By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
Pro Indoor Football Coming to Town
Tucson Arena will be home to an Indoor Football League team, marking the organization’s seventh franchise. It was announced during an August press conference at the venue.
It will begin playing in the 2019 IFL season. Kevin and Cathy Guy are the majority owners of the team. Kevin spent 19 seasons in arena and indoor football, 14 as a general manager and head coach, and 10 seasons with the IFL’s Arizona Rattlers. He has become the winningest head coach in the team’s history.
“This is Tucson’s team,” Kevin Guy said. “We love the market and want to be a part of the growth of the downtown district. We feel Tucson is the perfect fit in the Indoor Football league. It fits our strategic plan of developing a Western Conference. It is a high-scoring, fast-paced game where fans can reach out and interact with the players.”
Tucson’s expansion team joins franchises in Phoenix; Des Moines, Iowa; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Grand Island, Nebraska; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Sioux Falls, Iowa.
Technology firm bringing 300 jobs to Tucson
An Indian technology solutions provider is expanding to Tucson, bringing with it more than 300 mechanical and electrical engineering jobs in five years.
The new Tucson operation will expand the company’s ability to provide engineering services to U.S.-based manufacturers, particularly mining clients in Southern Arizona.
“We chose Tucson to be closer to Caterpillar, one of our key customers, as well as other clients in the mining industry,” said Mritunjay Singh, Global CEO and executive director of AXISCADES. “The entire region is strong, not only in mining but also other key AXISCADES strategic growth areas such as aerospace, defense and health care.”
The company has leased office space at 177 N. Church Avenue. AXISCADES joins name brands such as Caterpillar, Hexagon Mining, Ernst & Young, Tucson Electric Power, Madden Media and others that have expanded operations in Tucson’s core.
UMC and Banner-University named a ‘Best Hospital’
University Medical Center Phoenix and Banner – University Medical Center Tucson have been recognized as Best Hospitals for 2018-19 by U.S. News & World Report.
The University of Arizona-affiliated medical centers earned recognition in a variety of specialties in the publication’s rankings.
This year, Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix ranked No. 2 in Arizona and ranked among the best in the nation in five categories: geriatrics (19), pulmonology (31), nephrology (32), cardiology and heart surgery (43), and neurology and neurosurgery (50).
Banner – University Medical Center Tucson was No. 1 in Tucson (No. 3 in Arizona) and ranked nationally in gynecology (36), pulmonology (49) and nephrology (50).
County attorney receives $2M grant
The Pima County Attorney’s Office was awarded a $2 million grant to continue and expand programs offering drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration.
The $2 million grant awarded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will be provided over a five-year period and will be administered by the Pima County Attorney’s Office in collaboration with the Pima County Superior Court, the Consolidated Justice Courts, and Tucson City Court.
The funding will be used to support several individual specialty courts including the Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison program, standard felony Drug Court, and a new Consolidated Misdemeanor Problem-Solving Court (CMPS or Compass Court).
PACC seeks donations for ‘Go Kits’
Pima Animal Care Center is partnering with Friends of PACC and the Primavera Foundation to provide “Go Kits” for homeless people and their pets.
The staff is looking for food, collapsible bowls, leashes, collars, flea and tick treatment, dog booties and treats to contribute to the program. Supplies will be packaged in easy-to-transport bags and distributed at Primavera Foundation’s downtown Homeless Intervention and Prevention Center and throughout the community.
Visit facebook.com/PACCfriends for more information.
League of Women Voters hosting election panel
The League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson is hosting a panel discussion about “How to Be an Informed Voter in the Post-Truth Era” from 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday, September 15, at the Joel D. Valdez Library, 101 N. Stone Avenue.
The panel will discuss “the differences between fact and fiction and what steps voters can take to better determine if something is true or false.” Speakers include Kate Kenski, UA associate professor in communications; and Chris Weber, UA associate professor of government and public policy, among others.
Vivace named a ‘most scenic restaurant’
OpenTable’s 100 Most Scenic Restaurants in America list has been released, and it includes Vivace.
This year’s list “highlights restaurants that offer breathtaking views of nature, cityscapes and travel-worthy landmarks,” OpenTable said. Debuting in 1993, Vivace Restaurant made OpenTable’s list in 2016 and 2017.
For the entire list, visit opentable.com/lists/most-scenic-restaurants-2018.
UA professor arrested
A UA adjunct professor was arrested by Pima County Sheriff’s deputies on child porn charges.
Peter Cotty, a research plant pathologist who works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, allegedly possessed images showing children engaging in sex acts. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children passed on cyber tips to PCSD.
