Business, Commentary, Cultural, Education, Government, Local, News, Youth

District 5 Supervisor Lena Fowler — Season’s Greetings

by Community Contributor • January 2, 2020 • Comments Off

Click here for the entire e-newsletter

December 24, 2019

Please take a moment to read some of the latest news and upcoming events within Coconino County and its surrounding areas.
Feel free to share this e-newsletter and encourage others to sign up!

Forward

District 5 Highlights

Western Navajo Agency Council approves 3 Coconino County resolutions to support economic development incentives

On Saturday, Dec. 14, Supervisor Lena Fowler and county staff attended the Western Navajo Agency Council Meeting held at the Coconino Community College Lone Tree Campus in Flagstaff, AZ to present 3 resolutions to the council.

The first resolution provides support of Congressman Tom O’Halleran’s Bill HR 4318 – The PROMISE Act; second resolution provides support of re-purposing closed NGS facilities for a Vocational Education Center; and the third resolution provides support of the the establishment of the Colorado Plateau Economic Development Alliance with the appointment of three representatives voted by Western Agency Chapters to the alliance membership. All 3 resolutions were passed!!

We are grateful for the partnerships and collaborative work being done as we transition our region into a new economy. For more information, please contact Miranda at 928-283-4518.

Coconino County celebrates the grand opening of
Area Census Office in Flagstaff, AZ

Coconino County Supervisors Lena Fowler and Liz Archuleta along with county team members and community partners joined U.S. Census Bureau staff for the Flagstaff Office Opening on Wed., Dec. 10. The new office is located in the Walgreen Warehouse and will serve northern Arizona for the next several months.

If anyone is interested in working for the U.S. Census can apply online at: www.usajobs.gov.

Supervisor Lena Fowler and County Leadership attend the Page Lake Powell Chamber Holiday Mixer

The County team joined Supervisor Lena Fowler at the annual Page Lake Powell Chamber of Commerce Holiday Mixer on Dec. 5. In attendance were the newly appointed Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tommy Lewis, Judge Don Roberts, County Manager Jimmy Jayne and other County leadership joined the Page community for good fun, conversation and holiday cheer.

Coconino County is currently hiring the following positions in the District 5 region

Administrative Specialist I – Fredonia Justice Court – Fredonia, AZ;Regular Part Time- 20 hours – $16.33 – $17.96 Hourly
Detention Support Specialist: Page – Sheriff’s Office – Page, AZ; Regular Full Time – $31,144.00 Annually
Detention Officer I: Page- Sheriff’s Office – Page, AZ; Regular Full Time – $36,010.00 Annually
Bailiff I-Temporary On-Call: Page Justice Court – Page, AZ; Temporary – On Call – $16.33 – $17.14 Hourly
Judge Pro Tempore – Page Justice Court: Part Time, On-Call, As-Needed:Page, AZ; Limited Appointment – $25.00 Hourly
Deputy Recruit: Tuba City- Sheriff’s Office – Tuba City, AZ; Regular Full Time – $48,499.00 Annually

For Employment Opportunities: http://www.coconino.az.gov/843/Job-Openings

Come join a great team!

Coconino County News

Courts

Health & Human Services

Multi-state Outbreak of E. coli Infections

CDC, FDA, and public health and regulatory officials in several states are investigating a multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to romaine lettuce harvested from the Salinas, California, growing region.

CDC advises that consumers not eat, and retailers not sell, any romaine lettuce grown in the Salinas, CA growing region. This includes all use-by dates and brands of romaine lettuce from this region. The Salinas region includes Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito and Monterey counties in California.

Advice to Consumer:

If the packaging says romaine was grown in Salinas on the label or if it is unlabeled, then it should not be eaten and should be thrown away.
Wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators where romaine lettuce was stored.
Consumers ordering salad containing romaine at a restaurant or at a salad bar should ask the staff whether the romaine was grown in Salinas. If it was, or they do not know, then do not eat it.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of an E. coli O157 infection and report your illness to Coconino County Health and Human Services at 928-679-7222 or to your local health department. Symptoms of E. coli O157 include diarrhea (sometimes bloody), and abdominal pain.

More information is available at https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/index.html.

