Category Archives: Phoenix

Drone Munition developer on air with Gianluca Zanna

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IMG_3317-300x169KINGMAN — American patriot radio host Gianluca Zanna discussed Drone Munition with Casey Betzold, president of Snake River Shooting Products in Emmett, Idaho. Drone Munition has made the round of the news, lately, but Casey and Gianluca stressed complying with federal and State laws and regulations.

Both assured listeners that they are not anti-drone. Casey said they use drones to get video on the range that would otherwise be hazardous. Luca said that he uses his drone to take video of his own property and animals.

The shotgun round was developed for a sporting application initially. It was designed to use on a range where aerial drone targets are specifically used as targets to be shot down. Casey said that they concentrated on making a law enforcement quality shell that has a very tight pattern and spent a lot of money on the steel shot that goes into the shell.

Casey noted that because of his Air Force background, he was concerned with the security, but currently there are no regulations preventing invasion of privacy by drones. In addition all States have regulations against discharging firearms within a neighborhood.

“We think the regulations are coming for drones, with regards to privacy concerns. The same as if a peeping Tom walked up into your yard and looked into your window at night; that’s against the law. But right now, if a drone does the same thing, it’s not against the law,” Casey said.

He indicated that he is glad that the news and controversy over the shotgun ammunition is generating a conversation about the issue. While it is illegal, currently, to shoot down a drone even in wilderness areas, he said that self-defense may be applicable.

“Now if the drone is causing a self-defense concern, then there is a legal application to this; to defend yourself the same as if a person is threatening you.”


The full show at Love, Guns and Freedom also has a discussion with Blaine Cooper from Prescott who has been investigating abuse of homeless veterans in Phoenix. He discusses the possibility of an economic crash with reporter Lisa Haven and a discussion of ozone therapy with Dr. Robert Rowen.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement for ADOT’s Passenger Rail Corridor Study now available for public review and comment

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration, has released the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for ADOT’s Passenger Rail Corridor Study: Tucson to Phoenix. While the proposed passenger rail project has no identified funding, this environmental impact statement is a step closer to identifying the cost, impacts and benefits from a rail system serving passengers in Arizona.

The Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement is part of federally required review process, governed by the National Environmental Policy Act, which provides the public with an opportunity to review and comment on the document, along with the recommended alternative. ADOT’s Passenger Rail Corridor Study is part of the department’s long-range plan to determine which transportation options will best meet the demands for future growth and travel to complement Interstate 10, one of the busiest highways in Arizona.

The Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement is available for download at azdot.gov/passengerrail. Printed copies are also available for review at these locations through Oct. 30:

  • ADOT, Research Center Library; 206 S. 17th Ave., Phoenix, 85007
  • Phoenix Public Library, Burton Barr; 1221 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85004
  • Chandler Public Library, Downtown Branch; 22 S. Delaware St., Chandler, 85225
  • Gilbert Maricopa County Library District, Southeast Regional Library; 775 N. Greenfield Road, Gilbert, 85234
  • Pima Community College, Northwest Campus Library; 7600 N. Shannon Road, Tucson, 85709

    • Central Arizona College, Signal Peak Campus Library; 8470 N. Overfield Road, Coolidge, 85128

ADOT has scheduled three public hearings for community members to attend and provide comments. A video summarizing the studies will be shown at all three public hearings and members of the rail study team will be available to answer questions. Public hearings will be held:

  • Sept. 15: 5:30 to 7 p.m. — Phoenix Public Library, Burton Barr (1st Floor Pulliam Auditorium); 1221 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85004
  • Sept. 16: 5:30 to 7 p.m. — Tucson Convention Center (Leo Rich Theater); 260 S. Church Ave., Tucson, 85701
  • Sept. 17: 5:30 to 7 p.m. — Central Arizona College, Signal Peak Campus (Room M101); 8470 N. Overfield Road, Coolidge, 85128

The deadline for all public comments is Oct. 30, 2015. Comments may be provided at one of the hearings, submitted via the ADOT website at www.azdot.gov/passengerrail, emailed to projects@azdot.gov, or mailed or faxed to:

ADOT Passenger Rail Study Team
24 W. Camelback Rd., Suite 479
Phoenix, AZ 85013
Fax: (602) 368-9645

The Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement considers two rail alternatives and a no-build option in order to identify the most appropriate corridor for a potential passenger rail line between Tucson and Phoenix.

