the Old Vail Reservoir and Booster site has played an important role for Tucson Water and Vail Water Company (VWC) alike Vail Water Company’s annual Central Arizona Project (CAP) allocation is delivered to Tucson Water’s recharge facilities where water is stored and then delivered through Tucson Water’s distribution system to Vail Water Company’s service area This conveyance of water is termed “wheeling” Tucson Water has been wheeling water to the Vail Water Company through the existing Old Vail Reservoir and Booster station This agreement is part of a regional effort to use renewable water supplies and preserve groundwater Corona de Tucson is home to nearly 10,000 residents and counting Tucson Water purchased Corona’s water infrastructure in in 1971 and has supported this isolated system by drawing on local groundwater resources an agreement was made with Santa Rita Water Authority (SRWA) to connect this isolated system to Tucson Water’s main system with a pipeline and required storage and booster capacity The upgraded Old Vail Reservoir and booster will provide enough water storage capacity to meet existing and projected water system demands The reservoir and boosters are designed to meet ADEQ requirements for storage and supply for Tucson’s southeastern customers through 2045 The Old Vail Reservoir and Booster is designed to accommodate the growth projected in the One Water 2100 Plan and provide 6 million gallons of storage capacity to meet peak monthly demands and provide sufficient fire flow capacity.  Connection fees for new development will contribute over $15 million through to recover the cost of these upgrades The first of two 3-million gallon tanks is expected to be completed in November 2024 – ready for utilization for nearby housing development A new booster station will allow flexibility to provide water service to new customers in Tucson Water’s service area including Corona de Tucson A second 3-million gallon tank is expected in summer of 2025 along with supporting facilities such as chlorination and control buildings This project involved construction of approximately 3 miles of new 24-inch transmission main along South Houghton Road south of I-10.  The work was completed as part of a Pima County Roadway expansion project The new transmission main extends from the I-10/Houghton Road interchange south to the existing Tucson Water system north of Andrada Polytechnic High School This project includes design and construction of approximately 4 miles of new transmission mains that will connect the Old Vail Reservoir Booster Station with the with the South Houghton Road Transmission Main The connection runs from the reservoir and booster and connects to the existing 24-inch transmission main mentioned above Construction of the new transmission main is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025 Ask a Question. 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To contact us, call 311 or visit Tucson 311 to submit a request A large group of cyclists ride down South Nogales Highway as cars follow behind them during the 40th annual El Tour de Tucson rides during the third stage of the Tour de France Women cycling race Aug The three-time Olympian is among the out-of-state riders taking part in the 2024 El Tour de Tucson A large group of riders zoom down South Nogales Highway Nearly 10,000 cyclists are hitting Tucson streets this weekend for the 41st annual El Tour de Tucson — the largest bike race in the U.S and the longest-running bike event in Arizona El Tour de Tucson’s 102-mile ride kicks off at 7 a.m The start and finish line is located at 190 W near the DoubleTree Hotel at Cushing and Church Avenue check out the 1- or 3-mile family fun ride that begins at 8:15 a.m The longer routes of the tour include a good mixture of city and desert landscapes and pass through numerous local communities The routes officially close at 4:30 p.m. but until then expect various road closures and traffic delays. Visit eltourdetucson.org for a full list of expected road closures “It’s probably gonna be the largest El Tour we’ve ever hosted,” said TJ Juskiewicz the executive director of El Tour de Tucson “Last year we thought that was gonna be our plateau with the 40th anniversary but we’re actually up probably about 10% on ridership for this year and people that participated last year had a great time and told friends to come on out and have a good time (this year).” About 40% of riders in this year’s event are from out of state, according to Juskiewicz. One of this year’s out-of-state riders is Chloé Dygert a three-time Olympian who recently won gold and bronze medals at the Paris Olympic Games With so many riders from around the world visiting Tucson for the annual event the city experiences a positive economic impact “Anytime you’ve got thousands of people from out of town especially in a non-peak period for visitors in this town … where hotels are sold out all throughout downtown is almost unheard of,” Juskiewicz said The other part is we have 85 nonprofits and for some of them it’s the biggest fundraiser that they will do all year it’s very important for those 85 nonprofits They use El Tour de Tucson as a platform for fundraising and so that part of it is one of the things that really separates El Tour from other cycling events.” El Tour de Tucson helped nonprofits raise nearly $6 million last year But the annual Tucson bike race isn’t just for nonprofits friends and strangers as a community for several hours The community aspect is something Juskiewicz looks forward to every year “The fun thing about it is El Tour means so much or so many different things for different people,” Juskiewicz said ‘I just want to best my time from last year.’ Just hearing all these great stories of ‘I’m riding for my grandfather who did 30 El Tours and he passed away this year so all the grandchildren are riding this year.’ Or ‘I’m recovering from a battle with cancer and this will be my first century (race) in three years.’” “There’s just so many great stories like that,” he added We’ve come in every year during Thanksgiving It’s one of our Thanksgiving traditions.’ It’s a great opportunity to get reconnected with family And seeing all those things develop with this little bike ride that happened 41 years ago is just a really cool thing to see happen.” the event was named “best road cycling event” in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice poll Juskiewicz predicts that Tucson will see an uptick in cyclists in the next few years due to athletes training for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games many of whom will use El Tour de Tucson as a training resource “It’s already considered the largest cycling race in America because anytime you line up people time people and put a winner out on a podium we’re just so much larger than the next race of any style like El Tour I think we want to be known as one of the top events in the world.” Contact Elvia Verdugo, the Star’s community sports editor, at everdugo@tucson.com A journalism and history graduate from the University of Arizona she hopes to share stories that show what makes Tucson and its community special Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community See what the top sports stories are for UA and Tucson El Tour de Tucson's Bikes for Change program is giving away 1,000 free bikes lights and bike locks to local underserved youth on Oct… Joy Phoenix has been prepping all year to complete a five-minute plank before her 78th birthday in October Terrence Jackson has participated in El Tour de Tucson since 2008 The veteran brings a meaningful flag with him that features names of soldie… This year's El Tour de Tucson is Tucsonan Jeff Hartter's fourth consecutive El Tour while living with Stage 4 cancer A Tucson man who was struck while riding his bike in August took first place in the men's El Tour de Tucson race Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Pima County’s District 4 has been Republican territory ever since the modern version of the Southeast Side district was first drawn back in the early 1970s Democrat Vanessa Bechtol hopes to change that as she challenges Republican incumbent Steve Christy Green Valley and the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area with 36 percent of voters registered with the GOP 31 percent registered with the Democratic Party and 33 percent registered with neither party Related: Tourism exec Bechtol hopes to pull off upset against Pima County Supervisor Christy The two candidates disagree on a host of issues At the end of a League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson forum last month Christy told Bechtol he’d “enjoyed this very much I'm looking forward to the rest of the campaign distinct differences between the both of us and we have a clear choice of who we want to continue on.” Those differences included issues related to the county’s early childhood education program background checks on second-hand gun sales Related: Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy: 'I enjoy the debate' Christy opposes providing county funding for the Pima Early Education Program Scholarships which provides scholarships for kids between the ages of 3 and 5 to attend preschool Pima County launched PEEPs to pay for kids between the ages of 3 and 5 to attend Early Childhood Education programs run by local school districts The program uses dollars from the county’s share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act alongside additional funding from the City of Tucson Oro Valley and nonprofit United Way of Tucson & Southern Arizona which pass through funding from private business and individuals When federal funds are no longer available the county plans to use library funding to cover its share of the program Parents are eligible for assistance if they earn up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level the program was serving more than 1,900 children Christy has voted against the program and said he didn’t buy the idea that early childhood education has the beneficial