One year after a prison escape, security enhancements at Arizona State Prison-Kingman Facility are complete.

Management & Training Corporation, (MTC) is a national operator of Federal Job Corps Centers and one of the leading operators of private correctional facilities, with 20 correctional facilities across the USA. MTC also operates or is a partner in 23 Job Corps centers across the United States.

The company says its key to success is helping people realize their learning potential and providing life-changing opportunities through academic, vocational and social skills training.

“Since the incident in July 2010, MTC has worked very closely with the Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC) in identifying and correcting any security risks. We have conducted multiple internal audits as well as responded to all ADC policies. We believe we have taken several measures that go above and beyond prison standards to ensure this never happens again.”
- MTC President Scott Marquardt

Prior to receiving medium security inmates in the medium security (Hualapai) unit, the facility was audited and was accredited by the American Correctional Association (ACA). Following the incident, MTC ordered a comprehensive assessment of all security policies and procedures.

MTC then implemented the following security enhancements:

AUGUST 2010

New leadership: complex administrator, warden and security chief

Alarm system was thoroughly inspected

Inmate movement was restricted

The number of officers patrolling the perimeter increased

Perimeter vehicles equipped with hand held high-intensity lights

Foot patrols around the perimeter were increased

Traffic was routed away from perimeter road

Random Inmate pat searches increased

Controlled movement and staggered recreation instituted

SEPTEMBER 2010

Aggressive perimeter intrusion procedure training implemented

Inner and outer fence checks increased to twice each shift

Staff certified in maintenance, troubleshooting and repair of alarm system

Alarm response procedure training increased

Emergency response plan reviewed and revised

Staff retraining on management of medium security inmates conducted

Static perimeter post installed

Static observation post installed on southeast corner

Traffic control “face to ID check” procedures implemented

Road barriers installed on internal road leading to the Cerbat unit

Installed blocking gates on existing shared use road

Pedestrian gate in perimeter fence removed

Door control computers reprogrammed for audible door alarm

October 2010

New half-mile road constructed to keep all unofficial vehicles farther from prison complex

February 2011

A one-mile long second perimeter fence was installed around the Hualapai medium security facility. The fence is 10-feet high with four strands of razor wire, exceeding Arizona Department of Corrections standards

Popularity: 31% [?]

Chandler Cultural Foundation Announces New Officers for 2011/2012 Season

The Chandler Cultural Foundation, which facilitates programming and funds development for the Chandler Center for the Arts, announced new officers for the 2011/12 season.  They are:  chairman of the Board David Woodruff, vice-chair Rich Frazier, secretary Anne DeRose, and treasurer Steena Murray.

David Woodruff replaces Ernie Serrano, Jr. who served as Chairman of the Board from 2008 to 2011.   Woodruff has served on the Chandler Cultural Foundation Board of Directors since 2009 and was Vice Chairman from 2010 to 2011. He also serves on the Board’s fundraising committee.

A Chandler resident for more than 20 years, Woodruff is currently the Manager of Business Development for Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers.  He also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Chandler/Gilbert YMCA.

Woodruff received his Bachelors of Science from the University of Nebraska in Business Administration and Finance and his MBA from the University of Arizona.

“I am honored to serve as the Chairman of the Chandler Cultural Foundation,” said Woodruff. “Chandler Center for the Arts is an icon in our community and I am committed to continuing the success that our mission asks of us.  We have a strong and dedicated board and talented staff members, all working together to ensure our ongoing success.”

Chandler Center for the Arts General Manager Katrina Pappas commented, “David Woodruff is a great choice for our new Board Chair. He has the extraordinary insight and fortitude to lead the Board, as well as a true passion for the arts.”

The Chandler Cultural Foundation and its Board of Directors play a critical role in ensuring that the Chandler Center for the Arts achieves its mission making visual and live performance arts accessible to everyone in our community.

The full Chandler Cultural Foundation Board includes:  Tom Carr, Lydia Gonzales, Darlene Heavlin, Pat Krueger, Jade Meskill, Barbara Myerson, Lorah Neville, Ana Regalado, Ernie Serrano, Jr. and Linda Yarborough.

Located in the historic downtown on the northwest corner of Arizona Avenue and Chandler Blvd, the Chandler Center for the Arts is Arizona’s leading collaborative arts institution dedicated to reaching out to audiences of all ages with the highest quality of artistic work to continuously inspire audiences and artists to dream, to discover, to create and celebrate.

The Chandler Center for the Arts serves as a creative driving force, educational resource, and economic engine of entertainment vitality in Chandler by making visual and live performance arts accessible to the entire population.