The Yellow Alternative would serve East Valley communities and central Pinal County, and could share right of way with Union Pacific Railroad north of Eloy, where appropriate. The Orange Alternative would serve East Valley population centers and share part of its alignment with the planned North-South Freeway Corridor in Pinal County. The two alternatives would run primarily within the I-10 corridor between Eloy and Tucson.

Under the No-Build Alternative, no passenger rail system would be constructed between Tucson and Phoenix. The No-Build Alternative assumes that all proposed highway projects currently funded within the study corridor would be built to provide enhanced capacity for Interstate 10 and the surrounding region.

Along with the alternatives, ADOT has identified general locations for stations along the passenger rail line. The route between Tucson and Phoenix is recommended as a blended service to include an express intercity service that would have few stops between the two metropolitan areas and a local commuter service that would potentially stop at all stations within the corridor. The corridors include system hubs located near downtown Phoenix and downtown Tucson. Both include extensions beyond the system hubs: to the west Phoenix metropolitan area and to Tucson International Airport. However, these extensions are not part of the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, but are compatible with the recommendations. The passenger rail line also proposes to serve Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

By the end of this study, a Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement will be published and one rail corridor or the No-Build Alternative will be selected. Once the public comment period concludes on Oct. 30, the rail study team will compile and review all comments and work with our federal partners to develop a Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision. This document will contain a preferred alternative and is expected to be complete by the end of this year, along with a Service Development Plan. The Service Development Plan will include infrastructure and operation plans, an implementation plan, demand and revenue forecasts, capital programming, and operation and maintenance costs of a potential passenger rail system.

Additional future environmental work and site-specific studies would be required before a rail system could be constructed. There is currently no construction schedule and there is no funding identified for future rail studies or to build and maintain a rail system. It will be up to the public, stakeholders and policymakers to decide how the project should move forward and how to generate the funding to pay for it.

Unlicensed Vehicle Dealers Create Problems for Unsuspecting Buyers

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PHOENIX — Motor vehicles are sold in Arizona primarily through dealers licensed by the state, by private parties and unfortunately illegally by unlicensed dealers. The Arizona Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General investigates the illegal sale of vehicles and has conducted more than 250 investigations this year into the fraudulent activities. Approximately 15 percent of those cases involved investigations into vehicles sold by unlicensed dealers.

Vehicle purchases from unlicensed dealers don’t have the same protections of state law should problems occur with the sale. Problems may range from the seller not providing the vehicle title, the vehicle has a rolled-back odometer, or the seller is not the owner or not legally able to sell the vehicle. Additionally, the vehicle may be recorded as stolen or possess a fictitious vehicle identification number – both situations which will prevent the buyer from transferring ownership into their name. Also, the vehicle may be in need of expensive repair work not disclosed at the time of sale.

An unlicensed dealer is someone who ADOT has reasonable cause to believe is engaged in the business of selling motor vehicles without being licensed as required by state statute. According to Arizona law, an individual may sell only up to six vehicles in a continuous 12-month time period without a dealer’s license.

A licensed new, used or public consignment auction motor vehicle dealer is authorized by Arizona law to buy, sell or auction motor vehicles as its regular business. There are some protections by law for buyers who purchase vehicles sold by licensed dealers. Individuals can check the Dealer Licensing Services section of the ADOT website, azdot.gov, to learn if a business or individual is a licensed dealer.

The ADOT Office of the Inspector General recently completed some major investigations involving unlicensed dealers. Those cases have been sent forward to the ADOT Executive Hearing Office requesting enforcement action and civil penalties against the unlicensed dealers. The cases involved approximately two months of investigation which uncovered 23 motor vehicles that were illegally sold. The suspects in these cases were assessed administrative civil penalties by the ADOT Executive Hearing Office in the amount of $12,000. According to state statute, a civil penalty of at least $1,000 but not more than $3,000 may be imposed per violation and the violator shall be required to pay all transaction privilege taxes on all illegal motor vehicle sales.

Detectives with the ADOT Office of the Inspector General conduct criminal and administrative investigations relating to criminal forgery; identity theft; fraudulent activities involving state-issued motor vehicle title/registration documents and driver licenses; stolen vehicles; and transactions conducted by licensed and unlicensed car dealers. Additionally, detectives provide a multitude of investigative support services to law enforcement agencies statewide, nationally and internationally.

