Free Republic

Rep. Raul M. Grijalva quietly arranged a “severance package” in 2015 for one of his top staffers who threatened a lawsuit claiming the Arizona Democrat was frequently drunk and created a hostile workplace environment, revealing yet another way that lawmakers can use taxpayer dollars to hide their misbehavior on Capitol Hill.

Up to 1,000 non-native fish died in the Lower Santa Cruz River, a retired fish biologist says, because a state contractor diverted river water for an Ina Road bridge construction project. The diversion moved the river’s treated sewage effluent from the west bank to the east bank, away from the towering, shady willow trees along the west bank. It ended Friday, a little more than a week after it started, when the contractor dug a new channel near the bridge site to reverse the effluent’s course back to the west bank. The diversion “was a necessary part of the construction,”...

Heard on the James T Harris radio show today that Tucson's 20 X 30 foot giant American Flag at Quebedeaux Mitsubishi here in Tuscon on Speedway was burned at 4:30 in the morning sometime this weekend by vandal protesters who got away - for now. They did severe damage to the pole and left a huge pile of ashes on the sidewalk. The family has flown a big flag at their car lot since 1958. The arson squad was summoned and examined the scene. I'm assuming this is part of Antifa's big resistance weekend. Quebedeaux Mitsubishi was astounded by the...

In September, 2017, the City of Tucson taxpayers agreed to pay the State of Arizona for the legal fees required to stop the City Council from violating State law.  The Council had required that legal, valuable firearms be destroyed rather than sold for the benefit of the public. Even liberal academics understand that is a waste of valuable resources. In 2012, Arizona made the wasteful practice of destroying valuable firearms illegal for local governments.From AZCDL.org: This legislation was a follow-up to a 2010 law that required forfeited firearms to be sold to authorized dealers and not be scrapped. Unfortunately, there...

The City Council of Tucson has finally been forced to stop their irrational violation of state law. For years the city council has been destroying valuable property that could have been sold for the benefit of the public. Instead, they insisted on expensive destruction for political grandstanding.Since 2013 they have ordered 4,820 guns to be destroyed, conservatively valued at between $500,000 and $1,000,000. Guns sold at auction by police routinely bring $100 – $200. One gun destroyed by the city is claimed to have been a rare collectible valued at $10,000. A Colt Python in mint condition turned in...

Long-time freeper relocating from 110% Dem. voting district (you know what I mean) in Brooklyn to a Tucson development with one of the largest (if not the largest) Republican clubs in America (learned about it on FR about a decade ago!). So sick of running into people who insult Trump continuously, just assuming I'm of like mind because I don't wear a swastika or other Nazi paraphernalia. Was inspired by recent thread started by freeper moving to Phoenix. BTW, I know it's hot!

TUCSON — Park University’s Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (Ariz.) Campus Center held its commencement ceremony on June 10 at the Fox Tucson Theatre. The University had 15 students eligible to participate in the ceremony — 14 students received a bachelor’s degree and one student received an associate degree. Among them was Robert W. Keough, a graduate of Buena High School. Keough graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in social psychology.

There were not many open seats at a pair of meetings last week over proposed routes that would send Interstate 11 through the Tucson area. Many of those in attendance were there to speak against two of the alternatives, which run west of Saguaro National Park West in the Avra Valley.“I understand the need to provide ways for people to move around," said Kimberly Baeza, "But it doesn't have to come at the expense of our open landscapes and beautiful Sonoran Desert.”The meeting is part of the second step in selecting the route I-11 could take through Arizona. The freeway...

Following several days of bad publicity, University of Arizona officials said Friday they may eliminate the title — but not the job — of student "Social Justice Advocates." It's not just the title of the new job position creating problems, either.

TUCSON, Ariz. - Border Patrol agents in the Tucson Sector made an immigration stop on a suspicious vehicle near Elgin, which led to a pursuit and the discovery of over 2,000 pounds of marijuana worth over $1 million. As the agents attempted to stop the pickup truck on Lower Elgin Road, northeast of State Route 83, officials say the suspect vehicle sped up.

