SanTanValley.com

FLORENCE – Pinal County’s Environmental Health department is warning restaurant and bar owners that potential scam artists are making threatening phone calls to area bars and restaurants claiming to be health inspectors.  The ‘imposter inspectors’ who are making these phone calls are sometimes demanding money or threatening to shut down the business.

“We do not announce our inspections in advance, all of our inspectors carry identification and in no case would we threaten to shut down a restaurant over the phone,” Reg Glos, Director of Pinal County Environmental Health.  “This appears to be a scam and, according to my colleagues in other jurisdictions, it is not unique to Pinal County.  So far, we have received enough calls about this to merit an advisory to food service establishments in Pinal County.”

Florence, AZ – At its Wednesday, April 6, 2011 meeting, the County Board of Supervisors adopted a proclamation declaring April 10, 2011 to April 16, 2011, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

“This year’s theme is ‘Reshaping the Future. Honoring the Past,’ urging us to remember how far we have come in supporting victims’ rights within the legal system over the past few years,” said James P. Walsh, Pinal County Attorney, who presented The Proclamation to the Board of Supervisors. “My office will always work to provide support to those harmed by crime.”

The Pinal County Regional DUI Task Force worked with other Pinal County law enforcement agencies during the 2011 Country Thunder event in Florence last week. The message was clear…. if you were caught driving impaired you would go to jail.

During this latest enforcement detail, members of the Pinal County Regional DUI Task Force undoubtedly saved many lives because of their aggressive enforcement efforts. Below is a recap of their activities.

On Thursday, April 7th, 2011 Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Explorer Christian Pintor died in a single vehicle rollover collision in the City of Coolidge. Christian was driving home after volunteering his time with other Explorers at Country Thunder. For unknown reasons, he lost control of his vehicle which rolled and he was ejected. Christian was 18-years-old and was pursing his dream of becoming a Pinal County Sheriff’s Deputy.

Lieutenant Tamatha Villar who is in charge of our Explorer Program said, “Explorer Christian Pintor was well known within PCSO for his infectious smile and hard work ethic. For those who had the honor of training and working with him, they will attest that his effort and drive were second to none. He always worked hard and was always ready to volunteer to help wherever needed.

It’s the year 2025.

You want to go from Superior to Casa Grande.

What will you take?  A car, a bus or even a train?

That question is still unclear, but the Pinal County Board of Supervisors were handed the final report of a Transit Feasibility Study that detailed what kinds of public transportation options might exist 14 years from now.

After adopting the Pinal County Comprehensive Plan, transportation planners used that document as a basis to project where future population settlements may be.  The next part of the of study was to examine how people would move between those areas and what transit options and infrastructure planning may be needed to move them between populated centers.  

FLORENCE – For the third year in a row, Pinal County became one of only a few cities, towns or counties in the United States to earn an “A” grade and a Sunny Award from the Sunshine Review.  Sunshine Review is a non-profit organization formed to push for transparency in government and recognize the most transparent government websites in America.

FLORENCE – Do you want to see the latest interview with your county official?  Is there a Pinal County event you missed?  Fear not.  The information is only a mouse-click away.

If you have a computer with high-speed internet access, Pinal County’s YouTube channel is a great way to keep up on the latest news from your county government.

Pinal County’s Communications and Public Affairs team produces the videos that appear on the county’s Public, Education and Access (PEG) channel, known as Channel Pinal.  The county’s PEG channel is not supported by taxpayer funds.  Because satellite customers do not have access to Channel Pinal, completed videos are posted on YouTube.

Each year the Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) presents a nationally recognized distance learning program to more than 125,000 people in 2,000 communities. For more than a decade, this annual educational event has been instrumental in educating healthcare professionals and families on issues affecting end-of-life care. The program provides an opportunity for a wide variety of professionals – including doctors, nurses, funeral directors, psychologists, educators, social workers and bereavement counselors – to share and exchange ideas and obtain continuing education credits.

It is hard to believe in today’s age of urban sprawl, super stores and strip malls, but there was once a time when everyone in a neighborhood was familiar with those who provided a service for them - the milk man, police walking their beats, the butcher behind the meat counter, even the operator (remember those?) who connected your phone calls. It was those relationships that built a true sense of community where we lived.

Dr. Tim Hill, D.M.D., wants to use his dental practice to bring that same kind of feeling to his neighborhood.

I’ve never felt God’s undeniable leading so tangibly in my life and ministry as I have in these past couple of months.

I’ve been eyeing a certain house for over three years. I thought it perfect for our young church, ONE Community Church, in San Tan Valley, Arizona outside of Phoenix. Never could I have imagined how God would write this next chapter of our story. The house sits on over an acre right on the main thoroughfare of our growing area.