impacts that supporters say it does “I feel that it's a subsidization of a very small portion of the community who is being helped through the largesse of the taxpayers,” Christy said adding that he was skeptical of data that showed children who attended high-quality early-education programs did better in school when they got older “It’s basically a subsidization of nursery school and I think there are better ways to spend tax dollars Education comes from the state and this should not be a local issue or a county issue.” Bechtol said the PEEPS program is not only good for the education of preschoolers but also helps working families with safe and secure childcare “Investments in early childhood education helps our community helps working families in many regards,” Bechtol said The two candidates disagreed on Rosemont Copper’s plans for mining in the Santa Rita Mountain in District 4 Rosemont has been developing mining plans in the Santa Rita Mountains for nearly two decades The original plan to build an open-pit mine on the east side of the Santa Ritas has been bogged down in permitting and legal challenges but the company is moving forward with a plan to mine on the west side of the mountain Since Rosemont owns the land it wants to mine, there’s little county officials can do to stop the company, but the Pima County Board of Supervisors has taken several votes in opposition to the proposal. Rosemont is now tangled in a legal wrinkle regarding the State Land Department’s recent approval of a permit but the project has by and large cleared most regulatory hurdles “Copper has been one of the five C's of the economic development of the state of Arizona,” Christy said “It's been part of the fabric of our society and our life in the state of Arizona many families have benefited from having jobs and careers in mining and I support the Copper World project.” Bechtol said she had heard from residents who live near the proposed mine who are “concerned about their water being polluted They're concerned about their air being polluted They're concerned with the significant amount of water that will be pumped from the aquifer and they're concerned with the diminished property value of their homes and their properties.” She reminded the debate audience that Ray Carroll the Republican who represented District 4 before Christy “I appreciate the fact that we need copper to fuel green technology and I support green technology,” Bechtol said I'm opposed to unsafe mining that has the potential to pollute our water and to adversely affect a multi-billion-dollar tourism economy.” Bechtol was critical of Christy’s votes against certifying Pima County’s 2020 and 2022 election canvases “I support protecting democracy by accepting election results and by certifying elections,” Bechtol said Christy told the Sentinel he had concerns about how elections were conducted elsewhere and had heard rumors about problems with Pima County’s elections so he voted against the 2020 and 2022 canvasses although he did vote to certify the Pima County’s primary canvass last month Pima County has relatively little authority over abortion regulation but Bechtol said she would oppose zoning regulations that limited abortion clinics from opening up and would have supported an April resolution that the Board of Supervisors passed – with Christy in opposition – supporting the repeal of 1864 abortion law that the Arizona Supreme Court upheld earlier this year (The law was later repealed by state lawmakers.) Bechtol said she would be voting in favor of Prop the Abortion Access Act that would allow abortion up until fetal viability and beyond in cases where the mother's health was in danger while Christy said he would be voting against it While state law prevents the county from regulating firearms Bechtol said she supports the idea of expanding background checks on gun sales and banning assault weapons while Christy said he was “in disagreement with her position Bechtol outraised Christy in the second quarter of 2024 according to the most recent campaign finance reports filed with the county covering April 1 through June 30 Bechtol had raised $50,481 for her campaign and had $45,354 remaining in the bank at the end of June.  Christy raised $3,170 and had $34,014 on hand as of June 30 covering fundraising through the end of September a political consultant with Uplift Campaigns was involved in two successful upset victories for members of the Pima County Board of Supervisors in 2020: In District 2 his firm helped Matt Heinz knock out longtime incumbent Ramon Valadez in the Democratic primary and aided Supervisor Rex Scott in the 730-vote victory over Republican Steve Spain (Scott and Spain are in a rematch this year; District 1 now leans more Democratic than Republican but remains a swing district Kinsey pointed out that District 4 voters supported four statewide Democrats – Sen Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes in the 2022 election really makes it feel like D1 four years ago,” Kinsey said the Tucson Sentinel publishes our stories without a paywall We believe a healthy community depends on everyone having access to quality independent journalism we're committed to providing real reporting to all Southern Arizona residents A single story can cost us thousands of dollars to report – some take months & months of dogged digging others require paying for tall stacks of records that officials don't want to provide Some mean driving to remote corners of Pima County & some see our reporters sitting through endless government meetings to make sure they get the whole story & not just a quick headline Our award-winning newsroom has some of the best reporters and we're dedicated to getting the story right Our pioneering effort (we were one of the very first local nonprofit news outlets in the entire country) to rebuild local journalism will only work if enough people join our Watchdog Club community of paying members Please join today for as little as $15/month For those who can't afford to contribute right now, please sign up for our free Watchdog Update newsletters & help the spread word about the Sentinel to your friends Your contributions help the Sentinel sustain & grow our nonprofit newsroom & bolster our commitment to delivering the important independent news our community needs to thrive The Tucson Sentinel is published by Tucson Investigative Reporting Center Inc. we're committed to providing real reporting to everyone in Southern Arizona But a single story can cost us thousands of dollars to report – some take months and months of dogged digging and some see our reporters sitting through endless government meetings to make sure they get the whole story and not just a quick headline Our pioneering effort to rebuild local news will only work if enough people join our Watchdog Club community of paying members For those who can't afford to contribute right now, please sign up for one of our free Watchdog Update newsletters and help the spread word about the Sentinel to your friends A smarter Tucson is a better Tucson — and the Sentinel shines a light on this town because we love it Tucson Sentinel's independent nonprofit newsroom is an award-winning journalism pioneer that learns from & informs Southern Arizonans about the community challenges & unique culture of our Borderlands. © 2009-2025 TucsonSentinel.com Tucson Sentinel's independent nonprofit newsroom learns from & informs Southern Arizonans about the community challenges & unique culture of our Borderlands. Appeal Challenges Arizona’s Approval of Dangerous Air Pollution from Copper World Mine TUCSON, Ariz.— Environmental and community groups have appealed the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s decision to grant an air pollution permit to the Copper World mine the final permit required to begin mining operations in the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson “The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality isn’t requiring Copper World to meet the bare minimum standard to protect our air and the environment This appeal is trying to change that,” said Jeremy Nichols a senior advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity “We need Arizona’s environmental regulator to stop giving the mining industry a free pass to pollute It’s time for people and communities to come first.” would allow Hudbay Minerals to blast a series of open pit copper mines that will destroy the northern half of the Santa Rita mountain range The open pit mines will release thousands of tons of harmful air pollution including dangerous particulate matter heavy metals and other hazardous air pollutants The state issued the permit despite widespread opposition from the community, including from 15 Tribes and environmental groups that submitted a detailed, 100-page comment letter challenging the draft permit “By issuing this woefully flawed air permit the ADEQ has betrayed its mission to protect Arizonans’ public health and the environment,” said Austin Nunez chairman of the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation “The Santa Rita Mountains are an irreplaceable landscape of profound cultural and spiritual significance to the Tohono O’odham that mining will destroy The permit fails to include advanced controls for particulate matter pollution such as enclosing mining stockpiles and using state-of-the-art engineering to contain and control pollution from mining waste dumps “The air pollution permit will allow Hudbay to pile massive tailings dumps containing toxic chemicals like lead cadmium and arsenic very near homes and schools in the Corona de Tucson community,” said Rob Peters executive director of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas “Our frequent strong winds will blow this dust into the community This is already an ongoing problem in Green Valley and Sahuarita where tailings dust from the Sierrita and Mission mines have repeatedly blanketed the area Hobbs should order the ADEQ to protect our health and stop greenlighting this dangerous project.” The permit focuses only on mining operations. It ignores a major air pollution source that will be caused by Hudbay’s heavy trucks traveling across approximately 6 miles of dirt road bisecting the Santa Rita Experimental Range Heavy trucks will travel across the range and through Sahuarita to Interstate 19 every day molybdenum and other materials needed to operate the mine 24 hours a day “Not only does the ADEQ permit fail to adequately control air pollution from the mine site but it also ignores a huge amount of air pollution that will result from heavy trucks traveling across an unimproved dirt road that was never intended be used for industrial traffic,” said Nan Stockholm Walden of Farmers Investment Co “The air pollution caused by unrelenting truck traffic will threaten the world-class environmental studies at the Santa Rita Experimental Range and create a public nuisance that must be abated.” The Santa Rita Mountains include habitat for rare and imperiled wildlife including jaguars and ocelots They also provide a renewable source of clean water for communities host sacred Tribal sites and are a vital recreation area for the region The appeal was filed by the Center for Biological Diversity Save the Scenic Santa Ritas and Farmers Investment Co. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality must set a hearing on the appeal within 60 days The Center for Biological Diversity is a national nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places More Press Releases This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The flow of a white substance 8 miles down a wash possibly from a limestone quarry in the Santa Rita Mountains is under investigation by three state and federal agencies “It was like a paste and like a sludge and like a really fine silt when it was wet It had a glossy finish,” said Chris Naylor who lives in a subdivision the material flowed to after a rainstorm on the weekend of Aug It was like somebody had sprayed foam in my wheels.” of the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality said she traced the spread of the material from the quarry down the unnamed wash to South Wilmot Road outside of Sahuarita and the unincorporated Corona de Tucson community A state inspector believes the material is non-hazardous calcium carbonate But residents living near the wash are nervous because of what they saw happen after similar material came down the same wash in the summer of 2021 Chris Naylor gets a call from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office on Aug 29 while showing swathes of a wash at Kolb Road coated in a hardened substance that washed out of the Santa Rita Mountains during a storm a week earlier 25 pet dogs living in the area got sick with diarrhea Walking down the wash could have made their pets sick it can cause sicknesses to those who “overdose” on it The reports describe potential gastrointestinal symptoms similar to those the pet owners say they observed in their animals in 2021 medical director for the University of Arizona’s Poison and Drug Information Center said that before making a detailed assessment of possible impacts of the material that came down the wash he’d want to know the specifics of what was released as a medical toxicologist and biomedical engineer familiar with mining processes he would not recommend that people or animals make direct contact with materials such as those that flowed down the wash near the Santa Ritas animals lick it and get it on their skin,” he said You and I have our shoes and socks on and our shirts on.” which operated the quarry from the late 1990s before selling its interest to Cimbar in 2022 said they have no knowledge of any discharges from the quarry either in August or any year before that Chris Naylor holds up a dried chunk of the material coating the bed of a wash at Camino Aurelia just north of his home near the Santa Rita foothills on Aug The wash was coated for miles with the substance that has hardened to a crust several inches thick in places a state inspector visited the site for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality including a visit near the calcium carbonate mine we believe the white residue is calcium carbonate a common and naturally occurring mineral that is abundant in the area,” ADEQ spokeswoman Alma Suarez told the Star Reached by phone at the quarry for comment a man who identified himself as its plant manager said he doesn’t believe anything escaped from the quarry located on 53 acres of Bureau of Land Management property at the base of the mountains It’s sold throughout Arizona and “serves various markets including building and infrastructure (cement and chips) and agriculture (animal feed),” the company said in a statement CIMBAR operates the facility in full compliance with ADEQ regulations and hasn’t received any notices of violation of its operating permits CIMBAR continuously monitors all discharges as required by the State of Arizona The manufacturing process at the Santa Rita mine is entirely chemical-free ensuring no chemical hazards are introduced to our products or the environment,” the statement said “All our materials are caught before it leaves our property,” said the current manager who identified himself on the phone only as Ed an email to the Star that included a company statement was sent by Ed Zedaker who identified himself as the quarry plant manager there’s nothing dangerous about my substance There’s no chemicals or anything,” the manager told the Star There’s no way it will make animals sick,” he said “We have wildlife living up in this quarry said it had no records of any discharges from the quarry site not only in 2021 but since it began operating the quarry in the late 1990s “We have conducted a thorough review of our legacy data of the Sahuarita site Imerys has no record nor awareness of any incident related to contaminated water at the Sahuarita operations in 2021 Imerys has no similar findings at any time the site was owned and operated by Imerys,” Ginny Dunn Imerys filed eight mandatory discharge monitoring reports with ADEQ from 2020 through 2022 “Any event would have been something we would immediately have noted,” Dunn said ADEQ officials also checked their records several times and didn’t find any reports of complaints about discharges from the quarry in 2021 “The recent complaint is the only one the agency has received,” said Suarez Natural calcium carbonate embedded in limestone rock outside the quarry could also be a potential source of discharged material into the unnamed wash where the recent discharge occurred and where a 2021 discharge may have occurred said an official with the Arizona Geological Survey A federal map of that area shows that limestones are present at least 2.5 miles north of the quarry about 5 miles south of the quarry and about 2 miles west and west-northwest of the quarry a senior research scientist for the survey. “There are at least two other areas where limestones are present that could feed detritus into the same wash,” said Richardson who heads the survey’s bedrock geology and mineral resources group There’s a lot of limestone up there and (it) could be flowing down different contributing drainages to the same wash.” The BLM “plans to investigate and will take appropriate action based on the facts and within our authorities,” June Lowery and other waste produced by operations on BLM lands should be contained and disposed of per the approved mining plan of operation BLM rules require that all such materials “be disposed of so as to prevent unnecessary or undue degradation and in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.” Chris Naylor holds some remnants of the material that flowed down a wash from the Santa Rita Mountains into his neighborhood The Arizona Attorney General’s Office is also investigating the August incident although office spokesman Richie Taylor said it’s too soon to determine if it’s looking into the possibility any law was violated by possible discharge from the quarry “We’re looking into the situation to determine the facts of what might have happened,” Taylor said “out of an abundance of caution to be protective of public health and the environment,” ADEQ has since visited the quarry again to take samples of the material for testing Test results will probably be ready in the next week or two The agency recommends that private well owners in the area test their wells for possible contaminants following guidance provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services The ADEQ also has enforcement authority over violators of state and federal anti-pollution laws But it says it lacks authority to carry out enforcement action against the quarry because the washes the site feeds with rainwater aren’t protected under the federal Clean Water Act One reason for that could be that a 2023 U.S Supreme Court ruling weakened and possibly eliminated federal agencies’ legal ability to regulate pollution of washes like this one that only carry water after storms Calcium carbonate is also found naturally in chalk eggshells and seashells and is the major component in “hard” water Calcium carbonate causes scale buildup on pipes and appliances but typically isn’t harmful to animals or humans It’s not classified as a hazardous substance or a hazardous waste under federal rules typically recommended for people known to have calcium deficiencies It’s also used as an antacid and to treat a wide variety of internal organ ailments gastrointestinal damage and pancreatic insufficiency says a 2023 report from the National Library of Medicine But people can suffer “moderate to severe” side effects “if large doses are taken for an extended time or abused,” the same report said which are beneficial for many people including those with osteoporosis may increase the incidence of constipation said another National Library of Medicine report It added that calcium carbonate is “more often associated with gastrointestinal side effects The first person to notify authorities about the white substance was Chris Naylor who lives about 5 miles