Five fires every day
With crews already snuffing out up to five small fires a day throughout the Tonto National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service announced fire restrictions would begin Wednesday.
Firefighters’ refrain: ‘What a dummy’
Wisconsin firefighters have poked, prodded and killed him more times than his rubber, pliable fingers can count.
Large cat spotted in RV park
Residents spotted what looked like a mountain lion or cougar yesterday in the Star Valley Lamplighter RV Park.
Crews snuff out church brush fire
A quick moving brush fire ate through 1.5 acres of a church’s side yard Thursday afternoon, surprising church officials and neighbors who watched as the low lying flames rushed through the dry brush as blustery winds pushed the smoke all over.
Fire chief takes early retirement
A looming budget crisis has cost Payson its top firefighter and possibly its fire marshal.
Posse rounding up weapons
Knives, chains, box cutters, oh my. Gila County Posse volunteers have stopped dozens of these items from entering the Payson courtroom since they took up post outside the doors in February.
Brush fire near church
A quick moving brush fire ate through 1.5 acres of a church’s side yard Thursday afternoon, surprising church officials and neighbors who watched as the low lying flames easily burned through the dry brush as blustery winds pushed the smoke all over.
The business of rodeo - love fuels engine
Rodeos today look a whole lot different than the early ones held among working cowboys and vaqueros in weathered, dusty arenas. And they cost a lot more to put on. A two-day rodeo requires months of planning and a whole lot of flare. Spectators expect entertainers, commentators, concessioners, professional judges and seasoned cowboys.
‘We'll never know what happened’
Motorcycle crash claims owner of Jakes Corner Bar
The owner of Jakes Corner Bar died this weekend in a motorcycle accident just a few miles south of town. Rickie “Rick” Heppler, 63, was heading south on Highway 87 into Rye Saturday afternoon when he lost control of his Harley and crashed near milepost 244.
Teens vent on police, curfew
If the Payson Police Department were required to take a class in teenage public relations, it would pass, but just barely. A town survey reveals most Payson teens have just a so-so view of the local police. Police Chief Don Engler says that’s not good enough.
Local chapter names ‘Bigs’ of the Year
With volunteers dwindling, BBBS celebrates impact of those who give of themselves
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Payson honored its high school and community matches last week during its annual Big Event at Chaparral Pines. The event is the highlight of the year for many matches, who dress up in glittery garb and dine on the roast beef buffet, toast Shirley temples and indulge in an all-you-can-eat ice cream bar in the stately clubhouse.
A watchful eye
Pine couple starts home watch service
With upward of 75 percent of homes in the Pine-Strawberry area being second or vacation properties, many sit empty for months on end, a target for thieves.
Payson doctor in legal tangle with former partner
A civil dispute is underway between two Rim Country medical professionals. Registered nurse Deborah Nichols has filed a civil suit against Dr. Michael Lowe after the two had a falling out earlier this year. Nichols claims Lowe blocked her from access to medical and financial records, potentially jeopardizing patient’s health.
Emotional scene as plea changes
Driver pleads guilty to manslaughter; father of girl who died embraces him
In an emotionally charged appearance, Sharrod Lynn Stone, 44, on Thursday pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the deaths of two people last year. Stone could spend eight years in jail for the deaths of Devin Grace Frantzke, 14, and Jeff Johnston, 55.
A Mother’s Day tribute
A bossy girl tallies a mother’s gifts on that special day
The greatest gift my mother ever gave me was an effortless blend of acceptance and encouragement. But I didn’t fully appreciate the gift until a recent four-wheeling trip to Sedona.
Payson man guilty in police assault case
Jury concludes man attacked officers during arrest, but didn’t injure them
After listening to six days of testimony, analyzing the validity of Myth-Buster-like experiments and claims of excessive use of force by officers, a Gila County jury on Wednesday found a Payson man guilty of aggravated assault against two officers.
Payson officers bust cardholders
Medical marijuana patients with visible plants facing drug charges
Budding flowers poking over the top of a worn wooden fence and into a Payson south alleyway. A dark, musty basement full of plants at a hilltop home in Payson North. And buds blooming on the porch of a Pine-Strawberry home, clearly visible from the street.
Elegant dinner raises funds for Payson Community Kids
A five-course dinner with hand-selected wine pairings in Payson is quite an anomaly. Last Sunday, the staff at Gerardo’s Firewood Café treated 40 Rim Country residents to an elegant dining experience more aptly found in Italy, but all for a good cause.
Enrollment doubles, donations dwindle
Payson Community Kids relies on volunteers, donors to offer after-school refuge for children
Children no taller than sapling pines stand barefoot on colored carpet squares, clapping and hollering, running in place and high-kicking. At the front of the brightly lit room, Suzy Tubbs leads the Jazzercise class-of-sorts and then an impromptu push-up contest.
Lopsided melee
Man on trial on charges he assaulted three officers during his DUI arrest
Officers this week testified that a Payson man they confronted after he drove his car into a wall continued to struggle, curse, kick and spit blood even after three officers wrestled him to the ground and punched him repeatedly in the face, fracturing his eye socket.
Volunteers honored
More than two decades ago, Terry Morris saw the need for a local domestic violence shelter — a place for women of Rim Country and the Valley to escape abuse.
‘Horrific’ neglect case settled
CPS had removed one child, teen left alone in home
A Gisela woman will spend at least several years in prison after pleading guilty to one of the “worst child neglect cases” the Gila County Attorney’s Office said it has seen.
Dimi Espresso offers passport to Italy
When Tom Plets traveled to Italy to study art history two years ago, he found his learning swirled more around the scene at local cafés rather than Monet’s impressions.
