COCONINO COUNTY — The final unofficial election results for November 4, 2025, are available.
The results will be final after the Board of Supervisors canvass the election on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, at 6 p.m. The meeting can be viewed online or in-person.
FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff is proud to announce the launch of the Wildfire Resilient Homes Initiative (WRHI), a collaboration between the Flagstaff Fire Department and the Flagstaff Sustainability Office aimed at helping residents protect their homes and neighborhoods from the threat of wildfire.
Through WRHI, homeowners, renters, and property managers can take simple, effective steps to reduce wildfire risk with support from three program offerings:
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — Grand Canyon National Park will close the North Rim to all visitor access on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at 5:20 p.m. Sections of the North Rim are tentatively expected to reopen to visitors for the 2026 season on May 15, pending weather, trail conditions, infrastructure readiness, and completion of hazard mitigation efforts.
The North Rim reopened to visitors with limited access to eastern viewpoints this autumn following an extended closure caused by the Dragon Bravo Fire. The area was tentatively scheduled to remain open through November 30. However, forecasts call for winter weather and snowfall beginning this weekend. These conditions are expected to create unsafe travel and work environments in an area still recovering from post-fire hazards.
With Elevate, NAU’s new $300 million campaign, we’re on a mission to give every student access to a high-quality education. Elevate is our call to action—to make college more accessible, advance academic excellence, support and attract visionary faculty and level up the campus experience. Find out what you can do to help elevate NAU.
The Verde Valley Pottery Festival returns this weekend at beautiful D.A. Ranch in Cornville!
Join us Saturday, November 15, from 10 am – 5 pm, and Sunday, November 16, from 10 am – 3 pm for a weekend celebrating clay, creativity, and community.
Discover the work of 14 exceptional ceramic artists from across the region — each presenting a distinctive collection of handmade pottery available for purchase. Enjoy live demonstrations, fun clay activities for kids, and a welcoming atmosphere surrounded by the scenic vineyard backdrop.
FREDONIA — At the recent Grow Together Fredonia, participants provided the following links to families who may be affected by the ongoing government shutdown.
WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) families in Coconino County will continue to receive benefits without interruption through December 31, 2025, due to the approval of emergency funding by the Coconino County Board of Supervisors. …
Food Resources:
DES updates on SNAP benefits https://des.az.gov/na
Additional DES food resources https://des.az.gov/food-assistance
DES emergency food boxes https://des.az.gov/emergency-food
Double up Food Bucks location finder for Farmer’s Markets https://doubleupaz.org/locations/
Food banks https://azfoodbanks.org/get-food/#find
The updated Flagstaff Regional Land Use Plan 2045 is now available! Read the plan at www.flagstaff.az.gov/RegionalPlan2045.
Hard copies of the Regional Plan will be available shortly. Reference copies will be available for review at the City Hall Community Development counter, the Downtown Library Information Desk, and the East Flagstaff Library Information Desk. To request a take-home hard copy of the plan, please email Elsa Erling at elsa.erling@flagstaffaz.gov.
The Regional Plan was adopted by the Flagstaff City Council on Thursday, October 9th. Council directed staff to revise the draft based on Conditions of Approval and an Errata document. The plan has now been updated to incorporate these revisions. Find more information about the public hearings and adoption at the project website linked above.
FLAGSTAFF — Coconino National Forest will begin selling a limited number of Christmas tree permits online starting Nov. 14 at 8 a.m., and permit owners will be allowed to begin cutting Nov. 14 through Dec. 31.
A total of 2,200 permits will be available for purchase on the Coconino NF Christmas tree permit site online through Recreation.gov, which also lists details about designated cutting areas, maps, dates, and types of trees that may be cut.
Seven hundred permits will be designated for cutting areas within the Flagstaff Ranger District, while 1,500 permits will be designated for the cutting areas within the Mogollon Rim Ranger District.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we want to express our heartfelt thanks to the volunteers, staff and community who make our parks thrive. Your time, energy and passion help create spaces where people can connect, play and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. As we look ahead to the holiday season, we are especially grateful for each of you and the difference you make.
