Free Republic

The increasing ridiculousness of the stance of the supervisors in Cochise County, Ariz., appears to be another hard lesson of, “Don’t elect lunatics to positions of serious public responsibility”: Cochise County officials may go to court Thursday without an attorney to represent them against charges that they broke the law by failing to certify the results of the Nov. 8 election. County supervisors on Tuesday voted to hire attorney Bryan Blehm to defend them and the county government against two lawsuits, even though they had not discussed the matter with him. On Wednesday, they were caught flat-footed when Blehm declined...

They’re stealing another election right under our noses! The Maricopa County, Arizona Board of Supervisors has certified the governor’s election in favor of incumbent Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs over Republican MAGA candidate Kari Lake, despite the fact that the county ran an election filled with printer breakdowns, questionable security, extremely long waits to vote, and at least five major conflicts of interest. I want you to see what these conflicts of interest were, and how OBVIOUS they were!… Conflict #1: Katie Hobbs to recuse herself from election oversight as Secretary of State in her own election for Governor. Conflict #2:...

FORT HUACHUCA — A new major will take command of the Marine Corps detachment on Fort Huachuca Friday. When Maj. Daniel E. Lindblom hands over command to Maj. Michael B. Manna, it will mark another milestone: He is retiring after 20 years of service. Lindblom said he’s enjoyed his time at Fort Huachuca. “It's difficult to identify a particular high point. What I have enjoyed most is the support that our detachment has received from both the base and the city of Sierra Vista. Whether it was our relocation to our new barracks, fundraising for our annual birthday ball or...

SIERRA VISTA — For the second consecutive accreditation cycle, Cochise College has received full accreditation of 10 years from the Higher Learning Commission. This is the maximum number of years awarded by the HLC, which accredits more than a thousand colleges and universities in 19 states as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the U.S. Accreditation allows students to transfer to other institutions, give potential employers factual educational records and obtain federal financial aid. “This reaffirmation demonstrates the amazing dedication the Cochise College family provides for our students and community,” said Cochise College president J.D. Rottweiler in a press...

SIERRA VISTA — In the wake of his son, Sierra Vista Police Officer Justin Dannels, shooting and killing a man after an attempted traffic stop in Sierra Vista last month, Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels said he has been the target of threats originating from Mexico. “The threats were made toward law enforcement in general, to include specific threats against myself, my chief deputy and, of course, Justin,” Dannels said Tuesday. On April 14, Justin Dannels shot and killed Lauro Jesus Avechuco, of Sierra Vista, after Avechuco attempted to strike Dannels with his car, according to Sierra Vista police. Moments...

SIERRA VISTA, Arizona — Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels doesn’t mince words. He’s angry that local law enforcement and the citizens who call the Southwest border home have been left out of the decision making process when it comes to security and immigration reform. Dannels has lived along the border since 1984. He remembers when the dangers from smugglers circumventing the rocky, mountainous terrain were few and far between. Now, he says, a different breed of narcotics traffickers has amassed weapons, technology and small armies of death; threatening not only the stability of Mexico but U.S. national security as well....

He played the great Klingon warrior Kang on three versions of "Star Trek" and a Native American on ABC's "Broken Arrow." Michael Ansara, the rugged character actor who played Klingon commander Kang on three different Star Trek TV series, has died. He was 91 ... Born in a small village in Syria to American parents, Ansara starred as Native Americans on two 1950s primetime series ...

SIERRA VISTA — A Mexican national wanted for murder in South Carolina was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol Agents in Cochise County on Friday. Agents from the Brian A. Terry Station arrested the man, who was in this country illegally, near Naco, according to a release from the U.S. Border Patrol, Tucson Sector on Monday. The man, Delfino Escroza Dimas, 26, is wanted by the Greenville Police Department on charges of murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, discharging into a dwelling and assault and battery with intent to kill, said Officer Johnathan Bragg. Bragg did not provide...

Dear Nancy, I want to thank you for the years of allowing those of us who call Cochise County home to have your husband, Larry, as our sheriff. I first got to know Larry when I came to this newspaper in 1984, a couple of years after the Miracle Valley Shootout, the only title we in the media could come up with. I know he took a lot of heat, which was mostly generated by outsiders who flew in, made accusations, and then flew away. I left in 1987 for a five year period to work at another Wick paper...

Although some are tired of hearing about Arizona’s border problems, others are not. That’s how Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever sees the issue, which not only impacts Arizona but also far beyond the state. The federal government’s attack on Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070 is just an example of those in Washington, D.C., who are unaware of the enormous problem illegal immigrants and drug cartels are causing throughout the nation, Dever said. Speaking to more than 40 people Thursday night at the monthly dinner meeting of the Coronado Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, the sheriff said the federal...

(CNSNews.com) – Sheriff Larry Dever, whose officers patrol Cochise County along the border between Arizona and Mexico, said he finds it “amazing” that the U.S. State Department would refer the recently passed immigration law in his state to the United Nations Human Rights Council for review. “Well, it’s just amazing to me,” Dever told CNSNews.com. “Course, I have about as much regard for the U.N. as I do the vermin that hides in the rocks around my house here and reaches out and tries to bite me every now and then.” The Bush administration refused to join the U.N. Human...