About Chandler Center for the Arts

The Chandler Center for the Arts is jointly owned by the City of Chandler and the Chandler Unified School District.  The Chandler Cultural Foundation was contracted in 1989 by the City of Chandler as a means to facilitate programming and fund development for the Chandler Center for the Arts.

As a nonprofit organization, the Center relies on a variety of funding sources to help underwrite internationally acclaimed artists, educate young audiences, create important community programs and maintain our remarkable facility. Ticket sales and other earned income do not completely cover the costs of the Center’s numerous programs and education offerings. Only support from individuals, corporations, foundations and our public partners can make these programs possible.

Membership contributions sustain a spectacular array of services and programs and make Chandler a better place to live and visit. To become a member or to purchase tickets with no per-ticket fee, visit the Web site at www.chandlercenter.org

Popularity: 15% [?]

What’s possible when a group of scientists are inspired by a famous superhero and a giant creature from the sea? How about a new technology for stopping drivers in their tracks?

Fleeing drivers are a common problem for law enforcement. They just won’t stop unless persuaded—persuaded by bullets, barriers, spikes, or snares. Each option is risky business. Shooting up a fugitive’s car is one possibility. But what if children or hostages are in it? Lay down barriers, and the driver might swerve into a school bus. Spike his tires, and he might fishtail into a van—if the spikes stop him at all. Existing traps, made from elastic, may halt a Hyundai, but they’re no match for a Hummer. In addition, officers put themselves at risk of being run down while setting up the traps.

But what if an officer could lay down a road trap in seconds, then activate it from a nearby hiding place? What if—like sea monsters of ancient lore—the trap could reach up from below to ensnare anything from a MINI Cooper to a Ford Expedition? What if this trap were as small as a spare tire, as light as a tire jack, and cost under a grand?

Thanks to imaginative design and engineering funded by the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Office of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), such a trap may be stopping brigands by 2010. It’s called the Safe Quick Undercarriage Immobilization Device, or SQUID. When closed, the current prototype resembles a cheese wheel full of holes. When open (deployed), it becomes a mass of tentacles entangling the axles. By stopping the axles instead of the wheels, SQUID may change how fleeing drivers are, quite literally, caught.

The 1.5-foot-wide disc was conceived and developed by Engineering Science Analysis Corporation (ESA) of Tempe, Arizona. S&T’s Borders and Maritime Security Division manages the project.

“SQUID was inspired by a sea creature and a superhero,” says ESA president Marti­n Martinez. Like its oceanic namesake, SQUID ensnares its prey with sticky tendrils. Like Spiderman’s webbing, these tendrils stretch to absorb the kinetic energy of their fleeing target.

Huge amounts of such counterforce are necessary to stop a heavy, swift vehicle: Think Spiderman II, where Spidey stretched his webbing for blocks to halt a runaway passenger train. The force nearly killed him. Martinez took a different approach that would have made Spidey proud: Don’t fight the Force; just stop the axles from turning. Do that and you can stop (almost) anything with wheels.
Can it really work? Marti­nez and DHS think so. In the summer of 2008, a SQUID prototype safely stopped a 35 mph pickup truck (see video). That’s a good start, but before SQUID can be marketed, law enforcement officers need proof that it has the fiber to stop a 5,000-pound vehicle—about the heft of a Ford F-150 pickup—speeding at 120 miles per hour.

Beyond performance, SQUID will need to satisfy other demands of law enforcement. “We must make it lighter,” says Mark Kaczmarek, the S&T SQUID program manager. “Also, more affordable, so it becomes the stopper of choice, regardless of budget.” Finally, SQUID must be rugged, reliable, and capable of being reloaded. These goals will be pursued in 2009, as ESA teams with Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Corporation (PSEMC) of Chandler, Arizona.

Meanwhile, the spidery disc has lured the interest of state and local police as well as federal agencies such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In response to concerns about whether criminals will see the disc, SQUID may be reborn as a centipede—that happens to look like a speed bump.

Martinez and Kaczmarek hope their spidery cephalopod will spawn a generation of offspring—in this case, a family of nonlethal stopping devices for land, sea, and air”¦all based on the same sticky principle, less is more. “If bad guys need ‘inspiration’ to comply,” says a smiling Marti­nez, “we’ll be glad to inspire them.”

Popularity: 30% [?]

A quotidian traffic stop was the site of a large illegal immigration bust this morning, with 18 suspected illegals found among two vehicles on Interstate 10.

