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In Focus
The nation turns its weary, bloodshot eyes to Phoenix next week with President Trump making a much-anticipated stop in the Valley on Tuesday. The biggest looming question remains: why?
Will he announce federal funding for the Phoenix-to-Vegas leg of the future I-11? Make a downpayment on The Wall (and invoice to Mexico)? Launch his 2020 re-election campaign (Motto: “Bigger. Better. Biglier”)?
The visit comes on the heels of a tumultuous week that featured a white supremacist rally and counter-protest in Charlottesville that turned violent. Racial tensions are high, which led Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton to ask the President to consider delaying his visit.
Some believe President Trump is coming to Phoenix to announce a pardon for Maricopa County’s recently-convicted former sheriff, Joe Arpaio. The President suggested he’s open to the idea earlier this week.
But Arizona is also the home to a couple of the President’s favorite political punching bags: Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake. Might this visit include an endorsement from the stage for President Trump’s chosen 2018 challenger against Senator Flake? Again, this week delivered a hint at the thinking of our nation’s Tweeter-in-Chief.
Weightier potential challengers, including State Treasurer Jeff DeWit, former AZ GOP Chairman Robert Graham and Congressman Trent Franks, continue to wait in the wings. None has made a formal move toward entering the Senate race, despite rampant speculation.
In the meantime, law enforcement is bracing for unrest, and elected officials are preaching calm. Sounds like a good day to “work from home.”
Program aims to help give Arizona's inmates a second chance, outside of prison
Fox 10
There have been many reports recently about the job market heating up, but not everyone has an easy time finding work.
That is especially true for those who have been convicted of crimes.
There is a program, however, being pushed by Governor Doug Ducey (R-AZ) that is helping to give those people a second chance, in hopes of keeping them from heading back to prison.
Lewis Prison, or more properly, ASPC Lewis, is a facility near Buckeye. Prison is, by no means, a nice place, but there is a program in place that aims to help those who walk out of the complex from walking back in anytime soon, and it appears to be working.
Sunrise Employment Center is a kind of unemployment and job training office that is situated in the middle of the Lewis Prison Complex. It's a place where people who have made some big mistakes in life are getting training, as well as inspiration.
Inmates have to volunteer to be at the center. Once they do volunteer, they will learn all kinds of skills, in a hands-on setting, to get and keep a job.
According to Charles Ryan, Director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, the program is seeing success.
[...] Read more HERE.
Arizona draws more Baby Boomers than every state but Florida
The Arizona Republic
Sunshine, affordable housing and lower taxes are drawing more Baby Boomers to Arizona.
Many in this huge group don’t want to retire like their parents but are picking the same state to do it in.
A couple of new rankings show Arizona, and particularly several Valley cities, are the most popular for Baby Boomers to move to after they stop working full time.
- Arizona ranked second behind Florida for drawing the most people over 60, according to personal finance firm Smartasset. It analyzed the latest Census data from 2015 and found Arizona grew by 27,576 retirees. It also attributed the state’s low property taxes to the trend.
- Mesa topped the list for U.S. cities with the most new residents over 60, drawing 3,442. Phoenix ranked No. 4 with 1,470, Chandler No. 5, with 1,458, Peoria No. 7 with 1,310 and Gilbert No. 8 with 1,002.
- Tucson ranked No. 1 and metro Phoenix No. 4 in the nation for the best places to retire, according to apartment researcher Zumper. It analyzed crime, weather, demographics and health-care stats as well as rents for its ranking.
- Started with Sun City
[...] As Baby Boomers began to turn 50, builders started to try to figure out what this huge population nearing retirement would want.
It wasn’t clear then that Arizona’s sunshine and affordable home prices would be enough.
What was clear was many Baby Boomers didn’t plan on really retiring and want something different than their parents did at 60.
[...] Read more HERE.
Jobs keep coming to the Valley
12 News
PHOENIX - Almost everywhere you look around the Valley, jobs are on the rise. In fact, the University of Arizona Economic and Business Research Center says, "the state continues to outpace the nation in job creation."
The Valley added 60,200 jobs in 2016. Thousands of them were in the healthcare and bioscience sectors, where jobs are growing three times the national average. This is thanks, in part, to incentives from the state and cities, including Phoenix.
[...] Technology companies, especially those in the old warehouse district, are exploding. There were 67 of them in 2012. Now there are nearly 300.
Plus, both healthcare and finance jobs are at all-time highs.
Simultaneously, public layoff announcements are down. Banner Health slashed 500 jobs, in one of just five Arizona employers that issued public layoff notices in the first half of this year.
Meanwhile, 49 companies have made public hiring announcements for 11,440 new jobs. This includes Quicken Loans sending 1,100 employees to the One North Central Building in downtown Phoenix.
Overall, the unemployment rate is holding steady. It’s now at 4.5 percent, down from a high of 10.4 percent during the Great Recession.
It's not just jobs that are increasing in the Valley -- the salaries workers are earning are, too. Personal income grew 4.3 percent last year. And according to research from the University of Arizona, it’s set to grow even more both this year and next year.
