PAYSON ROUNDUP
ARIZONA NEWSPAPERS AND NATIONAL LOCAL MEDIA ASSOCIATIONS’ NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR
TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 29, 2016 | PAYSON, ARIZONA
payson.com
75 CENTS
Increased limits for Lighting up Rim Country some tax credits by
Michele Nelson
roundup staff reporter
Photos courtesy DJ Craig
The 37th Annual Swiss Village Lighting gave Rim Country a magical glow Friday, Nov. 25, drawing residents and visitors alike into the chilly evening to enjoy a stroll, music, food and great deals.
Domestic violence remains persistent by
Alexis Bechman
roundup staff reporter
While the overall number of domestic violence arrests has continued to decline since 2011, it remains a persistent problem in the community with officers responding to a call of domestic violence every other day on average. Through the end of August, the Payson Police Department responded to 111 domestic violence calls. Of those addresses, police visited the majority, 87 percent, just once. However, domestic violence is often cyclical. Officers returned to four addresses three times and 10 addresses twice so far this year. Just looking at the list of address where officers had responded and going on nothing more than that, Police Chief Don Engler could easily pick out the homes that officers frequent both for domestic violence and other types of calls. Officers try to build a relationship with these repeat offenders to end the sometimes-endless cycle of abuse, Engler said. One of the biggest concerns is that children living in the homes where domestic violence occurs witness the abuse and they learn destructive coping techniques. As they get older, they often become the abusers or get involved with an abusive individual and the cycle continues. Where abuse is recurring, the PPD often requests that the Gila County attorney’s office mandate some form of therapy for the abuser. For the abused, which is often women, they recommend they attend classes at the Time Out Shelter, which teaches women how get out of an abusive relationship, move on and better their lives, pick a supportive partner and maintain a healthy relationship. Often women do not leave after the first abusive episode and often stay to protect their abuser. In June 2016, a couple, where both had been arrested for domestic violence previously, got into another heated argument at a home on South Ponderosa Street, this time over allegations he was cheating. A man that witnessed the fight called police, but then hung up before speaking with dispatch. Engler said this often happens with domestic violence calls. Someone will call 911, but then hang up before talking with dispatchers. Because police respond to all hang-ups, victims
broke down where the $329,645 in 2015 Credit for Kids donations went: Julia Randall Elementary Character education $280 Extracurricular $52 Field trips $7,482 Fine arts $3,291 Payson Elementary School Field trips $12,561 Rim Country Middle School Academic competitions $1,890 After-school enrichment $93 Athletics $50,252 Educational adventures $2,429 Field trips $5,142 Fine arts $4,649 Special ed $20.24 Payson High School Athletics $152,685 Band/choir $10,329 Character education $4,779 Culinary arts $2,960 DECA $1,125 Drama $4,149 FBLA/HOSA $409 FFA $4,185 Fine arts $21,367 Science enrichment $5,977 Ski/hike field trip $19,127 Special ed/CBI $807 Payson Center for Success Character education $3,777 Field trips $9,837
Chief deputy hired for county attorney’s office by
Alexis Bechman
roundup staff reporter
often use this as a way to get help, but without speaking on the phone, because if their abuser found out, it often leads to more fighting. When police arrived on this call, they found a woman with a black eye. She said she had fallen. When pressed, the woman said she did not want to get her boyfriend in trouble as they had both been arrested for domestic violence. The woman’s boyfriend, meanwhile, had gone to the hospital with a wound to his hand. He claimed she had stabbed him with a knife. As police tried to straighten out what had happened, the couple presented various stories. They agreed that they had gotten into a fight and it had escalated. Instead of walking away, they continued to push each other, yelling and throwing things. He said she got a knife and when she came at him, he grabbed for it, cutting his hand. While trying to hold the knife, he punched the woman in the face to get her to move away. She said she had thrown a plate on the ground and thrown a knife on the ground, but denied attacking him. Due to there being no blood on the knife, police determined the woman had not attacked him with a knife, but still arrested both for disorderly conduct. While both parties are sometimes arrested in domestic violence situations, Engler said officers are very
THE WEATHER
volume 26, no. 96
Arizona taxpayers may increase their tax credit donations to nonprofits and foster care organizations, but not to public schools and the military family fund relief. Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill increasing tax credit donations to nonprofits, while allowing for larger dollar-for-dollar tax credits, depending on income. The bill separated the Foster Care tax credit from the Charitable Organizations credit, doubling taxpayer’s possible tax credits. (For more information please see: http://hblcpa. com/arizona-charitable-tax-credit-changes-new-increased-limits-2016/) The tax credit limits for pubic schools (called Credit for Kids) remains at $200 for an individual and $400 for a couple filing jointly. The Military Family Relief Fund tax credit also remains at $200 and $400. Private School Tuition tax credits, however, are $1,087 for an individual and $2,173 for a couple. Taxpayers can make donations and get 2016 tax credits up to April 15, 2017. The maximum total for all the tax credits combined is $2,387 for an individual and $4,773 for a couple. Each year, the Credit for Kids program brings in thousands of dollars to help the school districts expand the curriculum and experiences for their students. To donate, contact the Payson Unified School District (928-4742070), Tonto Basin Elementary School (928-479-2277) or Pine-Strawberry Elementary School (928-476-3283). Kathie Manning, Payson Unified School District business manager,
