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• Caregivers must prove citizenship or risk losing licenses Owners of assisted living facilities become unlikely targets of law
  Jul 23, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  ...proof of citizenship to get a business license, they likely weren't targeting Donna Stinea and the frail elderly who live in her Scottsdale home. But Stinea, a Romanian immigrant, and more than 40 other assisted living facility owners in the Valley are at risk of losing their licenses if they can't provide the right documents. Stinea has been a U.S. citizen for 25 years and has the papers to prove it. Like others on a state Department of Health Services list, however, it took...
• Mexico ties flooding in Nogales to U.S. Border Patrol-built wall
  Jul 23, 2008 — The Arizona Daily Star
  State officials have declared the damaged part of the city a disaster zone. Two days after the flooding, U.S. officials found the bodies of two people in the wash.
• Council backs resolution in support of funding for port improvements
  Jul 22, 2008 — The Yuma Daily Sun
  Faced with waits of four to five hours at the border, many people are reducing their trips. Traffic at the port has declined as a result.
• Help rolls in for needy family in Catalina Aid, health-care access for ill tot arrive after plight is made public
  Jul 21, 2008 — The Arizona Daily Star
  But the day before the appointment, the clinic called and said not to come unless it was with cash. Insurance had turned down the claim. For a family that lives on $356 a month, that is a fortune. I never thought I'd be asking strangers for money." State Rep.
• No Starbucks stores in Yuma on hit list
  Jul 19, 2008 — The Yuma Daily Sun
  The only Arizona store on that list is in Eloy. Starbucks has three stores in Yuma: 1418 S. Yuma Palms Parkway, 2383 W. 24th St. and 3115 S. 4th Ave. Donations for that cause can be made to the Jackie Johnson LLC account at 1st Bank Yuma, 2279 S. 4th Ave. The office can be reached at 782-4300 or visit EricCapetillo.com. Capetillo, a Yuma resident since 2000, has a bachelor's degree in business administration management.
• Pima County seeks 911 capability for 23 border towers
  Jul 18, 2008 — The Arizona Daily Star
  In the past, they've accounted for as many as half of the rescues. The calls are patched through to Borstar agents. Nobody is interested in saving lives." The plan has an unlikely proponent: a staunch anti-illegal immigration politician -- Rep.
• City asked to support port improvement funds
  Jul 17, 2008 — The Yuma Daily Sun
  For the Yuma City Council to take action will require a special council meeting, likely to be held sometime next week, Watson said. And the call to the mayor?
• PET PROTECTION Health insurance for animals takes a bite out of rising vet costs
  Jul 17, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  It was the kind of surgery that was presented to us like this: "If Stoli does not go into surgery right now, she will die. Paying for checkups, heartworm medicine, spay surgery -- all of that is what we signed up for as pet owners, just like cleaning Stoli's ears and brushing her teeth every week. The independent Pet Insurance Review lets you read reviews of pet insurance companies from hundreds of current policy owners, compare rates and coverage, and solicit quotes from multiple providers.
• State Senate candidates face off
  Jul 17, 2008 — The Arizona Daily Star
  I support a positive, deliberative approach to addressing the problems facing Arizona." Melvin, who ran and lost to Democratic state Sen.
• AIMS test may have no future in schools
  Jul 15, 2008 — The Arizona Daily Star
  Pete Hershberger, a Tucson Republican, supported the move. We had to fight so hard with augmentation that it's starting to sink in that AIMS is a reality and not just hypothetical.
• Arpaio brings 'unannounced' sweep to Mesa: Sheriff 10 illegal immigrants arrested during operation
  Jul 15, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  Arpaio said. Among others, the sheriff mentioned Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, who asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate whether Arpaio's deputies use racial profiling to make arrests. Arpaio also specifically brought up Mesa police Chief George Gascon, who has traded barbs with the sheriff in the past. Monday's sweep was far different from the last operation in Mesa on June 26 and 27, during which deputies apprehended 28 illegal immigrants. During that sweep, hundreds...
• Developer: Economic crises crimp condo plans Construction deadlines focus of flap with city
  Jul 15, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  To date, the first phase of 33 condos and lofts has been finished, along with some retail shops and a parking garage. Sales had started on the second phase, but that phase is temporarily suspended. Ferris said he is dedicated to the completion of all four phases of the Main Street Plaza project.
• Real world science for students at YPG day camp
  Jul 15, 2008 — The Yuma Daily Sun
  Grant will teach fifth grade at Otondo School in the fall. Each day they change the track layout. On day five, they get fresh batteries." Students try to get in eight to 10 runs around the track each day. Also, Heritage provides presentations for students by YPG engineers, biologists and archaeologists. Fast Track is open the public, and classes cost $200 per student.
