Parker Live News from the Parker Strip since 2009.

July, 2017

• 21 July

  Viewfinder: Another Perfect Sunset

  

  Photo via Isaac Sac Taylor.

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• 20 July

  An apparent murder-suicide is being investigated north of Parker

  

  Sheriff’s detectives have been investigating a triple shooting after an apparent murder-suicide was discovered north of Parker late on Wednesday night. A woman was transported to hospital and two men were found deceased at the scene, which is located not far from Emerald Canyon Golf Course on the Parker Strip, according to La Paz County Sheriff’s Department. It is believed …

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• 20 July

  Man barricades in Bouse after alleged attempted sexual assault

  

  A man allegedly committed attempted sexual assault before barricading himself in a house in Bouse, AZ Wednesday night in a stand-off with deputies. La Paz County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived at the residence of Oscar Martinez-Salgado for suspected aggravated assault and attempted sexual assault. While attempting to make contact with Martinez-Salgado, the suspect allegedly avoided contact by running into the residence …

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• 20 July

  Vehicle plows into building at car wash, owner deceased

  

  UPDATE 10:30am: Jose Lopez, known as ‘Chuy’, died this morning at his car wash in Parker, AZ when a vehicle driven by his wife Maria accelerated for unknown reasons into a shed where he was at the time, according to Parker Police Department. Police Sergeant Michael Bailey told Parker Live that the investigation is ongoing at this time. An 11 …

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• 13 July

  COLUMN: Somewhere Between Up and Down

  

  One of life’s great joys are those moments when something unexpected and wonderful happens to us. These high points usually carry with them great excitement and leave in their wake hopeful expectation that it’ll keep happening to us. Of course, they usually don’t. At least not for a long while, at any rate. Notice that I said usually. Sometimes one …

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• 10 July

  PAID: Sam Vederman opens new law office

  

  Sam Vederman, who recently retired as presiding Judge of the Superior Court in La Paz County, has started his own law practice as a private attorney and is now open for new clients. Sam moved to Arizona in 1999 after graduating from the Michigan State University College of Law and is intimately familiar with all aspects of the legal system …

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• 7 July

  27 year old man drowns over 4th weekend

  

  A 27 year-old man drowned at the beginning of the 4th of July weekend on the Parker Strip. The victim was named as Matthew Bashaw, 27 of Phelan, California, a small unincorporated community not far from Victorville in the high desert of San Bernardino County. Matthew was with friends and family at Echo Lodge on the Parker Strip. On Friday …

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• 5 July

  COLUMN: The ingredients of a national news blip

  

  It’s not the most interesting or compelling story of the year from Parker, AZ, but you can never tell what the news outlets are going to find newsworthy. A fireworks show ending in a (not particularly large) brush fire here on Monday night caught the attention of the national press, who reported it with the following headlines after Parker Live …

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• 5 July

  Judge Matthew Newman takes over at Superior Court

  

  Matthew Newman put on his robe as the 4th presiding judge at the La Paz County Superior Court in an investiture ceremony held Monday in Parker. Judge Matthew Newman takes the oath of office, read by District 2 Supervisor Duce Minor. Photos by Melissa Wright Photography. Newman has lived and worked in the Parker area for 26 years. His wife …

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• 4 July

  Viewfinder: A Parker 4th

  

  A private helicopter takes a pleasure run along the Colorado River, joining the thousands who flocked to the Parker Strip on 4th of July weekend, with the water temperature rising just in time for this classic summer weekend.

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• 3 July

  Viewfinder: Fireworks spark brush fire

  

  Fireworks at BlueWater Resort & Casino spark a brush fire Monday night. Photos via Eric T., Melissa W., Joy C., David L., Linsey M.

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June, 2017

• 30 June

  Follow these tips for the best 4th of July in Parker

  

  Wondering how to make the most of a trip to the Parker Strip for the longer-than-usual 4th of July weekend? Check out Parker Live’s top tips below, including where and when to see fireworks, which routes to take, where to hang out and how to stay safe. — 1. Take Mohave Road or AZ-95 instead of CA-62 After recent deadly …

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• 22 June

  Code Red: Bob “Weatherman” Steinberger passes away

  

    Parker’s own Bob “Weatherman” Steinberger has passed away at the age of 80, according to his wife Sharlene and multiple reports. Steinberger was an icon in the off-road racing community, where he made a name for himself by providing radio communications systems to big races like the Baja 1000. He was a staple at events operated by racing associations …

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• 21 June

  LISTEN: Sheriff finds elderly in need of “immediate aid”

  

  Sheriff Bill Risen stopped by KLPZ’s studio Wednesday morning to talk about his department’s findings after checking in on vulnerable elderly people during the current extreme heat wave (listen above, 15 mins). Risen said the deputies coordinated with Parker Police Department, Quartzsite Police Department and others Tuesday to try to reach some of the county’s most isolated population to ensure …

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• 21 June

  Eggstreme Heat: 120-Degree Egg Challenge winner!

