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

More of this story

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.

Cochise superior court sENTENCINGS
July 10

Swine flu clinics set up throughout Cochise County
The Cochise County Health Department is announcing the first five H1N1 vaccination clinics of this flu season.  The population targeted for vaccination at these clinics is school-aged children 5 through 18 years of age.  Both healthy children and children with underlying medical conditions are eligible to be vaccinated at these Health Department clinics.

Dog ordinance moves ahead
The city moved closer to final resolution concerning the amendment to the City Code concerning ownership and care of dogs and cats during its meeting on Wednesday October 14.

Border Patrol Report
Tucson boy caught wWith $30,000 of Marijuana at Douglas Port of Entry  

Cochise County Sheriff’s Office
October 13

Homecoming
Bruce Whetten
Douglas Dispatch

Budget cuts may force early release of felons
PHOENIX  State agencies are proposing early prison release of a fourth of convicted felons, eliminating health care for children of the working poor and slashing so many police officers that the director of Department of Public Safety said will make Arizona “open territory’’ for smugglers.

Chamber selects award winners
After weeks of receiving nominations, the final selection has been made for Citizens of the Year and Businesses of the Year by the Greater Douglas Chamber of Commerce.

New border watch effort will focus on cameras
 HEREFORD — American Border Patrol, a nonprofit organization, launched a plan Thursday to demonstrate how easy it would be for federal officials to count illegal immigrants entering the United States.

Health condition cited in swine flu death
SIERRA VISTA — Cochise County has seen its first H1N1 death.

Douglas man shot
A 61-year-old Douglas man is currently in stable condition at University Medical Center in Tucson after being shot in the abdomen during the course of a fight, believed to be gang-related.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
Tests show Arsenic in the Douglas Water

Homecoming week
The annual D-Day parade up G Ave. Thursday was part of a series of events that culminated Friday night with the Bulldogs beating the Rio Rico Hawks 46-26. The junior class float (above) was selected the best float in the parade. For more on the game and homecoming pictures please turn to pages B1 and B8.

Cochsie County Superior Court Sentencings
Aug. 21

Cochise County Sheriff’s Office
October 19

Chamber selects award winners; Goddard guest speaker
After weeks of receiving nominations, the final selection has been made for Citizens of the Year and Businesses of the Year by the Greater Douglas Chamber of Commerce.

Woman of the Year
Originally from San Francisco, this year’s “Woman of the Year” Cathy Keiser moved to Douglas by way of Washington state eight years ago.

Drug transportation ring broken up
PHOENIX — Local and federal law enforcement officers said they have broken up a drug transportation ring that was bringing 60,000 pounds of marijuana into Arizona literally one backpack at a time.

Man of the Year
Edward Page was selected “Man of the Year,” for his quiet, supportive leadership in the community and county.

City council hopefuls can begin picking up packets Nov. 9
The 2010 Douglas Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, to nominate Council members for Wards 2, 4, and 6.  Candidate packets will be available for distribution at the City Clerk’s Office on November 9, 2009, and must be returned by December 9, 2009, at 5:00 p.m.

Swine flu clinics set up throughout Cochise County
The Cochise County Health Department is announcing the first five H1N1 vaccination clinics of this flu season.  The population targeted for vaccination at these clinics is school-aged children 5 through 18 years of age.  Both healthy children and children with underlying medical conditions are eligible to be vaccinated at these Health Department clinics.

Douglas Police Report
October 1, 2009

School bond, 15th St. School sale on Nov. 3 ballot
A $7.4 million bond authorization is on the Tuesday, November 3, ballot  which would allow the Douglas Unified School District to sell bonds for school district construction and remodeling.

State wants to raid funds
PHOENIX  Arizona voters need to give lawmakers permission to raid some special funds to get the state out of its immediate financial hole, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said Thursday.

Spooktacular Oct. 30 at 8th St. Park
The Douglas Dispatch and City of Douglas will be sponsoring the “Spooktacular” Halloween Carnival on  Friday, October 30, at Veteran’s Memorial Park.

Businesses may have to wait past 2012 for tax cuts
TEMPE — Arizona businesses may have to wait a bit longer than 2012 for the tax cuts she promised, Gov. Jan Brewer said Monday.

Is it better to spend or save?
In the current economic downturn, the rallying cry has been that we need to spend more to get the economy moving again. This flies in the face of the criticism of recent decades that Americans spend too much and don’t save enough. Which gives rise to the economic question: Is it better to spend or save? To answer this, we must look at what happens both when we spend and when we save.

State jobless rate unchanged for second straight month
PHOENIX  Arizona’s jobless rate remained virtually unchanged for the second month in a row.

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.

Villaescusa wins bike in first Douglas rodeo
Douglas resident, David Villaescusa, is the recipient of a bike from the Douglas Bike Rodeo held October 3, 2009 at the Douglas Police Department parking lot.   The winner of the bike was selected from essays written as part of a contest to promote the bike safety rodeo and the Chiricahua Community Health Centers Cochise Classic Fun Ride.

