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News
Deadline for public comments on Hermosa CPBA extended to Aug. 31
By Dave Lumia
The signatories in the Hermosa Mine Community Protections and Benefit Agreement (CPBA) have extended the deadline for public comment until Aug. 31.
After considerable feedback regarding the complicated nature of a public input survey on the CPBA website, Santa Cruz County issued a news release stating two alternatives for participation. Both can be found on the website.
Public Comment Form Survey 1 is a detailed form for sharing specific, evidence-based input for community protections, monitoring commitments and accountability measures for the Hermosa Project.
Public Comment Form Survey 2 is for sharing general questions or concerns about a specific topic.
The county said the deadline extension was agreed to in response to public concern about the complexities of the surveys.
The CPBA will be a legally binding agreement being negotiated by South32, the Town of Patagonia, Santa Cruz County an, the City of Nogales designed to offer community benefits and protections related to the Hermosa mining project in the Patagonia Mountains.This is the intro text to the photo gallery.
Rancho Castillo Winery opens in Sonoita
Rancho Castillo Winery opened its doors on Saturday, Aug. 1, to an enthusiastic crowd in the freshly painted — no longer turquoise — former home of The Coop on Highway 82.
Co-owner and winemaker Brett Wagner estimated between 450 and 500 visitors for the grand opening. “It exceeded my expectations,” Wagner said. “I could not believe how many people were there.”
Wagner said the winery’s regular hours will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Sunday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. The winery will continue to offer food from Grant Dalton’s chuckwagon.
Brett Wagner chats with James Callahan at Saturday’s grand opening. (Photo by Dave Lumia) 
Rancho Castillo is currently offering six different wines in the tasting room: Four reds and one white. (Photo by Dave Lumia) 
It was a busy day behind the bar for co-owner Autumn Wagner. (Photo by Dave Lumia) 
Rancho Castillo owners Josh Dopko, Brett Wagner and Amber Wagner. (Photo by Dave Lumia)
Rural counties report variety of voting irregularities
By Carrie White
As the investigation into missing and misdirected mail-in primary ballots continues in Santa Cruz County, it turns out other rural counties in the state have experienced “anomalies”.
In Navajo County, more than 1,300 mail-in ballots were marked “undeliverable” before the primary.
In Apache County, Dannee Roan acknowledged an unusual number of calls from voters not getting an early ballot, but she said no investigation was underway there. “We don’t track calls,” said Roan, the recorder office’s projects coordinator.
In Yavapai County, Recorder Michelle Burchill said the number of ballots received after election day was higher than usual. On the day she spoke with the PRT, that number totaled 859. Not all the ballots came back with postmarks, so her office cannot determine when they were mailed.
“I don’t know what the hell is going on with the rural counties in Arizona,” Burchill said. “It’s either a voter behavior issue or a USPS issue.”
Click here to continue reading.
Mountain Lion sightings reported near Canelo, Sonoita
A mountain lion has been reported in different locations around Canelo and Sonoita. It was first observed by Chris DeWitte in late July on her property near the west gate of Fort Huachuca two nights in a row, destroying her chicken enclosure and killing chickens and ducks.
DeWitte said she notified Arizona Game & Fish, which refused to issue a depredation number to allow killing the lion because “chickens and ducks are not livestock.”
DeWitte said the same animal returned the next night and showed no fear upon seeing her ten feet away. She hid in her truck until daylight.
Moore said an elderly neighbor on Pyeatt Ranch encountered the mountain lion the next night while out with his dogs and became frightened when it began growling at the dogs.
On Aug. 3, a mountain lion, possibly the same animal, was spotted in a tree on Holbrook Drive in Sonoita. The animal again showed no fear of humans. The PRT contacted Game & Fish seeking comment and/or advice but has not received a response.
ADOT schedules Hwy. 82 improvements from Lake Patagonia Road to Town of Patagonia
The Arizona Department of Transportation is tentatively scheduled to being a pavement project later this summer on State Highway 82 from Lake Patagonia Road (milepost 12.3) to the Town of Patagonia (milepost 19).
