Colleges adding new courses in drone design, marketing

Stephen Rayleigh and Matt Lyon thought they were done with careers in drones after they left the Army in 2010 and enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott.

Future of drones: Farming looks to 'flying tractors'

Drones in the tens of thousands will be in the skies by 2030, the Federal Aviation Administration predicts. But where some may fear precision weapons or flying spy cameras, Steve Markofski sees flying tractors.

Arizona expected to see a boom in drone businesses

After the high-profile shooting of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in 2010, Scott Rollefstad felt he had to do something to help keep other agents safe.

Local flavors gain favor at Sky Harbor

Visitors to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport's Terminal Four dine at Chelsea's Kitchen, a smaller version of the main restaurant on North 40th Street in Phoenix.

Local flavors gain favor at Sky Harbor

PHOENIX - Travelers accustomed to chain eateries like Chili's and Paradise Bakery now have a chance to experience local offerings at Sky Harbor International Airport, including a new Sir Veza's Taco Garage, part of Tucson's El Charro Café family of restaurants.

New law makes it easier for vets to get AZ licenses

PHOENIX - Under a new state law signed by Gov. Jan Brewer, military experience will count toward a commercial driver's license or a nursing license.

Interest rates on college loans on way up

PHOENIX - Putting herself through school, Shayna Stevens relies heavily on student loans to pursue a degree in secondary education at Northern Arizona University.

GAO: High turnover among AZ safety agents

WASHINGTON - Arizona's safety inspectors are some of the least-experienced in the nation, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office.

Study: Medical marijuana will create 1,500 jobs

Steve Cottrell founded AZ Med Testing, a medical marijuana testing laboratory, after Arizona voters approved the medicinal use of the drug in 2010.

Study: Medical marijuana will create 1,500 jobs

PHOENIX - Medical marijuana will create about 1,500 jobs in Arizona, says a new industry-sponsored study.

Arizona State University offers new pathways for teachers-to-be

PHOENIX - To address a state need for middle and high school teachers, Arizona State University is adding a certificate program and new bachelor's degrees offering alternative paths into the profession.

Border Patrol union offers to give up OT for pay hike

WASHINGTON - Border Patrol agents would be willing to give up time-and-a-half overtime pay if it meant they would not have to be furloughed as part of mandated federal spending cuts, their union president testified Friday.

Border Patrol union president offers pay cut to keep hours

WASHINGTON — Border Patrol agents would be willing to give up time-and-a-half overtime pay if it meant they would not have to be furloughed as part of mandated federal spending cuts, their union president testified Friday.

State parks may merge concession contracts

Arizona State Parks has hired a consultant to explore whether a single concessionaire for all 30 state parks would save money, offsetting several years of deep budget reductions.

Arizona in middle of states for number of exonerations

WASHINGTON - The release of a Tucson man in a decades-old arson-murder case made headlines this week, but a new national report shows Arizona is in the middle of the pack when it comes to exonerating prisoners.

Mexicans less likely to seek citizenship

WASHINGTON - Only 36 percent of Mexican immigrants who are eligible to become U.S. citizens are taking steps to do so, a much lower rate than immigrants from other countries, according to a new study.

1st of 36 state Superfund sites removed from list

PHOENIX - In 1999, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality declared a 10-acre lot near downtown Phoenix, formerly an automobile salvage yard, a state Superfund site.

Phoenix's automated Sky Train set to roll, offering airport link

PHOENIX - Starting April 8, travelers can catch a free, air-conditioned ride aboard the new PHX Sky Train to get to Sky Harbor Airport from either a light-rail station or an economy parking lot.

Passengers will soon be able to take PHX Sky Train

Starting April 8, travelers can catch a free, air-conditioned ride aboard the new PHX Sky Train to get to Sky Harbor Airport from either a light-rail station or an economy parking lot.

AZ tribal casinos show continued rebound

WASHINGTON - Revenue from tribal gaming in Arizona grew at more than twice the national rate in 2011, rising for a second year as the economy inched out of recession, a new report says.

Freeway camera upgrade keeps motorists updated

PHOENIX - An upgrade to the 200-plus highway traffic cameras in the Phoenix area and Tucson allows drivers to track real-time traffic conditions and avoid congestion.

Tempers flare at hearing on Central Arizona copper mine

WASHINGTON - A four-hour congressional hearing grew testy Thursday as House members considered a bill to swap thousands of acres of private and federal land to make way for a massive copper mine in Central Arizona.

Mining plan gets Pinal support

The proposed mine near Superior involves a federal land swap and has drawn opposition from environmental and Native American groups. Potentially, the copper mine would become the largest in the country.

Women owners expect growth, survey reveals

WASHINGTON - Almost half of female business owners surveyed in Arizona expect their companies to grow over the next five years, a new report says.

Survey: Arizona's women-owned businesses expect growth

Almost half of female business owners surveyed in Arizona expect their companies to grow over the next five years, says a new report.

