Pinal County Sheriff’s Office to host Annual Pinal County Peace Officer Memorial Service
Each year between 140 and 160 Peace Officers are killed in the line of duty in the Untied States and their families are left to pick up the pieces.
Each year, since 1962, the lives of these fine men and women have been celebrated during National Police Week, and since then, May 15th has been declared as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the calendar week in which May 15th falls is National Police Week.
During the month of May across the nation, state and local governments recognize the sacrifices these men and women have made during their annual Peace Officer Memorial Services.
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2009 NFL’s Draft: First Round’s Sleepers and Busts
Watching Mel Kiper, Chris Berman, and the rest of the ESPN crew dissect prospects one thing was abundantly clear: apparently The Señior knows nothing about football. Somehow Graham Harrell torches every defense that has the gall to step on the field, yet he doesn’t even get drafted? Read more
Opinion: Our polluted air in Maricopa
Buying a brand new home in a brand new community seemed like a dream to most people who bought into Maricopa, AZ. There seemed to be so many promises of greatness and growing. The farms were being sold the cows were being moved out. There was going to be a hospital and an over-pass over the tracks. So much hope that turned out to be false hope. The farms and the cattle, “Cowtown” and all are here to stay! This is where the dream became a scare.
“Cowtown” is home to hundreds of thousands of cattle called the Feedlots. There is a report called: Pinal County Air Quality Summit 2008 EPA Region 9’s Perspective dated November 7th, 2008 which talks about the problem with PM10 Particulate Matter Air Pollution, which is a threat to our health.
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Snider: Recapping a busy April and looking ahead to May
Entering May, we bid farewell to last month and bemoan the fact that there weren’t a whole lot of April showers to bring out our spring flowers. In fact, an over-abundance of wind and warm temperatures made this past month only somewhat memorable. And, despite the bit of doggerel that insists that the month of May is “merry” – I’m not sure it’s true this year. But perhaps I’m ahead of myself.
Before I talk about some more current events, I’d like to compliment the many volunteers that constitute the County’s Junior Livestock Committee and organize (and put on) the Junior Livestock Auction during our County Fairs. Despite the down economy, this year’s auction saw 350 young Pinal County 4-H kids participate in the Auction. Furthermore, the kids realized approximately $580,000 in sales that translate into college funds and other scholarship opportunities for the county’s young people. Way to go, Pinal!
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Retired Eloy Police Captain appointed to key role in Sheriff’s Office
On Monday, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu appointed retired Eloy Capitan Shane Blakeman to lead the Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division and Regional SWAT Team. Blakeman was hired by Sheriff Babeu as an at-will Captain and will be an integral part of the Sheriff’s Office phased reorganization plan.
The Sheriff’s Office believes that the experience and professionalism Captain Blakeman brings with him to his new position, as well as his knowledge of and involvement in the Pinal County Community, will provide them with a valuable resource.
Blakeman, a lifetime Pinal County resident, has deep roots in the Coolidge area. He and his wife Laura both enjoy living and working in Pinal County, as is evidenced by his long-term commitment to Pinal County Law Enforcement.
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Record crowd packs Pacana Park for 5th Annual Maricopa Salsa Festival
The Fifth Annual Maricopa Salsa Festival was held Saturday evening at Pacana Park, drawing a record-setting number of attendees. The event, sub-titled “Salsa Under the Stars” had a 5:00 pm start time in order to take advantage of the cooler evening weather.
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Hidden Valley man arrested for child molestation and sexual abuse
On Saturday, 51 year-old George Horner II was arrested by Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Detectives for Child Molestation and Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child.
Back on April 22nd, the Sheriff’s Office received information that Horner was attempting to obtain custody of his 7 year-old granddaughter and that he may have been previously investigated for, or convicted of, sexual conduct with a minor.
During the investigation it was learned that Horner had a prior felony conviction in 1985 out of the State of California for sexual battery against a child less than 14 years of age. After learning of his prior conviction detectives began looking into possible sex offender notification/registration requirements and information on George Horner II.
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Pinal County Public Health monitoring swine flu developments
Pinal County’s Public Health Services District has activated its Public Health Incident Command Center in light of recent developments with the swine flu. This is only a precautionary measure to help coordinate the county’s response to the rapidly evolving situation.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating cases of febrile respiratory illness caused by swine influenza A H1N1 viruses. Currently, there are no cases in Arizona.
“Prevention is a key component to disease control,” says Tom Schryer, Director of Pinal County Public Health. “One of the best things you can do is to frequently wash your hands with soap and warm running water for at least 15 to 30 seconds. When soap and water are not available, hand sanitizers provide a good alternative. In order for a hand sanitizer to be able to kill germs, it must contain alcohol as an ingredient. Avoid products that contain less than 60% alcohol or no alcohol at all.”
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National Infant Immunization Week: April 25th to May 2nd
Each year, thousands of children become ill from diseases that could have been prevented by basic childhood immunizations. Countless more miss time from day care and school because they are under-immunized or inappropriately immunized.
During the week of April 25th to May 2nd, Pinal County Public Health is joining with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to observe National Infant Immunization Week. This is part of a larger, national initiative to raise awareness about the importance of childhood immunizations.
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Eagles make all the right moves in 2009 draft
The last weekend of April is one of the best times of the year for die-hard football fans. Two straight days of Mel Kiper and the rest of ESPN’s NFL crew hosting the NFL Draft and 32 teams selecting players in hope that they will lead their team to the promised land in the near future.
Last weekend’s draft left fans with full of surprises. Former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford cashed in with the first overall pick ( $41.7 million in guaranteed money) in hopes of helping the Detroit Lions turn around a disastrous season as they became the first team in history to go 0-16.
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