GCC Governing Board Meets Monday Afternoon

Gila Community College Governing Board meets Monday at 2:pm by ITV in Room 520 at the Gila Pueblo campus. The meeting includes election of officers for 2011 and an update on efforts toward making GCC an independent, fully organized and accredited community college.

GCC Offers Weatherization and Energy Analyst Training

Gila Community College is now offering Building Energy Analyst Training and Weatherization Procedures classes. This is in response to a Whitehouse proposed national weatherization incentive program.

The Weatherization Procedures class is a one credit, two day class that will be held on February 5 and 12 at the GCC Occupational Training Center in Lower Miami. It covers residential energy conservation, maintenance, safety issues and projected savings for existing buildings.

The Building Energy Analyst training is a five credit class that begins February 17 and runs through March 12. Students will develop skills needed to implement practices for energy efficiency to buildings that will result in the reduction of energy use and prepare students for certification.

For more information or to register visit or call the Gila Pueblo campus at 425-8481.

Arizona Gas Prices Pass $3

The Arizona statewide fuel price average has passed the $3 mark for the first time in 27 months, although only by a fraction of a cent. The average increased nearly 2 cents since last week.

The nationwide average is just a little more than $3.10 a gallon. That ‘s a decrease of 1.4 cents.

Here in Globe-Miami, prices are around $2.99 for a gallon of unleaded regular.

Police Log

There was an injury accident yesterday afternoon on South Hill Street. A car failed to stop and ran into a business at that location.

Nobody was hurt in an accident yesterday at Cedar and Broad Streets.

Globe Police were dispatched to the Claypool Safeway yesterday afternoon after a shoplifter pulled a knife on the manager. A store employee was attempting to stop the suspect when he pulled the knife. The employee wasn’t hurt. The suspect left the parking lot area and went into Walmart. Walmart was searched but the suspect was not found.

Two people were arrested after a disturbance in the area of Highway 60 and Manor Drive. 47 year old Clifford Martin was charged with domestic violence assault. 46 year old Julie Gates was arrested for an outstanding warrant. Both of them were booked into the Gila County Jail.

57 year old Rhodella Smith was arrested last night for shoplifting at Walmart.

A juvenile was cited at a traffic stop for having no license and driving a vehicle with an invalid registration.

Four illegal aliens were detained for Immigration Services after an officer made a traffic stop yesterday afternoon at Hill and Ash.

Officers are investigating an attempted burglary to a vehicle at a residence on South East Street and shoplifting at Walmart.

Miami Police arrested 29 year old Adam Garcia for disorderly conduct/domestic violence.

20 year old Nathan Harper was arrested yesterday for disorderly conduct/domestic violence.

A 13 year old juvenile was detained for disorderly conduct/domestic violence and referred to juvenile probation.

Gila County Task Force arrested 47 year old Marietta Ballesteros on bad check and child support warrants.

Gila County Sheriff’s Office arrested Pamela Zufelt on a shoplifting warrant.

Show Low Police arrested 40 year old Jason Winters of Claypool on bad check and disorderly conduct warrants.

Obituary

Priscilla Lupe of San Carlos passed away Monday at San Carlos Indian Hospital. She was 50. She is survived by her son Ruben Sanchez; 4 brothers; and her sister.
The wake for Priscilla Lupe is tomorrow (Saturday) at 4:pm at the Mary Bead residence. The funeral is Sunday at 1:pm at San Carlos Miracle Church.

Smithsonian Food Exhibit Opens Friday

The special Smithsonian exhibit opens tomorrow (Friday) at the Gila County Historical Museum. The exhibit is about America’s diverse regional cooking and eating traditions.

Museum hours are 10:am to 4:pm Monday through Friday and 11 to 4 on Saturdays.

State Releases Revised RFP's For 5,000 Private Prison Beds

State officials have released a revised request for 5,000 more private prison beds. Corrections Director Charles Ryan canceled the original request for proposals last September after three inmates escaped from a private prison facility near Kingman. Ryan said the proposals needed stronger security requirements to avoid similar escapes in the future.

Ryan has said that the Kingman prison was riddled with security flaws that the department’s oversight failed to detect.

KOLD reports that the new 186 page request for proposals was released this week.