north of the quarry in a 320-home subdivision called Entrada Next he called the Pima County Regional Flood Control Department it seems that every agency of government has contacted me one way or another” about this “The wash is now compromised as far as this watershed goes,” he said It runs more now (when it rains) because there’s no sand to slow it down.” “People jog down that road and walk animals down that road and through the wash,” he said Pima County’s Light traveled to the wash the same day and started tracking the white material from where it stopped occurring near Wilmot Road upstream towards the wash’s source She responded quickly to Naylor’s complaint because he had described the event of three years ago when the pet dogs and cats started getting sick after similar material traveled down the wash to trace the spilled material upstream to the quarry site where she found the same material at its entrance that she had seen in the wash downstream “I saw a small wash on the north side of the entrance with extensive amounts of the white substance,” Light wrote in a report about her investigation “About 300 feet to the west of the entrance I saw a channel eroding the side of the road with the white substance at the bottom of the channel.” She also found the thickest buildup of the calcium-based material — about three-quarters of an inch — existed at a spot on the wash near Naylor’s house a hydrologist for the county environmental agency for 14 years said she and some friends started talking about reports they’d heard of sick dogs about a month after the white material started flowing down the same wash early that summer Although a veterinarian prescribed antibiotics and anti-parasitic medication for the dog “they did no good,” and the dog died that November she tracked reports of up to 30 sick dogs on posts on a Facebook group run by the Entrada Property Owners Association she tracked the dog owners’ homes on Google Maps and discovered that all lived downstream form the quarry near the wash where the white material had flowed She said she called “everything from federal officials to county officials to get our land It’s actually kind of mind blowing that people are taking it seriously now.” Pima County’s Light said that while she doesn’t know if the white material in the wash caused the neighbors’ pets to get sick and die The pets could have been exposed to the material by inhaling or ingesting it accidentally But because the aquifer serving people who live in that area through private wells is at least 100 feet deep Light said it’s unlikely the material that came down the wash could have been dissolved by stormwater and then seeped that far into the aquifer in a few months Pima County DEQ referred the incident to the Arizona DEQ that was because the quarry lies on federal land and the county lacks the legal authority to take enforcement action on such a complaint involving federal land But ADEQ lacks regulatory authority to take enforcement action in this case because the white substance that appeared to come from the quarry didn’t reach any rivers or streams that are legally protected by the federal Clean Water Act The agency also determined that calcium carbonate isn’t regulated under ADEQ’s solid or hazardous waste program the wash that carried the calcium carbonate could theoretically have qualified for Clean Water Act regulation if federal agencies determined it had a “significant nexus” with a navigable river such as the Santa Cruz River to the west Supreme Court ruling that month threw out the “significant nexus” test and applied much stricter standards for determining Clean Water Act jurisdiction over rivers the decision stripped protection from ephemeral washes like this one that carry water only during storms But ADEQ has not determined the regulatory status of these drainages under the current and past definitions of federally protected rivers and streams definitions don’t clearly say whether they include ephemeral streams such as this one “ADEQ continues to engage with the and EPA to determine how to apply the current definition of Waters of the U.S.,” Suarez said But it terminated the permit in June 2023 after selling the quarry to Cimbar The agency is now working with Cimbar to see if such a permit is needed Get your morning recap of today's local news and read the full stories here: tucne.ws/morning Contact Tony Davis at 520-349-0350 or tdavis@tucson.com. Follow Davis on Twitter@tonydavis987 The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality approved a key permit Thursday for the Copper World Mine in the Santa Rita Mountains The New York City-based Water Asset Management LLC bought about 13,000 acres of farmland in the McMullen Valley Basin in La Paz County west of… For Star subscribers: Approval of plans for a mine tailings pipeline at the Copper World mining complex in the Santa Rita Mountains southeast … Report a typo VAIL — Arizonans with competing visions of the Tucson area’s future vented to the state Department of Environmental Quality Tuesday at a public hearing for a major copper mine’s aquifer protection permit alternately promoting a chance at quality mining jobs or clean water and inviting mountains Others told environmental regulators that they fear for their own drinking water wells or for the whole Tucson area’s water supply and that the beloved and ecologically rich Santa Rita Mountains are a better economic driver Some in the latter group walked out at the hearing’s end chanting go away,” while mine supporters in the parking lot handed out green trucker hats that read Mine supporters repeatedly said that the United States should get more of its own copper from home rather than unreliable suppliers like China Vail resident Dennis Fischer said electric vehicles use four times the copper that gas-powered cars use while renewable energy sources including wind and solar use substantial amounts Others noted copper’s role in modern conveniences like cellphones “We need copper. There’s no way around it,” said Mark Davis, a board member for the regional mining support group AMIGOS, or Arizona Mining and Industry Get Our Support. “We can source this copper from our own nation.” Opponents said Hudbay is likely to ship the copper out of the country anyway Several said they are distressed at the possibility that the mine and its waste will infiltrate the area’s groundwater which drains toward Tucson’s wells and the Santa Cruz River ADEQ had said the department’s monitoring process relies on the company to report groundwater pollution violations that it finds at wells that the company will drill and check routinely Department officials said failure to report such violations carries steep penalties and that state legislators established the monitoring program by law But opponents said they were shocked to learn that the company will essentially police itself under this arrangement They also said they fear that toxic dust will drift across Vail homes and schools an issue that ADEQ will address with a separate permitting process for air quality said digging massive pits and piling tailings in the mountains will ruin their appeal to both tourists and residents who seek the area out for recreation and birdwatching “Who’s going to come and hike the Santa Ritas?” she said In Idaho: Clean energy or healthy river? Why lines in the debate aren't as clear at this Western mine While some federal lawmakers have proposed a law to eliminate that restriction Hudbay has shifted its focus to privately owned land on the range’s western slope Hudbay does not need the Forest Service approval it would have for Rosemont These mines would alter parts of southeastern Arizona’s sky island mountain ranges, one of the nation’s more biologically diverse habitat zones for a wide range of sensitive species recently traversed the Santa Ritas for years said the Santa Ritas had provided a soothing backdrop throughout her young life and that hiking in them at 16 had helped her recover from an addiction “Nature connections have done that to so many others,” Soland said Both Pima County and Tucson have taken positions against the mine, largely because of its potential threat to both water quality and the supply of groundwater. To support its operations, the mine would pump water from the aquifer that feeds the Santa Cruz on the west side of the Santa Ritas had to leave the hearing for work but left a statement for an aide to read He said the mine would use 4 billion gallons of water a year enough to supply 41,000 families in a desert region whose supply already is stretched requires metropolitan regions including Tucson to prove new housing developments have a 100-year supply before construction “This must change,” Heinz said in his statement but in the meantime is a major failing in the state’s water management program The clean energy economy: New Arizona mines unearth new conflicts: Resist climate change or protect fragile landscapes? Hudbay plans to use approximately 5,100 acre-feet of water per year during operations according to a spokesperson’s written response to questions from The Arizona Republic That’s generally considered enough water to supply 15,000-20,000 households Opponents note that the company’s plans have changed in recent years Hudbay told The Republic that the water and air permits it is seeking from the state “are required for this exact reason: to ensure that local water resources and air quality are not impacted by our operations.” The company noted that there are financial penalties for violations ADEQ officials said the legal limits for such penalties if three monitoring wells show pollutants beyond regulated levels “Hudbay is dedicated to environmental responsibility and collaboration with regulatory authorities,” the company said in its statement Department officials also noted that state law requires them to issue a permit under the water quality program if the company can demonstrate that its work will not degrade drinking water beyond standards or further degrade already polluted aquifers Cathy McGrath is among