An Arizona DPS officer flagged down two vehicles following each other closely near McQueen Road and Chandler Heights at around 5 a.m., with one of the vehicles fleeing into a nearby ditch. A woman, 10 males and a nine year old girl were found huddled together in the stopped vehicle, while one female and five males were later found running away.

The occupants of both vehicles were extremely dehydrated and deprived of sustenance, stemming from a three day stint in the desert. DPS officials supplied them with water and other forms of nourishment.

Both vehicles in question were reportedly stolen and linked to a smuggling ring, and the drivers of both were among the detained.

Popularity: 28% [?]

Phoenix-based EPCOR Water Inc. has entered into an agreement for the acquisition of 100% of the stock of Arizona American Water and New Mexico American Water, wholly owned subsidiaries of American Water Works Company Inc. for total consideration of US $470 million, subject to certain adjustments. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals in both states.

Arizona American Water is a regulated utility that provides water service to approximately 106,000 metered water customers and wastewater services to 51,000 customers. These customers live in 13 municipalities, 90% of which are located within a 20 mile radius in the Phoenix area.

New Mexico American Water provides water and wastewater services to the City of Clovis in eastern New Mexico, and in the greater Edgewood area near Albuquerque, serving more than 17,000 customers.

“This investment is consistent with EPCOR’s strategy of redeploying funds from the sale of our investment in Capital Power Corporation into quality rate regulated businesses. When complete, the transaction will provide EPCOR USA with a strong hub in the U.S. southwest,” said Don Lowry, EPCOR President and CEO. “This acquisition provides a combination of competent and committed people who have a top notch safety record, solid assets, and presence in a market where we have confidence in the long-term growth prospects.”

Mr. Lowry added, “We look forward to continuing the high level of service provided by American Water and participating in the lives of the communities where we will be operating. We will work with American Water and state regulators to make a timely and seamless transition.”

The US $470 million acquisition includes the assumption of approximately $10 million of long-term debt by EPCOR Water Inc. and is subject to regulatory approval by the Arizona Corporation Commission and New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, which is anticipated in the first quarter of 2012. The acquisition will be funded with a combination of cash and debt financing. TD Securities is EPCOR USA’s financial advisor on this transaction.

Arizona American Water employs approximately 200 people, while New Mexico American Water has 25 staff. Once the transaction closes, it is anticipated they will continue to operate the utilities within the EPCOR family.

Popularity: 47% [?]

Notable Christian recording artists Moses and Erica Lugemye of The Springs Church in Chandler commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake with the release of their new song “Alive.” All proceeds from sales of the song will benefit the Youth With A Mission Haiti Homes of Hope program, which provides concrete houses for homeless people in Haiti.

The strongest earthquake in over 200 years struck Haiti just before 5 pm local time on January 12th, 2010. Over 230,000 people were killed, many thousands were injured, and 1.5 million were left homeless. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, and an estimated 1 million people are still homeless.

When asked about the inspiration for the song, Moses replied, “Alive was born through watching a television broadcast from Haiti where children could be heard singing in the midst of the rubble. The song is a passionate declaration of hope over the nation of Haiti, set to an Afro-Caribbean beat with prayers from East Africa. At the end of the song we sing in French so the people of Haiti can understand the message of hope we’re sending.” He added, “We know that many Haiti earthquake anniversary events are being held all over the United States and the world. We wanted to do our part and release this song to help provide hope for people who still find themselves in a very desperate situation.”

All of the proceeds of Alive will benefit YWAM Haiti Homes of Hope. Said Erica, “I was involved with Youth With A Mission during a home build in Mexico, and having experienced it first-hand, am excited to be able to help the people of Haiti in the same way.”

According to Terry Snow, YWAM Haiti Director, “‘Homes of Hope’ is the proven answer for the recovery of earthquake victims! Building strong homes which provide shelter and refuge for both the poorest of the poor and the earthquake victims, we are seeing the nation transformed. We continue to build each day and look at the future with joy as more families who had no home are able to move into permanent dwellings.”

The new song Alive can be previewed and downloaded from iTunes or Lugemye.com:

Popularity: 33% [?]

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson today said he feels “profound sadness” regarding  the shooting deaths of U.S. District Court Judge John M. Roll and five
others in Tucson on Saturday. He asked the 1.8 million members of the Knights of Columbus and their families to pray for the recovery of Rep.
Gabrielle Giffords and 12 other people who were seriously injured in the attack, and for the repose of the souls of those who died.

Judge Roll, who was the chief judge for the District of Arizona, was a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, and was a charter
member of Deacon Raphael Longpre Council 10441, and a member of Msgr. Hughes Assembly 2392, both in Tucson. He had been a member of the Knights of Columbus for 24 years. Members of the Fourth Degree will provide an honor guard at his funeral next week.

