ADOT building new weigh station for Douglas Port of Entry The Arizona Department of Transportation began construction this week on a new commercial truck weigh station to inspect vehicles passing through the Douglas Port of Entry.
The new commercial vehicle inspection station will be housed inside a 5,800-squarefoot building featuring two inspection bays and eight inspection work stations as well as restrooms and janitorial facilities.
The $4 million facility will be constructed on a nearly 11-acre site northeast of the intersection of US 191 and State Route 80 in Douglas, in the same location as the existing inspection station. This project will include an administration building for the ADOT Enforcement and Compliance Division and a separate building for inspection activities.
Both the administration and inspection facilities will be built to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver environmental standards that will include using local building materials, low-water-use landscaping and plumbing fixtures, and parking for fuel efficient vehicles.
Commercial vehicle inspections will continue on the location during construction of the new facilities, which is expected to be complete in late 2013. Traffic on US 191 and SR 80 will be unaffected by the construction.
For more information about this project, contact Safford District Senior Community Relations Officer C.T. Revere at 520.705.3574 or crevere@azdot.gov. Visit www.facebook.com/azdot or www.azdot. gov for more information about ADOT. For more information about ADOT projects and programs across Arizona see the agency's latest blog posts at http://adotblog. blogspot.com .
Border trade message gains traction By Curt Prendergast, Nogales International
A year and a half ago, a trio of Santa Cruz County businesspeople asked a legislative committee in Phoenix for help in speeding up crossing times at Arizona’s ports of entry.
Bruce Bracker, Jaime Chamberlain and J.B. Manson told the Interim Joint Border Security Advisory Committee that legal cross-border traffic from Mexico accounts for approximately 60,000 jobs in Arizona’s
retail sector, that visitors from Mexico spend more than $7.3 million per day in the state, and that produce companies were thinking about moving to Texas because of delays at the Nogales port. The reception to their plea was cool, to say the least. Sen. Steve Smith (R-Maricopa) wondered aloud about possible ulterior motives of all those Mexican visitors, while Sen. Al Melvin (R-Tucson) said he wouldn’t even sign a non-binding resolution in support for increased staffing at the ports. However, since that low point in May 2011, state politicians’ attitudes toward border trade have thawed, allowing commerce to take the place of immigration enforcement at the forefront of conversations about the border, according to policy experts. CLICK HERE to read more
“AZ Earn to Learn” Offers $3.1 Million in Scholarship Funds for Low-Income Students Who Complete Savings & Financial Education Program
Arizona’s three state universities – Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona – in partnership with the Arizona-based non-profit organization Live the Solution - are launching “AZ Earn to Learn,” an innovative needbased financial aid program that pairs $3.1 million in scholarships with more than 700 students from low-income families. Participation in AZ Earn to Learn includes a savings plan and completion of financial literacy and college readiness training. AZ Earn to Learn is funded with $1.55 million in federal grants from the United States Department of Health and Human Services/ Assets for Independence (AFI) program provided to the three state universities, each of which will also provide matching funds. This is the first time in the federal agency’s history that state universities have applied for and received matching funds for a scholarship program of this nature. “AZ Earn to Learn is a groundbreaking initiative that will provide critical need-based aid to students who otherwise might not have access to higher education, better preparing them for the financial and academic rigor of university life,” said Arizona Board of Regents Chair Rick Myers. “I am extremely proud that our state universities are leading the nation in this unique program. AZ Earn to Learn will help students achieve financial security by developing strong savings habits and acquiring a lasting asset: a university education.” CLICK HERE to read more.
The Turning Point Monthly, January 2013, page 7