December 30, 2018

As drone use rises, Nevada colleges gear up to train new generation of pilots and programmers

Federal aviation officials have predicted that the fleet of commercial drones in the U.S. could quadruple in size from 2017 levels by 2022, driven by their growing use in real estate and aerial photography, surveying, agriculture inspection and many other fields.

It’s one of the big reasons UNLV is introducing a certificate program this winter that, over two weekends, will not only prepare students for a written test to earn a drone pilot’s license but also offer an internationally recognized training program to set them apart in the field. The program emerges in a state that’s one of seven designated by the Federal Aviation Administration as a drone testing site, as Nevada puts more focus on developing an autonomous technology industry and as drones becomes more ubiquitous.

“There’s a lot more talk about it, it’s in the news a lot more, so we get a lot more interest because of that,” said Heidi Erpelding-Welch, a program developer in UNLV’s Continuing Education department. “It’s so prevalent at this point. It’s something we saw as an additional need for workforce development.”

Drone coursework is gaining popularity in Nevada colleges, too. The College of Southern Nevada (CSN) last year announced plans for a two-year degree program in Unmanned Aviation System Technology.

Read more: https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/as-drone-use-rises-nevada-colleges-gear-up-to-train-new-generation-of-pilots-and-programmers

December 30, 2018

Maricopa County appeals ruling in suit over Arpaio's patrols

PHOENIX (AP) — Maricopa County has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower-court ruling that concluded it's liable in lawsuits over former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's crackdowns on immigrants during traffic stops.

The appeal isn't aimed at recouping the millions of dollars that taxpayers have shelled out in lawsuits that challenged the patrols. Instead, County Attorney Bill Montgomery has said the goal is to correct earlier decisions that misapplied laws over which government agencies are the proper targets in lawsuits and, in the process, reduce some of the county's legal costs.

The appeal, filed on Dec. 6, was made in a lawsuit in which Arpaio's officers were found to have racially profiled Latinos in traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.

This summer, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals noted that it has on several occasions already rejected the argument that the county wasn't the proper target of the lawsuit.

Read more: https://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/maricopa-county-appeals-ruling-in-suit-over-arpaio-s-patrols/article_c436238d-2ee3-503a-ae44-c6c161f8755b.html

December 30, 2018

Proposed Arizona monument would honor Mormon settlers

PHOENIX (AP) — A proposed monument at the Arizona Capitol would recall the migration story of thousands of Mormon settlers who made difficult treks from Utah to Arizona in the 19th century.

Legislation authorizing the monument died last spring but is expected to be considered anew in 2019. Supporters hope they can erect the monument at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza in Phoenix to honor settlers whose journeys included crossing the Colorado River at Lees Ferry near the Grand Canyon.

The Arizona Republic reported this week that the centerpiece of the privately funded monument would be a school bell that once hung at the small settlement of Lees Ferry and that was rung to summon ferry operators when a wagon train approached the riverbank.

To reach the river, settlers dispatched by church leader Brigham Young had to cross hundreds of miles of desert and canyon. In Arizona, they established communities such as Mesa, Gilbert, Safford and Snowflake.

Read more: https://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/proposed-arizona-monument-would-honor-mormon-settlers/article_77c291fd-05ca-58ca-ba84-5c6cc7e18bfc.html

December 30, 2018

Former Insys Therapeutics CEO to plead guilty in opioid kickback scheme case

BOSTON (AP) — The former CEO of a company that produces a highly addictive fentanyl spray has agreed to plead guilty to participating in a scheme to pay kickbacks to doctors to boost prescriptions of the drug.

Former Insys Therapeutics CEO Michael Babich's guilty plea agreement was revealed by prosecutors in court documents filed this week.

Babich was among several executives of the Arizona-based company charged in the closely-watched case scheduled to go to trial next month. Insys founder John Kapoor and several others have pleaded not guilty.

They're charged with bribing doctors into prescribing large amounts of the powerful medication meant for cancer patients with severe pain.

Read more: https://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/former-ceo-to-plead-guilty-in-opioid-kickback-scheme-case/article_1ed37adc-ebcb-5e1d-bf37-4f5241046ad1.html

December 30, 2018

Corporation commission computer glitch leaves state arts fund short

The Arizona Commission on the Arts could face drastic budget changes, including cuts to programs and grants, because of a software glitch.

The agency earns about $1.3 million annually from a state fund subsidized entirely by business filing fees paid to the Arizona Corporation Commission, but budget projections show the arts commission’s Arts Trust Fund is on track to be nearly $500,000 short of its average annual revenue.

The Corporation Commision website may be partly to blame.

In May, the Corporation Commission switched to a new online system that was supposed to allow for more online filing of documents and be more user friendly. Since then, Corporation Commission staff and the people that use the website have noticed several bugs with the new software.

