State officials say the damage is not great enough under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s criteria for a presidential disaster declaration and assistance to individuals.

FEMA steps in when there are 100 or more uninsured properties destroyed or sustaining minor damage in a concentrated area.

The area still could qualify for federal assistance under FEMA for public infrastructure. Officials are tallying damages from a Monday assessment of public roads and culverts affected by the flooding.

The threshold for eligibility is $6.6 million in damages.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

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Reporter- Eric Andres;  Editor/Photographer- Trevor Gould

Today, forest specialists met and discussed issues related to managing the fire for resource objectives over the coming weeks. Some of the objectives, fire managers want to accomplish, include returning fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem, protecting fire sensitive sites, and enhancing wildlife habitat. These items will be thoroughly considered as a plan is developed to manage the fire within a proposed 58,000 acre area.

Personnel assigned to the incident, report fire activity is currently slow and low on the ground with flames approximately six inches high. Fire activity is expected to increase as long as dry conditions continue. According to the general weather forecast, there is a chance of isolated thunderstorms this weekend.

Forest visitors planning to camp and hunt in the area near the Hobble Mountains need to be aware of ongoing fire activity. Smoke will be visible during the day and may linger in the surrounding area overnight.

As part of the road construction project on San Francisco Street and Beaver Street, utility crews have closed Beaver Street between Phoenix Avenue and Benton Avenue until Thursday.  The project contractor and the City of Flagstaff  will replace and perform repairs on the water that runs under Beaver Street.  City Utilities Director Randy Pellatz says that many of the water lines in the area are at least 70 years old.

The water main will be shut off overnight on Wednesday, from 9 pm to 6 am Thursday morning.

A detour is in place.  Traffic traveling south will be routed west on Phoenix Avenue, south on Mike’s Pike, and east on Benton Avenue back to Beaver Street. The parking lot for the restaurants and businesses at the corner of Beaver Street and Cottage Avenue can be accessed by traveling east from the intersection of Cottage and Mike’s Pike.

FILE PHOTO- Arizona Snowbowl during the fall, taken October 2009 (File Photo/Courtesy: Dave Smith)

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Hundreds of people filled a school auditorium Monday for a hearing on what has become one of the most contentious issues in this mountain city — producing artificial snow.

But as the hourslong debate drew closer to midnight, councilors agreed to take up a vote at a different date. By that time, about 100 people remained.

The city entered into a contract with the Arizona Snowbowl eight years ago to supply 552 acre feet per year of treated wastewater to the ski resort for snowmaking. A proposal before the council would have swapped that water for drinking-quality water, used a combination of the two water sources or left the contract as is.

The meeting made for a polarizing debate among American Indians who consider the San Francisco Peaks sacred and warned the council that its relationship with tribes in the area would suffer if snowmaking moved forward.

Hopis direct prayers toward the San Francisco Peaks and consider the mountain range home to the spiritual Kachinas that bring the world water, snow and life. To the Navajo, the peaks are central to their creation story. Navajo members consider the mountains family and greet the peaks daily with prayer songs.

“Asking us if we are willing to negotiate our relationship with Doko’oo’sliid is like asking us to turn our back on a family member or an unborn child,” said Navajo Vice President Ben Shelly.

American Indian tribes fought the snowmaking plan for years in court, public meetings, and one tried unsuccessfully to buy the resort as a way to protect the mountain they consider sacred. Tribal leaders remained adamant they would oppose snowmaking regardless of the water source — though city manager Kevin Burke said that topic was not up for debate.

“The decision to sell water was made in 2002, so there’s not a new decision to be made on whether to sell it or not,” he said.

Others in the audience expressed support for snowmaking by wearing stickers that read, “Vote Snow.” Snowbowl owners have touted snowmaking as necessary to ensure the ski resort’s survival and provide a boost to the local economy.

The Rev. Bill Guise, a downhill skier, said he also relates to the mountain on a spiritual level, but he said the religious debate ended when the tribes lost a yearslong court battle.

“No matter what you offer, what you decide, what you think, they (tribes) are not happy,” he said. “My sympathies end somewhere around 2006.”

If the council chooses the more expensive drinking-quality water, Snowbowl owners say snowmaking equipment could be in place for the 2011-12 ski season. If it sticks with the treated wastewater, snowmaking opponents, Snowbowl owners and the U.S. Forest Service could see more of each other in court.

A lawsuit pending in federal court in Arizona contends the Forest Service failed to consider the human health risks of ingesting artificial snow made with reclaimed wastewater.

The city is considering using drinking-quality water at the urging of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under the belief that it would be less offensive to tribes. That proved not to be the case.

Flagstaff-area residents also raised concerns about the future of the city’s water supply if drinking water were surrendered, saying it undermines the city’s water conservation efforts at a time of drought.

The missing voice was the USDA, which withheld the permit for construction of snowmaking equipment for a year while trying to forge a compromise among the parties. When talks of the Navajo Nation buying the ski resort for $49 million fell through, the USDA suggested the use of drinking-quality water.

