the heat was on. By Monday, the temperature at the Payson Airport registered 100 degrees at 5 p.m. Flagstaff was a sweltering 93 degrees for 7,000 feet altitude. And Phoenix? They clocked in at 115 on Monday, but temperatures got up to 120 degrees during the weekend. The National Weather Service called for an excessive heat warning in Payson until

Pine school furor continues by

Michele Nelson

roundup staff reporter

Four seats on the Pine-Strawberry Elementary School District board need filling, but only two people have taken out paperwork for the November general election — incumbents Helen Palmer and Jessica Barnett. That leaves the two recently vacated seats and no candidates, unless someone takes out papers. Not facing re-election this year is Margaret Parker, the board member blamed by out-going superintendent/principal Cody Barlow for the brouhaha that caused the resignation of Barlow and two board members. Compounding the issue, current Gila County THE WEATHER

Outlook: Mostly sunny and hot, highs in the upper 90s, lows in the mid to low 60s; slight chance for rain today and tomorrow. Details 9A

volume 26, no. 52

Alexis Bechman

roundup staff reporter

See our ad and upcoming events on page 6B

Superintendent Linda O’Dell will replace Barlow on July 1. However, she’s the only person who can fill those vacated seats before the election. She has said she won’t fill the seats with temporary appointments before she leaves because it would pose a conflict of interest. Since she would wind up working for the people she appointed. Gila County Manager Don McDaniel said the Board of Supervisors cannot fill the empty seats. That leaves it up to whoever wins the election for county superintendent of schools during the Republican primary in August. Two Republicans have filed to run for county supervisor — Gail Gorry and Roy Sandoval. No Democrats filed. That means the new superintendent could in theory appoint someone to fill the vacated Pine School Board seats in August or September. In his resignation letter, Barlow accused school board member Parker of waging a vendetta against him. He also said Parker tried to hire her relative to the district’s information technology department. Parker declined to talk to the Roundup about the problems or the accusations aimed at her. “Thank you for wanting to hear my side of the Cody Barlow story. As for now, I’m choosing to leave it alone. I know what was really happening

• See Pine School Board, page 2A

Tuesday, June 21 at 8 p.m. So, what defines an excessive heat warning? A long period of dangerously hot temperatures caused by a strong ridge of high pressure. Right now, high pressure that originated in Mexico has parked itself in the mid to upper levels of the atmosphere over Arizona, the Southwest and the southern plains driving temperatures to record highs. The National Weather Service had thought it would move along by Monday,

• See Heat wave, page 10A

Another drowning in Fossil Creek by

Alexis Bechman

roundup staff reporter

Roundup file photo

For the second time this year, a man has drowned at the Fossil Creek waterfall.

E R O M &

A man drowned and several other hikers needed rescuing this weekend at Fossil Creek north of Payson. With temperatures soaring in Rim Country, the creek is a popular location to cool off. But with access limited, getting to the creek is difficult. Over the weekend, rescuers responded several times to the travertine creek north of Strawberry. On Sunday, a man visiting the area drowned below the waterfall. He was simply swimming with friends when he went under. Witnesses offered conflicting reports on how the man drowned. But his friends searched for him in the deep pool at the base of the waterfall and eventually found his body downstream and pulled him out of the water, said

• See Another man drowns, page 2A

Locally Owned & Operated

FURNITURE & BEDDING

Located in Safeway Center 928-468-8568

MattressExpertsandmore.com

Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.