Arizona businesses are required to file annually with the Corporation Commission and pay a $45 fee. One-third of the fee, or $15, goes to the trust fund. The rest goes to the Corporation Commission, which has also noticed an unusual drop in fee revenue, commission spokesman Nick Debus said.

Read more: https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2018/12/21/corporation-commission-computer-glitch-leaves-state-arts-fund-short/

December 30, 2018

Arizona projected to gain seat in U.S. House

It’s beginning to look like Arizona’s going to have a bit more congressional clout after 2022.

A new analysis by Election Data Services concludes that the shifts in population from the Northeast to the South and West pretty much guarantee that Arizona is going to pick up a 10th seat in the U.S. House after the decennial census. The organization’s Kimball Brace said that’s because Arizona is adding residents at a rate faster than much of the rest of the country.

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Political consultant Chuck Coughlin points out that the most rapid growth in Arizona is occurring in Maricopa County. He said that makes it likely that any new district created likely would be carved, at least in part, out of districts already in the county.

Seven of the nine existing districts touch on populated areas of Maricopa County, with five of these wholly within the county.

Read more: https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2018/12/26/arizona-projected-to-gain-seat-in-u-s-house/

The remainder of the article contains some analysis of how the census will affect the remainder of the country and is worth reading.

December 30, 2018

Video: Arizona Lawmaker Arrested After Testy Exchange With State Troopers

Representative David Cook (R) argued with Arizona Department of Public Safety officers during his arrest for extreme DUI on December 19 and failed to follow instructions during field sobriety tests, newly released dashcam video shows.

Cook lost two of his committee assignments on Friday, including his seat on the House Public Safety Committee, after the House speaker-elect viewed the video of his arrest and talked to Cook.

An incident report released by DPS on Thursday described how Cook told one officer, "You're making a mistake," and initially handed over his House I.D. card when asked for his driver's license. In a statement of apology posted to Facebook, Cook denied that he tried to get special treatment because he is a lawmaker.

In the video, an argumentative and hard-to-understand Cook appears to be annoyed with one officer. At one point, while an officer asks him to complete a sobriety test, the lawmaker complains at length about how he wasn't being able to retrieve a jacket from his car earlier despite the cold weather. In the video, he is already wearing a jacket.

Read more: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/video-shows-arizona-lawmaker-david-cooks-arrest-11079806

December 30, 2018

One of Doug Ducey's Sons Arrested With Fake ID at Scottsdale Nightclub

Who hasn't had a fake ID, right?

But it's important not to get caught. Especially when you're the son of one of the state's highest elected officials.

Setting the bad example right before Christmas, Joseph Ducey, one of Arizona Governor Doug Ducey's three sons, found himself handcuffed for a short time at a Scottsdale nightclub before being cited and released. No doubt, that sucked.

And now, Arizonans with kids who sometimes get into trouble know the governor can sympathize.

Ducey, who is 19, was arrested just before 1 a.m. on December 16 at Boondocks, 4341 North 75th Street, Scottsdale, according to a police report obtained through a public records request.

Read more: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona-governor-doug-ducey-son-arrested-fake-id-scottsdale-11084779

December 30, 2018

Bald eagle goes rogue and starts landing on Notre Dame fans before start of Cotton Bowl

America loves Notre Dame. While some may take issue with that statement, it cannot be argued after what happened just before the Cotton Bowl on Saturday. During the national anthem, a bald eagle got loose and started landing on Notre Dame fans.

This wasn’t any bald eagle. This was a trained eagle named Clark who was responsible for flying around the stadium during the anthem before returning to his handler on the field.

That did not happen. During the anthem, the eagle decided to go rogue by landing on two Notre Dame fans in the stands.

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The eagle’s antics led to at least one unbelievable photo.

https://twitter.com/CBusIrish/status/1079119714394218501

Read more: https://sports.yahoo.com/bald-eagle-goes-rogue-starts-landing-notre-dame-fans-start-cotton-bowl-212723954.html

December 30, 2018

College Binge Drinkers Are Posting While Drunk, 'Addicted' To Social Media

College students who binge drink are frequently posting on social media while intoxicated and show signs of social media “addiction,” according to a new study.

Students later may regret their drinking-related posts and experience other negative consequences from combining social media and alcohol use. The research appears in the latest edition of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

“During these times when young students are feeling disinhibited by alcohol, they may be even more likely than usual to post inappropriate material without considering the future impact,” says lead researcher Natalie A. Ceballos, Ph.D., of the Department of Psychology at Texas State University in San Marcos. “In some cases, these sorts of mistakes have even influenced college admission and later job applications.”

Further, friends who view their posts of heavy drinking may then be more likely to perceive intoxication as exciting and fun, Ceballos’s group notes.

Read more: https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2018/12/26/college-binge-drinkers-are-posting-while-drunk-addicted-to-social-media/