“The senseless carnage in Tucson is a terrible tragedy for the victims, their families, the people of Arizona and people of good will everywhere,” Anderson said. “We feel a tremendous sense of loss at Judge Roll’s death, and for all, young and old, who lost their lives in this attack. We pray for God’s mercy on all who have been touched by this tragedy.”

“At a time like this, it is tempting to respond with anger, and for some, to attempt to use the tragedy to stoke the fires of division. That
would only compound the tragedy,” Anderson continued. “As the late Senator Robert Kennedy said following the death of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., ‘What we need in the United States is not division . . . not violence or lawlessness, but love and wisdom and compassion toward one
another.’ Judge Roll, a faithful Catholic who had just attended daily Mass before stopping to greet Rep. Giffords at her community meeting,
was a dedicated public servant who understood this very well. Let us honor his life and service by embracing those qualities of ‘love and wisdom and compassion’.”

Popularity: 52% [?]

Sixteen student teams from 11 states have been named winners in the first round of the fourth annual Lexus Eco Challenge, an educational program and contest that inspires young people to learn about the environment and take action to improve it.  Lexus will award a total of $500,000 in grants and scholarships throughout this year’s program.

Students across the country demonstrated their commitment to the planet with programs aimed at protecting land and water.  Each winning team has earned $10,000 in scholarships and grants to be shared among the students, teacher and school.  Their win has secured each team an invitation to participate in the Final Challenge for a chance at one of two $30,000 grand prizes and eight $15,000 first-place awards. In addition, the winning action plans will be featured on a special Web page to inspire other students to take action in their communities.

“It’s great to see so many different ways the students have delved into their projects,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager.  ”This goes to show that there is a never-ending supply of environmental issues and these students are finding many unique and exceptional ways to take action and improve our environment.”

For each of the challenges, teams are required to define an environmental issue that is important to them, develop an action plan to address the issue, implement the plan, and report on the results.  The Challenge #1 winning teams that best addressed environmental challenges associated with land and water are:

High School Teams:

• New York (LaGrangeville) – “Team CORAL” – Arlington High – Focused on loss of biodiversity, specifically coral reefs.
• New York (LaGrangeville) – “Wet hands in the Wetlands” – Arlington High – Centered on preservation of aquatic habitats and shrinking wetlands.
• Alabama (Hoover) – “Team Cahaba” – Hoover High School – Zeroed in on protecting the species in the Cahaba River by spearheading the 1st Bi-Annual Cahaba River Biodiversity Blitz.
• North Carolina (Buxton) – “Hatteras Green Eco Team” –  Cape Hatteras Secondary School of Coastal Studies – Focused on educating, protecting and preserving Hatteras Island, a fragile barrier island habitat.
• Oklahoma (Red Rock) – “Recyclinators” – Frontier Public Schools – Organized and promoted recycling of pop cans to address pollution.
• Ohio (Chesterland) – “Environmental Discovery Project” – West Geauga High School – Proposed, lobbied and helped passage of Spotted Salamander bill into Ohio’s law in order to address Ohio’s disappearing wetlands.
• California (La Crescenta) – “Eco Savers 2010″ – Clark Magnet High School – Addressed the threat to waterways and oceans and its effects on the lobster population, with a specific focus on California spiny lobsters, Panulirus interruptus.
• Arizona (Chandler) – “Once Upon a Tree” Hamilton Prep – Directed their efforts of preventing desertification by planting trees in Tonto National Forest.

Middle School Teams:

• New Jersey (Hoboken) – “The Eco Saints” – All Saints Episcopal Day School – Led massive effort in banning plastic bags in their community.
• New Jersey (Manahawkin) – “The Kreepy Krawlers” – All Saints Regional Catholic School – Focused on saving the woodlands, trees and forests from gypsy moths, leaf eating moths.
• Florida (Lakeland) – “Eco Med” – Lawton Chiles Middle Academy - Centered on educating the community on eco-friendly ways to dispose of unwanted medicines.
• Florida (Lakeland) – “Eco Wash” – Lawton Chiles Middle Academy – Concentrated on educating the community about eco-friendly ways to wash cars and reduce phosphate pollution in their lakes.
• Iowa (Charles City) – “Eco Chicks” –  Charles City Middle School – Educated the community about the importance of bees and how to save hives from destruction.
• Michigan (Fruitport) – Fruitport Team Eco – Fruitport Middle School – Took on building a rain garden to address the run-off of water that flowed into their local stream.
• California (Pasadena) – Lunch Bunch – High Point Academy – Created and implemented a campaign to reduce waste from lunches.
• California (Hillsborough) – SPEW – The Nueva School – Embarked on raising water conservation awareness by launching a successful argument against the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s effort to divert water.

