Category: State News

Arizona lawmakers are pushing to return social equity licenses for marijuana dispensaries to their original owners, alleging private investors and cannabis corporations used predatory tactics to seize control of nearly all the lucrative licenses.  Senate Bill 1262, introduced by Republican Sen. Sonny Borrelli, seeks to restore power to those the state’s social equity program was actually meant to benefit: people from marginalized communities disproportionately affected by past marijuana convictions. It would also allow the state Attorney General’s Office to investigate and punish entities that exploited those individuals. “What we have here is an injustice that needs to be fixed,” Borrelli,…

For wildlife enthusiasts and outdoor recreationists, there are few sights more thrilling than observing bald eagles raise their young during the nesting season.  But eagle nests and young eagles are sensitive to nearby human activity. Too much disturbance by humans can cause a nest to fail, or result in a premature fledging and injury, or death to an eaglet that can’t fly or defend itself. Bald eagle nestwatchers, people who are stationed at nesting areas near high-use recreation areas to collect behavioral data and educate the public, started monitoring nesting areas Feb. 2. During that first week, they observed multiple…

The Virgin River Campground in the BLM Arizona Strip Field Office area has gone 100% cashless for all campsites at this popular recreation area. “For visitor convenience and to eliminate security issues related to handling and counting cash, we are going to a 100% cashless system through Recreation.gov at the Virgin River Campground,” said Randy Beckstrand, Arizona Strip Assistant Field Manager. There are 18 multi-day camp sites on the upper loop that can be reserved in advance with online payment at https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10086109. Visitors may camp up to 14 days at these sites. The upper loop also contains an additional 54 campsites that are available…

WIKIEUP – The Arizona Department of Transportation has completed a project to improve the pavement surface and flood protection capabilities of two bridges on US 93 south of Wikieup. The $1.8 million project involved work on the Sycamore Creek bridge at milepost 128 and the Gray Wash bridge, both of which carry traffic on northbound US 93. The project included: To learn about ADOT projects in your area and to subscribe for updates, please visit azdot.gov/projects. 

WIKIEUP – The Arizona Department of Transportation has completed a project to improve the pavement surface and flood protection capabilities of two bridges on US 93 south of Wikieup. The $1.8 million project involved work on the Sycamore Creek bridge at milepost 128 and the Gray Wash bridge, both of which carry traffic on northbound US 93. The project included: To learn about ADOT projects in your area and to subscribe for updates, please visit azdot.gov/projects. 

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) reminds hunters who applied  for 2024 pronghorn and elk hunt permit-tags that 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Tuesday, Feb. 20, is the deadline to update credit card or debit card account information. The same deadline applies to purchasing a PointGuard product. Choosing PointGuard Plus, or the standard PointGuard, ensures that applicants can surrender their hunt permit-tag for any reason, and the accumulated bonus points that were expended to draw that hunt permit-tag will be reinstated (if eligible). A portal account is not required to purchase a PointGuard product. Information: www.azgfd.gov/pointguard. This also is the final opportunity for this…