Fiestas!
The Douglas Fiestas drew crowds from both sides of the border for the food, fun and carnival.  Above, the China Poblanas are presented  to the crowd, while below left, the Saturday parade drew a crowd.

3 Douglas men arrested in armed robbery
Three Douglas residents have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery that took place Sept. 14 in the 800 block of 21st Street.

Board tables charges, seeks to hire investigator
Less than a week after beginning proceedings to terminate Douglas Unified School District Superintendent Earl Pettit, the school board is still debating charges which caused the move.

Council seeks help with PD Building
The Douglas City Council decided to seek professional assistance on Monday to help determine the best possible use of the old Phelps Dodge Mercantile Building, located on the corner of 10th Street and G Avenue.

Bundles of marijuana concealed in furniture at Douglas POE
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers stopped a marijuana smuggling attempt when they seized $348,000 of marijuana concealed in furniture.

Low-income tax help offered
IRS low-income tax clinics are offering to help taxpayers resolve issues such as account problems, audits, appeals, collection disputes or tax court matters.

Douglas teen dies at Fiestas in AP
Douglas resident and former Douglas Dispatch carrier Alejandro Renova Acosta, 18, died on Wednesday Septembe r16, whil attendking fiesta activities in Agua Prieta.

Friends booksale Oct. 17-18
Clean out your bookshelves! The Friends of the Douglas Library needs donations for its upcoming used book sale. Donations will be accepted now through Thursday, October 1, at the Library, located at 560 10th Street.

Rottweiler aims to meet expectations
 “It’s clear from our interactions that J.D. has the right stuff.”

County acts to give up right of way
BISBEE — A request for the abandonment of an unused public right of way in Sunizona led to a long discussion during  Tuesday’s meeting of the Cochise County Board of Supervisors.

Douglas Police Reports
August 19, 2009

Cochsie County Sheriff’s Office
September 10

Border
 Facing criticism for her handling of federal stimulus money, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday that she would not start any new border construction projects while the department reviewed how projects were selected.

Optimism for economy as August sales jump by largest amount in three years
 Retail sales jumped in August by the largest amount in more than three years, but economists warn that as long as credit stays tight and jobs remain scarce, Americans probably aren’t ready to spend in force again.

State pushing for mass vaccinations for swine flu
PHOENIX  State health officials are urging counties to conduct mass vaccinations at public schools in an effort to get as many children inoculated against the novel H1N1 flu as possible.

Jobless rate remains flat in August
PHOENIX  Arizona’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate remained essentially flat in August.

Douglas Fiestas Parade draws crowd
The Douglas Fiestas, which proceed the Cochise County Fair, is a popular event in Douglas. The activities feature the China Poblanas competition in the weeks leading up to the three day festival. The event also features great entertainment and food along with a carnival all three days of the weekend event. On of the most popular aspects of the event is the Saturday Parade.

Meeting maps out options for transit-starved areas
SIERRA VISTA — A collection of about 20 local business, education and government leaders met Thursday morning to discuss Arizona’s transportation issues, and possible solutions, and how they affect Cochise County.

Arizona poverty rate is twice as fast as nation
PHOENIX — The percentage of Arizonans living in poverty increased twice as fast as the national average last year.

AARP Tax-Aide program needs volunteers
 AARP Tax-Aide, the nation’s largest free volunteer-run tax assistance and preparation service is looking for volunteers to be local site greeters, tax preparers and/or to take on leadership positions.  In 2009, between February 1 and April 15, over 90 sites in Arizona provided assistance to over 44,000 taxpayers.

New swine flu wave hits Mexico
 The next wave of swine flu has arrived, and Mexicans are bracing for an outbreak that may be even larger than the one here last spring that became a pandemic.

Fair Fun
Huge crowds filled the Cochise County Fairgrounds during the annual event last weekend. Of course, the kids come for the rides, but children and adults were fascinated by the entertainment of Magician Godfrey. Right, Jim Haverly, former owner of Giggles, holds daughter, Heather, while her brother helps out, as she is levitated between two chairs.

