Good morning, it’s Monday March 15th and this is The Herald Review’s Daily Chirp podcast. We’re bringing you a closer look at one of our top stories, along with other important things going on in our community. 

 

Today - Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels has been on national news recently discussing the situation at the Southwest border, which he calls a crisis.

 

Before we begin, some local history.

 

Notable men who once held the position of Cochise County Sheriff include Johnny Behan, who served as the first sheriff, and who was one of the main characters during the events leading to the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Then, in 1886, Texas John Slaughter became sheriff. Well known lawmen Jeff Milton and Burt Alvord both served as deputies under Slaughter.

 

Today’s history is brought to you by Benson Hospital - they’re doing more than treating illnesses in Benson, they're building a healthier community. Benson Hospital is now collaborating with the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona to provide diaper assistance to families in need. For more information visit their website at bensonhospital.org.

 

Also, The Daily Chirp podcast is giving away 5 Amazon Echo Dots - one every month now through July. You can enter for your chance to win twice a day! Today's code is CLOVER, and find the other codeword in our e-newsletter “The Morning Blend”. To enter the sweepstakes go to myheraldreview.com, again today's codeword is: CLOVER

 

Now, our feature story. 

 

According to federal officials encounters with migrant children and single adults trying to enter the United States through the Southwest border have been climbing steadily since October - with a sharp spike in February.

 

Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels has been on the national news multiple times in the past few weeks, talking about the increase in illegal crossing his deputies and cameras have spotted, especially in the San Pedro River basin area off State Route 92 in Palominas.

 

Here he is on Fox News…

 

Officials say that in fiscal year 2021 through February, nearly 30,000 unaccompanied children and single minors were encountered along the Southwest border. The majority of the youngsters were between 13 and 17 years old. But just under 3,000 of them were younger than 12.

 

In the Border Patrol’s Tucson sector, which includes Cochise County, there was a 45 percent increase in unaccompanied children from February 2020 to February 2021.

 

CBP officials also noted that migrants are required to go through a staging and COVID-19 testing process before entry, and if individuals appear at the port of entry without going through this process, they are not admitted. 

 

But Sheriff Dannels, during his Fox News interview expressed some concern…

 

One of the other concerns for Sheriff Dannels and others is that coyotes — individuals who smuggle people into the U.S. — are telling undocumented individuals from Mexico and other countries that the U.S. border is now open under the Biden administration.

 

Dannels described the situation as a “crisis”.

 

The sheriff said he and his counterparts must be part of the conversation with federal officials around how to handle the influx of undocumented migrants into the country.

 

To stay up to date on this story visit us at myheraldreview.com

 

Thanks for listening, before we continue, a quick message from our sponsors, Prestige Family Living. 

 

Now, a quick Cochise County high school sports update.

 

brought to you by ApexNetwork Physical Therapy in Benson and Sierra Vista. They’re doing more than just treating patients, they’re helping patients get back to living their daily lives. Using extensive knowledge, their therapists treat each patient one-on-one, focusing on individual care. To learn more, go to ApexNetworkPT.com.

 

Two more Cochise College athletic teams have temporarily been sidelined by the coronavirus.

 

Bo Hall, the athletic director at Cochise College, said that both women’s soccer and women’s basketball have become the latest teams to have their seasons interrupted and as a result are on a 14-day hiatus that began Thursday.

 

It was men’s basketball that was the first team on campus to have the season interrupted by COVID-19. The Apaches are scheduled to resume practice March 19 with a home game scheduled for March 20.

 

Hall would not elaborate if there was a positive test among the two teams. He did emphasize any games that have been postponed will be rescheduled if possible.

 

Next, an upcoming event in our community that you should know about -- brought to you by our sponsors, Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative.

 

Today, Brilliance Strategies & Innovation will be presenting the Professional Development Lunch and Learn Series at the Sierra Vista Area Chamber Conference Room. Join in at noon for a lunchtime professional development training session with practical concepts and strategies to better your career, life, and business. The event is free - but seating is limited to 10 attendees, so make sure to RSVP ahead of time. You can call 520-458-6940 for more information.

 

Finally - we’d like to remember the life of  Billy Wayne Miles Jr.

 

Billy was born in Mount Pleasant, Texas and raised in Tyler, Texas where he played football for Robert E. Lee high school. He then moved to Tombstone where he would continue to play his favorite sport of football and make plenty of friends. Billy later moved on from Tombstone to Sierra Vista where he would finish his high school career at Buena high school. If there’s anything about him, it’s that he loved his Dallas Cowboys. He’d always say “How ‘bout them Cowboys” whenever they were playing. 

 

Billy loved being around his friends and enjoying good times and good laughs. Whether it was his freestyle rap battles or a heated sport debate, Billy was always a funny character and always seemed to put a smile on your face no matter what. He was working at American Red Cross and had plans for his future, which, unfortunately, were cut short by tragedy. Many people that know Billy, know that he wasn’t just your friend, he was your family, your brother. 

 

Billy Wayne was very dedicated to his mother, sister, brethren, fathers, niece, nephews and career. He loved visiting family, cooking and preparing family meals. He was very loving, kind and private. He was a Christian, believer in Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and savior. He will be loved and missed deeply. Thank you for taking a moment today to remember and celebrate Billy’s life.

 

Thanks for tuning in to the Herald Review podcast today, join us again on Tuesday! And remember, the Herald Review is here for you with local news you can trust. For more information on any of the stories you heard about today, visit us at myheraldreview.com. Right now you can become a member starting at just $1.99 per week.

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