• AZ probes complaints vs. Wildcat Mitsubishi Company lawyer says owners are fixing problems he calls oversights, mistakes
  Jul 13, 2008 — The Arizona Daily Star
  Either way, the sale was illegal, DeModica said. Remick said Wilson was offered a full refund. Richard and Pat Johnston, owners of Wildcat and Ideal, have clean criminal records, so they qualify. All the charges later were dismissed. Soldiers Fort Huachuca has received about two dozen complaints from soldiers upset by the treatment they received at Wildcat and Ideal.
• GOP hopefuls duke it out on border, tax, K-12 issues
  Jul 13, 2008 — The Arizona Daily Star
  I support a positive, deliberative approach to addressing the problems facing Arizona." Melvin, who ran and lost to Democratic state Sen.
• Panel pushes Chandler school budget override
  Jul 13, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  Those funds help pay for salaries and supplies. For the 2009-10 school year, the override is projected to add more than $19 million to the budget. An override is in place for seven years, with voters asked after five years to renew it. The last time Chandler voters turned down an override request was 20 years ago. After that happened, a contingency fund was started.
• Pinal County leaders envision plan for growth
  Jul 13, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  ...freeways, a major airport and protected open space for views of the Santan mountains are all envisioned in a plan for growth created by Pinal County. Now, county officials are trying to promote awareness of the plan. The plan is available for review at www.pinalcounty plan.com. The various plan elements include: mobility and connectivity, economic sustainability, open space, environmental stewardship and a plan to create a sense of community and quality education. Pinal...
• REASONABLE DOUBT TRIBUNE INVESTIGATES SHERIFF'S IMMIGRATION CAMPAIGN SWEEPING POWERS
  Jul 13, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  They are reluctant to even talk about him. In March, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon was the first highlevel elected official to publicly go against Arpaio's immigration sweeps. Even though MCSO averages 10 minutes as its response time, the board has never addressed that issue. Four of the five supervisors are Republicans, like Arpaio. It's very different." Not so, said Richard Romley, Maricopa County Attorney for 16 years until he left office in 2004.
• Nurses tend to well-heeled patients with one eye on their souls CARE OF THE SPIRIT
  Jul 12, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  They include entertainers, "high-profile businessmen, attorneys, doctors, sports figures and people you would recognize," said Ray. The care was "not just for her body, but her spirit." While she and he mother were not particularly religious, they welcomed how Celestial Care showed restraint.
• DUTY IN CONFLICT Spanish-speaking U.S. law officers struggle with arresting, deporting fellow Hispanics
  Jul 11, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  Joe Sousa, the human smuggling unit's top supervisor. In fact, the only non-Spanish speakers are the three supervisors, two of whom are white. Most of the deputies on the squad grew up in Spanish-speaking households. As a result, Navarrette said, his uncle is able to earn just $10 to $18 an hour. Out-of-control illegal immigration also raises serious concerns about national security, Navarrette said.
• Foreclosures filings still high despite dip in June Arizona's rate nearly 2.5 times the national average
  Jul 11, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  Arizona properties received a foreclosure filing, the third-highest state foreclosure rate and nearly 2.5 times the national average, according to data released Thursday by RealtyTrac. That includes default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions. Foreclosure filings were reported on 12,950 Arizona properties, down less than 1 percent from the previous month, but still up nearly 127 percent from June 2007. Only Nevada and California had higher foreclosure rates....
• Decision may pose threat to Santa Cruz Loss of 'navigable' tag could lead to building, discharges
  Jul 10, 2008 — The Arizona Daily Star
  This sudden and unexplained action is likely to have far-reaching consequences by limiting federal protections for intermittent rivers and streams across Southern Arizona." Rep.
• EDITORIAL: TUSD must fix retirees' health care debacle: Our view Look to Sunnyside, other districts for creative solutions
  Jul 10, 2008 — The Arizona Daily Star
  Rendon said the district is seeking that information from its insurer. This impasse must be fixed. TUSD Superintendent Elizabeth Celania-Fagen, still new to the job, has instructed staff to find a solution. One idea worth pursuing is already working in the Sunnyside Unified School District. It's a good arrangement. TUSD's situation is a different, but the Sunnyside plan is worth considering and adapting.
• 'Fund of funds' to invest in AZ tech startups AERO receives $326,000 in seed money 'to commercialize Arizona innovations'
  Jul 9, 2008 — The Arizona Daily Star
  One such company is Oro Valley-based Ventana Medical Systems, founded in 1985 by Dr. Thomas Grogan, a University of Arizona pathologist, and specializing in cancer-tissue testing.
