Larry Blaskey
Douglas Dispatch

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Office manager gets prison, fine in illegal hiring case
TUCSON — The office manager of Sun Drywall and Stucco Inc. in Sierra Vista was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court to 14 months in prison and home detention for employing individuals who are unauthorized to work in the United States.

Shopping season is here
Some of the worst sales reports in years now coming in, retailers all across the country are bracing themselves for what looks to be a holiday shopping season that is uncertain at best.

Elfrida boy charged with arson rejects plea agreement
A 16-year-old Elfrida boy charged with vandalizing and burning a part of Valley Union High School rejected a plea agreement Tuesday that would have sentenced him to 7 years in prison.

Black Friday shoppers out in force
Douglas shoppers, like those nationally, were out in force Friday, some buying, some not.

Santa coming to Douglas today
Santa Claus is making a quick trip to Douglas this weekend for two events.

CBP Officers Seize over 450 pounds of Marijuana at Douglas Port of Entry on Thanksgiving Day
 Douglas, Ariz – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Douglas port of entry foiled on Thanksgiving day two narcotics smuggling attempts totaling 450 pounds of marijuana and worth more than $729,000, officials announced today.

State finances continue to be hurt by lack of consumer spending
PHOENIX  The state’s finances continue to crumble as Arizona consumers curb their buying habits, especially for shiny new wheels.

Research group alert parents to be aware about Christmas toys
PHOENIX -- A tube from an empty roll of toilet paper could be your best shopping tool if you're looking for toys for tykes.

Highway 92 median work starts Monday
SIERRA VISTA — Expect some delays as work begins to construct medians on Highway 92, north and south of Buffalo Soldier Trail.

County’s employers try to avoid layoffs in uncertain economy
SIERRA VISTA — Although Cochise County is doing slightly better than the national average when it comes to job losses, the county is keeping up with the rest of the state as unemployment rises.

Abandoned homes set to be demolished
Under the umbrella of a nuisance abatement program, abandoned homes here will be demolished.

Napolitano to step down to take federal job
PHOENIX -- Presidentelect Barack Obama formally named Gov. Janet Napolitano Monday as his choice for Secretary of Homeland Security, saying she has "the experience and executive skills we need.''

Douglas Police Report
 November 9, 2008

Parade kicks off Christmas season
Hundreds crowded both sides of G Avenue on Saturday, November 29, waiting for their first glimpse of Santa Claus. The annual Douglas Light Parade kicked off at 7 p.m. Saturday and drew young and old, resident and visitor to downtown Douglas. Counterclockwise, from top, the Grinch drives the old Douglas Fire Engine during the parade; Santa and Mrs Claus wave hello to kids from their sleigh; This beautiful Christmas tree was one of the highlights of the annual parade; and Ronald McDonald made a special visit to the parade this year.

Employment in Douglas on upswing despite state reports
Third of a series
By Larry Blaskey
Douglas Dispatch

Mexican president vows to clean up corruption
MEXICO CITY (AP) — President Felipe Calderon pledged Sunday to clean up corruption within his administration and vowed that his government would never negotiate with drug lords.

DPS arrests 159 impaired drivers Thanksgiving weekend
During a three day period beginning Friday, November 28 and ending Sunday, November 30, DPS Officers made 159 arrests statewide for driving under the influence.  Out of that number 17 drivers were arrested for aggravated DUI and 33 were arrested for extreme DUI.  The total number of underage DUI arrests was 14.  A total of 18 drivers had prior convictions for DUI when arrested and the average BAC of all of those arrested was .145.

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.

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

Buy now to save later
In a past column, I mentioned spending that saves money. It included products and decisions that seem costly upfront but can help you save money in the long run. At the top of the list were steam cleaners, freezers, wood stoves and reusable containers, to name a few. You can probably think of some off the top of your head, such as investing in a garden, home insulation, sealing drafty windows and doors or buying CFL bulbs.

Don't forget the graham crackers
In this era of the double-stuffed, sprinkled, frosted, filled, fantastically shaped and otherwise flamboyant cookie, there is one that often gets overlooked: the graham cracker. In fact, if it weren't for Teddy Grahams -- the bear-shaped cookies introduced by Nabisco in 1988 -- the graham cracker might have faded from modern consciousness completely, much like its creator, the Rev. Sylvester Graham.

‘Tis the season: Things you must know for season eatings
 Consider the following: Food is plentiful during the holidays. But in one week, an extra 500 calories a day translates into one pound of body weight. Parties, family gatherings, gifts, and food, food, food!… what a special time of year this is! To help you through the season, Weight Watchers® offers these holiday tips.

Pre-holiday preparation tips
It’s time to  eliminate some of the holiday stress before the season even starts.

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.

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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