by Terri Jo Neff | Jul 19, 2021 | News
By Terri Jo Neff |
Officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released June 2021 operational statistics for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) last week, and it shows undocumented migrants are still seeking entry -legally and illegally- along the Southwest Border at an overwhelming rate.
According to CBP, there were 188,829 encounters in June 2021 with persons attempting entry along the Southwest Border. June’s total was a 5 percent increase over May 2021, which in turn had one of the highest encounter totals in nearly two years.
But CBP says more than one-third of the persons who attempted entry in June had at least one prior encounter in the previous 12 months. That means the number of people who had first-time encounters with CBP in June was 123,838.
CBP suspects the large number of expulsions during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the unusually high number of migrants making multiple border crossing attempts.
The majority of all June encounters resulted in a Title 42 expulsion, according to a July 16 statement by CBP. Migrant single adults continue to make up the majority of encounters along the Southwest Border, with nearly 105,000 individuals being expelled.
Encounters with family units (at least one adult with at least one child) increased by 25 percent in June 2021, up to 55,805 from 44,746 in May. However, CBP says this was well below the all-time peak of 88,587 family units in May 2019.
Unfortunately, CBP says the number of encounters along the Southwest Border with unaccompanied children increased to 15,253 in June 2021 from 14,137 in May 2021. The good news is that the average time in CBP custody for unaccompanied children fell from 133 hours on March 29 to 28 hours on June 30.
“This sustained progress is a result of the steps DHS took to reengineer processes and mobilize personnel Department-wide, including designating FEMA to lead a whole of government effort to assist the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),” according to the July 16 statement. “This support has included establishing temporary facilities that provide safe, sanitary, and secure environments for unaccompanied children as well as continued support from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers to efficiently and effectively verify claimed sponsors to support the reunification process.”
The number of distress calls and medical emergencies that CBP responded to also increased in June as smugglers were more likely to abandon migrants who fell behind due to the summer heat.
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“Although CBP does everything it can to locate and rescue individuals who are lost or distressed, the bottom line is this: the terrain along the border is extreme, the summer heat is severe, and the miles of desert migrants must hike after crossing the border in many areas are unforgiving,” according to CBP Acting Commissioner Troy Miller.
For the fiscal year ending June 30, CBP conducted 9,500 rescues nationwide, the vast majority along the Southwest Border. The agency continues to expand its technological capabilities, and has deployed 120 rescue beacons which are equipped with lights and signage visible from a distance.
Rescues are also facilitated through 2,165 placards CBP has deployed in remote areas throughout the Southwest Border. The placards inform migrants to call 911 and are uniquely numbered to provide rescuers with location coordinates.
CBP is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control, and protection of our nation’s borders at and between official ports of entry. The agency is also charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel.
In April, President Joe Biden announced his intention to nominate Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus to head CBP and its 60,000 employees. As of press time the U.S. Senate has not been asked by the White House to move forward with a confirmation hearing.
by Terri Jo Neff | Jul 19, 2021 | Economy, Education, News
By Terri Jo Neff |
Arizona’s three public universities produced more degrees in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020 than in any previous year, but the state continues to lag the national average for the number of residents with at least a bachelor’s degree, according to a report issued by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR).
The ABOR’s recent College Completion Report shows graduates at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and University of Arizona earned a combined 47,531 degrees for FY2020. That represents a 29 percent increase over the last five years and includes 33,973 bachelor’s degrees, of which 21,425 were earned by Arizona resident students.
The report also shows all three universities significantly increased bachelor’s degrees in key STEM fields in FY2020, producing a combined 9,295 bachelor’s degrees, a 61.7 percent increase over the last five years. The universities also awarded substantially more bachelor’s degrees in health fields in 2020 – conferring 2,879 degrees, a 46.6 percent increase over the last five years.
At the same time, students earned 6,086 bachelor’s degrees in Business, far exceeding any other field of study. However, the ABOR report shows there was a decline in bachelor’s degrees awarded in Education by Arizona’s three public universities at only 1,586. There were also declines in the Agriculture & Agriculture Operations degree program as well as Foreign Languages & Linguistics program.
However, Architecture & Related Sciences saw an unexpectedly strong increase at a time when the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting the job market for the industry is expected to grow only one percent from 2019 to 2029.
Despite the upbeat focus of the ABOR report, U.S. Census records show only 29 percent of Arizonans hold a bachelor’s degree or more, far short of the national average of 35 percent.
In response, the regents are kicking off the “New Economy Initiative” which seeks to raise Arizona’s competitiveness by increasing educational attainment, “leading to increased prosperity for individuals and Arizona.”