Read more HERE.
Veridus clients in the new
Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Expands Welding Technology Program to Avondale Campus
Additional campus location addresses strong industry and student demand
AVONDALE, Ariz., Aug. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Technical Institute (NYSE: UTI) announces the expansion of its new Welding Technology program to the UTI-Avondale campus in the Phoenix area. Student and employer interest in the program is high in anticipation of classes scheduled to begin in January 2018.
[...] In July, UTI-Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) became the first UTI campus to launch the new welding program. The first class was filled to capacity, illustrative of strong student interest.
Welders are increasingly sought in industries ranging from automotive fabrication and motorsports to aerospace, energy and virtually every kind of manufacturing. Between 2014 and 2024, industry will need to fill more than 128,000 new and replacement positions.1 Welders are particularly in demand for major infrastructure projects that keep our nation moving, including: vehicles, bridges, highways, office buildings, schools, pipelines, power plants, refineries and even spacecraft.
The UTI Welding Technology program prepares students for certification via the American Welding Society. The program includes hands-on training and instruction through a comprehensive curriculum developed in collaboration with Lincoln Electric, a global leader in the welding industry.
[...] The 36-week UTI Welding Technology program will train students as entry-level welders and equips them with the knowledge and skills to work in the transportation, construction, structural, pipe and fabrication industries. Courses include Principles of Welding, Gas Metal and Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Pipe Welding, Safety, and more.
The program is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and complements UTI's core automotive, diesel, motorcycle, marine and collision repair programs across the nation.
Read more HERE.
Walmart vs. Amazon: who is chasing who - you might be surprised
Phoenix Business Journal
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) reported earnings today as it navigates an oversaturated retail sector, takes on Amazon.com Inc. (NYSE: AMZN) and secular changes in favor of e-commerce.
There’s also some sentiment among retail industry and Wall Street analysts that it might not be Walmart chasing e-commerce giant Amazon.
“If you asked me a year ago, I would have said Walmart is chasing Amazon,” said Brian Yarbrough, a senior research analyst with Edward Jones.
But Yarbrough said Walmart’s $3.3 billion buy of Jet.com, its $310 million purchase of Bonobos and other moves such as free store pickup of groceries, discounts on store pickups of online purchases and cutting shipping charges has shifted his thinking.
“Now I see Amazon is reacting to Walmart,” Yarbrough said.
Walmart reported earnings of $1.08 per share edging analysts expectations of $1.07 per share.
The retail giant reported 60 percent growth in online sales as it beefs up its e-commerce push after its acquisition of Jet.com.
Walmart has big regional operations in Phoenix and Goodyear. That includes a regional headquarters and distribution centers. It is also one of the largest employers in Arizona.
Amazon also has distribution and regional operations in Goodyear, Tempe and Phoenix.
“Traffic increases at store level and the e-commerce growth rate are key highlights. We are moving faster and becoming more creative as we strive to make every day easier for busy families,” said Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon.
Same-store sales rose 1.8 percent and customer traffic was up 1.3 percent.
Walmart is still a lot bigger than Amazon overall. It reported second-quarter revenue of $123.3 billion. Amazon’s most recent quarter had revenue of $38 billion, according to Google Finance.
Read more HERE.
Cigna salutes Alliance Residential, Scottsdale for commitment to employee wellness
Scottsdale Independent
Cigna has selected Alliance Residential Company and the city of Scottsdale as winners of its fourth annual Cigna Well-Being Award for demonstrating a strong commitment to improving the health and wellness of employees through workplace wellness programs.
[...] In 2016, Alliance Residential Company officially introduced “aLIVE” an internal wellness movement to promote a variety of activities and initiatives, according to a press release.
The movement is based on physical, mental, financial, career, social and community wellbeing.
[...] This is the third consecutive year Scottsdale has been selected for the award, the release states.
The City’s “Live Life Well” program is a comprehensive program that is based on health promotion, physical activity, safety, finance and well community. The city offers onsite and online classes for employees on wellness, stress management, employee assistance programs, physical fitness, nutrition, and tobacco cessation.
[...] According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. employers lose more than $225 billion each year in productivity due to employee health problems.
Applicants for the award are evaluated based on the core components of their wellness program, including the goals, implementation, incentives, leadership engagement and employee participation.
Read more HERE.
Buckeye dairy turns cow poop into power
ABC15
BUCKEYE, AZ - At this Buckeye dairy farm, nothing goes to waste.
[...] The farm is one of two in the state using what's called a 'methane digester' -- a system to, simply put, turn cow waste into usable power.
Waste water collected from the dairy's 20,000 cattle flows into a pond where solids are filtered out and used as fertilizer. The remaining fluid is then put under a 7-acre tarp where methane gas is collected and piped to a generator. The system produces enough energy to power 487 homes.
[...] Environmental Capital manages the methane digester and transfers the power generated from it to California where, Ellingson said, it's worth more. There's no economic incentive to keep the power in the state, he said. A national big-box retailer, that he declined to name, then buys the power to use in their operations.
Read more HERE.
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