Candlelight vigil
The House of Hope held its 15th annual Candlelight Walk and Vigil from Douglas City Hall to Castro Park to commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month on Thursday, October 15. A group gathered at the city hall steps at 6 p.m. and listened intently while Wendy Gomez, above, representing the Mayor’s Office read the official city proclamation.They then proceeded to the park for a program featuring recognitions and remembrances.

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

Computer winner
Lawana Diffie, right,  and Charles Diffie of Two Flags Computers, congratulate Lydia Stevens of Douglas, who won a notebook computer as part of a promotion sponsored by the store and the Douglas Dispatch. More than 1,000 entries were submitted for the Acer Notebook computer. Three other second place winners will receive a 4 GB MP3 player. Those winning the MP3 are Blanca Olivas, Rose Martinez and Francisco Durazo, all of Douglas. Call 364-3424 or stop by the Douglas Dispatch, 530 11th Street in Douglas, to claim your prize. to claim your prize. Diffie stands in front of their new location at 557 10th Street, a few doors down from their current location. They will open up in their larger offices in November.

Build a family library to encourage reading in your home
The benefits of creating a home library are immeasurable. I started our family library prior to our first child’s birth. While some moms-to-be were shopping for baby clothes, I was adding some of my favorite childhood books to our family library. Growing up, I had a variety of reading materials, such as magazines, a dictionary, encyclopedias, comic books, music books and maps readily accessible. I firmly believe that my home environment had an incredible impact on my love for the written word and boosted my imagination.

Halloween Carnival set for Oct. 30 at 8th St. Park
The Douglas Dispatch and City of Douglas will be sponsoring the “Spooktacular” Halloween Carnival on  Friday, October 30, at Veteran’s Memorial Park.

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.

Portal Oktoberfest kicks off on Oct. 24
The Portal Oktoberfest begins at 9 a.m. Arizona time on Saturday, October 24,  by the post office and library. 

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?

Bake like an artisan
When it comes to baking bread, the real question is, “Why bother?” Artisan bakers have been sprouting like weeds throughout the land, making crusty loaves of rustic bread nearly ubiquitous. But lately, you may have noticed your favorite “peasant” bread retailing at distinctly aristocratic prices. It might be time to bother.

Have a Frightfully Fun Halloween
Make no bones about it - Halloween is a great time to scare up some fun!

Be safe this Halloween
With Halloween set for Saturday this year, there is an expected increase of trick-or-treating children as well as adult partygoers throughout the entire weekend. Although Halloween is a popular holiday for both children and adults, the fun can often overshadow the dangers that exist.

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?

Family-friendly Video -On-Demand here
In the face of an increased demand by Christian audiences for access to high-quality, faith-based, wholesome entertainment from the comfort of their homes, comes the introduction of “Faith & Family Movies,” a new subscription-based video-on-demand service available to Cox Communications Digital Cable customers in Douglas.

Tim Tebow’s religion on the field
After being knocked halfway to kingdom come, Tim Tebow knew that millions of college football fans would be paying close attention to his eyes the next time he led the Florida Gators into action.

Mitch Albom’s Pentecostal preacher
Mitch Albom has seen plenty of extremely large men, which isn’t surprising after a quarter century as one of America’s top sports writers.

Migration 2009: Mission accomplished
Saturday night, October 17, after 36 hours of intense activity, Vicente Teran Uribe, Mayor of Agua Prieta, Sonora, declared formally closed the Migratón 2009 with a significantly positive balance: 44,916.4 pounds of donations for the benefit of migrants crossing the Naco - Douglas corridor.

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.

Students of the Month
September Students of the Month at Paul Huber Middle School were recently announced. Honored, in the front row, from left, is    Fatima Pena, Paola Yanez, and Ilse  Grijalva; Middle row, from left,  Apolonia Bustamonte, Kiana Arias, Joceline Montano,  Jocelin Coronado, Carlos Felix, and Juan Espinosa; Back row, from left, Martin Rios, Assistant Principal Mr. Cliff Dunlap, Jordan Nelson, Alan Arias, Su-Leika  Sin, Jose Moreno, and Student Council Advisor Mrs. Messersmith.

Faras really ‘Performs’
 Faras Elementary School’s staff, students and community members celebrated its “Performing Label” on October 8,  with an Ice Cream Social. The celebration was held at Faras with fun being had by one and all.

Cochise College Events
Wednesday, October 21

Vendors sought for holiday bazaar benefit
 Cochise College is now seeking vendors for a holiday bazaar to benefit GED scholarships.

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! 

Cochise College scholarship recipients announced
More than 130 Cochise College students are the recipients of scholarships for the 2009-2010 academic year that were provided through contributions to the Cochise College Foundation.

College instructor to present research findings at convention
Cochise College instructor Cecilia Lewis has been invited to speak at the 2009 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention to be held in Philadelphia in November.

Tax credits to Court
PHOENIX — The future of a challenge to Arizona’s controversial tax credits to help students go to private and parochial schools will have to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Homecoming!
Photos by Bruce Whetten

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