the closest neighbors to the project with a home backing onto the mountains and just across an arroyo from where the company intends to move mine tailings Last month she told ADEQ she intends to test water from her well and on her land where she expects storm water from the waste to send contaminants such as arsenic into the aquifer She asked if the department could do its own tests on mine property if her results show a spike in pollution McGrath told The Republic she and her husband bought their home when no one else lived nearby when they had no hint that a mine could infringe on their solitude “We’ve been here 25 years and planned to die here,” she said “I can build my house and my life and then find out a mine can come in and pollute my home and my life.” Representatives for area chambers of commerce urged state regulators to back the mining plan as did a union representatives for carpenters who would work on the project vice president of the Carpenters Local Union No A draft of Hudbay’s proposed aquifer protection permit is available on ADEQ’s website, and the department is accepting written public comments through March 11 Brandon Loomis covers environmental and climate issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Reach him at brandon.loomis@arizonarepublic.com Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust Sign up for AZ Climate, our weekly environment newsletter, and follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook and Instagram You can support environmental journalism in Arizona by subscribing to azcentral.com today a 26-year-old accused of child molestation and rape Kealoha had a warrant out for his arrest based on five counts of sexual assault and also an incident of sexual misconduct of a minor who was at least 15 years old These incidents were said to have happened about five years ago “No child should ever be subjected to sexual abuse especially by a trusted individual,” said District of Arizona U.S Marshals Service is dedicated to pursuing these types of predators Our partnership with the Tucson Police Department and other law enforcement agencies assures that child predators like Zachary Kealoha will be brought to justice and face the repercussions of their heinous actions.” Kealoha was seen outside a home in Corona de Tucson Marshals Service WANTED Violent Offenders Task Force to take him into custody Kealoha was booked into Pima County Jail where he now faces child molestation charges vice-president of Tucson Rubberized Coatings bought 40 acres of what used to be the Santa Rita Golf Course in Corona de Tucson Mahmoodi’s plan to build two houses on the land southeast of Tucson has been met with little opposition The sign for hole 15 still stands at the former Santa Rita Golf Course The county Planning and Zoning Commission recently approved development plans for two homes on two parcels of land on the former golf course Santa Rita Golf Course’s fairways in 2000 were improved from its early days when rock-strewn terrain drove some golfers away the former Santa Rita Golf Course still looks like you could get a round in albeit on grass that has seen greener days residents say it has been overrun with desert flora since the course southeast of Tucson closed in 2011 Whether the property would ever be a golf course again had been uncertain until recently The Pima County Planning and Zoning Commission approved plans last Tuesday to develop two lots on what was once 40 acres of greens and fairways though the Board of Supervisors still has to sign off on it said he plans to build one home on each parcel they assume you’re going to build as much as you can,” Mahmoodi said of his plans “I think it was a relief to (area residents) that it was only one house.” “That is about as low impact a development as (residents) could ask for,” said Chris Poirier of the county’s Development Services department The former course southwest of Vail in Corona de Tucson put the issue of what to do with defunct golf courses on the county’s radar hoping to get help in handling the open space something Poirier said the county wasn’t “in a position to take … on.” One of the new development policies in the most recent county comprehensive plan is to “explore options to address the re-use of entitled unconstructed golf courses; retired/abandoned golf courses; and golf courses without an alternative use.” That’s been done as a response to golf’s flagging fortunes in recent years “This is not something that we’ve dealt with,” said David Petersen a senior planner with the county’s Development Services is in a similar situation to the Santa Rita course says he hopes golf can rebound with a growing economy the realtor whose job it was to try to sell the Santa Rita course and had a simple explanation for why the sport has been struggling “It’s not going down well with millennials,” Starrs said “All signs are pointing to golf as probably being a sport that’s diminishing very much in popularity with upcoming generations.” Redeveloping golf courses comes with its own challenges many residents choose to live near courses because of the open spaces and unobstructed views Those preferences don’t go away when the course shutters “I was never really an avid golfer,” said Mike Perry who lives near the former Santa Rita course “I just liked being out in that type of environment that he picked up one of the course lots with the goal of leaving it undeveloped “I didn’t want condominiums and townhouses in my backyard.” And those preferences carry a lot of weight with Development Services the Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Supervisors who make the final call on any post-golf course proposals That’s why Mahmoodi’s proposal to build just two homes on nearly 40 acres was met with little opposition and even some support “That individual has got the right intentions He wants to build a house and wants to work with the neighbors and that is something that has not happened in this community,” Perry said of his likely soon-to-be neighbor “That is what this community needs: we need people doing small development to bring property prices back up not letting the property go unmaintained and vacant and turning into a desert dust bowl.” Contact the reporter at mwoodhouse@tucson.com or 520-573-4235 Facing declining membership and the threat of foreclosure Skyline Country Club recently turned to homeowners in the surrounding gated communi… The town was preparing to write off about $1.95 million The five courses lost $688,000 combined in the past fiscal year Salpointe Catholic's Trevor Werbylo and Amphitheater's Jessica Williams are the two leaders after the first round of the Division II boys and … County officials say changes on tap will make such situations less likely A 17-year-old driver was killed in a single-vehicle roll over in Corona de Tucson Saturday evening was driving northbound in the 17900 block of South Houghton Road at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the car causing it to roll over a Pima County Sheriff's Department spokesman said in a news release An 18-year-old passenger was taken to a trauma center with injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion (KGUN) — The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is rearranging deputies and reshaping district and patrol zone boundaries with the goal of better law enforcement coverage for growing areas outside of Tucson The first step in that plan was officially unveiled Tuesday at the Pima County Fairgrounds where the new PCSD Vail District substation is now fully operational The Vail and Corona de Tucson area southeast of Tucson has grown rapidly in the past decade Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos says when some recruits graduate their current program in five weeks there will be enough deputies to staff the new substation 24 hours a day “We need to be closer to our community in more ways than one but physically just so that we can provide a better service to you he says he is trying to be more efficient with the staffing he does currently have.Part of that effort is moving deputies and shifting District lines that “have not changed in 50 years.” “It really comes down to where is your staff at and can you better locate them in areas where they need to be,” Nanos said Nanos is seeking more funding to renovate the Pima County Jail and to provide more competitive pay for his employees which could also jumpstart the hiring that could end the staffing shortage “When I have civilian staff that has to go out at night and drive for Uber or Lyft as a second job just to make ends meet The Board of Supervisors is currently studying the pay issue before making a budget decision The original plan was for a year-long study but Nanos is pushing for a quicker response He now says he is optimistic that study could be completed by early 2022 There already appears to be some support for additional funding Fourth District Supervisor Steve Christy appeared at Tuesday’s grand opening of the Vail substation “We’re gonna try to get the deputies some more money here and that’s very important to us,” Christy said to the group outside the station before a ribbon cutting Nanos says he is also pushing for reform and transparency in the department Leslie; Emily Smith; Connor Smith; and Claire Smith Texas; and Riley Knight; Kaden Knight; and Avery Knight Smith’s family and friends will begin at 1:00 p.m. Her interment will follow at Hardin Memorial Park memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimers Disease Research at https://donate.brightfocus.org It was such a adventure to get to work with Gail at Woodcrest UMC but her attention to detail was exceptional She will be missed and has been missed during her illness I know she is celebrating with Jesus now and has been completely healed I’m sorry to hear of Gail’s passing I know Gail from her years with Christmas Around the World and Gifts by House of Lloyd Greg/Josie we are praying for you guys and will keep your family in our thoughts Our deepest sympathy and prayers for your family We