Category: State News

PHOENIX – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public input on five draft Recreation Business Plans that would modernize the way recreation fee sites are managed for the following locations: Kingman Field Office, Lake Havasu Field Office, the Arizona Strip Field Office’s Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area, the Phoenix District’s Recreational Shooting Sites, and the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument’s Paria Canyon/Coyote Buttes Special Management Area and White Pocket.  An interactive StoryMap shows the locations and all proposed fee sites and changes, as well as how to provide comments. Additionally, the BLM will host two virtual public information sessions about the proposals at 6:00…

WASHINGTON (AP) — Beijing and Washington have quietly resumed cooperation on the deportation of Chinese immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, as the two countries are reestablishing and widening contacts following their leaders’ meeting in California late last year. After China suspended cooperation in August 2022, the United States saw a drastic surge in the number of Chinese immigrants entering the country illegally from Mexico. U.S. border officials arrested more than 37,000 Chinese nationals on the southern border in 2023, 10 times the number during the previous year, further exacerbating tensions over immigration going into the presidential election. In…

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is accepting applications for 2024 hunt permit-tags issued through the draw process for deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep, bison, and sandhill crane.     To apply, visit https://draw.azgfd.com/. The deadline for the department to receive all applications is 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Tuesday, June 4, 2024.  For an overview of the application service, including license requirements, applying for bonus points and payment information, see Page 26 of the “2024-2025 Arizona Hunting Regulations” booklet. Printed versions soon will be available at license dealers statewide (call in advance for availability). In the meantime:

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona’s new heat officer said Friday that he is working with local governments and nonprofit groups to open more cooling centers and ensure homes have working air conditioners this summer in a more unified effort to prevent another ghastly toll of heat-related deaths, which topped 900 statewide last year. “We don’t want to see that happen again,” Dr. Eugene Livar said of last year’s deaths. “We cannot control it, even though we can control our preparation in response. And that’s what we’ve been focusing on.” Livar, a physician with the Arizona State Department of Health Services,…

WASHINGTON (AP) — A tiny Philip Morris product called Zyn has been making big headlines, sparking debate about whether new nicotine-based alternatives intended for adults may be catching on with underage teens and adolescents. Here’s what to know about Zyn: WHAT IS ZYN? Zyn is an oral pouch that contains nicotine powder and flavorings like mint, coffee and citrus. The pouches are the fastest-growing segment of the tobacco industry, which has struggled for decades to replace falling cigarette sales. Zyn is marketed by Philip Morris International to adult tobacco users. Although it doesn’t contain tobacco, U.S. regulators still treat it as a tobacco product. Competitors sell…

PHOENIX – The state’s goal of expanding broadband internet access in rural areas is taking a big step forward with a public-private partnership. The agreement with eX2 Technology is to operate, maintain and lease space in fiber-optic conduit installed along Interstate 17 and Interstate 19, and being installed later this year along much of Interstate 40. The Arizona Department of Transportation, in partnership with Governor Katie Hobbs and the Arizona Commerce Authority, entered into the agreement recently with eX2 Technology, an Omaha, Nebraska, firm with extensive experience working with state and local governments to manage what is often referred to as middle-mile…