Defense cuts bigger threat to small AZ firms

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Defense cuts bigger threat to small AZ firms

PHOENIX - Smaller companies with contracts to supply products and services to Arizona's top-tier aerospace and defense companies face the greatest threat if sequestration cuts take effect, according to a new report.

Arizona bill requires students to demonstrate skills in personal finance

PHOENIX - Twenty years ago, accountant Sharon Lechter decided to devote her career to financial education and literacy after her oldest son graduated from high school and soon fell into credit card debt.

Ariz. companies fear big-time hit under sequester

WASHINGTON - A delegation from the Arizona Technology Council came to Washington this week hoping to persuade Congress to stop automatic spending cuts that would hurt state defense contractors and could lead to layoffs.

Lawmaker: Make schools get consent to use isolation rooms

PHOENIX - When Leslie Noyes stopped by her son's Glendale elementary school last year, she said she found him lying face-down on the floor of an enclosed, 5-by-5-foot structure in the back of the special education classroom.

Google lets homebound 'hike' Grand Canyon trails

Google has taken Street View out of the city and veered into the Grand Canyon, adding to its maps 9,500 interactive panoramas of the landmark's winding trails and surrounding roads.

Cuts to renewable-energy incentives blasted

PHOENIX - Environmentalists and solar-industry leaders are saying they fear that recent cuts to renewable-energy incentives by the Arizona Corporation Commission will lead to future reductions that could harm the industry.

Bill aims to help visiting military get medical training

PHOENIX - Streamlining the state's permitting processes and waiving fees for licensed military medical staff receiving hands-on training at Arizona hospitals would lead to better care for soldiers around the world, a state lawmaker says.

Bill aims to help visiting military get medical training in AZ

PHOENIX — Streamlining the state’s permitting processes and waiving fees for licensed military medical staff receiving hand-on training at Arizona hospitals would lead to better care for soldiers around the world, a state lawmaker says.

Study: Rx-drug abuse falls in AZ to 6th-highest in US

WASHINGTON - Arizona had the sixth-highest level of prescription pain-reliever abuse in the nation in 2010-2011, according to a recent government report.

Vast US lands for energy projects

PHOENIX - The U.S. Interior Department designated 192,100 acres of Arizona public land on Friday as having potential for large-scale wind- and solar-energy development.

Border towns urge steps to improve economies

WASHINGTON — Mayors from U.S.-Mexico border cities urged Congress to pass immigration reform and invest in improved ports of entry, moves they said would lead to greater diplomacy and help the economies of both countries.

special report: Hospitality workers want better safety regulations

As a former room-service worker at a Phoenix hotel, Daria Ovide said she saw housekeepers harm their backs, knees and wrists lifting dozens of heavy mattresses each day.

AZ universities join effort to cut food waste, promote composting

TEMPE - The apple cores, half-eaten sandwiches and other unappetizing scraps thrown out at Arizona State University's Barrett Dining Hall would usually end up in a landfill. Instead, it will become compost to grow gardens and trees.

Arizona's E-Verify law widely ignored, rarely enforced

WASHINGTON - Five years after it took effect and more than a year after it was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, an Arizona law requiring that businesses check the citizenship of every new hire is often disregarded and rarely enforced.

Researcher: Arizona housing recovering faster

PHOENIX - Not requiring mortgage lenders to take foreclosure cases to court is helping Arizona recover from the housing crisis faster than states that do, according to an Arizona State University researcher.

Incoming Senator Farley to push ban on texting, driving

State Sen.-elect Steve Farley said he will reintroduce legislation next year to ban texting while driving, despite repeated rejections in the House, noting that the rest of the country has finally caught up with his idea.

Phoenix group's plan: Lure Calif. business

PHOENIX - Arizona has lots to offer California businesses, starting with lower taxes and cost of living, says Barry Broome, CEO and president of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.

Report: Net sales are costly to state

Booming sales on Cyber Monday might have meant savings for consumers, but they could also have meant lost revenue for the state of Arizona, a new report says.

Tax credits sought to lure movies to AZ

It's like a movie on its third sequel: Advocates will try again next legislative season to revive tax credits to lure movie productions to Arizona, and to expand the program to include other forms of multimedia.

Report: AZ is 2nd in income disparity

WASHINGTON - Arizona had the second-highest income inequality in the nation between 2008 and 2010, trailing only New Mexico for the gap between its richest and poorest residents, a new report says.

Report: Arizona had 2nd-highest gap between rich and poor

Arizona had the second-highest income inequality in the nation between 2008 and 2010, trailing only New Mexico for the gap between its richest and poorest residents, a new report says.

$15.5 million sought for state parks improvements

PHOENIX - Delaying capital improvements needed after years of deep budget cuts to Arizona State Parks will only exacerbate the problems and increase future costs, a state lawmaker said Wednesday.