  

  At KLPZ 1380am and Parker Live, we challenged you to cook an egg outdoors in the 120-degree temperatures and send us the results in pictures. And you delivered! Here are some of the most interesting results, captured on a day when Parker’s official high temp was 123 degrees. Winner announced at the bottom! —– Cesar D.L.C. – 2 hr Chuck …

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• 20 June

  Brooke Water outage for Parker Dam area Tuesday

  

  UPDATE 6/21: This outage has been postponed until tonight, Wednesday at 9pm through Thursday at 6am. Original story below. — Brooke Water is to have a planned outage Tuesday, June 20th from 9pm until 6am on Wednesday, June 21st affecting the Parker Dam area. The utility will be replacing its hydropneumatic pressure tank at the Parker Dam site, which is …

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• 20 June

  County’s ‘volunteer prosecutor’ case under scrutiny

  

  The La Paz County Attorney’s decision to use the services of a volunteer prosecutor came under more scrutiny this month after the Arizona Court of Appeals sent the case back to the Superior Court for more consideration. County Attorney Tony Rogers had appointed James Schilder as a Special Deputy County Attorney without pay, as a volunteer who wanted to help …

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• 19 June

  Scorching heatwave hits the Parker area Monday

  

  The National Weather Service has issued a series of warnings and watch alerts in advance of a significant heatwave which began Monday and is set to last throughout the week. This extreme weather event is expected to challenge some records. The peak will be Monday through Thursday, when the Parker area is forecast to reach high temps of between 118 …

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• 11 June

  Viewfinder: Tube Float 2017 Photos

  

  With a new route and new finish area, the Parker Tube Float was all fresh for 2017. Parker Live was there, cameras in hand! (This page may take a little time to fully load.)

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• 8 June

  Viewfinder: Where boats go to die?

  

  Desert near Parker.

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• 8 June

  Three structures lost in Lakeside fire

  

  Three structures are a “total loss” after Wednesday’s fire in Lakeside 2, according to Buckskin Fire Chief Chris Chambers. Photo by Araceli L. “It started in a garage,” Chambers told Parker Live, “and then quickly spread to each trailer on both sides.” The fire was driven by wind gusts on the hilly area, and worsened by the close proximity of …

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• 7 June

  Houses on fire north of Parker

  

  UPDATE 6/8: Three structures are a “total loss” after Wednesday’s fire in Lakeside 2, according to Buckskin Fire Chief Chris Chambers. Full update HERE. — ORIGINAL STORY: Two, possibly three, houses are on fire north of Parker in the area known locally as ‘Bean Pot Hill’. The houses, clustered between Captain Lane and Horizon Blvd, ignited sometime after 5 o’clock …

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• 5 June

  The Tube Float is back this Saturday!

  

  The Parker Tube Float is back for 2017 with a whole new route! Starting at Buckskin Mountain State Park and floating along the Colorado River for 3 miles to the south end of La Paz County Park north of Parker, Arizona, floaters are in for a treat on Saturday, June 10th, 2017. The new route makes for a shorter float, …

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• 2 June

  Column: What a Mess!

  

  It’s a phrase I keep hearing over and over again lately. It’s being said about national, international and local events. It’s being said by men, women and yes, even some kids I know. It’s usually said with a large side order of anger or disgust but at times it also comes with sheer resignation. “What a mess!” It seems that …

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May, 2017

• 30 May

  Crash kills 4 people in homebound weekend traffic

  

  UPDATE 12:33pm: Added identities of two of those who died. — Four people died on the road between Parker and Desert Center on Monday, according to news reports. Photo courtesy Brian Mumey and the Los Angeles Times Two soccer coaches from a Chino Hills high school were among those killed. Matt Hodges, 30, was the head coach of the varsity …

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• 26 May

  Where is Sandy Giles?