DUSD Board under state spotlight
Termination proceedings,  or lack of them, has put the Douglas Unified School District  Governing Board under the glare of the state media since its last meeting.

New legislation takes effect
PHOENIX — Just in time for the next bout of flu, a new state law takes effect Wednesday that may make it easier to get immunized.

Relay for Life this weekend
Douglas residents will gather at the Copper King Baseball Stadium on Saturday, October 3 – Sunday, October 4, 2009, at 10:00 A.M. to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Douglas.  Over the course of 15 years, the Relay for Life of Douglas has raised over $200,000.00 for cancer research, education, advocacy and patient services.

College Administration of Justice now recruiting high school students
A pilot program to engage high school juniors and seniors in college-level instruction and career preparation will expand into law enforcement training at the Douglas Campus beginning in January.

Bar, restaurant owners have choice on guns
PHOENIX — If you don’t like the thought of guns where you get your liquor, you should look for a sign.

Bookmobile Schedule
October is Family History Month and what better place to start researching your family’s history than on our website.  We are now offering two new databases that can help you; HeritageQuest (accessible from your home computer) and Ancestry Library (accessible from any city or branch library).  You can use these resources free of charge; all you need is a library card! 

Fewer border agents in south?
Federal officials do not intend to cut the number of U.S. Border Patrol agents deployed on the Southwestern border, despite comments to the contrary last week.

Petition seeks recall of Giffords
PHOENIX — A recall petition filed Tuesday against a member of Congress could end up being a test case for how much power Arizonans have to get rid of federal lawmakers.

Cochise County empowers local solar efforts
BISBEE — In an effort to make the county friendly to renewable energy, the Cochise County Board of Supervisors approved the addition of regulations for solar energy systems and power plants during Tuesday’s meeting.

New trial to start next week in slaying
BISBEE — A man charged with fatally stabbing his girlfriend with a knife in 2001 near Willcox will go on trial starting next week in Cochise County Superior Court.

Cochise County Sheriff’s Office
September 19-20

Douglas Police Reports
August 29, 2009

2009 Fair draws large crowds
Clockwise, from top, the Cochise College Rodeo is always one of the most popular events at the fair; The ribbon-cutting on Thursday signifies the beginning of the weekend event; the brightly colored Ferris Wheel is a vital part of any carnival or fair; Erica Romero and Frances Young, foreground, show their pigs during the annual 4-H/FFA judging; and Fair Board President Jennifer Brown, center, sees double as part of hypnotist Joe DeCarlo’s performance.

Four teachers leave district
Superintendent Pettit’s employment with the district wasn’t the only one being scrutinized at the meeting Monday,

Lawyer charges English immersion classes illegal
PHOENIX — An attorney seeking more funds to help students learn English charges that a program designed to teach them is illegal.

Brewer said cuts could make programs disappear
PHOENIX  Arizonans should expect some programs and services they now use to disappear entirely because of the budget crunch, Gov. Jan Brewer said Monday.

Where there’s smoke
Bruce Whetten
Douglas Dispatch photo

Body carrier caught by CBP officers at Douglas Port
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers stopped a drug smuggling attempt when they apprehended a 16-year-old boy trying to smuggle marijuana taped to his body.

County is on list for swine flu vaccine
Arizona requested the first 60,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control. It’s a little more than 1 percent of the vaccine the state expects to receive.

County tackles jail crowding
BISBEE — Rather than spend many millions of dollars on an expansion of the county jail, the Cochise County Board of Supervisors decided to look into other options including release programs for those sentenced to or awaiting trial on misdemeanors.

Cochise County Sheriff’s Office
September 30

Pettit keeps his office, investigator hired
After a 45-minute executive session, despite efforts by Board President Charles Hoyack, the board voted to allow Superintendent Earl Pettit to remain at his post in the Central Administration Building.

