Generous donors help PACC offer care on the go

On July 12, Pima Animal Care Center and its nonprofit partner, Friends of PACC (FOP), unveiled "Karen's Karing Van," a state-of-the-art mobile veterinary clinic named for longtime Friends of PACC supporter Karen Bright. The unit will be used throughout Pima County to provide free vet services to pet owners in need with the goal of keeping pets healthy and at home with the families who love them.

Dedicating the van were, from left, Monica Dangler, PACC’s director of animal services; Dr. Francisco Garcia, deputy county administrator; Laura O'Brien, chair of the FOP Board; Dr. Jennifer Wilcox, PACC’s chief of veterinary services; Clark Bright, Karen’s husband and an FOP Board member; and Torre Chisholm, FOP executive director.

County program honors the dead, gives public a creative outlet

It had been a long day for Noelle Hunt. She was tired, stressed, driving home from work. It was then that Hunt (pictured) got a strange, unexplainable urge to pull into Evergreen Mortuary and Cemetery on Oracle Road.

That “urge” led to a new vocation painting more than a dozen tiles on the columbaria where the remains of hundreds of people are interred, part of a program run by the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office.

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Green Geek takes on towels, glass and pool covers

Summer’s here, and that means it’s time to take the cover off your pool, grab your beach towel, and fill your glass with plenty of water. If you’re environmentally conscious, though, it’s only natural to wonder how you can keep those items out of the landfill once they’ve outlived their usefulness.

The Green Geek is here to answer your questions about all things green! You’ll find this column in Pima County FYI on the second Friday of each month. If you have a question about anything green-related, send it to [email protected]. And now, on to this month’s questions.

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Partnership with County, Food Bank nets hundreds of pounds of donations

Hotdogs, hamburgers, fireworks, and friends. For most people this is what comes to mind when they think about Independence Day. Unfortunately, not everyone in our community is able to enjoy all those things due to food insecurity.

This is where a partnership between Pima County and the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona comes into play.

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New option at PACC helps adopters find the perfect pup

Walking through the dog kennels of an animal shelter can be overwhelming. At a large shelter like Pima Animal Care Center, a potential adopter may be asked to view as many as 500 dogs, all of whom greet visitors with a happy bark, wagging tail, or soulful eyes. Making the decision of which one pup appeals to you and which would be the best fit for your home can be difficult.

In an effort to help folks choose the right dog for them, the PACC Adoptions team recently began offering a new option: “Match me with a dog!”

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Multiple awards reflect Wastewater’s reputation for excellence

As a rule, Pima County’s wastewater team doesn’t call much attention to itself. Like the sewer system it operates, the department runs day to day with quiet, unobtrusive professionalism.

However, that doesn’t mean that its accomplishments have gone unrecognized. This year, the Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (RWRD) has already received a number of awards that highlight its exceptional performance in more than one area.

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Libraries host listening sessions on improving internet accessibility

The library was without internet for days. Crews worked hard to find the cause, only to find that a rat had chewed through one of the fiber cables. In that short amount of time, school assignments went uncompleted and job applications remained unsent in a small, rural Pima County community.

But the Connect Pima initiative aims to remedy the problems caused by internet inaccessibility.

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Public comment sought on Hearing Officer applicants

The Superior Court in Pima County invites public comments no later than noon on Tuesday, July 18, regarding applicants for a Hearing Officer vacancy.

Hearing Officers work as a judicial officer for the Superior Court, interpreting and applying local and state laws during various family law, civil, and criminal court proceedings.

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Borrow a blood pressure kit at your local library

Pima County Public Library, in collaboration with the American Heart Association, is offering blood pressure kits for check out at all branches. Borrowers simply place a hold on a kit and it will be sent to any library location for pickup.

Kits may be checked out for six (6) weeks, with one possible renewal, if no one is waiting.

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