  

  UPDATE: It’s been over 2 months since Sandy went missing. There’s still no better information on what may have happened to her. UPDATE: Any new updates can be found at the Help Find Sandy Giles Facebook page, which is being run by Cal Advocates for the Missing, a nonprofit organization working with private investigators on Sandy’s case. Visit the page …

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• 16 May

  LISTEN: Sheriff Risen, Captain Bagby on reduced funding

  

  Sheriff Bill Risen and Captain Curt Bagby stopped by the studio of KLPZ 1380am Monday to talk about the challenges of operating the La Paz County Sheriff’s Department on reduced funding. Risen, elected in November, told Parker Live‘s John Wright that he has been asked to cut $30,000 per month from the department’s budget, and has not resolved how to …

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• 15 May

  Department running on “bare minimum”, Sheriff says

  

  Sheriff Bill Risen is running on the bare minimum in funding, he says, and is worried that it may not be enough. Speaking to the Board of Supervisors on Monday morning, Risen said that his department has handled 1,295 calls in the last 30 days with minimal staff, including: vehicle collision investigations medical calls disturbance calls assistance calls assaults thefts …

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• 15 May

  Schools locked down as suspect apprehended

  

  Some Parker schools were locked down while law enforcement arrested a suspect armed with a knife Monday morning. Parker High School, Wallace Junior High School and Wallace Elementary School were placed into lockdown as a precautionary measure, according to Parker Police Department. “Law enforcement received information there was an adult male, possibly armed with a knife, running toward Parker High …

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• 12 May

  Supervisors not laughing at Goatman intervention

  

  “You can’t make this stuff up.” So said District 2 Supervisor Duce Minor in a special meeting of the La Paz County Board of Supervisors this past week, addressing an agenda item which came after an online posting by someone purporting to be the legendary ‘Goatman’. Item 2 on Wednesday’s agenda asked the Board to vote to send a ‘cease …

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• 4 May

  Column: Found On Roadside Dumped

  

  When I bought my first Ford Ranger (I’m on my second one now) I got some teasing from people telling me that Ford stood for ‘Found On Roadside Dead’, among other things. As it turns out, my two Rangers have been great little trucks, and I’m hanging on to my current one since they don’t make them anymore. All of …

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• 2 May

  Matt Newman named Superior Court judge by Governor

  

  Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has announced the appointment of Matthew Newman to the La Paz County Superior Court. Current judge Samuel Vederman announced his retirement at the end of December, saying that he had sent a letter to the Governor’s office about his intention to step down in June. Newman has been an attorney in private practice in the Parker …

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• 2 May

  $191,000 settlement to family in custody death case

  

  On a Friday afternoon two summers ago, police stopped a car in the parking lot at Safeway in Parker. Beverly Pool, a passenger in the vehicle, was taken into custody. She died of a morphine overdose in her cell during the night. Now, $191,000 is set to be paid to 8 of Beverly’s family members in a proposed settlement in …

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• 2 May

  30 pounds of meth discovered in I-10 detail

  

  A multi-agency interdiction detail has netted approximately 30 pounds of suspected methamphetamine on Interstate 10 in Quartzsite. Last Wednesday the La Paz County Sheriff’s Department hosted an interdiction detail on Interstate 10. The agencies involved were the La Paz County Sheriff’s Department, Narcotics Task Force, Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol and the Quartzsite Police Department. At …

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• 1 May

  Kathy Field out as Public Defender

  

  UPDATE 3pm: Added details about supervision of the Public Defender role. — Kathy Field was dismissed Monday as La Paz County’s Public Defender after the Board of Supervisors emerged from an executive session on the topic of her employment. In a 2-1 decision, with dissent from Supervisor Holly Irwin, the majority of the Board voted to let Field go from …

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• 1 May

  Parker Strip river road to reopen to traffic

  

  The river road on the Parker Strip is to reopen north of Sundance Saloon after a unanimous decision by the La Paz County Board of Supervisors Monday. Photo by Melissa Wright Photography. The scenic stretch of road has been closed since 2014 when heavy rains led to a rockslide of several large boulders which landed on the narrow two-lane roadway, …

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April, 2017

• 26 April

  Viewfinder: Sometimes the Desert Does Gross Things

  

  Like dropping a sudden plague of black beetles over the night sky, where they get attracted to the bright lights of a grocery store or gas station and end up being swept up by the thousands the next morning. Sometimes the desert does gross things.