The ADOT Executive Hearing Office is a branch of the ADOT Office of the Director, and conducts independent administrative hearings regarding activities outlined in the Arizona Administrative Code Title 17 and the Arizona Revised Statutes. One of those functions is to rule on civil actions against alleged unlicensed vehicle sales.

7th Annual Free Electronic Waste Recycling Event in Show Low

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SHOW LOW — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), Navajo County and City of Show Low officials will host the 7th annual free electronic waste (e-waste) recycling event for White Mountains region residents Saturday, August 29 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Navajo County Penrod Facility, 251 N. Penrod Rd., Show Low – east side, just south of the intersection of U.S. Highway 60 and Arizona Highway 77.

ADEQ and partners – City of Show Low, Navajo County, Town of Pinetop-Lakeside, White Mountain Apache Tribe Environmental Protection Office, Northland Pioneer College, and E-Waste Harvesters of Phoenix – anticipate collecting tons of e-waste including unwanted televisions, computer equipment, monitors, batteries, chargers, cell phones, VCRs, CD and DVD players, printers, small appliances, fax machines, stereos, cables, and cords. Limit two televisions or computer monitors per vehicle.

“We’re pleased to collaborate with ADEQ and our other partners again this year to bring the annual e-waste collection event to the White Mountains,” said Steve North, business development coordinator for the City of Show Low. “This event continues to grow in popularity and we look to this 7th annual installment to be the biggest and best yet.”

Officials encourage all White Mountains area residents and businesses to bring their electronic recyclables to the event, including residents of the nearby White Mountain Apache Tribe, Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, Snowflake, Taylor, St. Johns, Springerville, Eagar, Concho, Vernon, Alpine, Nutrioso, Greer, Shumway, Heber-Overgaard, Pinedale, Clay Springs and Linden.

“We are very excited about ADEQ’s 7th annual e-waste recycling event,” said ADEQ Recycling Coordinator J.B. Shaw. “This is a great opportunity for people in the area to dispose of all the unwanted electronics they have collected over the years while at the same time ensuring that this potentially toxic stream of waste is disposed of responsibly.”

E-Waste Harvesters will erase all hard drives with state of the art software, recycle all materials in accordance with state and federal regulations and provides individuals donating e-waste a certificate of disposal upon request.

ADEQ has partnered with communities in more than 100 events statewide since establishing its e-waste recycling program in August 2009. To date, more than 2.6 million pounds of discarded electronics have been collected and properly disposed.

ADEQ: Update on Colorado Gold King Mine Spill

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animas-river-before-and-after-epa-toxic-waste-spillPHOENIX — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today it has examined data provided by states upstream of Lake Powell and closer to the Gold King Mine spill. ADEQ’s analysis of data released by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality of samples collected about 100 miles from Lake Powell (closest Utah sample) shows that water quality conditions in the San Juan River upstream of Lake Powell are generally consistent with pre-spill conditions. “Based on what we’re seeing with the water flowing into Lake Powell, we don’t expect there to be noticeable change in water quality in Arizona,” ADEQ Director Misael Cabrera said.

“To put this spill into perspective, the three million gallon estimated volume of the spill represents a miniscule fraction of a percent (0.000071 percent) of the total volume of water in Lake Powell (more than four trillion gallons as of July 29, 2015) Cabrera said, adding that ADEQ does not expect this spill to have short- or long-term negative impacts to Lake Powell and the downstream Colorado River.”

ADEQ has been and will continue coordinating with public health and environmental agencies in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, as well as with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Navajo Nation officials to gather, analyze and share water quality data with each other and the public as it becomes available. Beginning August 14, these officials began lifting water use restrictions for the Animas and San Juan Rivers, because water quality conditions are returning to pre-spill conditions.

Last week ADEQ completed sampling to characterize baseline water quality in Lake Powell and the Colorado River at Lee’s Ferry and submitted these samples for analysis with the fastest possible turnaround time. ADEQ expects to receive lab results later today, Monday, August 17, which it will compare with Arizona surface water quality standards and historical data.

