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Kingman Wreck
Critically Injures Local Residents - Posted: October 8, 2008 12:41 PM
KINGMAN - Two Kingman residents injured in a two vehicle collision Wednesday morning are reported in critical condition following their flight to Las Vegas for treatment at Sunrise Hospital. The crash occurred at 6:00 a.m. at the intersection of North Bank Street and Kino Avenue.
Police Sergeant Rusty Cooper said alcohol and speed are suspected factors in the wreck. Liana Raecine Wellington, 19, was eastbound on Kino when she failed to stop at Bank. He said Wellington's 1999 Mercury struck a northbound 2001 Ford Explorer driven by Jacky Lee Polasky, 33.
``Witnesses reported seeing Wellington's vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed with no head lights just before the crash," Cooper said. The investigation continues.

Harley Testing
YUCCA - The Harley-Davidson Motor Company is relocating some of its testing operations from Mesa to Mohave County. The company will test motorcycles at the Chrysler LLC-owned and operated Arizona Proving Grounds at Yucca off Interstate 40, about 25 miles south of Kingman.
``Chrysler and Harley Davidson have finalized an agreement that enables Harley-Davidson to occupy three existing buildings at the Arizona Proving Grounds (APG)," said Chrysler spokeswoman Christina Biache. She said the companies will coordinate shared use of track and other test facilities.
Harley-Davidson has been testing in Mesa at the General Motors Proving Ground that has been sold for a variety of planned developments. Testing in Mesa will cease next summer.
``We will transition our testing operations from the current facility in Mesa in April of next year with the expectation that we'll be fully utilizing the Yucca facility by July 1st," said Harley-Davidson spokeswoman Pat Sweeney. ``We will occupy several buildings and we will use their track facilities for testing and their facilities include the 5-mile high speed oval track and vehicle dynamics area."
Sweeney said Harley-Davidson and other motorcycles from their Buell sports bike division will be put through their paces at the Chrysler facility. She said other terms of the testing operation agreement are confidential and she declined to disclose how many people Harley-Davidson will employ at APG.
Attempting to measure potential employment at APG is further complicated by a Harley-Davidson's fluctuating workforce numbers over time in Mesa. One former test rider said "no less than 50 and no more than 100" people worked for the motorcycle testing operation during her period of employment.
Misty Cyr, an account manager for labor supply contractor Modern Solutions LLC, said her company was accustomed to providing between 30 and 65 test riders, depending upon variations in test programs implemented by Harley-Davidson. She said she believed Harley-Davidson employed between 8 and 10 of its own technicians, engineers and administrators.
Scot Rigby, a project manager for the City of Mesa's Economic Development Department, said his department hasn't had contact with Harley-Davidson for more than a year. He said, however, it was believed some 18 months ago that the company employed between 100-150 people in Mesa.
The Ford Motor Company operated APG for a little more than 50 years. Ford sold the facilities to Chrysler a year ago.

Meth Seizure Reported In Bullhead City
BULLHEAD CITY - A two month investigation into alleged drug dealing activity led to a raid of an apartment in the 1700 block of Highway 95 Tuesday in Bullhead City. Police spokeswoman Emily Montague said officers seized 12 ounces of methamphetamine and a handgun during a search of the premises.
Arrested on drug charges were 27 year-old Adalberto Valdez-Baldenebro and 22 year-old Abraham Lugo Bernal. Montague said police also confiscated large amounts of cash possessed by both suspects who were booked into the Mohave County jail.

