Elfrida––Although the bell has rung and school has started at Valley Union High School, they have no counselor’s or superintendent’s office or even a principal’s office, for that matter.

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16-year-old Elfrida boy pleads not guilty to burning, vandalizing school
Sixteen-year-old Manuel Corona pleaded not guilty Monday afternoon to arson and vandalism of the Valley Union High School in Elfrida, 26 miles north of Douglas.

High-tech passport cards are arriving and are ready for use
BISBEE — Applicants have recently begun receiving the new passport cards, and although some workers at ports of entry have not yet seen the documents in use, officials say they are prepared for them.

Two more ballot initiatives certified, one may be short of signaturesv
 PHOENIX — Two more measures were certified Friday as being qualified for the ballot, even though a random sample suggest one does not have enough signatures.

Two bodies found over the weekend
Two bodies were found in two separate incidents between Bisbee and Douglas during the weekend, sheriff’s authorities said.

Arizonans pay less to support local, state governments
 PHOENIX — It may provide small comfort. But a new study shows that Arizonans pay proportionately less of their incomes t support state and local governments than residents of most other states.

Masons bringing “CHIP” ID for children to Douglas
The Douglas Masonic Lodge, and a members of the Freemasons of Arizona have been involved in helping the Douglas community in supporting victims of Domestic Violence, and ensuring they’re safety. 

Qwest lawsuit, others may cost school taxpayers
A statewide a lawsuit by Qwest will cost the district residents more money, and could be just one of several utility lawsuits filed against the state.

Judge moves Corbett retrial from September to October
TUCSON — A federal judge has postponed the jury trial for U.S. Border Patrol Agent Nicholas Corbett’s murder case until October.

Looking at recycling challenge
SIERRA VISTA — For several months, the Cochise County Recycling Advisory Committee members have been touring the various transfer stations and landfills to familiarize themselves with the current operations of the solid waste department.

No, go this way
These Stevenson Elementary School students take part in a parade around the school to mark the beginning of classes for the new year.  Schools throughout the community began , along with the high school and it s new longer schedule.

County supervisors adopt final budget for fiscal year 2009
BISBEE — The Cochise County Board of Supervisors adopted the final county budget for fiscal year 2008-09 during a special meeting Monday morning.

Gas prices decline across the county
According to the Cochise College Center for Economic Research’s latest biweekly survey of gas prices, conducted during the week of July 28, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Cochise County dropped from $3.97 to $3.94 over the two-week period.

Bewilderment, compassion for boy who kills own mother
All Sara Madrid wanted to do that Friday was spend the entire day with Alfonso Muñoz, her live-in partner of 10 years. She had taken the day off just so that she could sit and relax next to him while he drove around and attended to a series of welding jobs he wanted to finish before the end of the day.

Elfrida teen arraigned Monday for arson, vandalism
A 16-year-old Elfrida boy will be arraigned Monday in the Superior Court of Cochise County for the alleged arson and vandalism of the Valley Union High School in Elfrida, a small farming community north of Douglas.

Why does San Diego have so many border agents?
SAN ANTONIO — Despite efforts to add Border Patrol agents to areas where immigrant traffic is high and drug violence is flaring, officers assigned to the 2,000-mile boundary with Mexico are bunched up near the California coast. And some critics see politics at play.

Douglas Police Report
July 30, 2008

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.

Authorities in Mexico probe recent deaths
CANANEA, Sonora — Mexican authorities are investigating the deaths of nine individuals whose bodies were discovered here during the past month.

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.

Union boss looms large as Cananea strike drags on
CANANEA, Sonora — A little over a year ago, on July 30, 2007, more than 1,000 unionized miners walked off the job here over health and safety concerns at the nation’s largest copper mine.

Cochise County Farm Bureau meets Sat.
 The Cochise County Farm Bureau will hold its annual meeting on Saturday, August 16, 2008 at 6:00 pm. The meeting will be held at the Elks Lodge, 247 E. Stewart Street in Willcox.

Schools’ Business Office honored
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the Douglas Unified School District for its comprehensive annual financial report. The certificate of achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

Cochise County’s retail market in recession
 May, Cochise County’s retail sales declined by 1.2 percent after adjusting for inflation. This was the third consecutive month of declining retail sales in the county. Countywide, retail sales have declined in 6 of the past 7 months. The last month that saw positive growth was February of this year, when sales were up 2.4 percent after inflation. Prior to that, the last month to see positive growth was October last year, which saw real growth of 6 percent.

Falling crude shaves a quarter off fuel prices
Across the state and country, motorists heading into the weekend are continuing to experience relief at the pump as fuel prices retreat for the fifth consecutive week. Statewide, drivers are currently paying an average of $3.826 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline, a drop of 8.5 cents from last week. Tucson drivers continue to hold the state’s lowest fuel price at $3.668 per gallon, while Flagstaff drivers continue to pay the most to fill their tanks at $4.069 per gallon. Nationwide, the current average is $3.836 per gallon, a drop of over seven cents from last week.

Tour organic gardens & help start community gardens
Eager to raise some of your own fruits and vegetables?  The month of August is a good time to get started as it’s easy digging due to all the rain which also helps plants take off and flourish.  Several events this month in both Bisbee and Sierra Vista will offer help and inspiration.

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

Summertime and the sipping is easy
Summer is the time for cold drinks on a hot day, cocktails on the deck and iced tea on the porch. It’s the time for having friends over in a bare-feet-and-cutoffs, backyard-barbecue, kids-under-the-sprinkler kind of atmosphere. And the perfect way to combine cold drinks with friends is to mix up a batch of sangria. That’s the chilled fruit-and-wine punch from Spain and Portugal.

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.

Lines between faith, ethnicity blurred in the Balkans
For a dozen years, they hunted Europe’s most notorious war criminal.

Preacher stole, then killed to cover his tracks
HICKMAN, Calif. (AP) - Friends of an elderly millionaire who was killed by a local pastor sensed something was wrong long before his death.

Priest sentenced to prison for abusing Tucson teens
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A pedophile priest has been sentenced to prison for abusing three Tucson teenagers.

Religion News In Brief
Catholic bishops endorse Calif. gay marriage ban

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

More than 200 ready to celebrate with their former classmates
More than  200 former DouglasHigh School Bulldogs have committed to be in Douglas for the All Classes Reunion on October 10-13.

Legislator wants to use surplus money for private, parochial school tuition
 PHOENIX -- House Speaker Jim Weiers wants a special legislative session -- and soon -- to use surplus House funds to finance two programs to let some parents send their children to private an parochial schools.

Douglas All Classes Reunion List
1935 - Raul H. Castro

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