PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano on Friday signed into law a bill to erase a $1.2 billion deficit in the current state budget in relatively painless fashion, though lawmakers still have to figure out how to balance the next one.

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Krentz family honored with selection into Farming, Ranching Hall of Fame
The Krentz Ranch  and family were recently inducted into the Arizona Farming and Ranching Hall of Fame.

Group wants sales tax hike for roads
 Capitol Media Services

Truck knocks out electricity
Electricity was knocked out for some time to APS customers on the west side of Douglas last night when a semi truck knocked down several power poles.

Border Patrol agent arrested for domestic violence
A Border Patrol agent in Douglas was arrested Tuesday evening in connection with domestic violence

Police Reports
April 15, 2008

Welding winners
The results for the ninth annual high school welding competition at Cochise College in Sierra Vista were as follows:

Road Construction
The City of Douglas will be working on various projects over the coming week.  The work is being completed by the City of Douglas Public Works Department and is part of the Mayor and Council’s ongoing infrastructure improvement program.

Douglas student wins welding contest
SIERRA VISTA — Youth welders from high schools in Cochise County and beyond competed Friday at the Skills USA high school welding competition at Cochise College’s Sierra Vista campus.

State economy stays flat; Jobless rate stays the same
PHOENIX — Arizona’s jobless rate stayed the same last month as the state’s economy continued its relatively flat performance.

City of Douglas pushing for new call center
The City of Douglas has an agreement to buy the former Bayless building on 1701 10th Street from the First Assembly of God.

High school OK’d for journalism program grant
Douglas High School was one of only five schools chosen throughout the state to particpate in a newsroom program.

Spencer to show cameras
BISBEE — American Border Patrol, a private nongovernmental organization, will hold a live demonstration of its Internet camera system today in Tucson.

Senate OKs immigration bill; goes to Gov. Napolitano
PHOENIX (AP) — A bill approved by the Arizona Legislature would require city and county police agencies to have their officers tackle federal immigration violations.

Gas prices hit $3.50 a gallon
NEW YORK (AP) — Rising gasoline prices tightened the squeeze on drivers Monday, jumping for the first time to an average $3.50 a gallon at filling stations across the country with no sign of relief.

Profiling:
DPS searches minorities more than whites
PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona Department of Public Safety officers are more likely to search minorities than white people, even though on average minorities were less likely to have illegal items, according to a report released Monday.

Road Construction
The City of Douglas will be working on various projects over the coming week.  The work is being completed by the City of Douglas Public Works Department and is part of the Mayor and Council’s ongoing infrastructure improvement program.

Dinosaur heads, water fountain are part of Castro Park project
The beautification project for Castro Park continues to make headway.

Earl Pettit officially new superintendent
After several weeks of waiting following  the initial announcement, Earl Pettit officially became the new Douglas Unified School District Superintendent.

Lawmakers refuse to change definition of ‘marriage’ in Arizona
 PHOENIX — Foes of gay marriage won a crucial victory Tuesday in the House.

Man who attacked BP agent pleaded guilty yesterday
BISBEE — A man charged with assaulting a U.S. Border Patrol agent who shot his dog in Bisbee Junction last year pleaded guilty during a hearing in federal court in Tucson on Tuesday.

San Pedro Partnership of Southeastern Arizona awarded on Earth Day
 WASHINGTON, D.C. At a ceremony in the nation’s capital, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne recognized the Upper San Pedro Partnership of southeastern Arizona as one of 21 recipients nationwide of the Department of the Interior’s Cooperative Conservation Award.

1,000 turn out at Cochise College for Earth Day
Approximately 1,000 school children from Bisbee, Double Adobe, Douglas, and Elfrida fanned out across the grounds of the Douglas Campus of Cochise College Tuesday to visit with pythons and snakes, learn about alternative fuels, and get a look at how recycling works. The activities were part of the third annual Earth Day Education, which exposes kids both to the college and to ways to protect the planet.

Make a Difference Day
Residents all over the community can make a difference during Make A Difference Day on Saturday, April 26.

Virtual border fence to be replaced
TUCSON — The government will replace its highly touted “virtual fence” on the Arizona-Mexico border with new towers, radars, cameras and computer software, scrapping the brand-new $20 million system because it doesn’t work sufficiently, officials said.

Bulky items no problem for city
As part of  Make a Difference Day, Saturday, April 26, the City of Douglas is making it possible for residents to get rid of large, bulky items at no chrge.

‘Bee’ Careful
Douglas Fire Fighters hosed down a tree that had a large bee hive Tuesday afternoon. The firefighters used Class A foam to neutralize the bees. With the coming warm weather, Douglas residents who plan outdoor activities need to be more alert about the dangers of bees hives.

$1.3 million in drugs
TUCSON, Ariz. —Two separate drug smuggling incidents involving vehicles proves worthy of a second look by Border Patrol Agents.

