Free Republic

Today I am thinking about money. I’m thinking about how money is treated in churches. Some churches have discreet offerings, and you may need to ask how you can leave an offering there — they will be happy to direct you to the receptacle. Others have offerings accompanied by beautiful music. Sometimes the offering ends before the music does, but that’s OK. Still others have monitors watching what you put in — that will sober a person! And then there are fundraising campaigns. More inside Maybe there is a thermometer to show how far we have come. Maybe there is...

FORT HUACHUCA — Command Sgt. Maj. Darris Curry of the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM) passed the torch of responsibility over to Command Sgt. Maj. Jennifer Taylor in a traditional change of colors ceremony on Thursday. Taylor joins a unit with a very particular mission. NETCOM has been headquartered at Fort Huachuca since 1997, according to the Army website, and handles global operations for the Army’s part of the Department of Defense Information Network. It conducts cyberspace operations and manages networks for the active-duty Army, National Guard and Army Reserve. It’s a particularly important duty in the digital...

SIERRA VISTA — A Sierra Vista man was arrested on Thursday night after leaving the scene of a collision and leading law enforcement officers on a brief pursuit that ended on Fort Huachuca. The Sierra Vista Police Department responded to the intersection of Fry Boulevard and Buffalo Soldier Trail at about 5:15 p.m. on Thursday for a report of a two-vehicle collision. Witnesses told the officers that a Toyota 4Runner T-boned another vehicle and then left the scene heading northbound on Buffalo Soldier Trail. An SVPD officer in the area of Highway 90 and Buffalo Soldier Trail located the vehicle...

It was appropriate that the final performance of the 62nd Army Band staged on Saturday night at Veterans Memorial Park in Sierra Vista began against a stormy backdrop. Even Mother Nature shed a tear for the end of an era. The Military Intelligence Corps Band on Fort Huachuca ended its 141-year musical legacy on a solemn note, celebrating a colorful history that featured its original designation in 1901 as “Band, 15th Cavalry” at The Presidio of San Francisco, California. It was then assigned to the Artillery School on Nov. 20, 1946, and was redesignated on May 15, 1947. The 62nd...

Save Happy summer solstice. We in the Northern Hemisphere of the planet called Earth are tilted closest to the sun. According to the National Weather Service, the earth will have reached its maximum tilt at 3:07 a.m. today. Most of you probably missed the moment, but you can still celebrate. It’s the longest day of the year in terms of hours of sunlight, and we’ll continue to have more daylight than nighttime until the September equinox. It’s also the official start of summer, though we here in SoCo have had plenty already. A climatologist in Alaska says we will have...

We don’t really need the Old Testament, do we? (I actually enjoy the Old Testament a great deal and continue to benefit from it, but that is irrelevant to this topic.) There are those who try to say seriously that we really don’t need it. After all, Jesus is the most important, and with reference to Him the resurrection is the most important. It’s difficult to disagree with those points of importance, and yet the Bible itself and Jesus himself should be allowed to comment. Jesus had a great deal to say in John 5. Now, I don’t know if...

“Man Still The Best Computer, Colonel Tells S.V. Rotary Club,” -The amazing properties of the new super-digital computer system which STRATCOM has contracted to have installed at Fort Huachuca were outlined by Col. Albert E. Haines, director of computer systems at the Fort, when he spoke to Rotarians here Monday. “The new computer system has the capacity to receive, store, compare, manipulate, and record results of 600 million bits of information,” Col. Haines said. Col. Haines assured those attending that man was the first and still is the greatest data processor. June 19, 1968 “At Long Last In Sight-Community Swimming...

FORT HUACHUCA — Community members and soldiers gathered at Brown Parade Field on Tuesday morning to welcome a new garrison commander, while saying goodbye to a beloved military family. Col. Whit Wright passed the reins to Col. Chad Rambo after two years of service at Fort Huachuca. Although changes of command are part of the rhythm of life at the post, many were sad to see Wright, his wife, Kelly, and their two daughters pack up to head to Wright’s next duty station in Fort Bragg, N.C. The couple was very involved in the Sierra Vista community, said City Manager...

Sierra Vista — Hunched against the chilly winds that followed one of the summer’s first rainstorms, Sierra Vista residents gathered at Veterans Memorial Park on Saturday to witness the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps Band play its final concert, signaling the end of a 141-year musical legacy at Fort Huachuca. Although the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps Band, also known as the 62nd Army Band, first received its orders to inactivate two years ago following broader government efforts to downsize military bands, it made the final concert no less emotional for participants and attendees, who were accustomed to hearing the...

The U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps Band will hold a farewell concert and inactivation ceremony this Saturday, commemorating a 141-year legacy of Army music at Fort Huachuca. Band alumni, some traveling from as far as Alabama, will join with current members to perform a final concert. It marks the end of a long tradition of musical support, both at Fort Huachuca and at events in Sierra Vista, said Media Relations Officer Tanja Linton. “They add so much to the rhythm of life at Fort Huachuca. They’re ambassadors for the community,” said Linton. “It’s a loss, and we’re kind of heartbroken.”...