The amount of water wouldn’t change with the alternate water source, but it would cost about $11 million more if the Snowbowl used every drop of its allocation over the life of the contract. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has offered to offset the cost of the more expensive water, though no formal commitment has been made.

A city water commission followed the footsteps of the USDA in supporting the use of either treated wastewater or allowing that same water to percolate into the ground and be pumped through city wells before reaching the Snowbowl.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
Felicia Fonseca, AP Writer

June 15, 2010 file photo of President Barack Obama. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than half a dozen states suing to overturn President Barack Obama’s health care law are also claiming its subsidies for covering retired state government employees, according to a list released Tuesday by the administration.

About 2,000 employers have been approved for the extra help to cover early retirees, mainly private businesses. But the list also includes seven states suing to overturn the health care overhaul as an unconstitutional power grab by the federal government.

The seven are Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska and Nevada.

They are part of a group of 20 states that have challenged the law’s requirement for most Americans to carry health insurance or face fines from the IRS. They argue that government cannot order individuals to buy a particular product. The administration counters that the mandate falls within broad powers conferred on Congress to regulate interstate commerce.

A spokeswoman said Indiana’s Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels disapproves of Obama’s overhaul, but will take advantage of specific provisions that benefit his state.

“Congress approved health care reform and the president signed it into law. Gov. Daniels does not agree with it, but Indiana will seek funds that help Hoosiers when there are no complicated strings or costs attached,” said press secretary Jane Jankowski.

The list of employers who have expressed an interest in the subsidies includes about half the Fortune 500 companies, as well as state and local governments, educational institutions, unions and nonprofit organizations, the administration said. A total of 16 states have been approved, and more are expected to apply.

As medical costs soared in the last 20 years, employers have dramatically scaled back retiree health coverage. The share of large companies providing the benefit dropped from 66 percent in 1988 to 29 percent last year.

“Not only has this coverage disappeared, but individuals between 55 and 64 who are pre-Medicare are really struggling with the private health insurance market,” said Health and Human Services Sec. Kathleen Sebelius. “This is one of the most vulnerable populations.” Insurers usually charge older adults several times more than what people in their 30s and 40s pay.

To try to stabilize a precarious situation, the health care law provides $5 billion to help employers maintain coverage for early retirees age 55 and older but not yet eligible for Medicare.

The government subsidy amounts to 80 percent of medical claims between $15,000 and $90,000 — significant assistance to help cover high-cost retirees and eligible family members.

Companies can use the federal money to lower their own costs, or pass on the savings to their retirees through lower premiums and reduced cost sharing. Firms that receive federal help have to formally notify their retirees that they’ve gotten a subsidy.

The retiree assistance is designed as temporary relief until the health care law is fully in place in 2014. That’s when competitive insurance markets will open for business, and eligible individuals can get government tax credits to help pay premiums. It’s unclear what would happen if the $5 billion runs out before 2014.

The private employers approved for the subsidy include Levi Strauss, United Airlines, Kellogg Co., Mattel, Hewlett-Packard and Dow Chemical, to name a few.

The Associated Press will also be getting the subsidy. AP is a not-for-profit news cooperative, owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.

___

Online:

Early Retiree Reinsurance Program

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

The residence where Brian Diez, a suspect in an Arizona multiple shooting,took his life is shown in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010. Diez, 26, entered a western Arizona home Saturday and fatally shot five people, including the mother of his two children, before fleeing with the kids to the Rancho Cucamonga home where he killed himself, police said Sunday.(AP Photo/The Sun, Gabriel Luis Acosta)

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (AP) — A gunman entered a western Arizona home and fatally shot five people, including the mother of his two children and her new boyfriend, before fleeing with the kids to Southern California where he killed himself, police said Sunday.

The shootings late Saturday occurred as 23-year-old Deborah Langstaff and friends were celebrating her boyfriend’s birthday, Lake Havasu City police Sgt. Joe Harrold said. In all, six people died.

Police went to the Lake Havasu City home after dispatchers received an emergency call at 11:57 p.m. Saturday from a woman who said an intruder had shot several people.

Officers responding to the home said they found the bodies of Langstaff, Primo Verdone — who had just turned 24 — Russell Nyland, 42, and Ashley Nyland, 20.

Two others were wounded, but 20-year-old Brock Kelson died of his injuries early Sunday. Deborah Nyland, 44, was in intensive care at a Las Vegas hospital Sunday afternoon, Harrold said.

Lake Havasu City police issued an Amber Alert for the children early Sunday and traced the alleged gunman, 26-year-old Brian Diez, to the Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., residence of his sister several hours after the shooting.

At about the same time, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputies were sent to the Rancho Cucamonga home about a reported suicide. Deputies discovered Diez dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at about 3:30 a.m., authorities said.