have so many wonderful memories training and traveling with Gail the years in Christmas Around the World and website in this browser for the next time I comment Beaumont - McFaddin Ave. Beaumont - Major Dr. Nederland ©Broussard's Mortuary 2017-2025 Built By Americom Marketing CORONA DE TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Tuesday night meeting hosted by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) gave community members a public stage to voice their opinions about the Copper World Mine coming to the Santa Rita Mountains area It's a project headed by Canadian company Hudbay Minerals Inc Meeting attendees were able to ask ADEQ questions about the Aquifer Protection Permit Hudbay applied for Residents expressed concerns about Hudbay monitoring its own wells some calling it a "fox watching the hen house" situation Others also brought up fears regarding potential groundwater contaminants from harmful chemicals and mining waste Mixed in with the mine opponents were people in green hats that read "Mining Matters." It's a group in favor of Copper World “This is not done in a vacuum," said Rick Grinnell, co-founder of the Southern Arizona Business Coalition — a group that works collaboratively with Mining Matters "This is done in a much more holistic process throughout many agencies in Arizona that protect the communities the company states it welcomes feedback from the community but is following the environmental regulations: “What came across really clearly...is that it’s going to be really hard for ADEQ to say no to giving this water permit," expressed Rob Peters, executive director of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas (SSSR) The group is currently suing Hudbay over an alleged open meeting law violation SSSR reports that Hudbay made changes to a Right-Of-Way permit that originally agreed to two pipelines at the mine They said because there wasn’t notice of the changes and no chance for a public meeting the pipeline additions and the overall permit approval should be void This cast even more doubt on the Copper World plans so the group invested in a hydrologist and mining engineer to look at the aquifer protection permit too “We think they’re coming up with some aspects in which this permit fails,” Peters said Tuesday's meeting was an informal gathering but the public hearing on the permit is scheduled for Tuesday SSSR has until March 11 to submit further comments and findings to ADEQ The deadline has already been extended 60 days since it first opened But there is a lot of information for them to review "How is the public supposed to digest this highly technical document and have meaningful assessment of it ADEQ stressed it'll ensure everything checks out “(Hudbay) can do what they want to do and how they want to do it," explained ADEQ employee David Kim "We’re here to make sure they’re doing it in accordance with the law.” Mikenzie Hammel joined the KGUN 9 team as a multimedia journalist in the summer of 2023 She graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism with her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees With her passion for human connection and visual storytelling Mikenzie is honored to share the stories of Tucson and southeastern Arizona Share your story ideas and important issues with Mikenzie by emailing mikenzie.hammel@kgun9.com Bermuda on fairways; greens are bent grass which runs from Three Points south to Sasabe Outlying areas of Pima County including Three Points Ajo and the Tohono O’odham Nation will get upgraded broadband internet access thanks to federal funding recently handed out by the state The Arizona Commerce Authority awarded Cox Communications a $5 million grant to support fiber broadband upgrades to the Three Points area west of Tucson and Sycamore Springs in the Sahuarita-Corona de Tucson area, as part of $100 million in grants announced recently Those projects will be supported by an additional $5.1 million commitment from Cox Communications and $2.5 million from the Pima County Public Library helping to provide reliable internet to about 1,400 area residents The project also will provide needed infrastructure for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department Ryan Airfield and other community institutions Chandler-based fiber provider Alluvion Communications also received a $5 million grant for a broadband upgrade project in Ajo and the Tohono O’odham Utility Authority received just under $5 million for broadband infrastructure within the nation Cox said its grant will help the cable provider expand broadband service across more than 100 miles of its network and also provide internet services to the Altar Valley School District Cox’s fiber-to-the-premises network expansion is part of a multibillion-dollar annual infrastructure investment Cox is making over the next several years to build a 10-gigabit capable Cox said it also is investing $175,000 in the rural communities to set up a Cox Innovation Center printers and the latest technology for student learning at a yet-to-be-determined location; and to promote “digital equity” through the distribution of 100 devices and low-cost internet service for qualified residents and production and ad placement of a a long-form video to promote digital equity The United Steelworkers and six other unions this week resumed negotiations with Asarco over the terms of a basic contract Arizona's "middle-mile" broadband plan boosts high-capacity data lines along Interstate 19 I-17 and other highways to serve more rural users Two Canadian tech startups are targeting Tucson as a "soft landing" spot for U.S helped by a fast-growing University of Arizona program Contact senior reporter David Wichner at dwichner@tucson.com or 520-573-4181. On Twitter: @dwichner. On Facebook: Facebook.com/DailyStarBiz Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly The parent of Tucson-based Raytheon Missiles & Defense on Tuesday posted higher second-quarter profits but revenue fell short of expectations PHOENIX – The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for small businesses that previously relied solely on in-person interactions which has tested self-driving trucks from its Tucson terminal since 2015 says a non-injury crash in April was caused by human error The proposed rate hike would boost the average monthly single-family residential bill by an estimated $5.12 These recommended reads from the Pima County Library will guide you in developing better habits Tech Launch Arizona says its startups have raised more than $600 million in grant and equity funding Tucson Solar Pros' state license was revoked after the company left at least 39 customers with unfinished rooftop solar projects These Pima County Library books celebrate heavy metal for fans as well as teach to those who want to know more A tornado warning was issued in Marana LATEST INFO HERE: Tornado warning issued in Marana, Picture Rocks Tornado Warning including Marana AZ, Picture Rocks AZ, Rillito AZ until 4:15 PM MST pic.twitter.com/cR1gmUMHbs A flash flood warning has been extended for Corona de Tucson and Vail until 2 p.m. Flash Flood Warning including Vail AZ, Corona de Tucson AZ, Patagonia AZ until 2:00 PM MST pic.twitter.com/bGPvN9eR9s NOTICE: All fields are closed today, Tuesday, Sept. 24, due to rain and saturated field conditions. pic.twitter.com/Cgu6scfGxS Advisory: Emergency crews are responding for a swift water rescue on Houghton Rd south if I-10 Please avoid the area.Motorists are advised to stay out of all water crossings A small stream flood advisory is in effect for parts of Santa Cruz and Cochise Counties near the border The National Weather Service in Tucson has Issued an Urban and Small Stream Flood Advisory. https://t.co/hMjvmK4V8B #azwx pic.twitter.com/ZezDRI7lM8 At 10:05 am MST, a large area of showers and thunderstorms were across SE AZ. Movement was N-NE at 15 mph. Pockets of heavier rain embedded within this large area of precipitation. Problems may arise with showers and storms moving across same area. Turn around, don't drown. #azwx pic.twitter.com/9BYL5R4VVG There is at least one road closure in Pima County: Road closure as of 9:40 a.m.:• Wentworth North of Andrada Road pic.twitter.com/6vCmY0RwRY You can fill sandbags at two locations in Pima County: Rain is expected to continue through tomorrow. In case you need sandbags, we have two filling stations:• Rural Metro Fire Station #72, 2741 N. Houghton Rd.• PCDOT Material Storage, 9750 E. Snyder Rd. Limit 10 bags per car. Bring your own shovel. pic.twitter.com/IjY3zJyd4D The City of Douglas is also handing out sandbags at the fire station on 10th Street and the Public Works Shop on Sulphur Springs Road A power outage is affecting 622 Tucson Electric Power customers in the area around the Tucson Mall, according to TEP's outage map The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for eastern Pima County until 10:30 a.m Hail damage to vehicles is expected near Sells Severe Thunderstorm and Flash Flood Warnings happening now. pic.twitter.com/PvzoS4tP53 Tornado Warning for this area near Sells. This storm is capable of quarter size hail and is already indicating rotation. Moving north at 15 mph. pic.twitter.com/F97tNr8Xms A flash flood warning is still in effect around Vail and Corona de Tucson until 11:15 a.m Flash Flood Warning continues for Vail AZ, Corona de Tucson AZ, Pantano AZ until 11:15 AM MST pic.twitter.com/FueSR7vLh0 Tornado Warning including Sells AZ, Ali Chukson AZ until 9:45 AM MST pic.twitter.com/XhHyZKTvCX Outages are mostly under control despite the rain Tucson Electric Power is only showing three on their outage map If you’re missing a trampoline and you live near Boulderfield & Houghton in #Tucson, I think we found it 🙊 @kgun9 pic.twitter.com/aI7gNfGvIE The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for east central Pima County East Sahuarita and Corona de Tucson and is in effect until 11:15 a.m Doppler radar tracked thunderstorms that were expected to move into the area during the next one or two hours as well as State Route 83 between