Friday, July 16, 2021
Thursday, July 15, 2021
WASHINGTON – The number of migrant deaths recorded in the Arizona desert so far this year is on pace to break the record set just last year, as migrants attempt the crossing in the face of a record-breaking heatwave.
Humane Borders and the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office reported finding the remains of 127 migrants in the first half of 2021. That was ahead of the 96 deaths recorded at the same point in 2020, which set a record of 226 deaths for the year.
The deaths come as migrant apprehensions at the Southwest border have surged to their highest level in years, with almost 930,000 Southwest border encounters through the first eight months of fiscal 2021, more than twice the number for all of the year before.
They also come as the West is in the grip of a historic drought and a blistering heatwave. In June, Phoenix saw high temperatures above 115 degrees for a record-setting six days in a row, while Tucson set daily record highs in that same six-day period.
“It’s so hot that even having water isn’t necessarily going to save somebody’s life,” said Doug Roupp, board chair for Humane Borders. “Some of the people who were found dead had water on them – that’s a tough pill to swallow.”
While groups such as Humane Borders, Tucson Samaritans and No More Deaths work to provide water for migrants crossing the desert, they are also encouraging people not to cross the border now, when conditions are so harsh.
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Tucson Unified School District will be offering a remote-only learning option for the coming school year.
On August 5, students who would prefer to learn online will be able to attend Tucson Unified Virtual Academy K-12. Students would follow a regular class schedule, like in-person instruction, and the district would provide the technology devices and software. If students feel they are not fit for online learning, they do still have the option to return to in-person learning. For the coming school year, students can switch back to in-person learning and return to the school they were enrolled in at the 1st quarter Progress report date (September 1-3, 2021), or at the end of each quarter.
While students would be attending class remotely during the week, they can still participate in after-school programs in-person, such as sports or other activities.
In a letter to parents and the TUSD community on Wednesday, Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo recognized that families would be concerned about returning to in-person learning since the district would no longer be able to require masks in schools after Gov. Doug Ducey signed the Arizona Budget Bill on July 30.
He said the governing board would discuss safety recommendations for school re-entry at the upcoming meeting on July 20. While the district can longer mandate masks, he wrote they still “highly recommend a mask be worn by anyone who is not vaccinated.”
To learn more about the Tucson Unified Virtual Academy email [email protected] or call 520-225-6330.
Several local roads are closed because of flooding, according to the Pima County Transportation Department. Recent storms have produced flash-flood warnings from the National Weather Service.
Roads closed as of Wednesday morning:
- Manville Road West of Sandario Road - all directions
- Manville Road West of Avra Road
- Sandario Road South of Desert Oasis Trail
- Avra Valley Road West of El Paso Gas Road
- Avra Valley Road East of Trico
- Jamie Avenue North of Bopp Road
- Overton Road from La Cholla to Verch Way
- Wilds Road East of Lago del Oro Parkway at the CDO Wash
- Lago del Oro from Rail N Road to Golder Ranch Road
- Silverbell Road from Sweetwater Drive to El Camino Del Cerro
- Hawser Street from Twin Lakes to Coronado Forest Drive
PHOENIX – Is bringing humankind to Mars necessary or realistic in our lifetimes?
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is adamant about it, and he and two fellow billionaires are pushing the boundaries of how far private companies have gone into the stratosphere and beyond.
But some experts are raising concerns about the high-priced and publicity grabbing aeronautics.
“Space is not forgiving. It’s conspiring to kill you every minute,” said Madhu Thangavelu, a lecturer at the University of Southern California and expert in the design of complex space projects, including space stations and exploratory missions. “And we have this innate desire to go out and be among the stars … but we are not capable biologically to do that.”
Despite such daunting obstacles, Thangavelu, who has discussed space travel with Musk, finds the early efforts promising.
In May, SpaceX successfully launched and landed a Starship rocket for the first time without exploding. Starship SN15’s completion of the high-altitude flight test marked a huge milestone in Musk’s ambitions to send humans to Mars.
SpaceX estimates it would take six months to get to Mars. Thangavelu said he has asked Musk many times about the logistics of passengers living in a rocketship for that long. Musk told him that he’ll set people up with where they want to go but it’s their business what they do during the time it takes to get there.