US 60 east of Superior to close briefly for blasting operations Aug. 19

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Motorists traveling along US 60 between Phoenix and Globe on Wednesday morning, Aug. 19, need to plan ahead or allow extra time as the Arizona Department of Transportation continues blasting work as part of an improvement project to build a new passing lane and widen roadway shoulders east of Superior.

The construction of the two-mile-long climbing lane from Devil’s Canyon to Oak Flat (mileposts 231-233) will require a full closure of US 60 for up to 90 minutes from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 19.

Traffic on eastbound US 60 will be stopped east of Superior (milepost 227) and westbound US 60 will be stopped at the Top of the World, west of Miami (milepost 235) until the blasting work is completed and the roadway is reopened after all debris is cleared. Law enforcement officers will be stationed at each closure to assist with traffic control.

ADOT anticipates the highway will be closed at least once per week for blasting for up to three months. As blasting continues there will be a lesser impact on traffic and delays will be reduced.

The $8.8 million safety improvement project will make it easier for motorists to pass large trucks and slow-moving vehicles whose speed drops because of the sustained grades along this stretch of highway from Devil’s Canyon to the Oak Flat area.

The project will include the following:

Construction of a new westbound passing lane from Devil’s Canyon to Oak Flat (mileposts 231-233)
Widening shoulders in the Devil’s Canyon area (milepost 233-234)
Improvements to the Waterfall Canyon bridge (milepost 229)
Box culvert drainage improvements (milepost 242 just west of Miami)

ADOT will work to minimize the traffic impacts as much as possible, including scheduling some nighttime work.

There will be narrow traffic lanes, wide-load restrictions and a reduced speed limit through the work zone. Flaggers and pilot cars will be used at different times throughout the project.

Drivers are asked to use caution, watch for construction equipment and personnel, and allow extra time for your commute.

The Gila Watershed Partnership seeks Executive Director

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ADEQ logo resizedThe Gila Watershed Partnership, a non-profit Arizona corporation, seeks an experienced Executive Director. The ED serves as the chief executive for the organization, and provides leadership and direction to the staff. The ED reports to the GWP Board of Directors, and is responsible for assisting and implementing the organization’s strategic plan. The goals of GWP are to help conserve and enhance the natural resources and the environment of the watershed for all users, to help increase and improve water quantity and quality and to help plan and act to avoid and minimize damage from large storms, floods, and other natural disasters.
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Happy 25th birthday, Deck Park Tunnel!

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PHOENIX – Twenty-five, years ago, the last segment of Interstate 10 was completed and it happened in Phoenix.

When the Arizona Department of Transportation opened the “Final Mile” between Third Avenue and Third Street, including the Deck Park Tunnel, it created the nation’s second coast-to-coast interstate, stretching 2,460 miles and across eight states, from Santa Monica, Calif., to Jacksonville, Fla.

“This opening of I-10 is truly a milestone in transportation history,” Thomas Lane, head of the Federal Highway Administration, said at the tunnel’s dedication ceremony on Aug. 10, 1990. “Today, we mark the completion of a major transcontinental route.”

Fast-forward to 2015, on Monday, Aug. 10, when ADOT observes the Deck Park Tunnel’s 25th birthday.

While the opening of the Deck Park Tunnel marked the completion of I-10 as a transcontinental interstate, it also signaled the beginning of the Phoenix-metro area’s modern freeway system, which continues to grow today. Putting the age of the freeway network into perspective, “The Simpsons” has been on television longer than the Deck Park Tunnel has been open to traffic.

When the tunnel opened, construction of the Loop 101 and state routes 51 and 143 had just begun, and the Loop 202, Loop 303 and State Route 24 existed only on planning maps. Phoenix’s population boom made the expansion necessary. The 20th-largest city in the United States in 1970, Phoenix would rise to No. 6 by 2000, according to U.S. Census data. The completion of the Deck Park Tunnel connected the metropolitan area’s east and west valleys, allowing for quicker and more convenient travel across the metro area. The tunnel also emerged as a linchpin in Arizona’s economic development, supporting the efficient movement of goods and commerce into and through the state. Since it opened, an estimated two billion vehicles have passed through the tunnel’s tile-lined walls.

“The Deck Park Tunnel is more than simply a way to get through downtown Phoenix,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “It is part of an interstate Key Commerce Corridor that is integral to Arizona’s continued economic growth and development.”