mile markers 43 and 58 The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for parts of Pima and Santa Cruz Counties Tuesday the Small Stream Flood Advisory affects southeastern Pima County and north central Santa Cruz County Madera Canyon and Arivaca Junction are included Interstate 19 between mile markers 22 and 43 are also in the area Doppler radar is tracking thunderstorms heading toward Southern Arizona Green Valley Judge Ray Carroll will be holding court in several areas across his far-flung precinct starting this week including temporary "traveling court" set-ups in Vail People with outstanding arrest warrants or other legal issues that must be resolved in Green Valley Justice Court may be able to avoid a trip to the regular courtroom as Carroll begins visiting other areas of Justice Precinct 7 which will stretch from Sasabe to east of Vail with the elimination of another precinct The JP 7 boundaries are growing to the eastern edge of the Pima County and will reach a few miles northeast of Interstate 10 to include Vail and Colossal Cave The traveling court will first show up in Corona de Tucson on Monday at the American Legion The second stop will be in the Arivaca the following week with Carroll setting up inside the 143-year-old historic schoolhouse The next stop after that will be in Vail in January He plans to make four or five of these trips per year Carroll wants this to be a permanent program and plans on stopping at the first two locations again at the same time next year The elected judge will be traveling along with court staff to each location and “will work with residents who have active warrants, need to re-establish a payment contract, would like to apply for a marriage license or have general questions for the court,” according to a press release from his court. Green Valley Justice Court's regular location is 601 N People are encouraged to bring their ID and any court papers they may have More than 600 warrants built up during the COVID-19 pandemic in the offices of the Green Valley court describing a “filing room” overloaded with court orders such as to pay fines or appear before a judge that people “might hope have gone away by now.” We have to bring (people) out to show why they didn’t comply with the court order,” he said “Even if I weren’t the judge — which really kind of irks me — I’m enforcing stuff for judges before me who just put them in a filing cabinet,” he said People should also understand that they won’t be arrested if they show up to resolve their outstanding warrants at the traveling court “I trust the people and that they’re going to come forward knowing that I’m trustworthy,” he said Outstanding warrants can ruin a person’s chance at stable employment “People want to come out of COVID scot-free from all the things that have held them back for maybe even more than the last couple years,” he said, but they may “never get their driver’s license back because they’d be eaten up by the big fines and fees and interest rates of the state FARE program.” The Fines/Fees and Restitution Enforcement law allows courts to hire collection agencies to pursue debts The FARE program is “anything but fair,” Carroll said playing with the name and saying that it makes the courts “poverty pimps.” Carrol wants to restore some faith in his court as well "There's just a great concentration of people that live in that area That's a mixed area right on the border of the city and the county," he said We're happy to help them with anything from marriage license to notary services." A lot of the Green Valley court cases also involve people traveling through JP7 such as people caught on the highway for speeding Carroll expects to help more than just the people who live in his precinct “There’s lots of people we’re covering with this,” Carroll said “The goal is to have more than just the 600 that have active warrants It’s also people behind on their payment plans but we want to minimize the disruption in their lives.” Resolving the 600 outstanding warrants is the priority “but we could have people coming completely out of left field” in terms of the court services they need Carroll is bringing along court staff to be prepared to solve any issues that people need to straighten out with court They might have some information that we could help them unravel,” he said “This is just another level of convenience for these folks To see the court in action is something that’s been reassuring to them.” He wants to “move people forward in their lives,” Carroll said “I’m hoping it’s going to be very productive,” he said about the traveling court The point of the traveling court is "to get to know" Carroll's constituents Carroll represented much of the area for 20 years as the Pima County supervisor for District 4, a seat now held by Steve Christy, the lone Republican on the county board. Carroll, also a Republican, was elected five times and served from 1997 to 2017 He said that the current supervisors will be at the traveling court events He left the board to “do something different” and now is trying to “improve” the court people were forced to live in the shadows and now I want to bring them back out,” Carroll said The county eliminated JP5 to even out a workload among the constables Republican candidate for Justice Precinct 8 Bill Lake is the last constable for JP 5 after he was tapped last October to fill in for the retired Marge Cummings It goes without saying that the coronavirus pandemic sparked a wave of uncertainty across myriad industries and no other market has quite felt its impact like that of real estate The pandemic became a driving force behind the continued real estate boom with high demand for vacation homes and a limited supply of housing that prompted buyers and investors to bid up prices for affordable properties increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth with prices even declining in some places But some areas are still seeing price jumps compared to the year before Stacker compiled a list of cities with the fastest-growing home prices in the Tucson, AZ metro area using data from Zillow Cities are ranked by 1-year price change as of May 2023 The typical home value in the United States increased over the last year by 0.9% to $346,856 All 14 cities and towns with data available were included in the list A pair of F-16 Fighting Falcons will fly over Tucson-area Memorial Day ceremonies Green Valley and Corona de Tucson as well as within the city The figher jets from the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing will rumble over the following events Monday: F-16s with the 162nd Wing at Tucson International Airport along with a number of foreign aircraft whose pilots are training here "It's beyond ludicrous — it's an abuse of power," he said The Guatemalan woman arrested in the Arizona desert will be given the choice taking her newborn — a US citizen born Wednesday at Tucson Medica… An undocumented Mexican man who has lived in Tucson for almost 15 years was arrested by immigration agents outside St agency staff cuts and efficiency improvements are still under review VA Secretary Doug Collins said Monday i… A man with a gun was shot and killed by police Monday night northwest of Tucson inside popular Tohono Chul Park University of Arizona announces departure of senior vice president for health sciences says health sciences colleges will now be under the provost (KGUN) — What started as a hobby is quickly turning into more than she could have imagined for one local woman who sells Hawaiian donuts out of her own kitchen I had close to like 45 pre-orders that day," Selena Wolff said Wolff is the owner of Wiki-Licious a donut shop based out of Alaska that specializes in Malasadas or Hawaiian donuts She opened a franchise in her own kitchen in June 2022 Wolff wanted to bring a taste of Hawaii back to Tucson when she and her husband moved back from Alaska where her husband was stationed with the Air Force in 2021 ‘I need to bring Hawaiian donuts to Tucson'," she said The bite-sized sweet treats come in more than 10 flavors the mother of three said it hasn’t come without challenges I’m a dental assistant as well as a mom of three," Wolff said Wolff credits her husband and children for being a major help over the past 8 months Because she is juggling so many things in her life But she said she "would love to be donuts on wheels SAHUARITA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Environmental groups are raising concerns over the air quality permit granted to the Copper World mine in Sahuarita arguing that toxic emissions from the mine pose a threat to surrounding communities arguing that the mine should instead be classified under a more stringent Class 1 permit “A Class 1 permit would give citizens the ability to call on the EPA to check out what’s going on if particulate pollution gets too high,” said Rob Peters Executive Director of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas it’s pretty hard to get the EPA to come down and look.” The coalition includes Save the Scenic Santa Ritas They argue that ADEQ miscounted emissions from tailing piles—refined material left behind after copper is extracted from crushed rock contain harmful particulate matter that can be carried by the wind into nearby residential areas “These are dangerous chemicals that are in these tailing piles,” Peters said the mine would exceed the pollution threshold that mandates a Class 1 permit.” The coalition’s argument centers around the concept of fugitive versus non-fugitive sources of pollution “Fugitive emissions are emissions that cannot be reasonably controlled or contained by the mine,” Peters said He provides an example of trucks kicking up dust while driving down a road as a fugitive emission “Because you can’t really go down the road with a giant vacuum and collect all the dust.” Peters says the tailing piles were also considered fugitive emissions by ADEQ this dropped the total amount of countable particulate emissions below the amount that would trigger a Class 1 permit,” he said “We’re saying that