Parker Live News from the Parker Strip since 2009.

April, 2019

• 17 April

  COLUMN: Reflections on Notre Dame

  

  I’m writing this on the day after the fire that burned down most of Notre Dame Cathedral. It’s been in the news, of course, and even managed to push some of the usual political dreck out of the news for a little while, which is quite an accomplishment. Of course there’s been a lot of talk about what happened and …

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• 17 April

  Update on Harold Smith

  

  A Parker man who stands accused of molesting his grandchild has been offered a plea agreement by the state prosecutor. Harold Smith, 69, attended court last week with his attorney, who asked for a continuance so that he and his client could review the plea offer, which “contemplates significant prison [time].” The court agreed to give Smith time with his …

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• 4 April

  WATER OUTAGE: Area emergency procedures tested

  

  UPDATE FRI, 5pm: “Here is an update on the water main break. If there are any new updates I will make sure to send them to you. The repairs have been made and water is flowing through the system but in abundance of caution tests must be conducted to ensure the water is safe for drinking and food preparation. The …

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• 4 April

  Wrong-way driver’s odd behavior revealed in 911 calls

  

  Turning his lights off and on, stopping in the middle of the highway and then starting again in the wrong direction… the odd behavior of a driver who caused a fiery fatal crash on I-10 last week is revealed in 911 calls from the night of the crash.   Francisco Edward Rebollar, 63, of Murrieta, California, was driving his Nissan …

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March, 2019

• 27 March

  Paul Mosley’s lawyer resigns from legislature after ethics complaints

  

  UPDATE: Stringer was accused in the 1980s of paying two children under 15 years old to have sex with him, according to information released by the House Ethics Committee. Details here. — ORIGINAL STORY: Arizona Representative David Stringer, best-known to the Parker area as former fellow legislator Paul Mosley’s attorney in his excessive speeding case, has resigned following ethics complaints. …

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• 27 March

  Fiery crash kills 4 on I-10

  

  UPDATE: The 3 occupants of the van in this story have been identified as both members of the Liverpool, England-based band Her’s and their tour manager. The band had just finished their show at the Rebel Lounge in Phoenix and we’re headed to a show in Santa Ana. More here. ORIGINAL STORY: Four people died early Wednesday morning after a …

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• 26 March

  Viewfinder: Parker at Dusk

  

  Parker at dusk.

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• 15 March

  Mosley’s traffic ticket to become precedent-setting

  

  Mosley’s case is unique in Arizona history He alleges via his two attorneys “selective prosecution” Blames “media storm” created after Parker Live broke story County Attorney quotes Thomas Jefferson and says Mosley must be held accountable Former state representative Paul Mosley appeared in court Friday with two attorneys arguing that legislative immunity prevents him from being prosecuted for his March …

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• 15 March

  Trump signs La Paz County Land Conveyance Act

  

  President Donald Trump has signed a piece of legislation that will allow the sale of 6,000 acres of federal land to La Paz County, Arizona for solar energy development purposes. The legislation was part of a larger legislative package that had been championed by members of Congress from Arizona, and is intended to pave the way for a solar energy …

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• 14 March

  Girl Scout from Parker sold the most cookies – 4,043

  

  A Girl Scout from Parker has been recognized for selling the most cookies in Central and Northern Arizona. 3TV covered Maddie’s success HERE. Maddie Dunlap, 11, sold 4,043 boxes of Girl Scout cookies between January 21st and March 3rd, making her the top cookie seller. In addition, the Parker troop, Troop 1892, was the top troop in the region. They …

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• 13 March

  COLUMN: The desert is beautiful right now

  

  I’m sitting at my laptop still shaking off some of the rain that’s been falling lately. This year we’ve had quite a lot of rain, and I suspect there’s still more to come. Who knows, maybe even later today? But there’s a wonderful benefit to all this rain, and that’s a very green desert. It’s amazing to look at our …

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• 7 March

  Former County Attorney alleges corruption of former officials

  

  False letters, hidden settlements, personal agendas: it’s all in a notice of claim filed by former La Paz County Attorney Glenn Buckelew, who alleges corruption on the part of his former colleagues. Buckelew filed the notice of claim for what he says was wrongful termination, which he says came after he had been looking into corrupt and illegal practices involving …

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• 5 March

  Freeman case to go to trial

  

  Aaron Freeman is going to trial after he rejected the latest settlement offer in his murder case. He is charged with the murder of his 3 year-old daughter. Freeman, 26, was ready to sign a previous settlement back in December, but Judge Matthew Newman rejected it, calling it a “pretty sweet deal” and ultimately saying it wasn’t a deal he …

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• 1 March

  140 pounds of meth seized on I-10

  

  Quartzsite Police Department and La Paz County Narcotics Task Force K9 seized 140 pounds of methamphetamine on Sunday on Interstate 10. The officer and a K9 handler were working an interdiction detail on the highway together, and conducted a traffic stop on 27 year-old Gabriel Vanier-Pop. According to the La Paz County Sheriff’s Department, the stop was a typical traffic …

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February, 2019

• 28 February

  Man arrested for possession of stolen vehicle

  

  A man was arrested in Big River, CA on Wednesday for possession of a vehicle that had been reported missing from Parker, AZ. At 8:44 a.m., deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Colorado River Station responded to the 6700 block of Rio Vista Drive in Big River to assist fire department personnel with and unconscious male sitting in …

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• 12 February

  Man goes to prison for using video cables to strangle victim to death

  

  A former Parker man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to second degree murder. Larson Namow Burns, 29, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 180 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for strangling a male victim in January 2018 and inflicting “several blows with a blunt object”, according to …

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January, 2019

• 31 January

  BLM to conduct burns during February

  

  The Bureau of Land Management Lake Havasu Field Office will conduct prescribed burning in Parker, during the month of February, as weather conditions allow. The burn area is located seven miles northeast of Parker and a half-mile west of Parker Dam Road near Crossroads, on the California side of the Colorado River. “The removal and controlled burning of vegetation piles …

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• 29 January

  Paul Mosley’s lawyer faces ethics complaints in legislature

  

  A lawyer and politician representing ousted Arizona State Representative Paul Mosley is facing multiple ethics complaints himself this week in the state legislature. Mosley (left), Stringer (right) The complaints against Mosley’s fellow legislator David Stringer, a Republican from Prescott, stem from accusations of racism and the recent revelation that Stringer was apparently charged with possession of child pornography in 1983 …

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• 27 January

  Suspect dead after officer-involved shooting in Ehrenberg

  

  A Yucca Valley man with multiple outstanding felony warrants was shot dead by cops in Ehrenberg Thursday. Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers and a La Paz County deputy shot and killed Christian Albarran, 26, in Ehrenberg on Thursday afternoon. The incident began earlier in the day, when San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies spotted Albarran driving near Dumosa Avenue and …

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• 18 January

  Parker man charged with child molestation, victim alleges preferential treatment

  

  A Parker man was charged last summer with sexual conduct with his grandchild, who is now asking Parker Live why her grandfather is not in jail and why public records of the case are unavailable. Harold Smith, 69, is a former reserve law enforcement officer in Parker and retired employee of the State of Arizona, according to the victim’s dad Micah, …

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• 18 January

  CRIT passes water ordnance

  

  Update: Referendum passed. Original story below. — Members of the Colorado River Indian Tribes will vote Saturday on an ordnance that would open a path to pursuing lucrative water leasing opportunities. Much of CRIT’s substantial rights to Colorado River water are not being used, so even a small portion of its total entitlement would be very valuable, with potentially tens …

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• 10 January

  Town of Wenden celebrates new water plant, eliminates plastic bottles

  

  With accessible clean drinking water a hot global issue, the residents of Wenden, Arizona can now confidently quench their thirst. For many years, residents of the small town in rural La Paz County hesitated to drink the tap water, due to its high fluoride content and spikes in arsenic levels that required further drilling and a state-mandated Fluoride and Arsenic …

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• 9 January

  Sheriff approved for new patrol computers

  

  The La Paz County Board of Supervisors has authorized the Sheriff’s Department to spend $265,000 on new computers for patrol vehicles that will bring the department’s hardware up-to-date. According to the Sheriff’s Department, the existing machines are aging, approaching the end of their product life cycle by the end of the year and unable to perform many of the tasks …

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• 7 January

  Viewfinder: Judges Quickle and Dyer sworn in

  

  Jessica Quickle was sworn in as the new Judge of the La Paz County Superior Court and Tiffany Dyer was sworn in as the new Judge of the Parker Justice Court Monday. District 2 County Supervisor Duce Minor led the oath ceremony for Judge Quickle, and Quickle then led the ceremony for Judge Dyer, along with re-elected Precinct 5 Judge …

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• 3 January

  COLUMN: A funny thing happened on my way to the new year

  

  This is my first column of the new year, or perhaps I should say ‘a’ new year, since they seem to come around quicker and quicker as I get older. But there’s one thing that never seems to get old and that’s the word ‘new’. This makes sense of course, since ‘new’ is the opposite of ‘old’, isn’t it? But …

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• 3 January

  To The Editor: Is this traffic light acting weird?

  

  Happy New Year, everybody! Let’s start 2019 off right, by trying to answer a question from a reader: “One of the green lights was out at the junction of 95 at the Sandbar. Since it was repaired, the default green light has been changed to the traffic that crosses the highway on to the river road! Am I the only …

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December, 2018

• 29 December

  Things you may have missed: Parker Live in 2018

  

  We’ve had lots of big-hitting content on Parker Live in the last year. Our audience keeps growing and it was our largest year ever! So, in case you missed anything, these are just some of the things that we covered in 2018. (Text in blue link to the original stories.) — 1. Justice for Cynthia A Parker man and woman …

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• 17 December

  WATCH: Former Sheriff drives wrong truck away

  

  A former Sheriff of La Paz County, AZ got into the wrong truck and drove it away Wednesday before realizing his mistake and bringing it back. Hal Collett had been visiting Spanky’s RV & Marine retail store in Parker, AZ when he exited the store and got into a truck similar to his own, a silver Ford pickup truck. The …

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• 13 December

  Sheriff’s Department okayed to buy 7 patrol vehicles

  

  The La Paz County Board of Supervisors has authorized the purchase of 7 used Chevy Tahoe patrol vehicles. The vehicles, which are used law enforcement-equipped Chevys, are being sold by the City of Avondale, AZ, which usually rotates vehicles out at around 60,000 to 70,000 miles, according to Lieutenant Richard Epps. “The City of Avondale told me they serviced them …

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• 13 December

  Part-owner of Parker Pioneer engaged in offbeat divorce battle

  

  A part-owner of the Parker Pioneer and Today’s News-Herald is engaged in an offbeat public court battle which involves allegations of poisoning. AP photos According to an Associated Press story, Joseph Soldwedel of Prescott has been using his newspaper to publicize his allegations that his wife of 8 years, Felice, tried to poison him. Prosecutors have cleared Felice of any …

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• 11 December

  Explore La Paz County Wednesday at Casino

  

  Explore La Paz County at the Tourism Expo Wednesday, December 12th from 9am to 3pm at BlueWater Resort & Casino. Admission is free. Learn about all the fun activities across La Paz County. The Tourism Expo is brought to you by the La Paz Regional Tourism team, the Colorado River Indian Tribes and BlueWater Resort & Casino. For more information …

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• 11 December

  Judge rejects child death plea bargain

  

  La Paz County Superior Court Judge Matthew Newman chose not to accept a plea deal offered Tuesday to a man who stands accused of killing his own 3 year-old daughter through child abuse. Aaron Freeman, 25, had a pen in his hand and was about to sign the agreement when Newman interjected from the bench. “Well, let me stop you …

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• 7 December

  Mosley says he wants a trial

  

  Arizona State Representative Paul Mosley told the Parker Justice Court Thursday that he intends to take the misdemeanor excessive speed case resulting from his now infamous traffic stop to trial. Mosley’s attorney David Stringer, one of his fellow legislators, told the court he thinks the matter is more complex than a simple excessive speed case. Cochise County Attorney Brian McIntyre, …

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• 5 December

  WINNERS: 12 Days of Christmas!

  

  Here are the winners from KLPZ’s 12 Days of Christmas! Well done and happy new year from KLPZ / Parker Live. — $150 cash / $50 gas card – Patricia Jones (A Toe Truck) DeWalt 12″ Cordless Chainsaw – Steve Perry (Ocotillo Lodge – Bouse) Super Ultimate Hot Wheels Garage – Selena Carrillo (Parker Accounting Services) Kidkraft Uptown Espresso Kitchen …

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• 5 December

  COLUMN: A 300-mile pilgrimage

  

  If you’re a long time reader of this column you might remember that in the fall of 2016 I talked about walking the first 200 miles of an ancient Christian pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago. What I didn’t say in that article was that I was nearly positive that I was through with the Camino. I wouldn’t be going back …

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November, 2018

• 30 November

  Suicidal man in motorhome dies after standoff

  

  A standoff with an elderly man threatening suicide ended with the man firing at cops and dying by gunfire, according to law enforcement. On Wednesday morning at around 8:50 a.m., the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department and La Paz County Sheriff’s Department responded to the Lazy D mobile home park in Parker, AZ after a call about a man …

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• 24 November

  Boat crashes into both shores, two sent to hospital

  

  A boat crashed into both the Arizona and California sides of the Colorado River north of Parker, AZ on Friday evening, sending two occupants to hospital. According to law enforcement, the pontoon boat was traveling southbound on the Arizona side of the Parker Strip south of the Keys II subdivision, when it struck a rocky peninsula. The occupants were thrown …

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• 15 November

  PHOTOS: Car ploughed through memorabilia store and into a church

  

  A speeding driver hit an SUV carrying 3 children at a major intersection in Parker before ploughing through the front of a memorabilia retail store, out a side wall and into the front of a unit that houses a church and its thrift store. Eyewitnesses told Parker Live that the vehicle, a white sedan, was coming through the town of …

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• 14 November

  Jessica Quickle to be next Superior Court Judge

  

  Defense attorney Jessica Quickle will be the next Judge of the La Paz County Superior Court after a close race was decided with additional votes counted over a week after election day. At the end of the final unofficial tally, transmitted to the Secretary of State Wednesday night, 24 votes separated Quickle from her opponent. Quickle has a total of …

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• 12 November

  Tribes’ fallow deal passes Congress

  

  UPDATE April 9th: The fallow offer by CRIT has now been passed by both Houses of Congress as part of the larger Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan. It awaits the President’s signature, and is expected to become law. Both the House and Senate versions of the plan are identical and will require that the Interior Secretary authorize the water allocation …

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• 6 November

  Key La Paz County races too close to call

  

  UPDATE: “We will process the remaining 576 ballots on Tuesday the 13th at the earliest and hopefully by Thursday the 15th at the latest. Thanks.” – Kevin Scholl, LPC Elections — Key local races in La Paz County were too close to call at the end of election night. The first unofficial results were released late on Tuesday night, with …

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• 6 November

  Several road construction projects to affect traffic

  

  There are several road construction projects at various stages that Parker area motorists may want to know about. Here’s Parker Live summary of the projects, including how and when they may affect travel. Vicksburg Road between Hwy 60 and Hwy 72 Nov 6th – Nov 13th People traveling between Parker and the Phoenix metro area may want to go via …

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• 5 November

  Why Arizona votes matter, where to vote

  

  The midterm election is here Tuesday, and Arizona votes matter more than usual. Here’s why. In typical U.S. elections, most states are ‘in the bag’ for one party or the other from the very beginning. For example, Oklahoma is a solid red state, voting Republican in every election for the last 70 years, while Hawaii is a solid blue state, …

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• 2 November

  Big changes at Parker area state parks amid controversy

  

  There are big changes in progress at state parks on the Parker Strip and Lake Havasu amid an administrative controversy for Arizona State Parks & Trails. Parks Director Sue Black and her top deputy were both suspended on Thursday after the state Attorney General’s Office opened a criminal investigation of the agency. The probe comes over allegations that Parks repeatedly …

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October, 2018

• 21 October

  To The Editor: On Sandy Giles ‘Cold Case’

  

  In May 2017, Parker Live was one of the few news outlets to cover the disappearance of an Alabama woman called Sandy Giles. The story generated a lot of interest and speculation in the Parker area, because Sandy’s car was discovered not far outside of town, a few miles west on CA-62. There were precious few clues as to where …

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• 17 October

  River Cribs II

  

  You know you wanna see inside this place. Parker Live ‘River Cribs’ is back! This 5,517 square-foot vacation home is the ultimate way to enjoy the Parker Strip. — Read the comments on our Facebook page HERE.

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• 15 October

  Another murder case dismissed, lack of evidence

  

  After hearing evidence for several days in a murder case in Parker, the trial judge dismissed the entire case due to a lack of evidence, chastising prosecutor Karen Hobbs in the process, dismissing the jury and letting the defendant go free. The unusual ruling was made in response to a motion by the defendant under Rule 20, which states that …

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• 8 October

  Viewfinder: Running Man II

  

  The second fuel station by the Colorado River Indian Tribes opened to the public last week in a Grand Opening ceremony on the north side of the town of Parker. It was attended by Tribal Council, bird singers and dancers, other local dignitaries and members of the public. Photos by Josh Savino.

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• 2 October

  Purple Badge: Parker school principal tells story of domestic violence

  

  It’s National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 1 in 4 women has experienced some form of domestic violence, and the Principal of Blake Primary School in Parker, AZ is one of them.   In this exclusive video by Parker Live, Joanna Hermes opens up about her experience in an abusive relationship over 15 years ago, and how receiving help as a …

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• 1 October

  To The Editor: River so low!

  

  The elevation of the Colorado River on the Parker Strip has been low, and people have been noticing! Any news or ideas of why river has been so low this last week?” – Margaret It’s a good question, because when the river level is lower than usual, it can cause sandbars and rock to be exposed that isn’t ordinarily, which …

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