The business plan of the ABOR’s $120 million New Economy Initiative is designed, according to the regents’ website, “to enhance Arizona’s competitiveness with strategic investments in areas of strength at our three public universities. This targeted approach to workforce development in high-value industries will yield a positive return on state investment.”
The website shows the funding includes $46 million for ASU to be used in part to design and launch “the largest center for engineering education and research in the United States” and to grow enrollments to more than 25,000. It also seeks to make metro Phoenix “the leading center for engineer talent production in America.”
NAU has been allocated $22 million to “provide talent in high demand fields with an emphasis on health care programs in regional locations, including mental and behavioral health, to address the state’s needs as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Meanwhile, UofA would receive $32 million through the New Economy Initiative to enhance medical professional and researcher training, to enhance capacity for students’ careers in national security, space technology, and planetary defense; and to develop Arizona’s only School of Mining into “a world-class leader in mining for the 21st century.”
Other highlights from the ABOR’s FY2020 College Completion Report include the fact a combined 13,558 graduate degrees were conferred in the same period, which represented a record number of master’s (11,387) and doctoral (2,171) degrees.
The most master’s degrees were in the fields of business management, education, engineering, health professions, and public administration, while the greatest numbers of doctoral degrees were in the fields of education, engineering, health, legal professions, and physical sciences.
by Terri Jo Neff | Jul 18, 2021 | Economy, News
By Terri Jo Neff |
Last week Gov. Doug Ducey announced he was spending $101 million of federal funds to launch the Visit Arizona Initiative in order to increase tourism spending, bolster job creation, and accelerate economic recovery in the state through marketing, event and attraction support, and outdoor recreation revitalization.
“Tourism is essential for Arizona’s booming economy and job growth,” said Governor Ducey. “Thousands of Arizonans who work in the tourism industry were displaced due to the pandemic. Now that our economy is strong, jobs are readily available and visitors are coming to our beautiful state, we are making sure employment opportunities continue to grow for hard workers across Arizona,” the Governor said.
But many communities and businesses which heavily rely on tourism are not sitting back waiting on state officials. That is especially true in Tombstone located in central Cochise County.
Tombstone’s numerous small businesses were decimated by last year’s COVID-19 lockdowns, social distancing requirements, and travel restrictions which prevented any semblance of a 2021 winter tourist season. As a result, business owners are ramping up event promotions and advertising, and have started collaborating on new events, including several not directly focused on the city’s Old West history.
“We certainly welcome any support Governor Ducey can provide, but those of us in Tombstone cannot wait weeks or months for state agencies to decide how to give out the money and who gets it,” said one longtime business owner. “It’s imperative we take steps now to ensure our survival.”
For years the big attractions in Tombstone have been Helldorado Days (first held in 1929), Vigilante Days, and Wyatt Earp Days. But after baby-boomers visit once, there’s not much to bring them back again. “And we see younger people are not all that keen on watching show, they want activity.”
So new events are being offered to garner not only traditional tourists, but also long-weekenders from New Mexico and California, day-trippers, and local residents.
One of those event coordinators is Sherry Rudd, co-owner of the Tombstone Mustachery. Rudd created Doc Holli-Days in August 2017 with movie star Val Kilmer (of the movie Tombstone) as grand marshal. More than 10,000 people descended on the city, known by locals as the Town To Tough To Die.
Actors Dennis Quaid was grand marshal in 2018 and Michael Biehn held the honor in 2019. COVID-19 tried to kill off Doc Holli-Days 2020 but Rudd held a scaled down event with westerns actors Buck Taylor and Peter Sherayko as featured guests, even though the parade activity has been dropped.
This year Rudd is bringing in country crooner Aaron Tippin for Doc Holli-Days on Aug. 14 and 15. Tippin will put on a concert at Old Tombstone Western Theme Park, and comedian Josh Pray is also making an appearance over the weekend.
Rudd, also known as Mrs. Tombstone 2020, is promoting other concerts at Old Tombstone Western Theme Park, including Dukes of Hazzard star Tom Wopat, the Bellamy Brothers, and John Anderson. She also organized a book-signing event earlier this year with Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb which drew hundreds of attendees from as far as Las Cruces, New Mexico.
But events require a lot of support. One of Tombstone’s biggest fans is the family which owns Arlene’s Gallery, an upscale jewelry and art store that opened on historic Allen Street more than four decades.
Over the years the business has grown to include Arlene’s Southwest Trading Company, Arlene’s Southwest Silver & Gold, and the Branding Iron, which sells authentic western wear. All of which have sponsored various events including Doc Holli-Days.