The project includes milling and replacing the existing pavement in all travel lanes and shoulders, conducting spot repairs as needed, applying chip seal and micro-surfacing, installing ground-in rumble strips and restriping the roadway.
The project is expected to continue through the winter of 2026. Construction work is tentatively scheduled for 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and motorists should expect temporary delays as traffic is redirected through a single lane.
Motorists can keep abreast of the project on ADOT’s website.
Patagonia Town Council schedules August 5 special meeting
The Patagonia Town Council has scheduled a special council meeting on Aug. 5 at 6 p.m. to approve the results of the July 21 primary election and to discuss and take action on applying for a Valley Telecom Community Enrichment Program $10,000 grant for the town library. The funds would be used to replace four computer systems for the Teen Room and a camera system for recording community meetings, which will serve as a new revenue stream for the library.
Andy Wood was re-elected as Mayor and Caleb Weaver was elected to the council in the primary. Both ran unopposed.
Give it up for our Teachers of the Year!
Congratulations to the 2026 Teachers of the Year from Elgin Elementary School, Patagonia Elementary School and Patagonia Union High School. The winners are:
Kyndra Ortiz, Middle School Math, Elgin Elementary.
Audrey Doles, Second Grade, Patagonia Elementary
Elliotte Codding, Python Instructor, Patagonia Union HS
The three will be honored by Santa Cruz County on Friday at 6 p.m. at Pierson High School, 451 N. Arroyo Blvd., Nogales, at which time the County Teacher of the Year will be named.
Quilts for Veterans
To commemorate the USA’s 250th anniversary the Crossroads Quilters have made patriotic lap quilts for our area veterans. Do you know a Canelo, Elgin, Patagonia or Sonoita veteran who deserves a quilt? Someone who gave selflessly to our country?
If you know someone, please nominate them by providing the following information:
Your Name:
Your Contact Information:
Your Veteran’s Name:
Your Veteran’s Contact Information:
Your Veteran’s service to his/her country: Share a story about your veteran’s military service. In which branch of the military did he/she serve? Did he/she serve overseas, in which conflict? How long has he/she lived in the Canelo/Elgin/Patagonia/Sonoita area?
Nominations can be mailed to Alison Bunting, P.O. Box 310, Sonoita 85637 or sent via email to alisbunting@gmail.com by September 30, 2026. The quilts will be ready for distribution in time for Veteran’s Day.
Public Service Announcements
To submit an announcement, please email prtadast@gmail.com. Image files should be submitted in JPEG or PNG format.
From Santa Cruz County:
JP-East Justice Court services are available every first and third Friday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Sonoita Community Space/County Building. We provide civil services, including small claims, civil complaints, evictions, orders of protection and weddings — bringing access to justice closer to Elgin, Sonoita, Canelo and Patagonia. We’re here to serve our community with fairness, empathy and integrity. Call: (520) 375-7661.
School News and Youth Events
To report school news or list an event, please email prtadast@gmail.com. Image files should be submitted in JPEG or PNG format. To list an event, please submit by Monday, 5pm. Remember to submit your event at least one week before the event date. Thank you!
From Elgin School Parent Teacher Club:
The Elgin PTC is looking for new members to join our team and help make our school an even more amazing place for our students, staff, and families! Whether you can volunteer a few hours a month or help with a specific event, there is a place for everyone in the PTC! Interested in learning more? Send us a message at Elginptc@elgink12.com. We’d love to have you join our flock! Together, we can help Elgin soar even higher!
Upcoming Events
To list an event, please submit an image file in JPEG or PNG format. Email your submission to prtadast@gmail.com by Monday, 5pm. Remember to submit your event at least one week before the event date. Thank you!
In response to the forthcoming closure of the Santa Cruz Humane Society, the City of Nogales and Santa Cruz County Animal Control are sponsoring a 5K and pet adoption event from 6 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8 at Karam Park, 159 N. Morley Ave. in downtown Nogales. The Humane Society is looking to rehome about 30 animals prior to closing this fall due to lack of sustainable funding. The adoption fee for a dog or cat is $10 and includes Parvo/Distemper shot for dogs or RCP vaccination for cats.