PHOENIX — Border Patrol officers are being told by supervisors to stay out of certain areas because they’re too dangerous, Cochise County’s top law enforcement officer said Tuesday. “Agents have told me — this isn’t second-hand — that there are places where they don’t work right along the border because it’s too dangerous,” Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever told Capitol Media Services. More to the point, he said the line officers told him they are simply listening to what they are told by their superiors. “There is concern at the management level, at a certain level, that it’s too dangerous...

A longstanding local border-militia group is trying to form a paramilitary squad with permission to confront smugglers or other suspected wrongdoers. Cochise County Militia founder Bill Davis put out the word Monday that the group is planning to form a “private military company.” Although that category normally refers to contractors such as the company formerly known as Blackwater, the militia’s paramilitary squad would not work for money, Davis said. Rather, they would volunteer their efforts to local landowners His call came amid a resurgence in passions over border issues. When southeast Arizona rancher Robert Krentz was killed March 27, legislation...

SIERRA VISTA — A winter storm lingered over Cochise County on Friday, bringing flurries of snow and splashes of rain. The cool weather, however, brought little measurable precipitation through 9:30 p.m. on Friday. And there were few reported problems due to the weather. At the Libby Army Airfield on Fort Huachuca, a National Weather Service monitoring station had measured just 0.11 of an inch of precipitation for the 12-hour period starting at about 6 a.m. At the Sierra Vista fire station on Fry Boulevard, only a trace of rain was recorded in the 24-hour period ending at 6 p.m. on...

McCain backs Minuteman Graf; Giffords wants Hastert to resign The Business Journal of Phoenix - October 8, 2006 by Mike Sunnucks The Business Journal Arizona Sen. John McCain has endorsed conservative Tucson congressional candidate Randy Graf despite a split between the two on immigration and the Mexican border. Graf is also a member of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, a controversial group that patrols U.S. border and wants tougher immigration controls. The Minutemen have opposed McCain's approach to immigration, including a guest worker program. Graf faces an uphill climb against Democratic rival Gabrielle Giffords in a southeastern Arizona U.S. House...

McCain supports Graf for House seat By Daniel Scarpinato arizona daily star Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.08.2006 Republican congressional candidate Randy Graf has won the endorsement of political superstar John McCain — a significant step, the campaign says, toward unifying moderates and conservatives. "Randy Graf's record as a state representative has demonstrated his commitment to the values important to the people of Arizona," McCain said in a written statement provided to the Arizona Daily Star. "His voting record on issues such as supporting our military, reducing taxes and reining in election and welfare fraud bodes well for his future...

Tucson Region AdWatch: The Star's ongoing evaluation of the record versus the rhetoric in campaign ads Giffords' TV ad addresses America's safety By Josh Brodesky arizona daily star Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.01.2006 advertisement Today: We look at an ad for Democrat Gabrielle Giffords. The Race: Congress, District 8. Medium: A 30-second television ad. The Message: The ad begins with an image of cargo containers as a narrator says, "our ports uninspected." The message is re-emphasized by a graphic stating "one in 20 ports inspected." It then cuts to an image of a dirt road slicing across the desert as...

Tucson Region Political Notebook Despite Giffords' gripe, ad still on air By Daniel Scarpinato arizona daily star Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.01.2006 Democrat Gabrielle Giffords wants a new television ad criticizing her taken off the air, but Cox Media has no plans to pull it. In a letter sent Wednesday from Giffords' attorney to Cox Media, the campaign urges the company to take an ad paid for by the Minuteman Political Action Committee off the air since the Minutemen haven't been able to clearly back up claims they make about Congressional District 8 candidate Giffords in the ad. In the...

Trip Comes Amid New Reports Linking Rove to Indicted Former Republican Lobbyist Jack Abramoff9/29/2006 6:14:00 PM To: State Desk Contact: Luis Miranda of the Democratic National Committee, 202-863-8148 WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following release was issued today by the Democratic National Committee: Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the Arizona Republican Party has gone to desperate measures today by bringing GOP fear and smear king Karl Rove to Tucson and Scottsdale to raise campaign cash. But, Rove is lucky to be getting out of Washington and avoiding questions raised in a new a bipartisan Congressional report,...

Tucson Region Minutemen's Graf ads: Rival is 'way too liberal' TV spots say Giffords favors aid for entrants By Daniel Scarpinato arizona daily star Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.27.2006 In an effort to boost support for Republican congressional candidate Randy Graf, the Minuteman Political Action Committee launched the first in a series of ads on Tuesday. The television advertising, appearing on cable stations, criticizes 8th District Democratic candidate Gabrielle Giffords as being "way too liberal for Arizona." The Giffords campaign calls statements in the ad lies, and campaign officials are working with lawyers to have the commercial removed from the...