This year’s Lexus Eco Challenge launched on Sept. 27, 2010, and concludes with the announcement of the first place and grand-prize-winning teams during Earth Month in April 2011.  Challenge #2, which asks students to address the environmental challenges for air and climate, is currently underway and has an entry deadline of Jan. 19, 2011.

Popularity: 42% [?]

A local man was a part of a history making trip that could very well have found the final resting place of famed aviator Amelia Earhart.

Karl Kern, 61 of Chandler spent the better part of three  weeks scouring a small island named Nikumaroro for evidence of the castaway Amelia Earhart, whose plane went down amid much confusion and mystery over the Pacific in 1937 as she attempted to fly around the world. He went with a Delaware group known as The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, or TIGHAR -  a group that has been to the island a total of nine times.

The expedition Kern was a part of ended in June, a journey that ended with some bone fragments and part of a jackknife akin to the one Earhart carried with her. They also found a jar that might have contained Dr. Berry’s Freckle Cream – interesting, because Earhart was known to hide her freckles. In addition, evidence of a fire, small animal bones and shells used to collect water were found on the trip.  Parts of a jackknife and a compact were found on the same site in previous searches.

Kern, owner of KRN Aviation in Chandler, sponsored TIGHAR with $50,000 and climbed aboard for the group’s ninth visit to the tiny three mile long island. A 7,000 mile flight to Samoa and a thee day, 700 mile ship ride to the island later, the 22 explorers worked in intense heat to find more evidence of the presence of a human on the island, in hopes that human was Amelia Earhart.

Kern told the East Valley Tribune “One way or another, there was a castaway that died on that island alone. No matter who, it would be interesting to know more about them.”

One-meter squares of the island were searched at a time, a tedious process that was compounded with digging a mere 10 cm into coral rubble – a process that took a team of two an entire day to get through just two square meters. The search for bone here was difficult, according to Kern: “When it’s all sitting together, everything looks like a bone.”

Nevertheless, the team came up with three bones, a massive step forward considering the time spent at Nikumaroro. A bone that looks like a finger bone is being tested at an Oklahoma lab to find out if it contains human DNA. If so, the DNA will be extracted and matched with DNA of Earhart’s relatives. They are also looking into the jar found on the island, researching as to whether or now the container was unique to the freckle cream.

These discoveries are important to the team, because the island was uninhabited at the time of Earhart’s disappearance.

The $4 million trip has turned up much evidence, but the sleuths at TIGHAR are looking to find more. And of Karl Kern’s presence in the last expedition, TIGHAR executive director Richard Gillespie told the East Valley Tribune “Karl was an essential part of this expedition in many ways.”

TIGHAR next hopes to search for a skeleton found on the island in 1940, and they also wish to send a rover into the deep of the atoll to look for Earhart’s twin-engine Electra. Kern has been invited back for future missions.

Popularity: 77% [?]

Throughout the years, the medical staff at Remuda Ranch has found the holidays to be an especially emotionally vulnerable time for individuals with eating disorders.  Since 1990, Remuda Ranch Programs for Eating and Anxiety Disorders, like one located in nearby Phoenix, has treated more than 10,000 patients suffering from anorexia, bulimia, anxiety and related issues.

“Family members often want to postpone treatment until after the holidays,” said Lesley Williams, MD, director of medical services at Remuda Ranch.  ”This delay can translate to patients not receiving the care they require during an emotional time when their eating disorder behaviors will likely increase rather than improve.”

Many patients who are in treatment during the holidays do miss their families, but they appreciate having the opportunity to receive help during this difficult time.  The stress of the holidays exacerbates eating disorder behaviors and the safety of an inpatient or residential setting allows them to address their eating disorder without outside distractions.

“Eating disorder patients are definitely affected by the holidays,” adds Dr. Williams.  ”The pressure of seeing family members, potential discussions about their appearance or what they are or aren’t eating can all be very anxiety provoking.  This doesn’t even include the tremendous focus on food at every event during the season.”

Dr. Williams says the body can be compromised physically with eating disorders.  Inadequate nutrition from restriction can make it difficult for the brain and vital organs to function.  Electrolyte imbalances caused by purging behaviors also negatively impact the brain and heart.

“Early intervention is critical,” adds Dr. Williams.  ”The sooner an individual gets help, the easier it is to reverse damage that has been done and it can prevent further harm from occurring.”

Popularity: 42% [?]