NACO – An incomplete cross-border tunnel was uncovered by a construction worker clearing old fencing near Naco. According to Christopher Sullivan, a public information officer and Border Patrol agent based out of the Tucson sector, the construction worker contacted Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents at the Brian A. Terry Station to report a “possible smuggling tunnel.” Following an investigation, agents discovered the unfinished tunnel. “The tunnel was approximately 15 feet deep and extended into the United States about four feet from the international boundary fence,” he said. “The tunnel has no ventilation or lighting.” The tunnel has already been filled...

Imagine a dust storm, driven by monsoon downbursts, building near the Maricopa-Pinal county line. There are thousands of Interstate 10 motorists and hundreds of thousands of Phoenix exurb residents who would probably want to know about such a storm before the stinging, blinding wall of sand arrives. But does all of metro Phoenix need to get the alert? Likely not, but the National Weather Service’s Ken Waters told the dozens of attendees at the annual dust-storm workshop in Coolidge last week that that’s exactly what would happen with the existing cellphone warning system in place for dust events. “If I’m...

PHOENIX — Claiming they have been treated with "contempt,'' an attorney for residents near Davis Monthan Air Force Base is telling a judge he needs to order the Air Force to conduct a full-blown environmental impact statement on the effects of flight operations there. In new court filings, Joy Herr-Cardillo said the military in 2012 did do a less formal "environmental assessment.'' It concluded there would be no significant impact on those living in and around the flight path of the Tucson facility. But she told U.S. District Court Judge Javier Soto the assessment was flawed because it used 2009...

A skirmish has broken out in Tucson as one law enforcement agency has barred another from carrying out its mission. The blue-on-blue battle reflects nationwide concern over just how far various policing bodies will go to enforce the nation’s laws and policies toward immigrants. *snip* According to a previously unreported posting on the Border Patrol Agency Facebook wall, the Tucson Police not only declined to help Border Patrol but actually evicted them from the Tucson Police Department, where they’d established a task force to try to track down the escapee.

Link only. http://tucson.com/news/local/crime/tpd-decision-not-to-continue-search-with-border-patrol-draws/article_1c1509b8-1806-5fda-b06e-bd3e52d2ef63.html

TOMBSTONE – Saddle up and hang onto your hats! It’s rodeo time! While Arizona celebrates Tucson Rodeo festivities, third-graders from Huachuca City School are learning all about riding, roping and ranching, as well as a little rodeoing on the side. On Wednesday, about 50 young buckaroos traveled to Tombstone High School for a crash course on cowboys and ranching. The Future Farmers of America students organized the event and worked with the young cowboys and cowgirls as they dabbled in bull riding and roping and learned how to saddle a horse. They met goats and other petting zoo animals and...

... Tides Foundation, which is funded by George Soros. They donated $50,000. Other donors were the city of Tucson and the United Steel Workers labor union. Charities associated with several major corporations also donated. Patagonia.org, the outdoor apparel and equipment company, gave $40,000. The Ben & Jerry Foundation, the charity associated with the ice cream maker, gave $20,000. And Lush Cosmetic gave $43,950, the Daily Caller reported. Laughably, the Peace Development Fund gave $5,000 to this domestic terrorist organization. The New World Foundation also donated. That is a group chaired by Hillary Clinton in the 1980s. ...

Determined was a good word to describe Jillian Bearden, who won the women’s 106-mile race in 4:36.07. Bearden, who is transgender, rode for the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance — SAGA — to promote gender inclusion within cycling. Saturday marked the 36-year-old’s first El Tour, which is Southern Arizona’s largest participatory sporting event.

Handguns from an Arizona Turn In Event, 2013 In 2013, the Arizona Legislature passed HB 2455, to prevent the destruction of valuable firearms by lower levels of government in the state. No penalties were imposed. It is not normal for local governments to destroy valuable property, at least not when the property can be legally sold for the public benefit. But in this case, the property was being destroyed for ideological purposes, not for pragmatic ones. The purpose of destroying valuable guns is to send the propaganda message: guns bad.  Some cities, especially Tucson, refused to obey the law....

On July 6th, 2016, the Tucson City Council banned the sales of any gun capable of firing 10 or more rounds without reloading, at gun shows held at the Tucson Convention Center. From tucson.com: Any weapon capable of firing 10 or more rounds can no longer be sold at the Tucson Convention Center. The Tucson City Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to add more restrictions on private gun sales at the city-owned venue. The resolution was put forward by Ward 3 Council Member Karen Uhlich and the Vice Mayor Kozachick.  From a pdf of the resolution: FWe request the...