More delays for drivers on I-17 in the Camp Verde area.  ADOT crews are paving the highway from the Sedona turnoff to Middle Verde Road, so alternating lane restrictions are in place in both directions from 7 pm to noon through Friday.  The northbound on ramp from Highway 179 to I-17 will be closed from 7 tonight to noon tomorrow.  If you’re headed to Flagstaff from Sedona, you can take southbound I-17 5 miles to the McGuireville Traffic Interchange to turn around and go northbound.   This $4.2 million improvement project, which includes the removal of a layer of the existing pavement, replacement of guardrail  and bridge repair; is scheduled to be completed by the end of next month. 

Prescott College’s first ever student housing project was unveiled Wednesday afternoon.   College President Kristin Woolever was joined by Prescott Mayor Marlin Kuykendall and other dignitaries for a ribbon cutting at 4.  Tours of the Campus Village comple followed with refreshments.  Haley Construction Company of Prescott built the 104 bed facility on the western end of the campus on Grove Avenue.  The complex has received Green Building Council Gold Certification requirements and contains such features as solar design and technology, Energy Star appliances and efficient light fixtures. 

You can hear about the Prescott Unified School District’s plans for the current school year during a Board Retreat.  Board President Dee Navarro explains what will be taking place during the retreat, which starts at 8 Thursday morning. Navarro says this retreat is being held early in the school year.

Items that are up for discussion only include Wednesday early release, the Business and Education Committee, communication between parents and schools and a possible bond or override issue.  The retreat, which is open to the public, will be held at Mountain Club Clubhouse, located off White Spar Road on Clubhouse Drive.

District 1 Representative Karen Fann and Speaker of the House Andy Tobin have received some special honors.  Fann has been named Legislator of the Year by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and the Arizona Manufacturers Council.  Fann says she is happy to receive the awards from these groups. Fann has also been recognized as Legislator of the Year by the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.  Meanwhile, Speaker Tobin has been honored by the United States Chamber of Commerce.  He has received the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform State Leadership Award.  Fann explains she’s proud of Tobin.

Both Fann and Tobin will be taking on Senator Lori Klein in the August 28th primary. 

A vacancy on the Humboldt Unified School District Board won’t be filled later this month as expected. The Board has been 1 member short following the resignation of Gary Marks in May.  All the Board seats will be up for grabs in the November 6th General Election, and Board President Howard Moody explains how this vacancy is expected to be filled.

Last night the Board approved a recommendation to School Superintendent Tim Carter to have 1 of the 3 candidates for 2 two year seats serve 1 of the 4 year terms.  There are only 2 candidates running for 3 four year terms in the General Election. 

Governor Jan Brewer and District 1 Congressman Paul Gosar are inviting you to join them for a special dedication ceremony.  The second campus of Aspire Middle and High School is open as of Monday on Centerpointe East Drive in Prescott.  A building dedication will be held from 3 to 5 Thursday and the Governor and Congressman Gosar are scheduled to speak at the ceremony.  Aspire is part of the Yavapai Accommodation District.  Yavapai County High School in Prescott Valley is at capacity and there is a waiting list.  That school will remain open.  The campus will also house the new offices of the School Superintendent and the Education Service Agency. 

A groundbreaking ceremony for the 12, 000 square foot facility was held in February with Superintendent Tim Carter, Prescott Mayor Marlin Kuykendall and County Supervisors Tom Thurman and Carol Springer in attendance. 

Prescott Valley is working on flood control measures, and it’s getting some funding from Yavapai County to help with this effort.  According to Public Works Director Norm Davis, the County’s Flood Control District levies a tax for stormwater management projects.  The District has approved 500 thousand dollars for the Town this fiscal year.  Last September, Town Council approved an intergovernmental agreement for the Western Boulevard Phase 2 Stormwater Improvements Project.  Council is being asked to accept $275,000 for Phase 3 of this project.  The remaining $225,000 of the County funds will be used towards the Agua Fria Flood Plain Revision Study.  You can listen in on the discussion, which will take place during Council’s Study Session, which starts at 5:30 Thursday in the Library Auditorium on Civic Circle.

Want to learn about plans to make Prescott a bicycle friendly community?  Attend an Alternative Transportation meeting at the Prescott Library at 6 tonight.   Prescott Alternative Transportation representatives Greg Hull and Justin Devine are scheduled to host a 2 hour discussion on the benefits of bicycling in the Library’s Founder’s Suite.  You can share your ideas on how bicycling can be integrated into daily routines.  Hull and Devine will be sharing findings from a conference that took place in June in Vancouver, British Columbia.  More than 800 government officials, city planners and bicycle advocates worldwide shared their best practices for creating bicycle friendly cities, and some of those ideas could be used in Prescott.  The Library is located on Goodwin Street. 

Coconino National Forest officials have discovered an illegal trail in the Red Rock District in Sedona, and now the search is on for the person responsible for carving it out.  Spokeswoman Connie Birkland says the half mile long trail was recently discovered and a hiker found a saw, tree lopper and other tools in the forest. Birkland explains blazing your own trail is a serious offense.

The Forest Service has no suspect information to go on, so if you know anything about this illegal trail, you’re asked to contact Supervisory Law Enforcement Officer Jon Nelson at 527-3509. 

The Prescott Gateway Mall is under new management.  Charles Sullivan is the new General Manager and Sue Marceau is the new Marketing Manager.  Marceau says Sullivan has more than 30 years worth of shopping center management experience. Marceau explains what the goal of the new management team will be. Sullivan and Marceau will be joining Ken Stephenson, who has been Operations Manager for almost 7 years; Art Rice, Project Manager for 6 years and Jason Wellman, Security Supervisor for 4 years. 

Family members are relieved a missing teen has been located safe and sound. Fifteen year old Wyatt Field walked away from his home in the Town of Cherry Saturday afternoon following an argument.  Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Dwight D’Evelyn explains the boy was located two days later.

The search for Wyatt included helicopter flyovers and D’Evelyn says there were concerns for the boy’s safety due to the weather.

D’Evelyn adds Wyatt was very cooperative with deputies and somewhat apologetic for all the concern.

Traffic delays may be in your future as sidewalk construction and final grading is taking place on Williamson Valley Road.  Sidewalk construction is taking place from Standing Rock Drive to Shadow Valley Ranch Road.  Final grading of the roadway is occurring in that same area to create a suitable paving surface.  One lane of traffic will remain open in both directions while the grading work is being performed.  Watch for reduced speeds, lane restrictions, frequent lane shifts and traffic stops.   Work hours for this project are 7 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday.  Retaining wall construction is complete and all work is set to be done this Fall.