Yearly Archives: 2022

Why has the Parker 425 really been cancelled for 2023?

UPDATE: A new statement from BITD President Bryan Folks apologizing for the cancellation is included below. Folks said he takes “full responsibility” and does “not begrudge” the Bureau of Land Management. “We did not provide a satisfactory action plan on how we would control the spectators in 2023.” — ORIGINAL STORY: Race fans were met with disappointing news late on …

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Controlled burn near the river Friday for debris clearance

A controlled burn permit was issued to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and is scheduled to occur on Friday, December 9th at 2449 Parker Dam Road from 10 am to 2 pm. This location is near Gene Camp and Parker Dam. Residents from Gene Camp and Parker Dam on the California side and Buckskin area on the Arizona side …

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Missing 14 year-old girl found unharmed in La Paz County

A missing, endangered, 14 year-old girl was found unharmed in La Paz County, and a suspect was arrested. On Friday at around 8:12 pm, deputies with the La Paz County Sheriff’s Department were notified of a possible Amber Alert vehicle traveling on Highway 72 in the Bouse community toward the town of Parker. The suspect vehicle had been detected by …

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Former cop charged with 10 counts related to images of child sexual exploitation

A former law enforcement officer, Lance Palma, has been charged with 10 counts of of sexual exploitation of a minor relating to some images he allegedly shared on a social messaging app. Last December, a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicated that images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors were sent to the …

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Sheriff’s vehicle strikes, kills, pedestrian in Parker

A man was killed when a Sheriff’s deputy struck him while he was attempting to cross the street in the town of Parker. An investigation will be led by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. On November 10th at around 6:30 pm, Jose Sanchez was struck and killed while attempting to cross Riverside Drive (AZ-95) between Walmart and McDonalds in …

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Woman on 1600-mile Colorado River trek passes through Parker

Vanessa Keating has been on a one-woman trek along the Colorado River since the beginning of August. She’s now passing through the Parker area and on the final stretch of her trip, which she has been documenting online to help raise awareness about the water crisis facing the southwest. Vanessa on the Parker Strip   “I fell in love with …

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Man arrested for robbery, his girlfriend arrested for intimidating the victim

A man was arrested in Big River for robbery and, a day later, his girlfriend was arrested for intimidation of the victim. On Sunday, November 6th at around 6:10 pm, deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Colorado River Station came in contact with Stephen Welsh, 47, during a report of a robbery that occurred in the 149000 Block …

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Town of Parker settles with former Town Manager

The Town of Parker has settled a lawsuit brought by its former Town Manager Lori Wedemeyer. She will receive $77,276 and her attorneys will receive $36,975 for their work on the case. According to the settlement agreement, Wedemeyer intends to use the funds to purchase service credit from the Arizona State Retirement System. This will allow her to ‘buy’ the …

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Boating collision leaves San Diego County man dead

A San Diego County man is dead after a nighttime collision on his personal watercraft on the Parker Strip. He was not discovered until the morning after the incident is thought to have occurred. On Monday morning at around 7 am, deputies with the San Bernardino County Colorado River Station responded to a report of a boating collision. Through witness …

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Local man found dead in river after boat towed

A local man was found dead in the river Sunday after his boat was towed in an effort to locate its owner. On Saturday at around 6:30 pm, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputies were flagged down regarding a possible float away vessel located across from the Desert Riviera resort on the Parker Strip. Deputies arrived and found the vessel …

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