Tragedy to unfold in fatal DUI trial
Prosecutors seek manslaughter conviction in crash that killed two
The trial for a Valley man accused of killing two people in a rollover on Doll Baby Ranch Road while intoxicated last year is set to start next month in Globe. Devin Grace Frantzke, 14, and Jeff Johnston, 55, of Payson, died instantly when the Jeep Wrangler in which they were riding rolled down an embankment near the end of Doll Baby Ranch Road.
Public pays dearly for copies of public records
Officials charge $8 for report, citing law requiring ‘reasonable’ charges for copies of public documents
Should a citizen have pay $8 to make a copy of a two-page police report? Sounds outrageous, but agencies across the county and the state are charging more and more for copies of public records.
Payson’s water table rising despite lingering drought
Payson’s fissured and cracked granite aquifer continues to rebound as crews ready for the delivery of C.C. Cragin water, a recently released water report reveals. Payson will receive 3,000 acre-feet of water from the Blue Ridge Reservoir in 2014, enough to indefinitely end any fear of water shortages.
Storage rules cause dust-up between town, business
Police department is in violation of proposed ordinance
Payson’s effort to loosen limits on big storage containers instead triggered contradictions and complaints — and the discovery that the police department is among the leading violators.
PUSD announces major changes
Payson Unified School District Superintendent Ron Hitchcock announced Wednesday morning sweeping changes in the district’s administrative lineup that will change the principal at every school.
Pot dispensary may take in $6 million yearly
From the empty side yard of the proposed medical marijuana dispensary, the red letters from the Rim Country Middle School glows just past the APS maintenance yard.
Police seeking arson suspect
The Globe Fire Department needs help locating a man who may live in Payson, wanted in connection with an arson in Globe. On Feb. 14, someone set the concession stand and storage unit on fire at the Pinal Mountain Little League Field in Globe, destroying both, said Globe Fire Marshal Joe Bracamonte.
Volunteers rescue hikers, climbers
Man survives 80-foot fall in Salome as Search and Rescue responds
Rescuers had back-to-back missions in Salome Canyon this weekend after two hikers injured their ankles while canyoneering the picturesque Salome Creek east of Tonto Basin.
Firefighters’ drill deadly serious
The memorial for six firefighters who lost their lives fighting the Dude Fire near Bonita Creek 23 years ago stands as a tragic reminder as Rim Country slides toward yet another unpredictable wildfire season.
Business expands during economic downturn
While many businesses have unraveled in recent years, one shop has imprinted a successful model of growth.
Strong winds slow times at Fountain Hills meet
Despite scheduling issues and a strong headwind, a number of Payson’s track and field athletes gave sound performances Saturday in Fountain Hills.
Fashion compassion
Time Out shelter’s high-class fund-raiser highlights high-power women
The Time Out Shelter raised nearly $5,000 during its annual “Steppin’ Out” fashion show fund-raiser Saturday.
Payson Police TASER disturbed man
It’s not every Monday morning that the police chief is seen walking through a quiet Payson neighborhood armed with a shotgun.
Golfers trade wins with Fountain Hills duffers
The Longhorns continued their bitter battle against the Fountain Hills Falcons golf team this weekend in Fort McDowell.
Metal storage unit rules loosened
Residents could soon lawfully keep metal storage containers in their yards after the Payson Town Council took the first step to loosen regulations at a recent meeting.
Bubbles on Bonita now open
Payson’s original car wash is once again open, this time with a new owner and a few marked improvements.
Business building
Markets mending, pipeline underway
After a long struggle to recover from the real estate crash, Rim Country has turned a corner with new stores, stabilization of the real estate market, rising tax revenues – and progress in establishing a four-year university campus with its spinoff businesses.
Rim Country ventures opening after long retail drought
The businesses scene in Payson is starting to fill out after the recession brought the closing of several shops.
Businesses honored for surviving, serving community
Small business owners, Home Depot, Messinger Funeral Home, recognized
The 2012 Rim Country Business Awards started with a somber reminder — a two-minute video slide show of people waiting in line for food, out of work and boarded up businesses.
Housing market shows first signs of recovery
Sales active, above national average as prices rise -- especially for homes priced below $200,000
After being thrown from the bucking bronco of a recession for several years, the Rim Country real estate market finally found traction in 2012.
Headlines reveal tragedy, disaster ...and strange behavior
Rim Country suffered its fair share of death, disaster and fear last year, with forest fires, murders, strange crimes and tragic accidents. Here is a partial list of some of the top stories from the year:
Training for tragedy
Screams and rapid gunfire cut through the smoke hanging heavy in the hallways as the strobe lights cast eerie shadows across the curved walls of Frontier Elementary School, during a simulated attack to train police officers on Thursday.
Not guilty
As deputies conflict, Jaramillo acquitted on most serious charges
A jury Wednesday acquitted an Eagar man of attempting to murder three Gila County Sheriff’s Office deputies last year during a high-speed chase from Globe to Roosevelt Lake.
Fashion show, lunch to benefit Time Out
Time Out is pulling out all the stops and the red carpet for its annual spring fund-raiser and fashion show this Saturday at Chaparral Pines.
Dump drugs April 27
Last September, 244 tons of unwanted prescription drugs were taken off the streets.
Wild Times
Wildflowers wave weary writer awake
I’ll admit it, I’m guilty as charged. Guilty of nearly missing jury duty because of some blooming poppies.
Deputies detail shoot-out
Trial starts for murder suspect accused in attempt to kill 3 officers
The trial for a murder suspect accused of also trying to kill three sheriff’s deputies during a high-speed chase near Roosevelt Lake last year continues this week.
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