Category: State News

In 2022, when the southeastern Arizona community of Willcox confronted state regulations that would’ve halted new groundwater irrigation in the largely agricultural area, voters and special interest groups mobilized to defeat the ballot measure by almost two to one. They acknowledged that, as in other rural areas of the state, more groundwater was being pumped out of the Willcox Basin than was naturally refilled, and they agreed something should be done about that overdrafting. But bringing the area under the state’s existing rules, as the measure proposed to do, wouldn’t give the rural community enough control to guide development in…

KINGMAN – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will begin a wild burro gather on January 8, 2024, in the Black Mountain Herd Management Area located west of Kingman, in Mohave County. The gather will remove up to 1,000 excess wild burros to address herd health and impacts to rangeland health, wildlife habitat and roadway safety concerns associated with herd overpopulation. The Black Mountain herd is estimated to consist of nearly 1,925 wild burros — more than three times the appropriate herd management level of 478, which is a threat to the long term health of the land and the burros…

PHOENIX – Arizona’s governor on Friday ordered the state’s National Guard to the border with Mexico to help federal officials manage an influx of migrants. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said she issued the executive order because “the federal government is refusing to do its job to secure our border and keep our communities safe.” “I am taking action where the federal government won’t,” Hobbs said. It was unclear when the troops would arrive at the border and exactly how many would be mobilized. Hobbs asked President Joe Biden’s administration a week ago to mobilize 243 Arizona National Guard troops already…

PHOENIX – Arizona’s governor on Friday ordered the state’s National Guard to the border with Mexico to help federal officials manage an influx of migrants. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said she issued the executive order because “the federal government is refusing to do its job to secure our border and keep our communities safe.” “I am taking action where the federal government won’t,” Hobbs said. It was unclear when the troops would arrive at the border and exactly how many would be mobilized. Hobbs asked President Joe Biden’s administration a week ago to mobilize 243 Arizona National Guard troops already…

LAS VEGAS – Fire alarms blared in the background of 911 calls that police released Friday, amplifying the terrified voices of students and faculty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas as they hid inside locked offices and under desks while a gunman fired shots outside, killing three professors. “Someone’s shooting. Please hurry,” said one woman caller, her voice cracking with fear as she described the shots as sounding like they were next door. “I really want to go home.” The gunman, 67-year-old Anthony Polito, walked into UNLV’s business school around lunchtime last Wednesday, Dec. 6 and fired shots as…

WASHINGTON – Today, the Bureau of Land Management announced that it will begin assessing targeted updates to energy corridors across the West, to help speed deployment of transmission infrastructure. The analysis will examine potential changes to the designations that could strengthen energy security, promote renewable energy development in the West, improve reliability, relieve congestion, and enhance the capability of the national grid to deliver electricity. Approximately 673 miles of seven designated energy corridors may potentially be modified.  “Transmission is a vital piece of moving our country to a clean energy economy,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “These updates will help plot a course for successful…