Outlook: Sunny today with a high of 43, overnight low 21. Warming slightly Wednesday and Thursday with a slight chance for rain Friday evening. See page 9
See our ad and upcoming events on page 14
careful not to arrest a victim. However, it is not always easy to discern who is the victim if both parties have become physically violent. Officers need probable cause to make an arrest, so they look to see who the aggressor was in the situation. If the other person fought back to protect themselves that is allowed under Arizona’s self-defense law. “If you are being attacked you have the right to defend yourself,” he said. In March 2016, officers were called to a home on East Wade Lane where officers had responded many times before for domestic violence issues between a couple. Police found the woman outside yelling and banging on the home’s door. The woman said the man had thrown her down the driveway and she was worried he was trying to run away with her children. As police approached the home, the man was seen running out of the back of the home carrying two children. Police caught up with the man and detained him. He said when he got home earlier and saw that she had packed her bags to leave, they got into a fight. It was clear after speaking to both parties that they were under the influence of some substance. She appeared to be on some type of “upper drug” and officers could smell alcohol on his breath. Engler said substance abuse is a common thread in domestic violence. “Probably 80 to 90 percent of calls involve some kind of substance abuse with at least one of the parties,” he said.
• See Chief, page 2
The Gila County Attorney’s Office has hired a new chief deputy attorney after Shawn Fuller abruptly left the office at the end of August. Bradley Soos takes over as chief deputy. Soos was a judge pro tempore in Pinal County for the past nine years and before that, worked 16 years as a prosecutor in Pinal County. In January, Soos retired from Pinal County and began planning to return to work as an attorney part-time when Gila County Attorney Bradley Beauchamp contacted him about the open position. Soos will handle prosecuting all homicide cases in Gila County, supervise the Payson office and train other attorneys. As a judge, who handled mostly criminal cases, Soos said he was known for being harsh, but fair. Having the experience of working both in front of behind the bench has given Soos a unique perspective. “It gives you a very different viewpoint,” he said of working as a judge. As a prosecutor, Soos became an
expert in all aspect of criminal law. As a judge, Soos became an expert in the rules of procedure. Working as a judge though required him to be “completely impartial,” something he didn’t have to worry about as a prosecutor. Soos knew he wanted to go into law from a young age. He grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago and worked several years in his family-owned liquor store/bar. Coming from a family of blue-collar workers, Soos was the first person in his family to go to college. He attended Arizona State University for his bachelor’s degree and Valparaiso University for his law degree. He moved back to Arizona after law school and began working in a small law firm. He knew he wanted to be a trial lawyer and soon got a job working for Pinal County. Since joining the GCAO, Soos said he has been reviewing several old homicide cases where no decision was ever made on prosecuting the alleged offender. He has already declined to prosecute one of those cases that happened near Globe for lack of sufficient evidence.
Gila County welcomes new finance director Gila County welcomed its five consecutive years. He new finance director, James also has valuable experiMenlove, on Monday, Oct. ence on the Public Safety 31. Personnel Retirement District One Supervisor System (PSPRS) Reform Tommie Martin says she Task Force that developed was aware of Menlove’s the “yardstick” tool, which stellar reputation statewide was used by the Arizona long before he arrived at Legislature to develop Gila County. “I’m just so PSPRS reforms that were James Menlove pleased we were able to approved statewide in May bring him on board,” said Martin. 2016. Menlove comes to Gila County with Menlove served two terms as presmore than 12 years of experience as ident of the Government Finance finance director in neighboring Navajo Officers Association of Arizona. County. When he took the reins at Before his time at Navajo County, Navajo County, it was widely consid- Menlove served as the comptroller for ered to be “unauditable.” Under his Mohave County Community College leadership, it became an award-win- District, an accountant for the City of ning model for government finance. Phoenix, and a senior auditor at the For seven consecutive years, Arizona Office of the Auditor General. Menlove received the Government Menlove holds a bachelor’s in accountFinance Officers Association’s (GFOA) ing and a certificate of public manageDistinguished Budget Presentation ment, both from ASU. Award. He took home the GFOA’s “I’m just so thrilled to be here,” said Certificate of Achievement for Menlove. “There are so many good Excellence in Financial Reporting for people at Gila County.”