Kingman Council Ponders Annexation
KINGMAN - The complications of annexation were laid out during Monday's Kingman City Council workshop. Obstacles to annexation historically have involved cost of providing city service to new territory and turf battles associated with a commercial waste collection company and a north Kingman fire district.
The City years ago lost lengthy litigation when Waste Management filed suit over encroachment into its service territory. Councilman Ray Lyons reminded his colleagues that Northern Arizona Conolidated Fire District #1 Chief Wayne Eder has resisted city expansion that would take in his residential and commercial tax base north of Kingman.
``That's his territory and he's very protective of his territory," Lyons said.
Over the years repeated analysis of boundary extensions taking in significant population segments have concluded that, absent a primary property tax, it'll cost more to provide city services to the new territory than will be generated by the additional sales tax base. But Council member Robin Gordon said it's time for Kingman city to become more proactive and progressive to expand its city limits.
``It's not an issue of can we afford to do it, it's can we afford not to do it," Gordon said. She said she favors city expansion to the northeast stretching through and beyond the proposed Rattlesnake Wash Interstate 40 interchange.
``It's definitely the direction that the city is moving in and ,when we're so heavily dependant upon sales tax for our revenues, I think it's really important that we look forward and say 'that's where the sales tax is going to be generated' and for the future of Kingman it's important that we look to those areas," Gordon said. The Council agreed with Gordon, and directed staff to lay the foundation for annexation of the east bench area.
City Manager Jack Kramer suggested that the City map out zones, or stages, and proceed with a realistic schedule.
Council member Keith Walker said both sides of Interstate 40 should eventually come into the City all the way into the Hualapai Mountain foothills.
Council member Kerry Deering also thinks its important to extend the City north along Stockton Hill road, bringing in Butler. ``To me, it's sort of a package deal," Deering said.

MCC’s Pumpkin Fest: Free Family Fun And Games
MOHAVE COUNTY - Clowns, pirates, princes and princesses will join ballerinas, fairies and skeletons as Mohave Community College’s annual Pumpkin Fest offers a time of free, safe family fun and games on the Kingman, Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City campuses.
Pumpkin Fest began in 2005 as a fall festival of fun and games to encourage children and their parents to visit the MCC campuses and to provide a safe family Halloween activity.
“We want everyone who lives in Mohave County to feel comfortable and have fun on our campuses and for them to know we are here for them,” MCC Chancellor Michael Kearns said. “So we developed an event aimed at family fun and to offer an alternative to trick or treating on the streets.”
Pumpkin Fest events will be coordinated by MCC’s new Corporate Outreach division and will be held Oct.24 on the Henry Campus-Bullhead City and Oct. 30 on the Neal Campus-Kingman and the Lake Havasu City campus.
In addition to fun for the children, Pumpkin Fest affords parents an opportunity to become familiar with campus resources while the children enjoy the festivities. Those resources include the libraries and computer centers, student services areas where financial aid, advising and registration take place, and those buildings where specialized programs are offered at MCC.
The Bullhead City event will run from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Room 600 and in front of the 600 Building. A variety of games will be played - including a cupcake walk - allowing youngsters the chance to win Halloween prizes. There will also be a “trunk-or-treat” event in which the kids go from car to car in front of the 600 Building to receive safe candy.
The Kingman event will run from 5 to 7 p.m. with trick-or-treating from 5 to 6 p.m. Maps will be provided so kids can visit campus offices that will be giving away candy. The children will end up in Room 200F, which will be decorated and where tables will be set up with face painting, games and other activities. The popcorn and cotton candy machines will be set up as well.
The Lake Havasu City event will run from 5 to 7 p.m. in the 200 Building, located at 1977 Acoma Blvd. West. Activities will include the trick-or-treat trail and Sleepy Hollow Graveyard; “Our Kids” ballet class dancing in the halls; games such as musical chairs and pin the nose on the pumpkin; Darth Vader and his guests manning the snack bar; Dr. Sawbones performing surgery; Yukon Jack reading scary stories; and special appearances by Wyatt Earp, Arwen from Lord of the Rings and Julius Caesar.
All three campuses invite the children to attend in costume and urge them to take part in the activities.
For more information about Pumpkin Fest, call the nearest MCC campus: Diane at (928) 758-5817 in Bullhead City; Jacey at (928) 757-4331 in Kingman; or Mark at (928) 505-3356 in Lake Havasu City.

Conditional Use Permit Rejected By Kingman Council
KINGMAN - More than 90 minutes of Monday's regular Kingman City Council meeting was devoted to a broad ranging discussion of the conditional use permit sought for the NAZCARE operation on Kier street in downtown Kingman. In general, representatives of the social service and mental health care community endorsed the permit, while neighbors indicated opposition.
In the end, the Council agreed that neighborhood sentiment should prevail in the conditional use permit arena. The permit request was rejected by a unanimous vote.
The Council also approved issuance of nearly $4-million in bonds for work in an improvement district between Airway and Kino, bounded by Lomita and Roosevelt. The work will include street, curb, gutter, sidewalk, water and sewer improvements.