SanTanValley.com

After announcing its project, PhoenixMart, in the fourth quarter of 2011, AZ Sourcing and Central Arizona Regional Center have just announced receiving its approval of their EB-5 investments, a federal economic stimulant program.  This official approval now allows PhoenixMart to break ground and begin construction in the fourth quarter of 2013 with a scheduled grand opening in the latter part of 2014.

“This project has required careful planning and timing from all angles from conception to realization.  With the approval of our EB-5 investments, we can now proceed forward at full speed,” states Jeremy Schoenfelder, Executive Vice President of AZ Sourcing.

Tomorrow, the Pinal County Board of Supervisors considers a motion to sweep, or transfer, $6,705,020 from departmental funds, of which $655,000 derives from the Pinal County Attorney’s Office.

Of the $655,000, the vast majority of the funds, $515,000, lack the ability to directly aid in prosecution efforts and are not being contested.  However, the Pinal County Attorney’s Office expresses concern over the $100,000 targeted from the Office of the Attorney General’s Criminal Justice Enhancement Fund (CJEF) and $40,000 from the State of Arizona Supreme Court’s Fill the Gap initiative.  

Today, the Pinal County Board of Supervisors approved a lease agreement negotiated by Pinal County Attorney Voyles with the Arizona Department of Economic Security as part of the State’s assumption of Child Support Enforcement services for Pinal County.

Pinal County Animal Care and Control officers on Monday picked up a stray Queensland Heeler in the southern portion of San Tan Valley.  The young female dog was found with gunshot wounds to her hind quarters and in a state of severe dehydration.

Animal Care and Control Director Kaye Dickson said her office had received several calls throughout the weekend reporting a stray dog in that vicinity.  After a thorough search by officers, the dog could not be found.

Imagine a child being roused in the middle of the night and escorted out of his home by a police officer.  The child, abused by his parents, is being taken away for his own safety.

The emotions the child experiences range from afraid and angry while being led away from his home.  An agent from Child Protective Services is on hand to bring the child to a foster home where they are placed until the situation is able to be resolved.

This is type situation is unfortunately played out numerous times across the United States.

County Manager Fritz Behring deserves congratulations on his selection as Scottsdale City Manager.  However, his success is Pinal County’s challenge.

Mr. Behring’s service is widely and deservedly viewed as setting a high standard of professionalism and non-partisan administration.  His wise management and fiscal responsibility has kept Pinal County government functioning effectively despite serious budgetary challenges brought on by a national economic downturn and negative publicity for the county caused by imprudent and self-serving antics of Sheriff Paul Babeu, along with various investigations of questionable misuse of public resources for political gain, one of which is still not completed by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. 

A swift crack of the bull whip will set the summer season in motion and Indiana Bones is riding into Pinal County towns for some storytelling fun.  The Pinal County Library District and its partner libraries teamed up to host Indiana Bones, an energetic storyteller who will capture the attention of audiences of all ages.

Representatives of the law-enforcement and public-safety professions have contacted me about not receiving raises in the past five years.

Many of these messages have been passionate and heartfelt, explaining personal hardships and sacrifices. Others have expressed a notion that somehow raises were guaranteed or promised.

The Maricopa County Supervisor of Elections recently announced that Queen Creek residents have approved Town plans to purchase of the H2O, Inc. Water Utility, a family owned business that has served the Pinal County/Maricopa County area for more than 40 years, in an all mail special election that took place from April 25 through May 21, 2013. The final vote was recorded as 2,550 in favor, 379 opposed.

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and the Pinal County Attorney’s Office are preparing to send manpower, financial-aid and other needed resources to the devastated communities in Oklahoma County in a response for assistance from Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel.

This afternoon, County Attorney Lando Voyles and Sheriff Paul Babeu introduced the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue members that will accompany County Attorney Voyles on Friday morning to travel to Oklahoma and assist in humanitarian aid and clean-up efforts.