Sex offender caught at Douglas Port
SIERRA VISTA — In the last week, two illegal immigrants have been arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol in connection to sex-related offenses.

Hispanic activists: Local law enforcement should not have role in immigration enforcement
 PHOENIX — Hispanic activists lashed out Wednesday at state lawmakers who voted to require local police and sheriff’s departments to implement a program to address violations of federal immigration laws.

Shakespeare didn’t blog
Seattle, WA – Somewhere out there is the mind that will produce the next great American novel.  If, however, that would-be author is under the age of 18, the words they write may be more of “SOZ” and “TGGTG” then beautiful, flowing prose.

Cochise College presents UA tour
Cochise College will present a wonderful pian-opportunity on May 2 – a professional-level performance by students beginning a concert career.

Friends of the Library book sale begins today
Once again, it is time for the Friends of the Douglas Public Library book sale. The sale will be held Thursday April 24 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. (Friends of the Library members only), Friday April 25 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. & Sunday April 27 from 1 p.m. –5 p.m. (buck a bag day).

Douglas Police Report
April 16, 2008

Early Learning Center
This week and next week the Early Learning Center students will be visiting the schools at which they will be attending kindergarten.  

Legislature looks at mandating recess in schools
 PHOENIX — State senators decided Wednesday that when it comes to elementary education, recess is as important as reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic.

Collisions in Cochise County
On April 23 at approximately 9:30 p.m. a fatal collision occurred on U.S. Highway 191 at milepost 30.  

Application for Expedited Border-Crossing Program for truckers now online
WASHINGTON – U.S. Customs and Border Protection reminds applicants for the Free and Secure Trade program that applications are now accepted online through the Global Online Enrollment System (GOES) accessible at CBP.gov.   The FAST program is available to drivers crossing the southern border between the U.S. and Mexico.  

Border barriers at the San Pedro Conservation Area could impair the flow of water
PHOENIX — Federal officials warned last September that the design of border barriers through the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area would cause environmental damage, according to documents obtained by foes of the fence.

Cochise College ASL students invited to perform at Deaf event
A group of Cochise College American Sign Language students has been invited to perform for Deaf children at the Northern Arizona University Deaf Expo next fall.

Make A Difference Day is tomorrow
Residents all over the community can make a difference during Make A Difference Day, tomorrow, Saturday, April 26.

Cochise County Sheriff’s Office Reports
Arrests made by the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office and other city agencies, including the Sierra Vista and Bisbee police departments, and some were booked into the Cochise County Jail.

Charges against agent dropped; woman does not want case pursued
DOUGLAS — Justice of the Peace Alma Vildosola has dismissed charges against a Border Patrol agent who was arrested last week on seven counts related to a domestic violence incident against a woman.

Serving their country
Imagine being in Iraq serving your country when you suddenly come across your uncle, who is also serving in the military.

Judge considering motions prior to shooting trial
BISBEE — A jury trial in Cochise County Superior Court is scheduled to start May 12 for a man charged with shooting his neighbor during a disagreement last summer in Elfrida.

County gas prices soar
According to the Cochise College Center for Economic Research’s latest biweekly survey of gas prices, conducted during the week of April 21, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Cochise County increased to $3.43 from $3.33 over the two-week period. According to AAA Arizona, the statewide price rose from $3.29 to $3.41 per gallon. Nationally, according to the Energy Information Administration, gas prices increased from $3.33 to $3.51 during the two-week period.

Cochise County residents help address teacher recruitment at Arizona Town Hall
PHOENIX – Approximately 150 Arizonans, including eight Cochise County residents, will gather to address the challenges of recruiting and retaining quality teachers when they meet in Prescott on April 27-30. The 92nd Arizona Town Hall, titled “Who Will Teach Our Children?” aims to propose solutions for improving Arizona’s ability to attract the best educators for our children.

American Community Survey looks at Cochise County
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released results from its 2006 American Community Survey. This was the second year Cochise County was included in the survey, which provides annual updates to the census data collected every 10 years. Prior to 2005, only communities with a population of 250,000 or more were included. In 2005, this was changed to include populations of 65,000 or more.

A little bit of Italy in Douglas
   El Italiano, located at 1750 10h Street, has a large selection of Italian food and deli items for residents to choose.

Retail sales fall for third consecutive month
January was another disappointing month for retail sales across most of Cochise County. Retail sales, one of the best indicators of the overall health of the economy, fell by 6.5 percent after adjusting for inflation. This followed declines of 7.4 and 15.5 percent in November and December, respectively. Retail sales at the county level were on shaky ground for most of last year, alternating between periods of positive and negative monthly growth.

Few summer jobs for teens
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) _ This is a tough time to be a teen looking for a summer job.