Store owner Adam Klein, whose mother founded the business, appeared on a Tucson news show to promote Vigilante Days, while also showcasing some of the store’s one-of-a-kind jewelry. Klein also produced a 15-second commercial that can be easily shared via social media to draw attention to both Tombstone’s Old West history and the stores’ offerings.
Klein has also launched an updated website which allows online sales and ensures tourists who come to Tombstone know what the stores offer.
“Many of the visitors who come to Arlene’s remark that they didn’t expect to find the Tombstone shopping district so vibrant—or to include artwork and jewelry,” according to the website. “We take this sentiment to heart, filling our shops with a diverse selection of unexpected items you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.”
Business owners, local politicians, and chambers of commerce in other southern Arizona communities are also recognizing the need to think outside the box.
In nearby Sierra Vista, a city councilwoman worked for several months with Rep. Gail Griffin to have the city declared the Hummingbird Capital of Arizona. The governor signed the legislation in May, triggering several national news mentions of the tourism opportunities in the area.
On July 24, the seven of the wineries and vineyards in the Sonoita-Elgin area are participating in a Harvestfest & Grape Stomp. The event, which has been heavily advertised in Maricopa County, has sold out of VIP tickets but still has about 200 general admission tickets available.
Meanwhile, the Tubac Chamber of Commerce is promoting the November 2021 Tubac Art & Wine Fiesta and is already publicizing the February 2022 Tubac Festival of the Arts, one of the southwest’s longest running art shows. Advertisements for Tubac’s many events are hitting cities far from Santa Cruz County.
by Terri Jo Neff | Jul 17, 2021 | News
By Terri Jo Neff |
A number of aerospace manufacturers now have a footprint in Arizona, including Boeing, General Dynamics, Honeywell Aerospace, Northrup Grumman, and Raytheon Technologies. In fact, aerospace is one of the largest economic sectors in Arizona, and with more than 1,200 companies engaged in the market, the state ranks 5th in the country for aerospace-related employment.
But it is not just the big boys who find Arizona’s 65,298 square miles of rural airspace beneficial. Many small- and medium-sized designers, developers, and manufacturers have also flocked to Arizona to build or test their wares.
Earlier this week, the Arizona Technology Council hosted its annual Arizona Aerospace, Aviation, Defense, and Manufacturing (AADM) conference in Scottsdale. And of particular interest was unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), which until a decade ago were considered in terms of military application.
In recent years, the UAS and UAV technologies have been embraced on a smaller scale by law enforcement, civil search and rescue, meteorology services, construction and engineering firms, farmers and ranchers, insurance company claim adjusters, even delivery companies.
And it is through the efforts of organizations such as the Arizona Aerospace Association and the Arizona Commerce Authority that the state continues to be a favored location for aerospace companies, large and small.
Arizona Aerospace promotes Arizona’s ideal meteorological conditions, protected airspace, favorable cost of doing business, and business-friendly regulatory environment. It also educates stakeholders as well as elected officials and their staff at all levels of government about the need for responsible industry-related legislation and public policy to facilitate a thriving aerospace industry in Arizona.
The group has a test site with hangar available for rent at the Benson Municipal Airport for use with test flights just a 30 minute drive from the U.S. Army’s Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista and the Davis-Monthan U.S. Air Force base in Tucson.
On July 15, Aerospace Arizona staff attended the AADM event in Scottsdale, and next month will be in Dallas to promote Arizona at the InterDrone Conference & Exposition. Then in September, staff will be in Las Vegas for the Commercial UAV Expo Americas Showcase which brings together the world’s leading commercial UAS technology companies from airframes to sensors, software to services and more.
Arizona is also promoted to the military and civilian aerospace industry by the Arizona Commerce Authority, which established its AZSkyTech program in 2018 to help grow the state as “the premier place in the world to responsibly test, deploy and advance Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) technology and policy.”
That endeavor is supported by coursework and degree programs at the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, as well Cochise Community College.
Meanwhile, Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista continues to be a leader in the Army’s testing of UAS technology, which is helped by its rural location which includes mountain range, desert land, and more than 960 square miles of restricted airspace. It is estimated that Fort Huachuca has trained thousands of military members and support personnel in the use and management of UAS technology over the last decade.
by AZ Free News | Jul 16, 2021 | News
An underwater tent co-invented by a University of Arizona professor will be featured during the Discovery Channel’s popular Shark Week this month.
Dubbed the Ocean Space Habitat, the portable inflatable tent allows occupants to essentially camp out underwater. Co-invented by UArizona professor Winslow Burleson and professional diver Michael Lombardi, the tent will be featured in the episode “The Great Hammerhead Stakeout,” which airs July 18 on Discovery+.