Workshop on Classroom Activities and Smithsonian Food Exhibit

Gila County Reading Council is conducting an instructional workshop on Tuesday, February 1. The workshop will show how to incorporate the Gila County Historical Museum’s Smithsonian Institute Food Exhibit into classroom activities. It will be at the Museum on February 1 from 4:30 until 6:pm. No membership dues or registration fees are required. For more information call 425-5985.

Police Log

There was a minor injury accident last night at Kaiser Crossing. One person was cited for failure to control his vehicle to avoid an accident.

19 year old Dustin Stover was arrested for domestic violence assault last night after a disturbance at a residence on East Cedar Street.

19 year old Terrison Henry was arrested at a residence on South High Street yesterday morning for domestic assault on his roomate.

Miami Police arrested 59 year old Edward Else for disorderly conduct.

The Gila County Sheriff’s Office arrested 52 year old Evelyn Maxwell on a warrant for failure to comply on a DUI charge.

Citizens Speak Out Against Private Prisons

The Globe-Miami Times website has posted a video featuring local citizens who spoke against the idea of a local private prison at a recent City Council meeting. The video also says that the Southern Gila County Economic Development Corporation produced a DVD for state officials that claimed that a private prison proposal was supported by local residents—before anyone in Globe even knew about the idea. The video even shows the EDC president saying that the issue was approved by local voters--which of course is not true.

You can see the video at gmtnewsnviews.com along with a couple of other new articles on the subject. The video is also posted on You Tube.

Also at Globe-Miami Times:
A dissapointment. Globe Mayor and 3 council members pass measure of support.
An Open Letter to EDC Board President

1.4 Million Out of Work 99 Weeks or Longer

The Congressional Research Service says there are 1.4 million “very long term unemployed” who have been out of work 99 weeks or longer.

The Huffington Post reports that 99 weeks is a milestone because it is the limit for unemployment benefits. After that, the jobless aren’t eligible for much except food stamps and charity. And the job market for anyone out of work that long is downright hostile.

The CRS report says that very long term unemployment is more likely to afflict older workers than younger ones. The report also says that the long term unemployed—as opposed to the very long term unemployed just mentioned—are people who have been out of work for six months. As of December 6.4 million people have been out of work for six months are longer.

Senior Center Offers Hearing and Blood Pressure Checks

The Globe Senior Center will have free hearing screenings on Thursday from 9 until 11:30am, provided by Abbott Hearing Centers. There will also be blood pressure checks by The Crossing Hospice at 11:00.

Gosar Announces 5 Town Hall Meetings

First Congressional District Representative Paul Gosar is holding the first of five town hall meetings in Prescott next week. He says he will discuss federal spending, health care reform and local issues.

Gosar spokeswoman Stefani Zimmerman says Gosar will speak for 15 minutes at each town hall meeting before taking questions from the public.

Monday’s meeting will be at the Prescott City Hall building.

Other meetings are scheduled in Flagstaff, Window Rock, Superior and Casa Grande.

So far no meetings have been announced for Globe-Miami.

Police Log

Nobody was hurt in an accident yesterday morning near Highway 60 and Horne Motors. Heidi Wayne was cited for driving with a suspended license and failure to control her vehicle to avoid an accident.

Shortly after 1:00 yesterday afternoon Globe Police were dispatched to a hit and run accident at an address on Devereaux. While the officer was taking a report, another officer located the suspect vehicle at Copper Hills Road and High Street where the suspect had hit another vehicle. 25 year old Jesse Castaneda was arrested for hit and run.

Last night 38 year old Mark Encinas was arrested for criminal damage after a disturbance at Horizon Human Services.

37 year old Sam Hinton was arrested for criminal trespass last night at the Claypool Safeway.

21 year old Joshua Robles was arrested on warrants for posession of drug paraphernalia and assault.

36 year old James Gillium was arrested at a traffic stop yesterday morning for driving with a suspended livense.

Mesa Police arrested 46 year old Robert Cuellar of Miami on a child support warrant.

Gila County Task Force arrested 45 year old James Mitchell on a child support warrant.

Sheriff’s deputies recovered an ATV on Hicks Drive that had been reported stolen by Globe PD.

A deputy took a report of a stolen, home made car trailer. The information was entered into the nationwide database.

Globe Police are investigating fraudulent use of a credit card; a report of possible elder abuse taken at Globe Mobile Home Park; a report of telephone harassment; shoplifting at the Claypool Safeway; and a theft report taken on Century Drive