• Amid protests, TUSD passes budget
  Jul 9, 2008 — The Arizona Daily Star
  Not only is Bloom slated to share a principal with another school, but it lost other staffers, including an instructional support coach, an attendance clerk and a safety resource officer. She predicted her annual out-of-pocket health costs would jump 48 percent, to nearly $11,000. When the board decided earlier this year not to close schools to adjust to lower student enrollment, he said, that meant the money needed to come from somewhere.
• Ariz. economic-development group starts venture capital effort
  Jul 8, 2008 — The Arizona Daily Star
  AERO committee to search for venture funding with Bill Hardin, an attorney with Osborn Maledon in Phoenix. AERO will serve as the catalyst in establishing an Arizona "fund of funds" to increase the size of the venture capital industry in Arizona during a two-year period, organizers said. Recently, the Commerce and Economic Development Commission gave AERO $325,000 to stimulate the formation of the fund. About 40 other states have a fund of funds, Hecker said, but not Arizona --...
• Budget provision shocks cities, counties State requiring that $30M be deposited into General Fund
  Jul 8, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  But they do get to pass the laws." Tempe's staff is guessing the impact will be in the range of $900,000 to $1 million.
• Campaign begins for universal health care Nationwide effort will include rallies
  Jul 8, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards based their proposals. Under Hacker's plan, individuals, the government and employers would all have to contribute something.
• TUSD plans to swap parcels with developers for new school sites
  Jul 6, 2008 — The Arizona Daily Star
  Miller had 704 students, even though it was built for 440. It's one thing if there's a piece of property and an interested party can just write a check. Though he couldn't comment specifically on TUSD's situation, he said, generally, that land swaps often are quite involved.
• Group pushes schools on food-allergy care Guidelines tell educators what to do for afflicted kids
  Jul 5, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  Warde Nichols, R-Chandler, sponsored a bill, with support from the Phoenix Food Allergy Network, that would require school districts and charter schools to develop guidelines for managing severe food allergies. It included training educators to administer a small shot of epinephrine that can reverse a life-threatening reaction. It's a document that tells the school what to do to accommodate the individual needs of a child with a life-threatening allergy.
• Queen Creek Wash spill mess unresolved Johnson Utilities, DEQ debate cleanup after sewage leak
  Jul 5, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  Crockett, an attorney for the utility. Had Johnson Utilities had its way, the pool of water would have been pumped into other parts of the wash. Before it received the violation notice from DEQ on June 5, Johnson Utilities tested the water at several points in the pool, and reported the results showed the water was within safe levels, according to Crockett. DEQ disagreed. The polluted water couldn't be pumped out to other areas of the wash either way, Shaffer said. "You...
• Voters get 11 ballot measures
  Jul 5, 2008 — Arizona Daily Sun
  MAJOR BACKERS: Center for Arizona Policy, Arizona Catholic Conference. MAJOR BACKERS: Arizona Community Financial Services, composed of payday lenders. ISSUE: Prohibit forced enrollment in health insurance programs.
• Gascon, Smith clarify Mesa police immigrant policy It's not pragmatic to arrest everyone who might look illegal, chief says
  Jul 4, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  ...stops, Gascon and Mayor Scott Smith repeatedly said the policy, while not perfect, will help police deal with crime in Mesa while fulfilling their role of cooperating with federal authorities to tackle illegal immigration. Smith prodded Gascon to clarify something he said is on the minds of many citizens: Why not just arrest everybody suspected of being in the country illegally and then sort out their status? Gascon said the department has to look at the issue through the...
• State health department director resigns, gives no explanation Official had criticized governor's office over veteran home problems
  Jul 4, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  Gerard, who was appointed head of the agency in April 2003, walks away from a $136,000 annual salary.
• TriWest seeks military health care deal Phoenix firm has managed program for 5 years in 21 states
  Jul 4, 2008 — East Valley Tribune
  The company employs about 1,000 people in Phoenix, including administrative and corporate operations staff.
• Voters get 11 ballot measures
  Jul 4, 2008 — Arizona Daily Sun
  MAJOR BACKERS: Center for Arizona Policy, Arizona Catholic Conference. MAJOR BACKERS: Arizona Community Financial Services, composed of payday lenders. MAJOR BACKERS: Wake Up Arizona, an organization of business owners.
• City adopts 'conservative' budget
  Jul 3, 2008 — The Yuma Daily Sun
  In comparison, the current year's budget is $428.1 million. The big difference, Watson explained, is a marked decrease in funding for capital improvement projects. Last year, $285 million was budgeted for improvements to city facilities. On the other hand, he said, the city will be able to retain and sustain services at the current level.