Free Republic

BENSON — A group of men on horseback rode into the Benson Post Office late Saturday morning delivering saddlebags of mail. Nineteen riders, members of the Navajo County White Mountain Sheriff’s Posse Search and Rescue team, rode 235 miles from the Lakeside, Arizona, post office to Benson. The 48th annual White Mountain Pony Express Mail Ride started Wednesday morning after the horsemen were officially sworn in by a postmaster at Lakeside, with the group arriving in Benson around 11 a.m. Saturday. The commemorative ride is organized to recreate a glamorized era of Western history that lasted a mere 18 months...

PHOENIX — Motorists who speed a little too much or drift through stop signs may soon be paying a bit more in their debt to society. Legislation approved Tuesday by the Senate would tack a $4 fee on all traffic fines. The proceeds would be used to pay for new training equipment for police. But those who seek to avoid fines by going to defensive driving school won't get off the hook. HB 2527 tacks that same surcharge on to what they pay for those classes. Mike Williams, who lobbies for the Arizona Police Association, said officers need access to...

PHOENIX — It could soon cost more to register your car or truck in Arizona. On a 17-13 vote Monday, the Senate gave final approval to allowing the director of the Department of Transportation to levy a fee on each vehicle. But HB 2261, already approved by the House, does not spell out how much that fee would be. Instead, it tells the agency chief to raise enough to fund the Highway Patrol and a little bit more for good margin. Legislative budget analysts say the amount ADOT would need to raise is $148.9 million. And that translates out to...

Part of the allure of a small town is that everybody knows everybody. For a business owner in a small town, though, this doesn’t mean we should take for granted that everybody in the community knows us. We still need to advertise and get the word out about our products and services, and social media is my preferred tool to do this. Many small-town business owners shy away from social media because it seems too big, and it seems like there are way too many users and too much going on. Facebook has more than 2 billion monthly active users,...

WASHINGTON — This was the week when America was being praised around the world for punishing Syria's evil, despotic regime that killed scores of men, women and children with its arsenal of lethal chemical weapons. It was certainly President Trump's finest hour in global leadership, hailed by our allies, several of who joined in a retaliatory attack to destroy much of Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons facilities. Russia, Assad's accomplice in murder and mayhem, called the attacks an "act of aggression." Iran, which has bankrolled terrorist plots throughout the region, labeled it a "war crime." And Syria, whose government is accused...

Save SIERRA VISTA — As guests started to fill the stands, food and drink in hand, standing on the other side of the arena is what the crowd came for at the Where They Buck Invitational Bull Riding Competition. The two-day competition kicked off — literally — Friday night at the Sierra Vista Riding Club arena with the junior riders facing off in a qualifying round for a larger match in Las Vegas. A small group of young bull riders competing Friday night stood behind a gate, adorned in traditional Western chaps and cowboy hats. The young cowboys all ranged...

World-class chili cook offs are coming to Sierra Vista and surrounding areas. There are some great venues, outstanding events and opportunities to sample the best chili in the world while supporting charity fundraising for local groups in need. There are six upcoming local cookoffs, sanctioned by the Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI) and hosted by Sierra Vista’s very own High Desert Pod, a CASI-authorized member organization. CASI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to raising money for local charities. To learn more about CASI, go to https://www.casichili.net/ High Desert Pod has been raising money for local charities since the late...

SIERRA VISTA — Though at a slower pace than hoped, Sierra Vista’s economy is improving. Robert Carreira, Cochise College chief economist of the Center for Economic Research, went over some of the statistics at the annual Sierra Vista Economic Outlook Luncheon held at Thunder Mountain Recreation Center on Fort Huachuca Thursday. Sierra Vista was fortunate to have a lower rate of unemployed people in 2017, 4.7 percent, and that trend continues into 2018. Offsetting that recovery is a population loss of 12,000 people over the past eight years, he said. Tourism appears to be a strong factor in the recovery...

Save SIERRA VISTA — People walking beneath the sprawling cottonwood trees along the San Pedro River this time of year could get showered by caterpillars. While the fuzzy little insects are a regular springtime occurrence, milder than usual winter and spring weather has created ideal conditions for a tent caterpillar population explosion, said Bill Cook, horticulture program coordinator for the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension out of Greenlee County. “It would make sense that we’re seeing such a high number of these insects because of reduced winter mortality rates from back-to-back mild winters,” Cook said. “Then add the mild spring,...

Save Cochise County Supervisors have an interesting decision to make on whether to allow recreational vehicles as residential structures under the zoning code. During a work session last week, county officials asked supervisors for direction on amending an ordinance governing the allowable circumstances that would permit people to live in their recreational vehicle as their primary residence. This is Pandora’s box for Cochise County. Recreational vehicles are exactly what their name states: mobile modes of transportation for recreation. Campgrounds are well-suited for these vehicles, usually providing temporary hookups for sewerage disposal, electricity and water. Some even offer cable television connections....