Health officials urge food safety this holiday season

Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) officials encourage consumers to take appropriate precautions in handling, preparing and cooking foods during the upcoming holiday season.

To ensure that the holiday foods are safe, follow these basic safety steps to avoid foodborne illness:

Clean: Wash hands and food-contact surfaces often. Bacteria and other organisms can spread from contaminated hands and other surfaces throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, knives, sponges and counter tops.
Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate. Don’t let bacteria spread from one food product to another. Wash hands, cutting boards and utensils after they contact raw meats, poultry or eggs.
Cook: Cook to proper temperatures. Foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness. Proper cooking temperatures of some foods include:
- Fish steaks and beef steaks – 145 degrees or higher
- Ground meat – 155 degrees or higher
- Poultry (turkey) and stuffed food items – 165 degrees or higher
Chill: Refrigerate foods quickly because cold temperatures keep most harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. Cool foods in smaller portions to lower the temperature quickly. Refrigerators should be set at 40 degrees and the freezer at zero degrees. The accuracy of the settings should be checked occasionally with a thermometer. The temperature danger zone between 40 to 140 degrees is optimal for rapid bacteria growth. Foods should be discarded if they are in this temperature danger zone for more than four hours. Discard food that has been in the refrigerator for more than seven days. When in doubt, throw it out.

Safely thaw turkey: To reduce the risk of foodborne illness, thawing the turkey completely in a refrigerator before cooking is important. If a turkey is not properly thawed, the bird will cook unevenly, and the inside will not be hot enough to destroy disease-causing bacteria.

Allow the correct amount of time to properly thaw and cook a whole turkey. For example, a 20- pound turkey needs two to three days to thaw completely in the refrigerator. Do not thaw a turkey by leaving it out on the counter or in the sink.

To check a turkey for doneness, insert a food thermometer into the inner thigh area near the breast of the turkey. The turkey is done when the temperature reaches 165 degrees. If the turkey is stuffed, the temperature of the stuffing should also be 165 degrees.

For information about food safety and additional cooking temperatures, visit http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm092815.htm or call the Coconino County Health and Human Services Environmental Health program at 928-679-8750 or toll-free 877-679-7272.

Human Resources

Job Openings with Coconino County

Accounting Tech II – Sheriff’s Office (1119)
Accounting Technician III – Public Works (1219) New
Administrative Specialist I – Assessor’s Office (1219)
Administrative Specialist I – Fredonia Justice Court (1119)
Attorney III- Temporary: Public Defender (1019)
Bailiff I-Temporary On-Call: Page Justice Court (1119)
Bailiff I-Temporary On-Call: Superior Court, Flagstaff (1119)
Case Worker: Health and Human Services- Community Services (1119)
Civil Legal Assistant: County Attorney’s Office (1119)
Construction Manager: Facilities Management (1219) New

Click here to find out more info about these County positions

Library District

NEW Bookmobile Schedule for
November 2019 to April 2020

Public Works

Coconino County grader maintaining Navajo Nation Route N6330 after recent snowfall near Navajo Mountain

Photo courtesy of Ernest Graymountain, Coconino County Public Works Senior Operator.

Community Bulletin Board

News Release
Media Contact: Jacqueline Banks
jacqueline.banks@usda.gov
(928) 635-8314

Kaibab National Forest announces holiday office closures

WILLIAMS, Ariz., Dec. 18, 2019 — All offices of the Kaibab National Forest will be closed Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, 2019, as well as Jan. 1, 2020, in observance of the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays. The office closures include the Kaibab National Forest Supervisor’s Office, Williams Ranger Station, Tusayan Ranger Station, and North Kaibab Ranger Station.

While Kaibab National Forest offices are typically closed for both Christmas and New Year’s Day, the addition of Dec. 24 to the federal holiday schedule this year was announced yesterday by an Executive Order signed by President Trump.

Following the Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 holidays, Kaibab National Forest offices will reopen for normal business on Dec. 26. Following the Jan. 1 holiday, Kaibab National Forest offices will reopen for normal business on Jan. 2.

Christmas tree permits for the Kaibab National Forest will be sold until the close of business on Dec. 23. Those seeking to obtain these permits should plan their visit to Kaibab National Forest offices prior to the holiday closures.

Kaibab National Forest information is always available through the following sources: