News
35th Annual Parker Tube Float Date Set
Jan 19th
The Parker Area Chamber of Commerce will co-host this year’s tube float with BlueWater Resort and Casino and Parker Rotary on June 9, 2012. This years’ theme will celebrate the Statehood of Arizona. There have been many centennial celebrations state-wide over the past year and will continue throughout 2012. Arizona will be 100 years old on February 14, 2012.
The Tube Float came under great scrutiny last year when record numbers of floaters converged on our small body of water. Most did not register for the years-old fundraiser and there were many incidents of underage drinking and personal property damage along the Parker Strip. Also, trash was clogging up Headgate Dam. After many meetings with the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, local businesses, community residents, local government, law enforcement, CRIT EPO and first-responders the decision was made to continue with the traditional float.
The tube Float brings in thousands of visitors each year and continued to grow. This event is great for the local economy with record retail sales over “the Big Three” summer holidays: Memorial Weekend, Fourth of July and Labor Day.
Boy doing well after hit and run
Jan 18th
This is Ethan Torres, the 2 year old boy who was the victim of a hit and run incident outside his home in Parker on Sunday. Parker Live’s Facebook comments section lit up with messages of support and outrage about the incident, as well as some information about the boy’s health from family members:
He has a broken rib, a bruised liver, and two holes in his lung. The doctors main concern is for his lung, they are giving him a couple more days to see how he does, and if the holes don’t close they will go in for surgery. But other than that he is a very active little boy, and in good spirits!
His activity level went from a 3 to a 10 yesterday. He is starting to act like himself again. The doctors are just concerned about the little holes in his lungs so they are taking xrays every morning to see if they are healing themselves. Maggie and Javier Torres would like to thank everyone for their prayers,phone calls, visits and thoughts through this. He is a tough little guy and is so loved.
There is still no further information about the vehicle involved or its driver. Anyone who can help should call Parker PD at (928) 669-2265. The photo above courtesy of CRIT Manataba Messenger.
Car hits a 2 year old and flees
Jan 17th
Parker Police Department needs your help to identify a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run incident on January 15th.
The vehicle came onto the sidewalk in the 1300 block of Quartz Avenue in Parker and hit a 2 year old boy riding a scooter before fleeing the scene. The child was knocked unconscious and had to be flown to a Phoenix area hospital as a result of his injuries. The incident occurred sometime between 1:30 and 2:00 p.m. The police department was notified about it while at La Paz Regional Hospital on an unrelated call.
The only information police have on the vehicle is that it was an older, small model white passenger car. It isn’t known whether the vehicle was two- or four-door.
If anyone has any information please contact the Parker Police Department at (928) 669-2265 or KLPZ 1380am at (928) 669-9274.
Turning lane to be added at Bill Williams
Jan 13th
The Arizona Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Central Arizona Project, will begin a project to add a two-way left turn lane to State Route 95 at the Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge Road.
Construction work will begin Tuesday (January 17th). Although no immediate lane closures are scheduled, there will be times when workers briefly stop traffic on SR 95 at milepost 161. ADOT advises motorists to plan ahead and allow extra travel time.
What to expect during construction:
- Work scheduled weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Intermittent lane closures, planned during work hours.
- Workers in place to direct traffic.
- The speed limit of 25 mph in the construction zone.
- Law enforcement on-site to monitor speeds.
- Message boards advising drivers of lane restrictions.
The $2.4 million project also includes drainage improvements, guardrail work, new pavement markings and adding an access road to the Central Arizona Project (CAP) Mark Wilmer pumping plant.
This project is scheduled to be completed by summer 2012.
Attorney refuses to work with Town of Quartzsite
Jan 13th
Local attorney Matt Newman is apparently refusing to do further business with the Town of Quartzsite, “at any hourly rate”, calling the current administration “tainted.”
This comes after Public Defender Michael Frame refused to work on cases involving the Town’s Attorney Martin Brannan, citing conflicts of interest and what he believes are politically-motivated actions against his clients by Brannan and the Town.
Newman adds his voice to this dissent in a Refusal of Appointment, saying:
It is my belief that the current administration of the Town has created an inherent conflict of interest by appointing the Town Prosecutor as the Town Attorney and Town Parliamentarian. It is also my belief that the current administration is specifically targeting certain individuals for prosecution due to their political views.
As it is impossible to know in each particular case if the defendant may be one of those individuals, I do not desire to represent appointed clients at this time.
Upon information and belief, the current Public Defender is not being paid for his services, and I cannot in good faith enter into any agreement with an administration as tainted as the current one.
A copy of his refusal was copied to Quartzsite Town Manager Alex Taft.
Truck found, trashed
Jan 12th
A Parker Live reader says they discovered T Watts’ light blue pickup truck and have been talking to law enforcement about it, a mere 3 hours after it was posted on this site.
The man was on the road to Black Meadow Landing (approximated above) when he spotted the truck around halfway there. He said it looked like it had been rolled. “It was totaled,” he said. He spoke to California Highway Patrol about it, who had it on a wrecker.
Parker Live also has been told that law enforcement may have been given a lead on the perpetrators, independently of the above source.
Thank you all for your help and for sharing this story.
Things I’ve found while not looking
Jan 12th
Every once and awhile I find myself pondering the aspects of life.
The Ups.
The Downs.
The Achievements.
The Disappointments.
The Just Plain Ridiculous.
The negatives sometimes outweigh the positives. At times Life has more inconveniences then we think we can handle. There’s going to be low points and goals not achieved, but life wouldn’t be life without those setbacks. There’s not much I can do to prevent outside negative influences from happening, but I CAN control the ridiculous things in life I expose myself to.
I sit here a sore and broken man, for you see, last night I had an opportunity to prevent yet another ridiculous act from taking place in my life. I failed…MISERABLY.
“What is this huge mistake you speak of Josh?”
Well I’ll tell you inquisitive reader of Parker Live.
Town of Quartzsite not paying Frame in retaliation?
Jan 12th
A public defender for the Town of Quartzsite has said the town is refusing to pay him for services rendered.
Michael Frame says the actions could be retaliation by the Town Attorney Martin Brannan to Frame’s strong allegations against him, whom he recently accused of writing or contributing to a hate-filled website against some of his clients.
His new motion to remove Brannan from all cases to which he is appointed says:
“Undersigned counsel is being personally attacked on websites the Town Prosecutor / Town Attorney controls, authors, influences and or provides information to others which publishes defamatory claims and personal attacks against undersigned.
The website is known as the “QuartzsiteBagger”; this is the website Mr. Brannan is involved in, controls, influences or contributes to comments, statements or directs others to engage in.
Attacks upon undersigned counsel began after Mr. Brannan removed himself from cases based on allegations of undersigned and is engaged in retaliatory conduct through this website for his own gratification and political end.
The motion was filed yesterday. Frame is still receiving cases from Quartzsite Magistrate Court, and says that bills for services he rendered in December and January to date are unpaid. He alleges that Brannan “encourages this legal position on behalf of the Town.”
Let’s find this truck
Jan 12th
Last night, this pickup truck was stolen from a long-term Parker resident who was at the time volunteering at the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen.
T. Watts drives a 1997 light blue Ford F-150 long bed truck (pictured above). It has an Arizona Wildcats sticker on the back window and University of Arizona plates starting with the letter P.
Let’s find it for her. If you spot this truck, please call the Sheriff’s Office at (928) 669-6141 or KLPZ at (928) 669-9274.
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