From Borderlands Nursery & Seed:
Our second bilingual Native Plant Propagation & Nursery Management Workshop of 2026 is coming up on Saturday, August 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and we only have a few spots left for participants!
Join us for an informative class to learn about all things related to running and managing a native plant nursery, such as propagating native plants from both seeds and cuttings, seed and plant sourcing, plant lists, dormancy, mechanical scarification, temperature stratification, transplanting, pot sizes for retail vs. restoration needs, irrigation, soil type, timelines, and more. The nursery will also be open for shopping.
Sign up at borderlandsplants.org
Recurring Events
To list an event, please email prtadast@gmail.com. Image files should be submitted in JPEG or PNG format. Remember to submit your event at least one week before the event date. Thank you!
Fresh vegetable distribution Mondays at the Patagonia Senior Center
Come with friends and pick up your weekly fresh vegetables from East Santa Cruz County Community Food Bank every Monday at the Patagonia Senior Center (100 Quiroga Ln, Patagonia) at 10:30am. Take what you need and give what you can.
The Sonoita Food Pantry at The Vine Church is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Monthly bird walks at the Paton Center
From the Paton Center:
Fun news: we will now be having regular monthly Paton Center bird walks led by docent Wayne Smith on the fourth Saturday of every month! Join us for a relaxing morning featuring short, easy walks (less than a mile total) along trails like the Cuckoo Corridor and Gray Hawk Birding Trail. We’ll also spend some unhurried time enjoying the activity around the bird feeders.
-Alexis Stark, Paton Center Site Manager
Boat tours at Patagonia Lake State Park
Every Saturday and Sunday, $7 per adult, $5 per child (13 years and under)
- 9 a.m. Avian Adventure Tour
- 10:15 a.m. Avian Adventure Tour
- 11:30 a.m. Lake Discovery Tour
- Twilight Tour on Saturdays only. Time varies.
Call the park to make your reservation: 520-287-2791
Boat rentals are available at the Patagonia Lake Marina.
Alcoholics Anonymous:
- Sonoita Bible Church – Tuesdays at 7pm, 3174 N. Highway 83, Sonoita. Doors open at 6:30. Zoom option: 601-758-3907.
- Patagonia Methodist Community Church – Thursdays at 6:30pm. 387 McKeown Ave., Patagonia. Contact Dave at 207-249-8302.
Crossroads Quilters: Are you a textile artist (weaving, embroidery, knitting, crocheting, sewing, quilting)? The Crossroads Quilters invites all interested textile artists to our meetings. Bring a project to work on and enjoy a morning of information sharing and camaraderie. We meet the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month at 9am at the Sonoita Bible Church, 3174 N. Highway 83. For more information email: alisbunting@gmail.com
Overeaters Anonymous: The OA Sky Islands Recovery group meets every Wednesday 11am-12noon at the East Santa Cruz County (ESCC) Food Bank at 772 Harshaw Ave in the meeting room at the end of the driveway. For additional meeting info, go to oasouthernaz.org. Contact Adrienne H. for more info 520-404-3490.
Click here to consult the PRT’s ‘Community Calendar’ for additional events and meetings.
Employment Opportunities
To list an employment opportunity, please email prtadast@gmail.com. Image files should be submitted in JPEG or PNG format.
Farmers Markets
Patagonia Farmers and Crafts Market – Thursdays 10am-12pm by Red Mountain Foods.
Sonoita Farmers Market – Saturday Mornings 9am-12pm at the Sonoita Post Office parking lot (NW corner of Hwy 82/83)
Sierra Vista Farmers Market – Thursday 10am-2pm at Veteran’s Memorial Park
Nogales “Little” Mercado – Fridays 4-7pm 163 Morley Ave, Nogales
Church Events and Schedules
St. Therese Parish in Patagonia
Patagonia Community United Methodist Church
Click here to consult the PRT’s ‘Community Calendar’ for additional events and meetings.
Our Advertisers
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A 2026 CORE Grant from the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona provides the Patagonia Regional Times with valuable operating support.