Molly K Ottman

HEBER, Ariz. — A federal judge has limited a preliminary injunction to the Sitgreaves National Forest, ruling it no longer applies to the Apache National Forest after determining the challenged U.S. Forest Service actions were confined to the Sitgreaves. The ruling came days after the Center for Biological Diversity sought to intervene, arguing in court filings that unauthorized free-roaming horses had denuded portions of federally designated critical habitat for the endangered New Mexico meadow jumping mouse on the Apache National Forest.

SHOW LOW, Ariz. — Five men were arrested during a two-day undercover operation targeting individuals allegedly seeking to exploit children, according to the Show Low Police Department.

The Apache National Forest and Sitgreaves National Forest are often referred to together as the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, but they remain two distinct national forests that have been managed under a single administration since 1974. A federal court is now being asked to determine whether an injunction issued in the case extends across both forests or is limited to the Sitgreaves National Forest.

SANDERS — Less than a week after ceasing operations, the Puerco Valley Fire District has filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, leaving neighboring agencies and the Navajo Nation to provide emergency fire protection and emergency medical services across portions of eastern Arizona.

HEBER-OVERGAARD — A new interview is bringing fresh attention to the origins of the Heber Wild Horse Territory through the firsthand testimony of Mr. Rodney Porter, a fifth-generation Heber rancher and the last living eyewitness to the seven horses that became the foundation of the territory.

HEBER-OVERGAARD — The White Mountains community came together as HOSS (Heber-Overgaard Support Service) hosted its Third Annual Banquet, filling the Big Red Ranch Barn with residents, local businesses, volunteers, and supporters united by a common goal—helping neighbors in need.

HEBER, Ariz.— A federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Forest Service from capturing or removing unclaimed and unbranded horses from the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests after concluding that the plaintiffs met the legal standard for a preliminary injunction while their lawsuit challenging the agency's actions proceeds.