Good morning, it’s Thursday, May 13th and this is The Herald Review’s podcast, the Daily Chirp. We’re excited to bring you a closer look at top stories, events in the community, local history, sports, and more. 

 

Today - It’s been almost two weeks since the Arizona National Guard landed in Cochise County to help the Sheriff’s Office on the border. So, how’s it going so far?

 

Before we begin, some local history.

 

Did you know that from 1913 to 1933, Fort Huachuca was the home of the Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry Regiment? Formed as a segregated African-American military unit, it served during the Indian Wars in the West, the Spanish-American War in Cuba, and the Philippine American War before being relocated to the Fort in 1913 because of increasing border tensions with Mexico. Today, the 10th Cavalry are known as Buffalo soldiers and proudly use a buffalo symbol to commemorate their heritage..

 

Today’s history is brought to you by Benson Hospital. The team at Benson Hospital is always working towards building a healthier community. For example, when the Benson Food Pantry needed a new home, they worked with them to find one, and their staff even helped them apply for grants to support the mission. You can learn more about everything they’re doing for our community by following them on Facebook at facebook.com/bensonhospital.

 

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 FROGS and find the other codeword in our “Daily Chirp Podcast Alert” e-newsletter. To enter the sweepstakes go to myheraldreview.com, again today's codeword is: FROGS

 

Now, our feature story. 

 

It’s been almost two weeks since the Arizona National Guard landed in Cochise County to help the Sheriff’s Office on the border. With the number of illegal crossings spiking monthly, the assistance is needed more than ever.

 

Sheriff’s Chief of Staff Mark Napier said the National Guard’s help with administrative duties, and especially with monitoring the Buckeye cameras that are placed along the international border, has helped deputies hit the ground and reinforce the manpower out in the field.

 

But Napier also said the number of undocumented migrants who have been seen on the cameras attempting to cross into the region illegally has been “off the charts.”

 

So where exactly are the cameras? The cameras are placed along the border from New Mexico through Arizona and into California.

 

And between March and April alone, investigators monitoring the cameras have seen an additional 428 people attempting to cross over.

 

In April specifically, the cameras caught images of 3,807 undocumented migrants attempting to cross over the border illegally. And in March, the cameras saw 3,379 people attempting to come in. 

 

Last year, the attempted illegal crossings were dramatically lower with 835 people in March and 350 in April.

 

So help from the National Guard has been welcomed. Napier said that it’s allowed them to use more enforcement resources. He also said that working with them has been going well.

 

The 32 members of the Guard were sent by Gov. Doug Ducey at the end of April. The intent is that they’ll help out in various non-law enforcement duties. The majority were assigned to the Sheriff’s Southeast Arizona Border Region Enforcement team. 

 

Other National Guard members were assigned to help with administrative duties in the Sheriff’s Willcox and Bisbee offices. 

 

And monitoring the cameras is a key function aimed at helping authorities hold back the number of illegal crossings into the area by undocumented migrants.

 

This was all prompted by Governor Ducey’s announcement earlier in April when he said that Arizona would take matters into its own hands regarding the onslaught of undocumented migrants pouring into the state. 

 

Ducey’s statement came after the Arizona Department of Public Safety spotted 20 undocumented migrants in Chandler that same day, but were rebuffed by both the Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement when they asked for help. Those migrants were then released back into Chandler.

 

The governor’s law enforcement and military liaison, Megan Fitzgerald, said Ducey had asked the federal government for support in deploying the National Guard — known as Title 32 — but the support never materialized. So Ducey decided to declare an emergency along Arizona’s four-border counties and deployed the National Guard under State Active Duty.

 

One of the National Guard members deployed to Cochise County is Sgt. Jacqueline Schamahorn, a six-year veteran of the Guard. Schamahorn, who lives in Tucson, was assigned to help out with administrative duties at the Sheriff’s Office in Willcox.

 

She told us that it’s been a good experience so far. In the morning she instantly gets started on paperwork. She helps with administrative tasks so the deputies can be out in the field.

