East Arizona News

Smaller communities surrounding the Phoenix-area are also feeling the affects of COVID-19.

Gila Bend, a town with a population of about 2,000 people is about 70 miles from Phoenix. Located in southern Maricopa county, residents are used to living far away from essential goods, but now with the COVID-19 pandemic, people from other communities are coming to Gila Bend and wiping out what little essentials they have left.

The town has three major shopping options: a meat market, a Dollar General and the Family Dollar, Town Manager Katherine Valenzuela told KJZZ 91.5.

Stores have been running out of bleach so the local government has stepped in.  

Residents can now drop off empty plastic containers with their contact details on them at the local government office and they will be filled with bleach, free of charge.

Things remain basically unchanged in the small town of Clifton, just outside of New Mexico.

Mayor Luis Montoya said an emergency proclamation was issued for the city hall only. Officials will follow rules pertaining to hand-washing and crowd size given by the Centers for Disease Control. The mayor said he has recommended the same to small restaurants in his town.

In southern Arizona, the town of Bisbee is trying to make sure children in their community can still access books from the library.

The Copper Queen Library closed their doors in March. The library is looking to lift copyright rules temporarily on some of their books so they can record reading and offer virtual story times to local children, according to KJZZ 91.5.

The City of Globe is located 88 miles east of Phoenix in Gila County. Restaurants, bars, and a movie theater in the city are all closed. Schools in Globe are closed but the Globe Unified School District has set up 13 food distribution sites for students that rely on school meals.

The Waggin’ Vineyard and Estate winery was only opened for two months before they had to close their doors due to COVID-19.

"Your average Saturday, Sunday we would probably have about 15-20 people just sitting on the patio, enjoying the great weather and unfortunately we can’t do that,” winery owner Daisy Flores told KJZZ 91.5.

The winery is offering pickup and delivery options now.  

The City of Kingman is located along historic Route 66. It's in northwest Arizona near Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.  

City council meetings and the Citizens Academy have been canceled in April.  

The local government has asked businesses to be responsible for their staff and community by closing their doors if they deem themselves to be non-essential.

In southern Arizona, the small town of Ajo, population 3,300, the local food bank is doing their part to feed families every Thursday.

Their Central Plaza has closed and residents have raised about $15,000 for local business owners through Kickstart Ajo.

The locals say heavy trucks filled with materials to build the Trump administration's border wall continue to roll through the town as COVID-19 fears continue, according to KJZZ 91.5.