Decades before it was built, transportation officials recognized the need for the Papago Freeway – the stretch of I-10 that passes through Phoenix. The first plans for the freeway were formalized in 1960. However, a tunnel wasn’t included in the original design.

The tunnel was a part of a solution to opposition that did not want the Papago Freeway built near the Phoenix city center, unsettling neighborhoods established before interstates existed. In 1969, plans called for an elevated freeway with wide, arcing “helicoil” ramps that were designed to minimize disruption of city streets and the utility grid. But a public vote to build the freeway was defeated in 1973. Two years later, the elevated freeway was scrapped in favor of a below-grade design, which included the tunnel, and Phoenix voters approved the measure. Engineers devised an innovative plan that set the freeway below street level for six blocks – from Third Avenue to Third Street. Above the freeway, 19 bridges would be lined up side by side, creating a tunnel effect for motorists, even though it does not meet the Federal Highway Administration definition of a tunnel. A 30-acre park would be built atop the bridge decks. That’s how it came to be known as the “Deck Park Tunnel,” though its official name is the Papago Freeway Tunnel.

Still, the Papago wasn’t yet a “go.” Freeway opponents put the issue on the ballot again in 1979, but citizens voted overwhelmingly in favor – 3-to-1 – of building the Papago Freeway and construction began in 1983. When it was finished in 1990, the Papago Freeway ranked as the most expensive highway project to date in Arizona at a cost of $500 million, plus $150 million for right-of-way purchases.

Not surprisingly, public interest in the freeway was high as the opening neared. According to a report in The Arizona Republic, more than 100,000 people attended a three-day “open house” at the Deck Park Tunnel, riding bikes and running footraces in yet-to-be-driven-on traffic lanes. At the dedication on Aug. 10, 1990, Federal Highway Administration official Thomas O. Willett addressed the obstacles overcome in the previous three decades to build the freeway.

“Completion of the Papago Freeway is far more than construction of concrete and steel,” Willett said. “It represents a successful culmination of a state, city and federal partnership forged by the challenge of a concerned public.”

Arizona Friends of NRA want to give you fifty guns

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Updated July 31, 4:28 p.m.

300-GCFNRA-logoPHOENIX — The Arizona Friends of the NRA have announce a fifty gun (or fifty-fifty) raffle. Tickets are $50 each in a winner take all raffle for fifty guns. If a minimum of 600 tickets are not sold, the raffle will turn into a fifty-fifty split of the amount taken in by the raffle.

I mean, are you not going to sell 600 tickets for a possibility of fifty guns in the number 1 gun friendly State in the union two-years running?

But you don’t have to be in Arizona in order to win. Anyone eligible to own guns in their State can purchase tickets online. Again you would have to be eligible to own the same weapons that you can own in Arizona. Before entering, you should check with a local FFL in your area.

The winner, of course, must be eligible to own guns in accordance with State and national law. The winner may also opt for a $4,999.00 payout and may have to fill out a 1099 tax form. The winner is also responsible for all fees for the transfer of the weapons, such as the background check. If the winner is found ineligible to own firearms, they will be required to take the cash payout.

The drawing is to be held at Bear Arms in Scottsdale on October 25. Bear Arms is an FFL dealer working with the Friends of the NRA on this promotion. They are located at 10321 N. Scottsdale Road. Bear Arms is the largest family-owned firearms store in the Great State of Arizona. The hold CCW classes, have a good assortment of knives and even deal in Class III weapons.

You can contact Winston Pendleton for questions or to purchase tickets. Phone 602-565-8916 or you can purchase tickets online. Bear Arms can be reached at 480-998-2727.

Blasting closure scheduled on US 60 between Superior and Miami for mid-August

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The first closure for blasting on the Oak Flat passing lane project on US 60 (milepost 231-233) between Superior and Miami has been scheduled between Aug. 12 and Aug. 20. The exact date will be decided late next week when drilling crews have been able to finalize their progress.

Blasting will be done during a weekday and will start at 9 a.m. Motorists traveling on US 60 between Superior and Miami should plan on the highway being closed for up to 90 minutes. There will be a seven-day notice prior to the exact blasting date and that information will be distributed to the media, digital message boards around Superior and Globe/Miami, project web page updates, ADOT social media sites and contact emails.