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• 25 April

  30 employees laid off at La Paz County, more may come

  

  Emotions were high at La Paz County when approximately 30 employees were laid off after the Board of Supervisors voted to reduce the County’s workforce with immediate effect. The cuts came in response to an ongoing financial crisis, which the Supervisors have been publicly addressing since their new term began in January. “This is the horrible day we’ve all known …

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• 19 April

  To The Editor: Does Parker hate tents?

  

  Here’s an email: “The Parker Strip is awesome and we love to camp on the river. But almost every camp site is for RVs only and tents are not allowed! Even in places that are managed by BLM, like the Parker Dam Road on the California side, we couldn’t find a single tent site, and most of them are day …

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• 17 April

  County’s 4-day workweek is to stay

  

  La Paz County’s 4-day workweek will stay, after the Board of Supervisors considered a proposal to change it to 5 days in a public meeting. County employees and members of the public filled the boardroom for Monday’s meeting, which included an agenda item added by Supervisor Duce Minor proposing a return to 5-day opening hours for County offices. Eleven of …

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• 13 April

  Supervisors to discuss moving to a 5-day workweek

  

  UPDATE 4/17: Changing to a 5-day workweek has now had its day in front of the Board of Supervisors and failed 2-1. See the update HERE for more. — ORIGINAL STORY: The La Paz County Board of Supervisors is to publicly discuss changing the County’s hours to a 5-day week. The item on the agenda for Monday, April 17th reads: …

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• 12 April

  Column: The Perils of Persistence

  

  Last month I talked a little bit about how important persistence is in our lives. Nothing worth doing happens without it, that’s for sure. And, come to think of it, nothing much worth doing gets done without at least some of it either! So persistence is a critical factor in all our lives. But – you knew that big “but” …

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• 9 April

  Woman barely escapes car fire at river’s edge

  

  UPDATED to add the woman’s name and other info. A woman escaped with her life after being helped out by a good Samaritan just moments before fire engulfed her car. Early on Sunday afternoon Cathy McClellan, 60 years old from Parker, reportedly lost control while driving a blue Corvette on the winding river road designated as Business-95. Her car ended …

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• 6 April

  70 federal inmates arrive at La Paz County Jail Thursday

  

  The inmate population at La Paz County Detention facility doubled on Thursday from just over 70 inmates to over 140. The jail received 70 inmates Thursday from the federal government in response to the closure of a private prison in San Luis, AZ. It is not known how long the arrangement will be in place or if it represents a …

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• 6 April

  Supervisors terminate Administrator agreement

  

  The La Paz County Board of Supervisors voted to terminate the agreement they had with the firm that provided Robert Smith as Interim County Administrator, citing the high costs and the necessity of filling the position on a permanent basis. Supervisor Holly Irwin placed the item on Monday’s agenda, saying she “about fell off [her] chair” when she saw the …

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March, 2017

• 31 March

  SPECIAL REPORT: Inside La Paz County Jail

  

  UPDATE 4/6: The jail just received 70 federal inmates, less than a week after the below article was written. For more information, go HERE. “Door Seven,” Commander Suffle said into his radio. A few moments later a buzzing sound came from the metal door in front of us, and he opened it and showed us through. It was me, Sheriff …

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• 30 March

  Man arrested for threat to County

  

  A man was arrested and taken into custody by the La Paz County Sheriff’s Department on Thursday after he allegedly threatened the County after a visit to the Treasurer’s Office. According to a press release by La Paz County Sheriff’s Department, Rickey Shamblin was arrested at approximately 3 pm after he reportedly became upset with the staff at the County’s …

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• 24 March

  Juvenile arrested for high school stabbing

  

  A juvenile has been arrested for the stabbing assault of a custodian at Parker High School. Late on Thursday night, authorities with the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department arrested a male juvenile subject in connection with the stabbing of Maria Salcedo. The arrest was made around 11 pm, according to Parker P.D. It is an ongoing investigation and anyone …

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• 23 March

  Viewfinder: Spring Evening

  

  Springtime in Parker.

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• 23 March

  Court of Appeals sides with La Paz court in Silva case

  

  The Arizona Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of a man who was found guilty of the murder of his accomplice while fleeing from cops on a crime spree two years ago. A La Paz County jury convicted Victor Silva after a unique and interesting trial in December 2015. Silva then filed motions for mistrial and judgment of acquittal, …

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