The two children — a 4-year-old and a 13-month-old — were found unharmed at the house, police said.

Rancho Cucamonga is about 250 miles away from Lake Havasu City.

Ashley Nyland was a friend of Langstaff’s, and Russell and Deborah Nyland are Ashley’s parents, Harrold said. Kelson was Ashley Nyland’s boyfriend, he said.

Diez fathered the two children with Deborah Langstaff during a long-term relationship, but the couple had been estranged, Lake Havasu City police said.

Langstaff, a nurse at a local hospital, took out a restraining order earlier this year that prohibited Diez from seeing her or the children after he was accused of slapping their infant son, Harrold said.

Diez violated the order Aug. 13 when he approached Langstaff and talked to her, Harrold said. Diez didn’t make any threats during the encounter, he said.

Lake Havasu City lies on the shores of a lake formed from a Colorado River dam built in 1938. The city of about 52,000 is perhaps best known as the home of the relocated London Bridge and as a spring break destination for college students.

This undated photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows Scott Curley. (AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff's Office)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A tip from a resident helped police on Monday capture a 23-year-old man who authorities say fatally shot a sheriff’s deputy and went on the run for four days in the rugged wilderness along the Utah-Arizona border.

More than a dozen officers used night vision goggles and a helicopter to find Scott Curley armed with a rifle and hiding near a house outside Kanab, police said. Curley surrendered without a fight.

The resident had reported a man who had a rifle slung over his shoulder was trying to break into the home, police said. Authorities believe Curley was looking for food.

At a news conference in Kanab on Monday, authorities said they don’t believe Curley knew officers were closing in on him just before 1 a.m., until it was too late for him to escape.

“That’s why he was taken without any trouble,” Kane County Sheriff Lamont W. Smith said. “He didn’t have anywhere to go.”

Smith said Curley appeared fatigued but didn’t require medical care.

Authorities believe the rifle was the weapon Curley used to shoot Kane County Deputy Brian Harris, 41, during a foot chase on Thursday in Fredonia, Ariz., a tiny town of about 1,100 residents south of the Utah border that receives help from other police agencies.

Curley was suspected of trying to burglarize Fredonia High School and holding a janitor at gunpoint on Wednesday night. The janitor was unharmed and Curley avoided authorities until Thursday.

Curley hid behind a tree and laid in wait with a high-powered rifle to fatally ambush Harris, opening fire from as far as 150 feet away, the Coconino County, Ariz., sheriff’s office said. Then he vanished into the rock formations and caves that make up the region’s high desert.

A telephone message left for Harris’ parents was not immediately returned Monday.

Authorities said Curley suffered from depression and had few friends, but was familiar with the countryside near Fredonia.

Curley was familiar with the area and friends had told investigators that he may have stashed food and supplies in caves and cliffs. Authorities said Sunday they had found no food or water caches but were trying to determine if Curley received any help on the run.

“If we do determine if someone was providing assistance we will seek prosecution,” Coconino County Chief Deputy Jim Driscol said.

Deputies were questioning Curley early Monday. Arizona authorities say they’ll pursue extradition and prosecution on a warrant issued for first-degree murder. Curley was being held in jail in Hurricane, Utah.

It was unclear Monday whether he had an attorney.

The U.S. Marshals Service offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to Curley’s capture. There was no word on the status of that reward early Monday.

Kanab is about 310 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.

Driscol said the round-the-clock manhunt had taken a toll on the more the 100 police officers from state and federal agencies and on the residents of area communities. Curley’s capture brought relief, elation and smiles for the first time in days, he said.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

The U.S. included its legal challenge to the law on a list of ways the federal government is protecting human rights.

In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Brewer says it is “downright offensive” that a state law would be included in the report, which was drafted as part of a UN review of human rights in all member nations every four years.

“The idea of our own American government submitting the duly enacted laws of a state of the United States to ‘review’ by the United Nations is internationalism run amok and unconstitutional,” Brewer wrote.

Arizona’s law generally requires police officer enforcing other laws to investigate the immigration status of people they suspect are illegal immigrants.

Critics say it would lead officers to target Hispanics. Supporters, including Brewer, say the law prohibits racial profiling and other human rights abuses.

The U.S. Justice Department sued to block the measure, arguing federal law trumps the state’s authority to enforce immigration laws.

A federal judge in July sided with the Justice Department and blocked enforcement of the law’s most controversial provisions a day before it was scheduled to take effect.

In its report, the State Department does not specifically allege that Arizona’s law would lead to racial profiling.

“A recent Arizona law, S.B. 1070, has generated significant attention and debate at home and around the world,” the report says. “The issue is being addressed in a court action that argues that the federal government has the authority to set and enforce immigration law. That action is ongoing; parts of the law are currently enjoined.”

A State Department spokesman had no immediate comment on Brewer’s letter.

Brewer, a Republican, is running for election in November. Her popularity in Arizona and her national profile have soared since she signed the immigration measure in April.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.