Three men walk into a bar — the owner of a successful engineering company, the CEO of a private financial institution, and the president of a software company. No, wait. Let’s make that three men walk into an upscale pub. After all, the men are high mucky mucks. They find a semicircular booth toward the back of the place, which allows them to observe everyone in the pub and still maintain a semblance of anonymity. After all, in their respective worlds, they are big shots. After the waitress delivers the drink orders, those successful men turn into whining babies. What...

Astronauts are always looking up at the stars in space. But for a seventh-grade science teacher, her stars are in the classroom. “I love seeing the kids when they are engaged and their ‘light bulb’ moments,” said Maura Neill, 57. “I get that moment every day, and I absolutely love it. I’ll stand at my desk and look around the room and see that they are all working. “That is such a wonderful moment.” However, for Neill, who is in her 20th year at Joyce Clark Middle School in Sierra Vista, teaching science goes far beyond the classroom. For many...

TOMBSTONE — When the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps visited the area last week, the musicians transported audiences back in time. The 12-soldier traveling team is out of Fort Myer, Virginia, which is now part of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. The group stayed at Fort Huachuca on April 5, where it performed before audiences on the military installation, as well as at Buena and Tombstone high schools. “We are active-duty Army musicians,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jeremiah Keillor, commander. “We’re attached to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, and are the only unit of its kind...

Friday the 13th. There was one in October, another this Friday, and yet another coming in July. According to How Stuff Works, 13 is unlucky for being connected to the 13 men at the Last Supper — Judas was the last one to arrive. Friday has more unlucky connections: Jesus was crucified, the forbidden fruit eaten, and the Great Flood began. In Roman times, Friday was the day of Venus, the love goddess. The Norse named the day for Frigg or Freya, also of love and sex. Christians were not amused, and attached the “bad luck.” It looks like Bisbee...

SIERRA VISTA — Fort Huachuca, in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service, will conduct the last prescribed burn of the spring today on the East Range. The burn will support military training, reduce the risk of wildfires, and maintain the ecological integrity of the fire-adapted ecosystems dependent on recurring fire that benefits forest health. Hubbard Dropzone will be burned in the morning, and the Dust Devil Dropzone will be burned in the afternoon. Ignitions should start at about 8:30 a.m., and smoke will be visible throughout the day. The natural fire regimen in southern Arizona is three to seven years...

PHOENIX — Arizona's top elected officials, both Republicans, are not going to join the lawsuit filed by Democrat officials in some states challenging the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census even though it could mean that Arizona won't get its fair share of federal dollars and political representation. Daniel Scarpinato, press aide to Gov. Doug Ducey, said his boss is opposed to more lawsuits. "And he supports having accurate statistical information,'' Scarpinato said. Attorney General Mark Brnovich also has no interest in Arizona becoming one of the 17 states, seven cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors...

Up until a few years ago, you wouldn’t hear any German-language songs on the radio, unless it was a country/folk type of music station. It was considered uncool to play German music on the air. Admittedly, there weren’t many non-folksy types of singers and bands around that sang in German, but I would assume that’s because there literally wasn’t a market for it (again, except for the folk sector). A little over 15 years ago, a young, soulful singer from my hometown of Mannheim — Xavier Naidoo — appeared on the scene, and he would change that forever. He wouldn’t...

<p>WASHINGTON — President Trump said on Tuesday that he planned to order the military to guard parts of the southern border until he can build a wall and tighten immigration restrictions, proposing a remarkable escalation of his efforts to crack down on migrants entering the country illegally.</p>

TOMBSTONE — The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps will be performing at Tombstone High School today. The unit will be on the high school football field at 10:30 a.m. for a performance that is open to the public. Stationed at Fort Myer, Virginia, this is the only unit of its kind in the armed forces, and is part of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, according to the Old Guard website. The musicians wear 1784-circa uniforms patterned after those worn by General George Washington’s Continental Army. The Corps averages 500 performances annually and has entertained millions of...

BISBEE — Over the next three years, the Cochise County Board of Supervisors will be busy trying to reach the goals of the Strategic Plan they and county staff developed. Supervisors Ann English, Pat Call and Peggy Judd have agreed to the ambitious agenda that reflects the determination to make the county government more efficient and effective, to improve the county’s economic position, and to continue to maintain and improve infrastructure. Over the past few months, the supervisors met with department heads and County Administrator Ed Gilligan to focus thoughts, determine feasibility and set timelines. They met with Facilities Director...