News

President Biden signs CRIT water bill into law

President Biden has signed a bill into law that will allow the Colorado River Indian Tribes to lease some of its water rights to other entities that need it. The bill had previously passed both chambers of Congress. The Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2021(S.3308) was introduced to the Senate by Senator Mark Kelly. It was co-sponsored …

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One dead after head-on collision in Parker

A head-on collision left one dead and others injured today in the town of Parker. The collision happened on California Avenue near the intersection with Arizona Avenue. A white vehicle with California plates, possibly a Nissan Kicks crossover, was traveling northbound while a dark colored Toyota Tacoma pickup truck was traveling in the other direction southbound next to a semi. …

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Randy Hartless is the new Mayor of the Town of Parker

Randy Hartless is Parker’s new Mayor after a vote at Tuesday night’s council meeting, the first of the year. David Lucas was voted Vice Mayor. The change represents a new season at Town Hall. After the invocation and pledge of allegiance, the new council took the oath of office and were seated. Marion Shontz began by nominating Jerry Hooper for …

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River drawdown begins Monday

The Colorado River on the Parker Strip will be a foot lower beginning on Monday as the Bureau of Reclamation facilitates its annual drawdown. The temporary elevation change is done in coordination with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to facilitate annual maintenance on canals operated by Colorado River Indian Tribes. Beginning the morning of January 9th, the agency will begin …

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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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