The Tucson Electric Power Company (TEP) has announced that in 2009, when the current freeze on power charges is lifted, it will raise rates to customers by at least 23%. The increase would come at the end of a seven year cost freeze agreement that was to hold customer prices at a fixed rate, and allow for the growth of competition. TEP made more than one proposal on rate increases, and even said it would start now to phase in the 23% price increase. Another TEP proposal calls for an increase of 26%. There’s no word yet on what will actually be done, but a rate increase of at least 23% can be anticipated. Currently, TEP customers pay 9.1¢ per kilowatt hour. The national average cost per kilowatt hour is 8.97¢.

WHERE DID THE AFRICANIZED HONEYBEES (AHB) COME FROM?

The first colonies of Africanized honeybees or so-called “killer bees” arrived in southern Arizona in the early summer of 1993. This bee, first introduced in Brazil in 1956, escaped into the wild and its descendants have been moving slowly toward the US ever since.

WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?
Africanized honeybees look similar to the domestic or common European honeybees, and only a highly trained specialist, using sophisticated laboratory equipment, can tell them apart. Just like their mild-mannered cousins, the Africanized honeybees establish colonies of up to 40,000 individual bees. Both types of bees will swarm, a process social insects use to produce new colonies; however, each Africanized honeybee colony typically swarms four to eight times annually compared to an annual rate of less than one swarm per five colonies for European honeybees.

WHY ARE THEY CALLED “KILLER BEES”?
Africanized honeybees have received a great deal of notoriety because they defend their hives (or colonies) so diligently. Compared to European bees, the AHB are more likely to sense a threat at greater distances, become more upset with less reason (even with minimal or no provocation) and sting in much greater numbers. Individual stings from the AHB are not more powerful or painful; in fact they are slightly less potent than the European bee, but victims of attacks may be stung hundreds of times. Away from the hive, they are no more aggressive than other bees or wasps. Swarms which have not established a colony are not as likely to attack because they have no brood to defend. They will not form large swarms and hunt for you as suggested in some movies.

HOW DO I AVOID THE AFRICANIZED HONEYBEE?
Honeybees, wasps and yellow jackets sting to defend themselves or their nests. If you can avoid disturbing them in any way, they will not sting. To avoid approaching a nest by accident, listen for the steady buzz produced by a colony and look for flying insects. European honeybees are usually found in the standard hive box; however, the Africanized honeybees are not as particular about where they establish a colony. Look for them to nest in cavities such as holes in the ground, crevices in rocks, hollow trees, discarded tires, saguaro cactus cavities or water meter boxes. Homeowners commonly encounter colonies when doing yard work. Don’t climb a tree, kick over a log or roll over a rock without checking first for bees. If you do see a colony, don’t stand in front of the entrance or in the flight path. Treat honeybee colonies as you would a venomous creature such as a snake or a scorpion; be alert and stay away.

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO PREVENT ATTRACTING BEES?
When hiking or hunting, wear light colored clothing. Wear white socks, pants and long-sleeved shirts if possible. Avoid wearing shiny jewelry and leather, which may annoy bees. Bees may be sensitive to odors such as perfumes, soaps, after-shave lotions and hairspray. These odors either attract or provoke bees. Sun tan lotions, oils and sunscreens may have odors that increase your chances of an attack, so if used, use sparingly. Sunscreen use is recommended in Arizona due to the high risk of skin cancer, so consider a product with little or no odor when making your purchase.

Avoid excessive motion when near a colony. Bees are able to detect movement and are much more likely to respond to an object in motion than one that is stationary. Avoid flailing your arms or swatting at bees. Don’t panic if you spot a bees’ nest, just move away slowly and deliberately.

WHAT IF I AM ATTACKED?
The best strategy to minimize stings once a colony of Africanized honeybees begins to attack is to run away as quickly as possible until the bees stop following (up to 1/2 mile). Because the bees tend to target the sensitive areas around the eyes and head, cover your head as much as possible by pulling your collar up over your ears or your shirt over your head and around your face, without blocking your vision, while you run. Get inside a house, car, or other closed building. Don’t worry about bringing a few bees in with you, just get indoors. If shelter is not available, run into high brush and zig-zag as much as possible. If you are trapped for some reason, cover up with blankets, sleeping bags, clothes, etc.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I SEE SOMEONE ELSE ATTACKED?
If you see an attack, chances are you, too, will be attacked. The victim should be running away and so should you. Try to steer a clear path away from the area and tell the victim to follow you. Do not try to rescue a trapped victim without something to protect both of you. Blankets, sheets and clothes can be used. Protecting a victim against more stings could save their life.