ADEQ needs to go back and do this right They need to count what needs to be counted as non-fugitive.” worries about the health impact on those with respiratory conditions He worries about the amount of dust already being kicked around and expects that more trucks will travel in and out of the mine once it's operational They shouldn’t be policing themselves,” Naylor said they’re going to do whatever they want unless they’re policed by federal or state.” Naylor referenced an incident in August when another mining company He says ADEQ came out for the incident and traced the water eight miles down the road to Cimbar’s mine in Sahuarita Save the Scenic Santa Ritas paid for an analysis of the water in the wash finding that it contained calcium carbonate and other trace contaminants the wash is hardened into a concrete-like texture Naylor says ADEQ sent a letter to Cimbar requesting cleanup but the company never responded He fears similar mismanagement when Copper World Mine becomes fully operational “This is just a precursor of what can happen,” he said We’re just a little blip on the road and we’re less than three miles downstream.” Hudbay Minerals defended its permit approval “Hudbay is currently reviewing the appeal and we intend to intervene in the case We are confident that the thorough review conducted by ADEQ and its decision to issue Copper World its Air Permit Hudbay remains committed to advancing the Copper World project in a responsible and transparent manner The project will deliver significant benefits to southern Arizona and a reliable supply of domestically mined copper which is critical to supporting America’s infrastructure and energy security.” Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInTUCSON (13 News) - The Pima County Sheriff’s Department responded to two separate serious crashes late Tuesday The PCSD said the first crash happened on Catalina Highway near milepost 11 It was a single-vehicle crash involving a motorcycle The drive suffered life-threatening injuries Catalina Highway was closed in the area for several hours The second crash happened near East Sahuarita Road and East Sycamore Springs Trail The PCSD said it was a multiple-vehicle crash and may have been caused by an intoxicated driver The PCSD said there were no life-threatening injuries connected to the second crash Be sure to subscribe to the 13 News YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@13newskold There was a time in Vail when residents were ecstatic that a Dairy Queen opened near the local church and post office Where there was once miles of raw desert now stands a vibrant community, including new and exciting Vail and Rita Ranch restaurants like Serial Grillers and Bowld Here’s a list of local favorite Vail and Rita Ranch restaurants to try Argenziano’s was the first Italian restaurant all Vail citizens went to for birthdays and special occasions They offer both pizzas both classic — like the margherita —and inventive — like the taco pizza The menu features Italian-American favorites Keep up with Argenziano’s on Facebook and calzones… it’s comfort food that satisfies End your meal with a bite of sweetness in cannolo form and delight in the fact that they deliver to Vail residents Keep up with Arizona Pizza Company on Facebook Bowld restaurant and meal prep opened in March 2019 The counter-service restaurant features a menu focused on a variety of bowls and “rowls,” which are items rolled in ham Keep up with Bowld on Facebook Whether you’re stopping by for an espresso in the morning or a glass of wine in the evening the cozy atmosphere invites you to stay and relax take your coffee to go and walk around the beautiful Civano Nursery For more information, visit civano.com It might be surprising to learn that there is a golf course and club in Vail but soon you’ll be looking for reasons to go play a round or two The Hacienda del Lago is both the clubhouse and the restaurant or stop by for a pint of beer as a celebration after hitting a hole in one — the bar is open until 9:00 p.m For more information, visit dellagogolf.net El Coronado Family Restaurant has been in operation since 1983 The staff is friendly and helpful and the servings and combination plates served with beans and rice Try the Menudo and Shredded Beef Enchilada with green sauce Weekly specials take place on Tuesday for Taco Tuesday and Saturdays for Margarita Specials For more information, visit elcoronadotucson.com/menu Tucked in a strip mall and labeled as a “dine in and carry out Asian Bistro,” Happy Wok offers Chinese and Asian-fusion appetizers; soups; noodle dishes; Chow- and Lo Mein; fried rice; meat The Chef Specials feature Hot & Spicy Shrimp & Chicken For more information, visit happywoktucsonaz.com Luckie’s is the quintessential takeout spot perfect for stopping by after doing your grocery run The menu includes Thai classics like papaya salad and also includes other favorites like Vietnamese pho and Chinese egg foo young Luckie’s will provide it both quickly and deliciously  For more information, visit luckiesthaifood.com The atmosphere is welcoming and family-friendly a perfect place to stop for lunch on the way to local landmarks like Colossal Cave Find menus and more at montgomerysvail.com Papa Locos is known for more than just their tacos and burgers—though those alone are worth a visit like the breakfast enchiladas filled with eggs featuring fresh corn masa filled with meat and fried They also feature both Sonoran and LA-style hot dogs to satisfy your cravings Keep up with Papa Locos Tacos & Burgers on Facebook Rancho Rustico specializes in the traditional Mexican dish where sizzling hot meat and vegetables are served inside a stone bowl The menu also offers Tucson classics like chimichangas and plenty of seafood to remind you of a trip to Rocky Point For more information, visit ranchorusticorestaurantaz.com Named one of Tucson’s most underrated restaurants by Maynards Market & Kitchen executive chef Brian Smith Sa-Ing features a vibrant menu of classic and craveable Thai dishes and you’ll be able to imagine you’re far away from the Tucson fast-approaching summer heat For more information, visit thaitucson.com Serial Grillers expanded southeast with its third location This location seats 282 people — double what the second location can hold and triple the size of the first location on Speedway Boulevard Although the local chain is known for its pizza and sandwiches it also features 65 taps that include both beer and wine Get the signature Bone Collector pizza with mozzarella and buffalo sauce and wash it down with a beer from their extensive selection For more information, visit serialgrillersaz.com. Keep up with Serial Grillers on Facebook.  Earlier this year, Tay’s Brew House expanded to include a barbecue restaurant (with a bar) on site The menu features Meat Plates (choice of one to three meats and two sides) Be on the lookout for weekend drink specials and have fun outdoors with games Keep up with Tay’s BBQ on Facebook. This specialty coffee house has a family focus and is supplied by local company, Presta Coffee Roasters Viva features a variety of drinks and treats in addition to activities like story time For more information, visit vivacoffeehouse.com new wings spot offers regular or boneless wings in a variety of flavors They’re open daily with the option of take out Keep up with Wings on Fire on Facebook Have any suggestions for additional Vail and Rita Ranch restaurants to try [This article was originally written on June 20 Kate Severino contributed to this article.] Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or 88-CRIME An air tanker drops fire retardant near a hilltop home as the Mulberry Fire spreads near Charron Vineyards southeast of Vail The Red Cross of Southern Arizona set up an evacuation shelter at the Pima County Fairgrounds Corona de Tucson residents Leander Johnson and his 6-year-old daughter Days after crews finally extinguished a nearly 50,000-acre brush fire southeast of Tucson a new brush fire was reported in the area Saturday afternoon The fire was reported east of Arizona 83 near Old Sonoita Highway shortly after 2 p.m. Corona de Tucson Fire Department said in a tweet had burned approximately 500 acres of grass and brush according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department was assisting with evacuations Ground resources were being provided by the Bureau of Land Management Forest Service and fire departments from across Southern Arizona with structure-protection crews working hard Saturday evening to usher the fire away from homes Six air tankers and several helicopters were also on hand dropping fire retardant onto structures threatened by the fire The blaze was in a canyon southeast of the Charron Vineyards Sheriff’s Department and fire personnel were helping to evacuate homes closest to the fire The Sonoita-Elgin Fire District said in a Facebook post that the fire was in Hilton Ranch an area that was on pre-evacuation status during the Sawmill Fire was out of town for business when the fire broke out Saturday “That’s my home being evacuated and my pregnant daughter there alone,” Whitfield wrote on Twitter later adding that her daughter had been safely evacuated Whitfield was under pre-evacuation notice for most of the Sawmill Fire with entry off Houghton at the Brekke Gate as traffic congestion was creating safety concerns for firefighters and evacuees The Sawmill Fire started on April 23 and burned 46,991 acres off Arizona 83 between Interstate 10 and Sonoita Contact reporter Caitlin Schmidt at cschmidt@tucson.com or 573-4191 More than 200 firefighters are fighting the Sawmill Fire burning through the Santa Rita Mountains grasslands north of Sonoita Fire damage to the Empire Ranch riparian area with the Las Cienegas Conservation area north of Sonoita Four structures have been lost in the blaze Betty Ecret lost everything in weekend wildfire Windy conditions this weekend expected to hamper firefighting efforts; the Lizard and Dragoon fires merged Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.