Burleson is a professor and director of research for the School of Information in the UArizona College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and has a joint appointment in the university’s Health Sciences Design Program. Burleson, who is also a member of the university’s BIO5 Institute, helped develop the technology for the tent when he was a professor at New York University.
“(The University of Arizona’s) Ocean Space Habit research collaborations are expanding what is possible and feasible in a broad range of underwater environments, ranging from coral reefs studies and novel fisheries to human robot collaborative teams and planetary analogue missions,” Burleson said. “Airing first-of-its-kind hammerhead research on Shark Week is certainly one of the highlights to date.”
The tent provides a relatively dry and protected space underwater for divers to enter, remove their equipment and carry out tasks before returning to the surface. The high-tech habitat provides a place for deep sea divers to decompress after deep scientific dives and for medical treatments to be administered for decompression sickness in remote locations. It also gives divers the ability to engage in long-term observations of wildlife behavior and to conduct science experiments before surfacing. The tent system is highly portable and can provide adequate life support to two occupants through an overnight stay.
Multiple experimental deployments of the tent have occurred since 2011, and the platform is now emerging as a viable scientific tool.
“The underwater value is analogous to a backpacking excursion – we certainly learn more from an overnight in the environment than a short walk in the park. That step has not yet been taken in the underwater world in an affordable and accessible way for the masses,” Lombardi said.
Burleson is a social inventor with expertise in human computer interaction and the learning sciences. He previously served as principal investigator for the NSF Experiential Supercomputing: A Transdisciplinary Research and Innovation Holodeck grant. He has authored more than 100 scholarly articles, holds 11 patents and twice received Time magazine’s Top Inventions of the Year Awards.
by AZ Free News | Jul 16, 2021 | Economy, News
Governor Doug Ducey this week announced $101.1 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding to launch the Visit Arizona Initiative, a bold program designed to increase visitation and tourism spending in Arizona, bolster job creation and accelerate economic recovery.
“Tourism is essential for Arizona’s booming economy and job growth,” said Governor Ducey. “When visitors from across the globe travel to our great state, they stay in our hotels, eat at our restaurants, buy our products and enjoy our recreational activities. Their investments benefit Arizonans, and the Visit Arizona Initiative will help our tourism sector prosper — and continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic. My thanks goes to Arizona Office of Tourism Director Debbie Johnson for her dedication to growing tourism throughout the state and supporting Arizonans employed by the travel industry.”
As it did globally, the tourism industry in Arizona endured losses in visitation, visitor spending, tourism tax revenue and employment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of federal American Rescue Plan money will assist communities across the state in recovery through tourism marketing, event and attraction support, and outdoor recreation revitalization.
Arizona’s 2020 overnight visitation decreased by 31 percent and visitor spending decreased by 41 percent compared to 2019 numbers, according to recent data. But with this investment and the effectiveness of Arizona’s visitor marketing, Arizona will stay top of mind for travelers.
“Thousands of Arizonans who work in the tourism industry were displaced due to the pandemic. Now that our economy is strong, jobs are readily available and visitors are coming to our beautiful state, we are making sure employment opportunities continue to grow for hard workers across Arizona,” the Governor said.
The Visit Arizona Initiative includes marketing funding for destination marketing organizations (DMOs) statewide, reinvigorating local community programs and events, and marketing support for domestic and international flights and outdoor recreation.
“We are grateful for the investment Governor Ducey is making in our state’s tourism industry, which contributes to the economic vitality of communities and people all across Arizona,” said Debbie Johnson, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism.
The new funding is being warmly received by officials in communities all across Arizona where tourism is an important part of the economy.
“Arizona is a world-class destination and is ready to welcome visitors from around the world to explore our great state. The tourism recovery fund is an investment in a vital economic driver and will benefit all areas of the state,” said Cal Sheehy, Mayor of Lake Havasu City. “We applaud Governor Ducey’s commitment to the tourism economy statewide.”
The Initiative also provides funding to the Arizona State Parks & Trails for park revitalization and improvement, legacy golf course revitalization, the Arizona State Fair for marketing, the Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association for a workforce initiative and Local First for rural destination development.
“COVID-19 had multiple impacts on our state’s destinations,” said Bill Nassikas, President & COO of Westroc Hospitality. “This funding comes at a crucial time of our recovery, as we reinvigorate Arizona’s tourism economy and welcome back visitors to our great state. Governor Ducey’s forethought will help keep Arizona tourism competitive on the national stage.”
AOT, along with statewide tourism stakeholders, continues to promote visitation and support industry recovery across Arizona. These efforts include visitor marketing campaigns, supporting industry partners and communities with strategic recovery planning and promoting sustainable and responsible tourism. The new Visit Arizona Initiative will ensure these programs continue and grow to meet the needs of the industry.