DPD arrest man from Mexico with 233 pounds of pot
Douglas Police seized 233 pounds of marijuana valued at over $100,000 and arrested a man from Mexico Monday.

Rollover leaves one dead
On Sunday, October 4, at approximately 8:00 pm, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office began receiving several 9-1-1 calls related to an accident that had just occurred where multiple people were injured.  The calls were from Hispanic male subjects who did not speak English and who did not know where they were at.

Border Patrol Report
Border Patrol Agents from the Douglas Station arrested an illegal alien from Mexico Sunday, west of the Douglas Port of Entry.  The man was transported to the station for further processing. While there, Agents noticed he had a tattoo above his left eyebrow displaying “Sureno,” the name of a street gang in California.  The man was held for further processing.

Grocery prices 20 percent less than a year ago
PHOENIX  Deflation has finally come to the Arizona shopping cart.

Military News
Navy Seaman Recruit Kayla M. Brown, daughter of  Jennifer L. and Michael W. Beck of Douglas, Ariz., recently completed U.S.  Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill.

Gas prices drop across county
According to the Cochise College Center for Economic Research’s latest biweekly survey of gas prices, conducted during the week of October 5, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Cochise County decreased from $2.53 to $2.45 per gallon over the preceding two-week period. According to AAA Arizona, the statewide price decreased from $2.56 to $2.45 per gallon. Nationally, according to the Energy Information Administration, gas prices decreased from $2.55 to $2.47 during the two-week period.

Old trailers a problem for county
BISBEE — The idea was to create low-cost housing for people on a limited income by allowing someone with a low income to move or bring in a pre-1976 mobile home.

Cochise County Sheriff's Office
October 6

Border Patrol sees wave of Chinese apprehensions
Several groups of illegal immigrants from China have been apprehended in southern Arizona in recent days, part of an increasing trend that U.S. Border Patrol agents said Monday was being fed by smugglers recruiting tourists to Central and South America.

Offenses against kids get three arrested by agents
 Border Patrol agents from the Douglas station on Monday arrested three illegal alien males from Mexico; all with criminal records for various offenses against children, authorities said. The arrests occurred in three separate incidents.

Border Patrol Report
October 8

2 men get life terms in ‘08 deaths
BISBEE — Two men  convicted of killing another man in 2008 near Willcox were sentenced Thursday to spend the rest of their lives in prison.

Sentencings
June 1

Douglas Port continues to extend hours of commercial-cargo service
The Douglas International Port Authority’s commercial cargo facility will continue to provide two hours of service on Saturdays to the international trade community.

Sew Piece-ful quilt show on Nov. 7
Sew Piece-ful Quilt Show will be held during the first week in November at the Art Gallery, located at 625 10th Street.

Cycling Classic dedicated to longtime Douglas resident
This Saturday’s 22nd Annual Cochise County Cycling Classic is being dedicated to longtime Douglas resident and race supporter Curtis Foster.

Police find 561 pounds of marijuana
Douglas Police officers remain busy recording a second major drug bust in two days.

Federal agents ground airborne smuggling try
An airborne attempt to smuggle marijuana into the U.S. States was unsuccessful Thursday, federal authorities said  Friday.

Joe Delgado brings his years of experience on insurance and finance with State Farm Insurance
Joe Delgado brings his years of experience on insurance and finance to his work at State Farm Insurance, located at 805 Cochise Avenue.

County unemployment up, still lowest in state
According to figures released by the Arizona Department of Commerce, Cochise County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 7.1 to 7.2 percent from July to August. Cochise County’s unemployment rate remained the lowest in the state and was considerably below the state and national levels. The statewide unemployment rate in August came in at 9.1 percent, down from 9.2 percent. Nationally, the unemployment rate increased from 9.4 to 9.7 percent.

Joe Delgado brings his years of experience on insurance and finance with State Farm Insurance
Joe Delgado brings his years of experience on insurance and finance to his work at State Farm Insurance, located at 805 Cochise Avenue.

