Sonoran News / Web Only News

‘Permit outlaw’ sentenced to probation for threatening park ranger

By Linda Bentley | April 15, 2009

Banned from all National Parks, must undergo mental health evaluation and counseling
FLAGSTAFF – Gary Clayton Palmer, 53, pled guilty last Wednesday to threatening a Grand Canyon Park Ranger in a plea agreement before U.S. District Court Magistrate Mark E. Aspey.

Palmer was sentenced to three years of supervised probation, during which time he is banned from all National Parks, a ten-mile radius of Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) and from Northern Arizona University.

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SEC files fraud charges against Wise

By Linda Bentley | April 8, 2009

‘Commission brings this action in order to protect investors from ongoing fraudulent conduct’
PHOENIX – On April 2, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed fraud charges and obtained a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Dan Wise aka Danny Wise and his various entities, including Whispering Winds Properties, LLC, LM Beagle Properties, LLC, Karlena, Inc., Axis International, Inc., “in order to protect investors from ongoing fraudulent conduct …”

The SEC states Wise, who was a certified public accountant, had two employees who worked at his direction. Wise convinced many of his clients, along with their friends and family, to invest money with him in order to profit on real estate investments.

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Over $1 million in recovery funds coming to two towns

By Curtis Riggs | April 8, 2009

$614,000 to Cave Creek, $588,000 to Carefree
CAREFREE/CAVE CREEK – While officials in both Desert Foothills communities have ideas about spending just over $1 million in new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds the project proposed by Carefree is better accepted by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG).

Carefree is set to receive $588,000 of the new federal reinvestment money. Carefree Planning Director Gary Neiss said the project identified for the funding is resurfacing Cave Creek Road from Scopa Trail to Carefree’s eastern border.
Neiss said the roadwork should be done this summer or fall.

The resurfacing of Cave Creek Road is a project Carefree officials had decided to delay because of budget concerns until the release of the new federal money, which is being allocated to the Arizona Department of Transportation and overseen by both ADOT and MAG.

Town officials are required to prove they will use American products in the projects and require contractors to comply with the Fair Wages Act, Neiss said.

The projects must be started with 120 to 180 days to qualify for the money. This rule is what is causing problems for Cave Creek.

Town Manager Usama Abujbarah initially said Cave Creek would use its $614,000 to rework the intersection of Cave Creek Road and Carefree Highway. The new intersection would include two westbound turn lanes off northbound Cave Creek Road and two southbound turn lanes onto Cave Creek Road off of westbound Carefree Highway.

Cave Creek Town Engineer Wayne Anderson said MAG officials informed Cave Creek late Monday they did not like the project because of the difficulty in starting within six months.

“With ADOT doing the administrative work it could not start within 180 days,” Anderson said, adding the $2.2 million estimate to redo the intersection also caused concern among the MAG officials.
Anderson said Cave Creek would instead find a resurfacing project on Cave Creek Road.

Abujbarah said that although there is concern about Cave Creek’s receipt of the new recovery funds, the $2 million the town is getting to redo the sewer system through the federal Clean Water Act should be received later this month.