 

Schamahorn, who said the public’s reaction to the National Guard has been welcoming, also told us that she was enthusiastic when the governor’s order was issued.

 

She was ready to help.

 

You can learn more on this story by visiting us at myheraldreview.com.

 

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

 

Today's episode is brought to you by ApexNetwork Physical Therapy. ApexNetwork Physical Therapy is the leading choice for individualized physical therapy in a warm and comfortable environment. They offer a wide range of services like Manual Therapy, Industrial Rehab, Dry Needling, Golf Rehab and more. To learn more, go to ApexNetworkPT.com.

 

Over the weekend Douglas had an unexpected visitor. It triggered a public response as local residents were curious as to what was going on.

 

Sometime between 6 and 7 a.m. a relatively large brown bear was spotted in the alley between 11th and 12th Streets. Apparently it was spooked by all the unwanted attention. So it scurried up a utility pole where it stayed for a while.

 

According to Mark Hart, public information officer for Arizona Game and Fish, the bear is believed to have been a male, weighing approximately 200 pounds and was an estimated 5-years old. Hart said paw prints indicate the bear had entered the area from the west.

And as word began to quickly spread around Douglas that there was a bear downtown, a small crowd of residents flocked to the area. One resident even had a drone hoping to get a better view. 

 

The unwanted attention led the bear to descend down the poll and scurry down the alley toward 13th Street, where it found another utility pole to climb. It was there until officials from the Arizona Game and Fish Department arrived.

 

Shortly after arriving, Game and Fish officials decided to shut down Pan American Avenue in both directions and allow the bear to come down the pole, cross Pan American and proceed toward Whitewater Draw where it is thought the bear came from in the first place.

 

And in a short while the bear climbed down the pole, ran toward the desert with Game and Fish officials on its tail in an effort to push it deep inside the area.

 

Mark your calendars, because the Sierra Vista Wine, Beer and Spirits Festival will be here before you know it. It’s on May 29th starting at 12pm and going until 7pm. But you can get tickets now on Evenbrite for $25. Tickets at the door will be $30. 

 

At the festival you’ll get the chance to enjoy sample pours form some of Arizona’s top wineries, craft distilleries, and craft breweries. Tickets include a wine glass and 10 wine sampling tickets.

 

There will also be a pop up art gallery courtesy of the Huachua Art Association. 

 

The festival is returning after a year’s hiatus. And for this year it’s been reimagined to offer a more relaxing and comfortable day. So bring your own blanket and lawn chairs to set up under the shade trees in Veterans Memorial Park!

 

Finally, today we’re remembering the life of 

 

John Economy, long-time resident of Bisbee. John was born in Silvis, Illinois. The family moved to Bisbee when John was three years old. He was a first generation American of Greek — German descent and attended Bisbee schools until W.W.II.

 

Before retirement he owned Economy Building Supply, a local hardware store and lumber yard and Economy Builders. He worked in many locations throughout Cochise County including Indian Hills Plaza in Sierra Vista and the San Jose and Mountain Ranch neighborhoods. John took pride in his workmanship and made many friends through his business endeavors. He was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church and was involved in many civic activities during his life. John became a founding board member of the San Jose Fire District which has provided fire protection for a previously unserved area in Bisbee.

 

A World War II Navy veteran, John was assigned to the U.S.S, Logan and made landings at Tinian, Saipan, and Iwo Jima.

 

 In February, 1945, under heavy Japanese bombardment, John piloted his landing craft taking troops and supplies onto the beaches of Iwo Jima. From the USS Logan’s 23 landing craft, only John’s craft remained intact when the bombing ceased.

 

John is survived by his wife, his sons and daughter, his grandchildren, great grandchildren, and his sister and brothers in law. 

 

He will be greatly missed. Thank you for taking a moment with us today to remember and celebrate John’s life.

 

 

Thanks for tuning in to the Herald Review podcast today, join us again on Friday! 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. We also encourage you to rate and review our podcast on Apple Podcasts!

 

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