College wellness workshops open to community
 

Bookmobile Schedule
October is Family History Month and what better place to start researching your family’s history than on our website.  We are now offering two new databases that can help you; HeritageQuest (accessible from your home computer) and Ancestry Library (accessible from any city or branch library).  You can use these resources free of charge; all you need is a library card! 

This Week At the Douglas Farmers Market
Time: Open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays through October

Cub Scout member drive ongoing
The local Cub Scouts are having a membership drive.

Low-income tax help offered
IRS low-income tax clinics are offering to help taxpayers resolve issues such as account problems, audits, appeals, collection disputes or tax court matters.

This Week at the Douglas Farmers Market
Time: Open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays through October

Flu shots cancelled in SV; Douglas set for Fri., Sat.
The Cochise County Health Department regrets to inform the public that the October 2nd and October 3rd Seasonal Flu Shot clinics in Sierra Vista have been cancelled due to a lack of additional vaccine for those clinics.  The last clinics to be held this year will be in Douglas and Benson, Arizona at the dates, times and locations below.

Some jobs have useful perks
Finding a job can be tough. If you’ve been laid off, are looking for a part-time primary or second job, or are returning to the workforce after being a stay-at-home parent, it can feel as if there aren’t any jobs out there. One thing to consider is that many jobs don’t seem appealing at first glance. For example, maybe the pay is far less than you’re hoping for, but there might be perks that make the job worth taking. Some companies such as Starbucks, Kroger and United Parcel Service offer healthcare benefits to part-time staff. You can ask whether the position has any extra perks, such as free or discounted cell phone, gas or parking allowance, flexible spending accounts, adoption or tuition assistance, fitness incentives, community discounts, restaurants, etc.

This Week at the Douglas Farmers Market
Time: Open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays through October

Cochise County Fair Results
The 2009 Cochise County Fair was a great success with 4-H and Future Farmers of America exhibits displayed by more than 115 youth members.

Saturday Art for Children held on October 10
“Sock Puppets with Personality,” the next class in the “Second Saturday Art for Children” series, will be held on Saturday, October 10, at the Douglas Art Gallery, 10:30-12:30.

2009 4H/FFA Livestock and Horse results
The 2009 Cochise County Fair was a great success with many exhibits displayed by 4-H and FFA youth members. Below are the Champion and Reserve award winners from the livestock, small stock, horse, and dog divisions. Congratulations to all the participants and many thanks to the numerous volunteers and donors that helped to make it a great year. Sixty four animals (rabbits, cavies, poultry, waterfowl, landfowl and pigeons) were sold to 24 buyers through the small stock auction for a total of $3,960 plus add on contributions. The fair culminated with the livestock auction selling 29 steers, 15 goats, 10 lambs and 58 hogs in front of the grandstands. A total of 65 buyers participated in this years auction with a sale total of $140,294 plus add-on contributions. Over 100 other individuals and businesses sponsored fair awards, add-ons, livestock trucking, and the buyers luncheon.

This Week at the Douglas Farmers Market
Time: Open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays through October

Classical guitar concert to benefit Cochise College Cultural Events
Classical guitarist Tom Sheeley, a Northern Arizona University professor of guitar studies and music, presents a concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 at the Sierra Vista Community United Church of Christ.

Plan B: Time to break out the big guns
Plan A was to take off from work a bit early to indulge in some culinary therapy, cutting and chopping, and simmering a homemade soup or stew that would fill the house with great aromas. At dinnertime, for once, everyone would be relaxed. Then came the unexpected work deadline, the unplanned trip to the vet, the just-remembered meeting with your child’s teacher. Time for Plan B.