WHAT SHOULD I DO AFTER I HAVE REACHED SAFETY?
When a honeybee stings, it leaves its stinger in your skin. This kills the bee, so it can’t sting again. Once you are away from the bees, remove all stingers from your body. Do not pull them out with tweezers or your fingers as this will only squeeze more venom into the wound. Scrape them out using your fingernails, the edge of a credit card or a dull knife. If you received a great many stings and are feeling ill or if you have any reason to believe you may be allergic to bee stings, seek medical attention immediately. For a medical emergency involving attacks dial 911.

WHAT DO I DO IF I FIND BEES IN MY YARD?
Wild bees, as well as honeybees, are almost always present around flowering plants gathering nectar and pollen and should be left alone. A swarm of several thousand bees may separate from an established colony and may, during this transition, settle at a resting site. They are rarely defensive unless provoked since they have no hive to defend and may move off shortly. If a colony has established itself in your neighborhood, or a swarm has not moved off, keep everyone away and call an exterminator. Prices differ among exterminators and the complexity of removal varies, so obtaining cost estimates would be useful.

Presented by: THE MARICOPA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

• East Fort Lowell Road at the Agua Caliente Wash
• South Dawson Road at East Country Club Road
• East Limberlost Road at the Agua Caliente Wash
• South Old Nogales Highway south of Lumber Street
• East Old Vail Connection Road at the Franco Wash
• West Overton Road at the Cañada del Oro Wash
• North Soldier Trail at the Agua Caliente Wash
• East Summit Street at the Franco Wash
• North Tanque Verde Loop Road at Tanque Verde Creek
• North Wentworth Road at Tanque Verde Creek
• South Wilmot Road from East Sahuarita Road to East Andrada Road
• East Snyder Road between North Kolb Road and North Sabino Canyon Road
• East Limberlost Road at North Soldier Trail
• North Camino de la Tierra at the Rillito River
• South Harrison Road at the Pantano Wash

On August 5, 2006, at approximately 10:45pm, deputies from the Rincon District responded to the 7000 blk. of East Snyder Road for a home invasion/armed robbery.  Upon arrival, deputies found Arturo Fred Heuser (DOB 08/19/68 ), deceased inside a residence.  Pima County Homicide Unit Detectives responded to further investigate.  According to witnesses, two Hispanic males forced entry into the residence, brandishing firearms.  Both men held the victim’s son and an unidentified female inside the residence at gunpoint.  The victim was shot at least once before the suspects fled the scene. 

Homicide Detectives are looking at the possibility of drugs and money as a motivating factor. 

Homicide Detectives are looking for two Hispanic males.  The first is described as being approximately 5’8” with a thin build.  The first suspect was wearing a light gray shirt with dark jeans and dark dressy-type shoes.  He had a T-shirt over his head to hide his face.  The second suspect reportedly has a dark complexion and mustache.  He was wearing a royal blue short-sleeved shirt, a baseball cap and dark jeans.  Anyone with information is asked to contact 911 or 88-CRIME.

Public Information Officer
Pima County Sheriff’s Department
1750 East Benson Highway
Tucson, Arizona 85714
(520) 741-4600

According to Tucson City Manager Mike Hein, five city employees received disciplinary measures on Monday, August 14, 2006. The five city workers have been engaged in a practice called “buddy punching.” This is when one employee punches the timecard for another – thereby logging in hours that were not actually worked. This is frequently done by a supervisor, who then gets a kickback from each employee who gets paid unearned wages. In the current case, three of the employees are “primary management staff,” according to the Tucson City Manager.

Currently, the estimated losses in paid out wages are at $100,000, but that number is sure to soar as the investigation now continues to other departments and divisions. Also, the number does not reflect overtime costs. The city is starting an audit to determine the true extent of the losses. These are losses to the Tucson citizens who pay taxes. And they won’t stop with just the lost wages, they’ll include the oversight costs to catch the evil-doers, then the cost of processing their prosecution and disciplinary actions, and then the costs of court, etc. This fiasco could easily get to the $250,000 mark in costs. There appears to be no mechanism in place which provides for the perpetrators of such fraud to pay back the ’stolen’ money.

According to an article in the Tucson Citizen: “Tucson Unified School District has three schools that have been performing so poorly that the state is demanding corrective action. If these three schools do not improve, they could be taken over by the state.” The article also mentions that several other Tucson schools are marginal by state and federal standards.

