PHOENIX, Arizona, Nov. 14 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management's Arizona State Office issued the following news release: The Bureau of Land Management has approved construction of a 500-kilovolt generation tie line (gen-tie) about 60 miles west of Phoenix in Maricopa County. A gen-tie line connects the facility where energy is generated into the larger transmission system. This project will support the delivery of solar energy from the 150-megawatt Harquahala Sun s  more

TUCSON, Arizona, Nov. 16 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management's Arizona State Office issued the following news release: The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on an environmental review for a proposed travel management plan covering 951,842 acres of BLM-managed public lands in the Gila-San Simon areas. The proposed plan would designate routes for motorized and non-motorized travel, establish maintenance guidelines, and identify use restrictions to  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- The White House Council on Environmental Quality issued the following news release on Nov. 15, 2023: Today, White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Brenda Mallory delivered a keynote address at the One Water Summit in Tucson, Arizona and laid out the Biden-Harris Administration's vision for a national commitment to protect clean water. Her speech followed the U.S. Supreme Court's disappointing decision in Sackett v. EPA earlier this year. Referring to Sa  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug Administration issued the following news release on Nov. 15, 2023: Today, the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona entered a consent decree of permanent injunction ordering Smart Women's Choice, Inc., an Arizona-based company, and Jennifer A. Richard, its chief executive officer, to stop distributing drugs until the company complies with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and other  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued the following news release: NOGALES, Ariz. -- A Southern Arizona man was sentenced Nov. 2 to 120 months in prison followed by 36 months supervised release for importing fentanyl. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case. "This repeat felon will spend the next decade in prison for attempting to smuggle this deadly drug that has c  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Nov. 16, 2023: The Justice Department announced today that the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry (ADCRR) has agreed to adopt systemwide reforms to correct and prevent discrimination against incarcerated people with vision disabilities. The agreement resolves the Justice Department's findings that ADCRR violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by discrim  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Nov. 15, 2023: A superseding indictment was unsealed today in the District of Minnesota charging 14 additional members and associates of the Minneapolis Highs gang with racketeering (RICO) conspiracy and fentanyl trafficking. Additional charges include firearms violations, kidnapping, assault, and carjacking. In addition to the previously charged conduct involving a years-long pattern of violence, the su  more

LUKE AFB, Arizona, Nov. 13 -- The U.S. Air Force issued the following news: By Airman 1st Class Mason Hargrove, 56th Fighter Wing The 56th Fighter Wing conducted Instructor Pilot War Day in conjunction with a larger joint-force exercise hosted by the 944th Fighter Wing, Exercise Desert Hammer, Nov. 3-4, over the Barry M. Goldwater Range, Arizona. Exercise Desert Hammer combined with IP War Day, involved more than 300 combat support Airmen and 96 aircraft, this joint-force exercise is a routin  more

ARLINGTON, Virginia, Nov. 16 -- The U.S. Air Force issued the following news: The Department of the Air Force selected Morris Air National Guard Base, Arizona, as the location to receive up to nine Slovak-owned F-16s to be temporarily stationed in the United States beginning in the spring of 2024 through fiscal year 2026 at the 162nd Wing. The addition of Slovak-owned F-16s at Morris ANGB will require an increase of almost 30 ANG personnel, and only four of the possible nine aircraft will be u  more

TUCSON, Arizona, Nov. 14 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service issued the following news release: The National Park Service and DarkSky International are pleased to announce Saguaro National Park's certification as the newest Urban Night Sky Place. This certification recognizes sites that are near or surrounded by large urban areas, and whose planning and design actively promote an authentic nighttime experience in the midst of significant artificial light at night. Sag  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued the following news release: SAN ANTONIO - A Nepali national in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) passed away at the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center (KCIPC) in Karnes City, Texas, Nov. 13. An autopsy is pending to determine the official cause of death. Subash Shrestha, 34, a citizen of Nepal, entered the United States at or near Lukeville, Arizona   more

PHOENIX, Arizona, Nov. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona issued the following news release: A federal jury in Phoenix convicted three former owners of Backpage.com yesterday of multiple counts of promoting prostitution business enterprises and multiple counts of money laundering, including conspiracy offenses. Michael Lacey, 75, of Paradise Valley, Arizona, was convicted of one count of international concealment money laundering, and the jury was unable to reach   more

TUCSON, Arizona, Nov. 14 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona issued the following news release: Elias Sambrano, 33, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 60 months in prison, followed by 48 months supervised release. Sambrano pleaded guilty on April 26, 2023, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. Sambrano organized and attempted to organize sales of co  more

PHOENIX, Arizona, Nov. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona issued the following news release: Thvoughn Lynden Curry, 31, and his wife, Alexis Daneen Curry, 32, of New River, Arizona, were arrested on November 2, 2023, pursuant to a federal indictment charging wire fraud and money laundering. Alexis made her initial appearance in Riverside, California on November 7, 2023, and Thvoughn made his initial appearance in Riverside, California on November 14, 2023. The Cur  more

TUCSON, Arizona, Nov. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona issued the following news release on Nov. 14, 2023: Ryan Schlesinger, 31, of Tucson, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury of second-degree murder of a federal officer. Second-degree murder is a homicide committed with malice aforethought, which means deliberately and intentionally, or recklessly with extreme disregard for human life. Second-degree murder is a class A felony punishable by up to life in p  more

ANDERSON, South Carolina, Nov. 16 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina issued the following news release: Darrecos Lamon Taylor, 42, of Anderson, was sentenced to 235 months for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine and 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine. Jessica Miranda, 41, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced to 48 months for Conspiracy to Possess wi  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued the following news release: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Incident Command Team, in collaboration with partner agencies, continues to develop and implement conservation strategies to help California condors as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) spreads on the landscape during fall migration season. Incident Update Field Operations The Incident Command continues to collaborate with   more