Replace products with vinegar
Vinegar is a frugalista’s BFF. It’s not just for cooking, salads or to clean out your coffeepot. It’s cheap and can replace many products in your home. Some people complain about the smell. Once you’ve used vinegar in your home for a while, you get used to the smell and will find it’s mild compared to many cleaning products you were accustomed to using. During your transition, you can add essential oil, citrus or herbs to your vinegar to cut the smell a bit. There are hundreds of uses. How do you use vinegar in your home?

In praise of Famous Wafers
When my kids were small, I knocked myself out on their birthday cakes. I tinted whipped cream with strawberry reductions so they could have pink frosting without the red dye. I assembled from-scratch cakes into bunnies and clowns. I decorated sheet cakes with tiny plastic toys to create carnivals, beach scenes and zoos. Then I came to my senses. What birthday cake had my mom always made for me? What was the cake I still craved? The Nabisco Famous Wafer Refrigerator Cake, of course.

State uses WIC to force kids to eat right
PHOENIX  Unable to defeat childhood obesity with public relations campaigns, state health officials are going to start using their power to force parents to buy healthier items.

Cook inspects his last kitchen
Matt Cook, Cochise County’s Health Inspector for Environmental Health District III for the past 15 and a half years, officially retired Friday. Cook was honored at a retirement party last week where family and friends gathered to wish him the best. Cook says he will stay in the area and is looking into some other business ventures. His wife Ginger is one of the executive officers for the Chiricahua Community Health Centers located in Douglas, Bisbee and Elfrida.

Learn to negotiate prices
Negotiating and haggling are regaining popularity. Even the most timid of consumers is starting to speak up to get the best deal. What used to be reserved for garage sales or large purchases, such as automobiles, appliances and homes, is now a trend crossing over to many additional products and services. It doesn’t cost you anything to simply ask whether a price is set in stone before you buy. So don’t be afraid. If you’re married or have kids, you’ve been negotiating on a regular basis for a while. Do you have a haggling story? Let me know. Not sure where to begin?

Health Department
Cochise County Health Department , 515 7th Street, Douglas, AZ. 85607; telephone: 805-5600. Open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except holidays).

How to survive the snack attacks
Maybe you don’t snack. Maybe you are, say, “European,” that exotic breed of diner who, we are told, never eats between meals and can lunch on goose fat, runny cheese and red wine with impunity. Maybe you are an extremely disciplined person who limits yourself to three squares a day and no between-meal treats. Maybe you should just stop reading now.

V is for vegan, and very well-fed
It has been more than a century since nutrition crusaders such as John Harvey Kellogg (yes, the inventor of cornflakes) began espousing the health benefits of a vegetarian diet. Yet many people still look askance at meat-free eating. When it comes to veganism — which excludes all animal products, including eggs, milk, cheese and honey — lots of people roll their eyes.

Reuse baby-wipe containers
Many new parents buy baby wipes, and, when the wipes are gone, they’re left with a sturdy plastic container. Rather than throwing it away, reuse it as a storage container or turn it into a fun toy. Not only are you reducing waste; you’re saving yourself money that you would spend on purchasing new storage containers. Many of these types of storage containers are rarely seen by guests anyway, so why purchase something fancy? It makes perfect “cents” to reuse them.

Brewer blasts new federal health plan
PHOENIX  Gov. Jan Brewer is blasting congressional plans for a national health plan, at least in part because Arizona could be forced to actually provide care for everyone the state already is supposed to be covering now.

Influenza Q&A: What you need to know
Q: What is the flu?

Church tries to define monogamy
There was no way for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to affirm the ministries of clergy living in “publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships” without attracting attention.

God has placed me here, Brewer
FOUNTAIN HILLS — Gov. Jan Brewer said Wednesday she  believes “God has placed me in this powerful position as Arizona’s governor’’ to help the state weather its troubles.

‘Devout’ is much overused in religion
The recent obituaries celebrating the career of nationally syndicated horoscope columnist Linda C. Black included a number of colorful details about her life.

