Kids on field trip got moldy food in Mesa
PHOENIX - First-graders going on a field trip were provided moldy sandwiches and carrots, prompting the Mesa Unified School District to retrain cafeteria workers on proper food-storage practices.
The Arizona Republic reported three classes of students were on the trip Tuesday to the Mesa Arts Center, but it's not certain how many got spoiled food.
District spokeswoman Helen Hollands said teachers told the students to throw away the bad food, but the students were allowed to consume the chips and juice drinks also in their bags.
The trip took place early in the day, and the students were allowed to get free hot lunches in the cafeteria when they returned to school.
Flagstaff to weigh ban on feeding wildlife
FLAGSTAFF - The Flagstaff City Council will consider whether to impose a ban on feeding deer and other animals.
The Arizona Daily Sun reported that the council will take up the topic because of a request from a homeowners association.
Mayor Jerry Nabours said the Continental Country Club homeowner's association told him that one resident leaves out food for elk and deer on his property over the objections of neighbors.
According to Nabours, that's resulted in some residents' complaining that wild animals are tearing up lawns and leaving behind droppings.
Nabours said he would support a new law only if it doesn't prohibit feeding of birds and squirrels.
Cow manure removed from cultural sites
FREDONIA - Forest employees have removed more than 2 tons of cow manure that were marring cultural sites in Northern Arizona.
The employees from the Kaibab National Forest spent two days this week sifting through sagebrush, scorpions and dirt to remove the manure.
Forest officials discovered that the cows had broken through fences this past winter and trampled an area known for its high concentration of pictograph sites.
Many of the sites within the Kanab Creek Wilderness are designated as historic and require special protection. They also hold cultural significance to nearby American Indian tribes.
The forest is planning other cleanup days throughout the year to address the damage caused by the cows.
AZ roads, bridges fare poorly in new report
PHOENIX - A new report said more than half of Arizona's roads are in poor or mediocre condition and nearly 1,000 of the state's bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
The American Society of Civil Engineers rates the nation's infrastructure every four years.
Engineers evaluate conditions and improvement needs for roads, bridges, drinking-water systems, ports, mass transit and the electric grid.
The report says that of Arizona's more than 60,000 miles of public roads, 52 percent are in bad shape.
The group said the state's poor road conditions cost drivers $887 million a year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs.
The study also shows 247 of Arizona's bridges are considered to be structurally deficient and 721 are considered functionally obsolete.
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