Early on Thursday morning, about 2,200 soldiers, their families and members of the public gathered at the Fort Huachuca Warrior/Sentinel Field to celebrate the Army’s 243rd birthday with a traditional run and cake-cutting ceremony. Birthday traditions have long been a part of the Army, which was established in 1775, a year before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This particular birthday also marked the centennial of World War I’s end. The annual celebrations at Fort Huachuca, which includes a special birthday meal open to the public, are a way to both honor that legacy and to engage with the...

Save Fort Huachuca hosted the cast of a Los Angeles-based play about African American Army nurses stationed at the post during World War II on Tuesday, giving the actresses a chance to walk in the the historical footsteps of the characters they play. Seeing the actual setting for her play “Fort Huachuca” was always in the back of playwright Ailema Sousa’s mind during the two years she spent researching and writing the work, which debuted at the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival on June 7. Sousa, who studied history as an undergraduate, first conceived of the idea following a struggle to...

Have you ever looked at a card and decided it was too expensive? Instead of a special card this year, I’m doing Mother’s Day with a hug and a reusable shopping bag to the moms I love. I plan to tell each recipient they are saving our planet by refusing the plastic bags we see all over town that didn’t end in a trash container. My grandkids enjoyed Valentine’s card exchanges at their school in February. These store-bought Valentines are a real treat since they usually create most of their cards at home on a large table that has art...

SIERRA VISTA — With a change in global demand for recycled products, Sierra Vista leaders are grappling with rising costs and dwindling revenue, which could affect residential recycling services and fees. Council met in a work session on Tuesday to discuss the state of the county and city recycling program, along with how to move forward in an increasingly tough global market. Martin Haverty, Cochise County solid waste director, laid out recycling revenue trends and audit reports from ReCommunity Recycling, a recycling plant in Tucson. Since the county does not have its own recycling plant, it hauls materials to ReCommunity,...

Held in Socorro, New Mexico, college contestants competed in the Grand Canyon Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) for a chance to go to nationals. Men’s Rodeo Team Jake Burwash finished second in the saddle bronc riding competition. Wyatt Hershberger had a pretty good weekend at the last college rodeo of the year. His times of 9.2 and 9.4 in the calf roping were good enough to win the average. In the short go for team roping, Hershberger took fifth place. The men’s team finished in third place. Jake Burwash, a rough stock rider (saddle bronc, bulls, and...

Sierra Vista Unified School District officials announced Tuesday afternoon that the district's campuses will reopen to students on Thursday. The announcement also stated that SVUSD will not have early-release Thursdays through the remainder of the school year, in order to help make up for lost instructional minutes since the statewide teacher walkout began last Thursday. It was not immediately clear Tuesday afternoon what prompted teachers to return to the classroom, or if other area districts will follow suit. This article will be updated throughout the evening. The entirety of the SVUSD announcement reads: "While the state budget, which includes changes...

Have you turned down a chance to go out with family or friends because you were concerned about falling? Have you cut down on a favorite activity because you might fall? If so, “A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls” is a program for you. Fear of falling can be just as dangerous as falling itself. People who develop this fear often limit their activities, which can result in physical weakness, making the risk of falling even greater. Many older adults also experience increased isolation and depression when they limit their interactions with family and friends. “A Matter of...

Have you ever attended a book festival or book fair? It is a safe bet that people who do love to read. They certainly do not go with the intention of finding their soulmates or even a last minute date. Although, stranger things have happened. You can always hope, but hold off making reservations for dinner. Many go to support their friends or family members who happen to be authors. Since writing is a solitary profession, authors spend hours, days, weeks and months alone in a more or less quiet room. It is fortunate for everyone's peace of mind that...

Community supports soldier in re-enlistment ceremony SIERRA VISTA — When Sgt. Kascia Vigil joined the Army at 18 years old, she continued a family tradition. Just a little less than seven years ago, Vigil’s father was her recruiter when she decided to enlist in 2011 in Wyoming. Vigil is a third-generation soldier. Her father is retired Army, and her grandfather served in Vietnam. Her aunt is also a veteran. She completed her basic training at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina. From there, she attended Advanced Individual Training on Fort Huachuca. She then spent five years at Fort Carson in...

SIERRA VISTA — Whether shopping online, sending emails or connecting with friends, the internet — while essential — has opened the floodgates for identity theft, fraud and hackers. “In today’s world, understanding how to protect yourself from cybercrime is extremely important,” said Carol Capas, Cochise County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman. “While the internet has become an essential part of everyday life, it can also be a breeding ground for cyberattacks.” In an effort to educate the public on how to protect personal and financial information, the CCSO is hosting a Cybercrime Prevention Workshop from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday in...