Charles Borla

Tucson

Local Government Reporter at Arizona Daily Star

UA '22 | Local Govt. Reporter @TucsonStar Tips - shoot me a DM or send an email: [email protected]

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Articles

Schools with low vaccine rates focus of county shot clinics

3 weeks ago | tucson.com | Charles Borla

Pima County will send mobile vaccination units to schools ahead of next school year under a plan approved Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors. Mobile units are set to be sent to schools in the county that have vaccination rates for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) below 95%, the accepted level for herd immunity. Supervisors pushed for such a vaccination effort in response to recent measles outbreaks across multiple states.
Tucson's main library moving across the street

3 weeks ago | tucson.com | Charles Borla

Tucson's main library will be moved into a former downtown bank the county has purchased across the street. Supervisors on Tuesday approved purchasing the former Wells Fargo Building, 150 N. Stone Ave., for about $6.2 million. It will become the new home Joel D. Valdez Library, the main branch located across the street at 101 N. Stone Ave. The county also acquired two "ancillary" buildings and an adjacent parking lot.
Pima County commits to invest $250M in affordable housing

3 weeks ago | tucson.com | Charles Borla

Pima County is set to spend $250 million in affordable housing efforts over the next 10 years under a 10-year plan the Board of Supervisors approved Tuesday. The county will invest at least $200 million over 10 years, primarily through incremental increases in the primary property tax rate each year, in addition to the $5 million the board has allocated to affordable housing in its base budget since 2022.
Planned industrial center would bring data center, missile company to Tucson

1 month ago | tucson.com | Charles Borla

A new industrial center in the works for Tucson's southeast side would host at least one data center and, sources say, a hypersonic missile company. Plans filed with Pima County show three "Illustrative Concept" designs that a 290-acre parcel of county-owned land near the Pima County Fairgrounds could be used for. County staff and the county Planning and Zoning Commission recommend approval of those land uses.
Some Pima County health department services to move to new service center

1 month ago | tucson.com | Charles Borla

The Pima County Health Department will be moving three services in the Northwest Service Center this summer. The Northwest Service Center, 1010 W. Miracle Mile Road, will house the Health Department's consumer health and food safety, vital records and the North Clinic. The moves are expected in June and July, the county said in a news release.
Qatari Embassy paid for Tucson mayor's trip, contrary to city's statement

1 month ago | tucson.com | Charles Borla

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero’s trip to the Qatar Economic Forum was paid for by the Qatari Embassy in Washington, D.C.A city spokesman originally said inaccurately that Bloomberg Philanthropies footed the bill. Romero left last Friday to travel to the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, the nation's capital. After the city's original statement was challenged by Bloomberg, Romero's office clarified Wednesday afternoon that the Qatari Embassy paid for her trip.
In Tucson, Gov. Katie Hobbs advocates for Head Start program

1 month ago | tucson.com | Charles Borla

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs visited a Head Start program on Tucson's south side Wednesday to highlight the importance of it and the consequences that cutting the federally-funded program would have across the state. Hobbs stopped at Liberty Elementary School, home to Liberty Head Start, where she was joined by parents and staff from the nonprofit Child-Parent Centers, which delivers Head Start and related programs throughout Southeast Arizona.
Council restores some funding to Tucson early-education program

1 month ago | tucson.com | Charles Borla

The city council on Tuesday voted to restore some of its funding allocation for a county-operated early education program. The Pima Early Education Program Scholarships, more commonly known as PEEPs, is set to receive about $250,000. That's nearly half the amount the city has given the program in the past.
Major upgrade to Tucson park sparks criticism from aid groups

1 month ago | tucson.com | Charles Borla

Tucson's Santa Rita Park is undergoing a multi-million-dollar upgrade that requires its temporary closure, prompting criticism from groups that aid people who are homeless. The park on East 22nd Street north of South Tucson is a popular resting place for homeless people. Advocates have been critical of the city and how the closure has been handled. The park closed late last month, and fencing was installed around it ahead of an April 24 groundbreaking ceremony.
Pima County joins lawsuit against feds for money spent to house migrants

1 month ago | tucson.com | Charles Borla

Pima County has joined two other American cities in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for money they say is owed for sheltering migrants. The lawsuit that includes Chicago and Denver was filed Friday against DHS and its disaster relief agency for withholding federal grants awarded to the municipalities to operate migrant shelters through the agency's Shelter and Services Program.