FLAGSTAFF — Coconino National Forest is planning to conduct several prescribed burns next week, pending all required approvals.
Work is to continue throughout the week as weather conditions allow. Prescribed burns are used to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.
Prescribed burns planned for the area include:
WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a Marine combat veteran and member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement on Veterans Day:
“Generations of Arizonans have stepped up to defend our democracy, our freedoms, and our way of life. Veterans Day is a chance to reflect on that service and honor our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and all those who have served, especially those who never made it home.
“As we remember their service, we must recommit ourselves to serving our veterans and servicemembers with the same respect and honor as they have served us. That means protecting the benefits and care our veterans have rightfully earned, ensuring access to high-quality health care, and strengthening the Department of Veterans Affairs, not cutting it.
“As a Marine and combat veteran, I had the honor of serving alongside some of the most dedicated men I’ve ever known. We owe it to them, and to everyone who has ever worn the uniform, to make sure no veteran ever falls through the cracks. I’ll never stop working to fulfill that promise to our veterans and their families.”
When federal SNAP benefits lapsed this month due to the government shutdown, tens of thousands of northern Arizonans faced uncertainty about how they would feed their families.
While legal challenges may eventually restore those funds, delays mean too many children and families are going hungry today.
Once again, our community is showing its heart. Restaurants are donating food. Businesses and government entities are organizing food drives. And individuals across the region are stepping up in countless ways to make sure families have what they need.
FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff’s Stormwater Section will begin restoring Cheshire Pond in the Cheshire Park area, north of the Museum of Northern Arizona, in November. The restoration project is expected to take several months and will be complete in 2026. During this time, the area will be closed off and access via the FUTS trail will be limited.
Alex Rupert, Suzy Allan,
and Tom Yazzie
Our Gallery showcases the largest selection in Sedona of artwork by local artists. If you are seeking a rare piece of fine art, a gift of exquisite jewelry, appreciate stunning photography, or looking for a lovely keepsake from your visit to Sedona, the Arts Center has it all and more. Sedona Arts Center is a 501(c)3 organization that offers all purchases without sales tax – almost a 10% savings.
WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest is planning prescribed fire operations north of the City of Williams starting Wednesday, November 12, pending favorable conditions and all required approvals. We anticipate ignitions to take one to two days. We use prescribed fires to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.
FLAGSTAFF — Visitors to the Market of Dreams were greeted with music, flower-making workshops, games, face painting and a live performance in front of a colorful ofrenda / Altar at the inaugural Día de los Muertos Festival on Nov. 2.
Celebrated appropriately on All Souls Day, the event was presented by Chicanos por la Causa (CPLC).
A variety of other events celebrating Día de los Muertos were held in the region this past week. They included:
Coconino County Treasurer Sarah Benatar joined Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs and Flagstaff Family Food Center Food Bank and Kitchen CEO Ethan Amos to discuss the impacts of the federal government shutdown on SNAP recipients in Coconino County.
“In Coconino County, where 18 percent of residents live in poverty, SNAP-authorized stores redeem more than $500,000 in benefits annually, making the stakes significant for local economies and small businesses,” said Treasurer Benatar.
Flagstaff Family Food Center Food Bank and Kitchen CEO, Ethan Amos, expressed that the situation is unprecedented. Food banks are already stretched and cannot fill the gap left by SNAP’s suspension.
Our Gallery showcases the largest selection in Sedona of artwork by local artists. If you are seeking a rare piece of fine art, a gift of exquisite jewelry, appreciate stunning photography, or looking for a lovely keepsake from your visit to Sedona, the Arts Center has it all and more. Sedona Arts Center is a 501(c)3 organization that offers all purchases without sales tax – almost a 10% savings.
NAU students built a camera. It’s going to Mars.