Reunite with fans at Rex Allen Days
Annual event in Willcox this weekend
“If you have ever or never been to an annual small-town celebration, we have a classic example for all ages right here in Willcox, original home of a famous singing cowboy,” said Rex Allen Days Committee president Peggy Judd. “Join us, as we Cowboy through it all during the 58th Annual Rex Allen Days, held this year on Oct. 1-4.”

Turning the politics of anger into a positive
Anyone who has turned on talk radio or the television, scanned the headlines or visited Capitol Hill lately knows that millions of Americans are angry.

AP orphan project results in Knighthood for Tucson man
Tucson resident Timothy R. Heinan was invested as Grand Cross in the Order of St. Michael and the Wing, at the historic Alcobaca Abbey in Portugal on September 27.   The Order of St. Michael and the Wing is one of the oldest Catholic of knighthoods in Europe; its statutes having been promulgated by Pope Alexander III in 1171. 

Churches influence abortion debate
If researchers want to uncover the roots of America’s bitter divisions on abortion, the first thing they should do is ask millions of citizens this question: How often do you attend worship services?

Early Learning Center
Ms. Diana  Salcido and Ms. Alma

The challenge of reaching today’s student
In my first months in Cochise County, I have had the pleasure of meeting local residents as a guest speaker for a number of community organizations. My message to these groups ultimately centers around Cochise College, but it really begins with a “big picture” discussion about societal changes and how they are impacting education.

Friends booksale Oct. 17-18
Clean out your bookshelves! The Friends of the Douglas Library needs donations for its upcoming used book sale. Donations will be accepted now through Thursday, October 1, at the Library, located at 560 10th Street.

Early Learning Center
Ms. Diana  Salcido and Ms. Alma

This Week at Cochise College
Wednesday, September 30

Key ingredients, flexible recipe enhance job-search success
Many celebrity chefs started cooking by following basic recipes, then modifying mixtures over time to satisfy personal tastes before moving on to create new culinary inventions. This type of progression holds true for many things in life that improve with experience, including job searches and careers.

Early Learning Center
Ms. Dalila’s and Mr. Jesus’s 3-year old Class

This Week at Cochise College
Wednesday, October 7

Clawson Students of the Month
Clawson school recently selected its Students of the Month for August and September. Pictured, in the back row, from left, are Michael McCue, Laura Gonzalez, Roman Ortiz, Jazmyn Romero, Lauren Paun, Brooke Foreman, Gabriela Ramirez, Fernando Miranda, Coy Prudler, Charlie Gonzalez, Roxanna Toscano and Aaliyah Castillo; middle row, from left,  Kira Lopez, Xylin Vasquez, Azzyri Molina, Ernesto Bernal, Alonso Rodriguez, Vianca Armenta, Sophia Pettit,  and Frank Ballesteros; and front row, from left, Domenique Montaño, Alex Grijalva, Axel Boneo, Marco Antonio Pena, J.R. Valenzuela, Abraham Madrigal, Luis Gonzalez, Fernando Terrazas, and Alexandria Bernal Not pictured is Regina Ramirez, Paulina Medrano and Josue De La Ree

Sarah Marley Students of the Month
Sarah Marley Elementary School recently named its Students of the Month for September. Those selected are, first row, from left,  Alejandro Mendoza, Jessica Franco, Dylan Vasquez and Vanessa Valencia; second row, from left, Julian Palafox, Angel Barcelo, Michael Medina andAlicia Resendiz; third row, from left, Daniel Preciado, Yulisa Caraveo, Anthony Avalos and Luis Aguilar. Not Pictured is Eileen Lopez.

Cochise College Events
Wednesday, October 14

School Briefs
On September 30,  Omega Alpha Academy sponsored an “Omega Reads” night.

College seeking women to explore male-dominated careers
Cochise College graduate Belinda Burnett has worked as a flight instructor in a male-dominated field since 1988. A few years ago, Amanda Rubio became the first graduate of the college’s automotive technology program. And, precise hand-eye coordination makes women good welders, according to one college faculty member.