Region Briefs: Judge denies Yavapai-Prescott Tribe’s effort to delay online sportsbooks

KAFF News

FLAGSTAFF – A Maricopa County Superior Court Judge on Sept. 2 denied an attempt by the Yavapai-Prescott Tribe’s to delay the launch of online sportsbooks in Arizona.

The tribe filed a lawsuit last weeks against Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona Department of Gaming Director Tod Vogt, alleging state lawmakers illegally passed the state’s new sports betting, event wagering bill in April.

The tribe’s attorneys claim the passage of the law violates the state’s Voter Protection Act, as it permits non-tribal gaming operators to gamble outside tribal land.

They say it also distorts the purpose of Proposition 202, passed in 2002, which authorizes tribes in the state to operate limited forms of gambling in tribal-owned casinos and only voters can decide on whether to expand types of gambling offered in the state.

The tribe says recently-passed House Bill 2772 was unconstitutional.

The judge said the tribe arguments weren’t likely to succeed, so he denied the motion.

The tribe owns and operates Yavapai and Bucky’s casinos and was one of two tribes not to have signed new gaming compacts with the state. The tribe is expected to appeal the decision.

More than 800 memorial bricks placed on Vietnam Veterans Memorial

ANGEL FIRE, N.M. – More than 800 memorial bricks were placed on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Angel Fire Saturday during an annual Labor Day weekend bricklaying.

The red bricks were purchased by anyone wanting to honor a military service member or veteran – living or deceased.

Each brick bears the name of the veteran or service member, his or her branch of service, and the years served.

Bricks with no end date indicate an active-duty service member.

Bricks with one star indicates the service member is still classified by the U.S. Department of Defense as missing in action. Two stars indicate the service member was killed in action.

More than 100 volunteers placed the bricks along the sidewalks of the memorial grounds. Most volunteers were members of the Run For The Wall Foundation—a group that supports active-duty service members while honoring the memory of those killed in action and calling for a full accounting of those still missing in action.

The annual bricklaying event at the Angel Fire memorial, which since 2017 has been managed by the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services, serves as a reunion for the riders.
Last year’s bricklaying was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The more than 800 bricks placed this year far surpasses the typical 450-500 brick placed every year.

Information: 575-377-2293.

Flagstaff schools adjusts quarantine guidelines

KAFF News

FLAGSTAFF – The Flagstaff Unified School District has adjusted its COVID-19 mitigation plan.

The Coconino County Health and Human Services Department has authorized FUSD to change the close contact definition and quarantine guidelines.

With the requirement of staff, students and visitors to wear face masks while indoors on school district property, FUSD qualifies for a K-through-12 school exception.

FUSD officials say that in the K-through-12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were within three-to-six feet of an infected student, laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness, if both the infected student and the exposed student, or students, correctly and consistently wore well-fitted masks the entire time.

This exception does not apply to teachers, staff or other adults in the indoor classroom setting.

The district says since students and staff are required to wear masks at all times while indoors, except while eating and drinking, they will not have to quarantine students who are identified as close, or direct contact as long as masks were worn properly while at school.

FUSD added the COVID support team will be investigating the positive student’s movement through the day to determine times when a mask may not have been worn properly.

Unvaccinated students will be required to quarantine, if the Coconino County Health and Human Services and FUSD COVID Support Team determines that masks were not worn properly during contact with COVID-19 positive persons.

FUSD says the change is good news for students and staff as the change will reduce the potential for learning loss and students getting behind in school because of repeated quarantine requirements.

“Remember,” the district said in a news release, “if your child is sick, don’t send them to school that day.”

Veterans who received vaccines through VA Health Care can register for $100

SANTA FE – Veterans who received their first or second Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine through the New Mexico VA Health Care System between Aug. 2 to 31 or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine are reminded that they are eligible for the New Mexico Department of Health’s $100 vaccine incentive.

The deadline is Sept. 10 at 5 p.m. for veterans to opt-in through the state’s vaccine incentive program (https://vaccinenm.org/incentive-registration.html).

Call 1-855p600-3453 and press “1” so that a hotline representative can help you opt-in.

You will need your vaccine card because it contains information that will need to be entered into the New Mexico Statewide Immunization Information System as proof you were vaccinated.

This $100 vaccine incentive program was made available to all New Mexicans who got their immunizations during this August timeframe.

The New Mexico Department of Veterans Services and the state are reaching out to veterans who received their vaccine through the NMVACHS but were unaware of this incentive, or have not yet registered.

Indigenous Community Day, movie night

SANTA FE – The Santa Fe Indigenous Center will host Indigenous Community Day on Sept. 18 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Ragle Park (2530 W. Zia Road).

This is a free event to celebrate Native culture through music, dance, poetry and other activities Nonprofit booths available

Also, on Sept. 10, the center offers free vendor spaces to Native artists for a showing of “Dance Me Outside,” held in partnership with Motorama and the American Indian Film Institute.

The only request is a donation for a raffle in lieu of the table fee. Art and food sales begin at 6 p.m. and the movie starts at 8:30 p.m.

Information: sfindiancenter@gmail.com or 505-660-4210.

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