Earth Day celebrations continue at the Farmers Market
Earth Day festivities continue with a celebration at the Bisbee Farmers Market this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Vista Park in the Warren section of Bisbee. (Also the opening of the farmers market’s six month season, the market portion of the event starts at 8 a.m.) This will be Bisbee’s 19th annual Earth Day festival.  For several of those years I joined in the fun with solar cooking demonstrations at City Park.

Upcoming Stuff
The Friends of the San Pedro are sponsoring a trail ride along the river on saturday May 10th, leaving from the Hereford Bridge parking lot and riding north toward the San Pedro House. The ride will start at 9:00am with a stop for lunch along the river. To register for the ride or for more information call Nancy at 456-1362. Riders must provide their own mounts.

Caverns celebrate 20th anniversary Saturday
BENSON — Kartchner Caverns State Park will celebrate its 20th Anniversary on Saturday. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

New home equals new memories with ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’
Local independent sales consultant Delline Mason announced that the company she represents, Creative Memories, had a hand in making the new home featured in a recent airing of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” a dream come true for Ju-Juanna Latif, a single mother of four living in Wilmington, Del.

Free seminar for military women and veterans, Apr. 27
All women active duty military and female veterans are invited to a free seminar from noon until 2 p.m. on Sunday, Apr. 27, at the American Legion Post 52, 12 Theater Dr, Sierra Vista. The information program is free, and is presented as a collaboration of the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona and the Women’s Honor Society of the American Legion.

St. David artist gave life's work to promote learning
Hundreds of art pieces to be displayed at the Cochise College Benson Center this fall will be sold to raise funds for college scholarships.

Chamber players perform Oct. 26
Full of old-world grace, charm and, occasionally, fury, the Daystar Chamber Players present a face-to-face, quadraphonic experience of two violins, a viola and a cello at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26 at the Sierra Vista Community United Church of Christ. The concert is brought to Sierra Vista by Cochise College Cultural Events.

Call to Artists . . .
Interested artists are invited to submit original artwork, completed within the last two years, for the 2008 La Frontera Tucson International Mariachi Conference poster. The conference is scheduled for April 21-26, 2008.

Cochise College Events
Saturday, October 20

Mesquite milling, pancake breakfast Sat.
Bisbee Farmers Market

Are you
chicken?
It’s not news to most Americans that chicken is the most popular animal protein on our table. According to the National Restaurant Association (the other NRA), Americans still eat more red meat — beef, pork and lamb — than chicken, but chicken is the single most popular of the four. Annual per-capita consumption, according to the group, reached about 100 pounds per person per year in 2003.

Handmade Egg Pasta-Back to basics
After roughly two decades of teaching Americans how to cook Italian, Mary Ann Esposito still enjoys showing off the basics - a simple, egg-based, handmade pasta.

Numbers you need to make great pasta
The Associated Press

COOKING ON DEADLINE: Mega Meat Sauce
J.M. HIRSCH
AP Food Editor

Shopper clamors for more competition tips
Marta Laser of Reading, Pa., wanted to know more about the recent $100 shopping competition I participated in and wrote about. Due to space limitations, I wasn’t able to report details in that first column.

Nothing fishy here-Embrace your inner fish
Like "tree-huggers," we fish-huggers are concerned about the environment, specifically the impact of factory trawlers, bottom draggers, the problem of bycatch (e.g., dolphins caught in tuna nets) and industrialized aquaculture. We worry about the byproducts of bad fisheries management or farming, including mercury, antibiotics and colorants in fish. We want to save the fish so we can ... eat them. A little self-interest can, environmentally speaking, be a good thing.

Take rain checks when the shelves run dry
I recently shopped at my drugstore and was disappointed that the best bargains were out of stock. I had waited until the last day of the sale week, and other clever shoppers had cleared out the bargains.

Vatican watchers: Focus on pope’s speech at UN
It would be hard to pick a more symbolic moment to join the church than during an Easter Vigil Mass — the high point of the ancient Christian calendar.

Religion Briefs
Muslim group asks inquiry on alleged threats against Minn. school

At St. Pat’s, Pope prays for healing from abuse scandal
NEW YORK (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI returned to the clergy sex abuse scandal as he preached Saturday in St. Patrick’s cathedral, assuring priests and nuns that he was close to them as they battled the damage left by the scandal.

The pope’s message
The headlines and dramatic photos rush by during a papal visit, framing the sound bites that journalists uncover in stacks of Vatican speech texts.

Procession is a sign of unity...
NACO, Sonora — The third annual border procession featured food, music and prayer on Saturday, but it was the recently-constructed fence on the U.S.-Mexico border that was the topic of the day.

Entertainment versus religious messages
The idea for the movie began with a vision of three fake pirates falling from the sky into the ocean, transported in a magical rowboat back to the 17th century.

Religion In The News
Students now required to observe moment of silence in Illinois

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