Apparently, the TUSD (Tucson Unified School District) is directing considerable resources at resolving this problem of sub-standard education in Tucson. They want to get the problem resolved before the state takes the schools over. This begs two simple questions of the powers that be: 1) If Tucson is indeed capable of fixing the educational deficiencies in the TUSD, then why has it allowed them to get into such a poor state to begin with? 2) Since the state of Arizona has a long history of disgraceful national rankings in education (Arizona always ranks in the bottom 5 of 50 states, and right now it’s #50), what makes anyone in the state’s education system believe they could manage a Tucson school better than anyone in Tucson? And a third question: If Tucson continues to fail in this matter, and Arizona handles it, who will monitor their conduct? After all, they don’t have much of a track record of success in education.

Tucson has car thieves. Those car thieves stay busy, and the residents of Tucson suffer. Below are some interesting statistics that might help you avoid getting your car stolen from the streets and parking areas of Tucson. This information was compiled and presented by the Tucson Police.

TUCSON TOP TEN LIST OF MOST STOLEN VEHICLES FOR JUNE 2006

1) Honda Accord
2) Honda Civic
3) Dodge R1500
4) Ford F150
5) Chevy Slv
6) Dodge Intrepid
7) Dodge Trucks Ford F250
9) Nissan Sentra
10) Chevy Cam

TOP LOCATIONS FOR STOLEN VEHICLES THE FIRST 6 MOS of 2006

Tucson Mall       
Park Mall         
Tierra Bonita Apartments
Sandstone Apartments   
Walmart           
Tamarack Apartments    
Woods at Midvale     
Los Montanas      
Northpoint Student
Presidio East Apartments

Robert E. Walkup, Mayor of Tucson, has issued the following proclamation: 

WHEREAS, there exists a severe overpopulation of our nation’s most popular animals, dogs and cats, all across the United States; and

WHEREAS, there are too many cats and dogs born and too few families willing to adopt them; and

WHEREAS, the dog and cat overpopulation crisis can be solved: first, by having dogs and cats spayed and neutered before their first litter and, secondly, by adopting a dog or cat from your local animal shelter; and

WHEREAS, irresponsible dog and cat owners who do not spay or neuter their pets are responsible for taxpayers in this country spending millions of dollars each year on unwanted animals; and

WHEREAS, humans domesticated dogs and cats and these pets depend on us, it is our obligation to provide responsible, humane care for these animals throughout their lives.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert E. Walkup, Mayor of the City of Tucson, Arizona, do hereby proclaim August 19, 2006 to be NO MORE HOMELESS ANIMALS’ DAY

in this community, and encourage all of our citizens to accept responsibility for the care of their dogs and cats, including having them spayed or neutered.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the City of Tucson to be affixed this 19th day of August 2006.

Robert E. Walkup, Mayor

The Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) is starting a four moth test of an Australian-based company’s telephone notification system for schools. The system, “Messageyou,” calls and notifies parents when their child or children are not in school. The telephone alert system has been in use for about three years in Australia, and is in some 200 schools there. According to an Arizona state law, the parents of students who are not present in class need to be notified by 10:00 AM. While Tucson schools already have systems in place to notify parents in accordance with the law, this new system is said to be much better. Considering where Tucson and Arizona rank nationally in education, maybe budgets currently used for student tracking purposes might be better spent on actually educating the youth.

The Tucson Police Department is pleased to announce that we are currently accepting applications to the Fourteenth Teen Citizens’ Police Academy. Applications are available on line for students ages 13-17 at www.cityoftucson.org/police. Click on the Youth Pages link for the Teen Academy program. The academy will begin on Sept 16, 2006, at the City of Tucson Public Safety Academy, 10001 S. Wilmot. All classes are held from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM on seven consecutive Saturdays. A formal graduation will be held on Oct 28, 2006. Class size is limited to 50 students and applicants are encouraged to apply early before the Sept 8, 2006 deadline. Applications are also available at 270 S. Stone in the School Resource Office or with any School Resource Officer. Additional information about the program can be obtained by contacting Sgt. Sean Cunneely, SRO Unit, (520)791-4499 ext. 1803.

The curriculum includes a wide variety of instruction and demonstrations. Topics include traffic, DUI, drug awareness, school safety, problem solving, leadership, teen court, domestic violence, street gangs, and rights and responsibilities to name a few.

Upon completion of the seven-day program, the students are awarded a certificate of completion and earn 3 college credit hours offered through Pima Community College. The graduates are then eligible to return to the following Teen Academy to participate as class counselors. The success of this program has been built upon a cooperative effort of the Citizens’ Police Academy Alumni Association, the local business community, private donations, and the Tucson Police Department’s School Resource Officer Unit. We are grateful to our business partners and Chief Miranda’s commitment to youth programs to offer this course of instruction to all participants at no cost.