Four cameras built by students and faculty at Northern Arizona University will soon launch into deep space on a dual spacecraft bound for Mars. Two traditional cameras and two infrared cameras, designed and constructed by 35 NAU students over the course of three semesters, will capture images from the research mission ESCAPADE.
DYK you can watch the launch? Check back this weekend for a link to the livestream and the schedule.
FLAGSTAFF — Cedar Avenue will close to all traffic between West Street and Fourth Street on Tuesday, November 11, to allow crews to safely perform roadway striping along the new asphalt pavement. With colder temperatures and potential moisture in the forecast, this closure allows us to expedite roadway striping to ensure the road is safe, open and clearly striped for the upcoming winter. Detour routes will be in place along Dortha Avenue and Linda Vista Drive. Access to businesses and Monte Vista Drive will be provided via the many north/south roadways between Dortha Avenue and Cedar Avenue. Please follow the marked signage and travel safely.
COCONINO COUNTY — At the recent Grow Together Fredonia meeting, participants provided the following links to families who may be affected by the ongoing government shutdown.
WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) families in Coconino County will continue to receive benefits without interruption through December 31, 2025, due to the approval of emergency funding by the Coconino County Board of Supervisors. …
Food Resources:
DES updates on SNAP benefits https://des.az.gov/na
Additional DES food resources https://des.az.gov/food-assistance
DES emergency food boxes https://des.az.gov/emergency-food
Double up Food Bucks location finder for Farmer’s Markets https://doubleupaz.org/locations/
Food banks https://azfoodbanks.org/get-food/#find
Also see other local food resources here
READ MORE
FLAGSTAFF — The Flagstaff Mayor and City Council have named Joanne Keene as the new City Manager. Keene will begin in the role effective Nov. 4 and was selected after participating in an open and competitive recruitment process.
Mayor Becky Daggett said “Joanne is a proven leader with deep roots in Flagstaff. The City Council was unanimous and enthusiastic in our belief that she is the right person to lead our City. Her selection from a pool of 34 qualified candidates speaks to her track record, skills, and new ideas about the future direction of our City. Please join me in welcoming Joanne to this new role”.
We’re delighted to announce that Creative Flagstaff has been awarded the competitiveNational Endowment for the Arts’OurTown Grant to support urban and rural engagement in multidisciplinary arts programming throughout Coconino County, Arizona, which will provide arts access to diverse communities through creative placemaking. This partnership between Coconino Center for the Arts and Coconino County will provide leadership to broaden arts and cultural programming to reach urban and rural communities county-wide, through:
FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff is hosting a food drive at City facilities around town to help provide food and other essential items to community members in need this holiday season. Demand is especially high this year due to the federal government shutdown and disruption of federal food and nutrition benefits.
To participate, drop off non-perishable items from now until Dec. 31 at one of the following locations:
COCONINO COUNTY — Due to the shutdown, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will end for more than 8,000 Coconino County families on Nov. 1, 2025. The loss of these benefits will result in families losing access to critical monthly food assistance, leaving food banks and nonprofits to fill the gap.
With household budgets stretched thin, food pantries and community programs are anticipating continued increased demand. To help address these needs, Coconino County is mobilizing resources to sponsor a community food drive. Those with the ability to help are asked to donate.
From painting and ceramics to photography and mixed media, Sedona Arts Center offers workshops for every skill level — both in-person and online. Join us and be part of Sedona’s creative heartbeat.
COCONINO COUNTY — The Criminal Justice Coordination Council (CJCC) Citizen’s Academy offers a unique chance to delve into the people, processes and programs that shape justice in our community. Engage with judges, the Clerk of the Courts, adult probation officers and Flagstaff City officials to gain insight into the intricacies of the criminal justice system.
FLAGSTAFF — Coconino National Forest is planning prescribed fire operations through Nov. 6, pending all required approvals. Coconino National Forest estimates this work to begin Tuesday and continue throughout the week as weather conditions allow. Coconino National Forest uses prescribed fires to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.
