By ALEXANDER MacLEAN
Cronkite News Service

PHOENIX (Thursday, Nov. 19) _ Even as residents cut back on spending due to the uncertainties of sagging economy, the Arizona Lottery’s sales are holding up, the latest figures show.

Sales rose 2.4 percent in the fiscal year that ended in June and were up 17.9 percent in the first quarter of this fiscal year as whopping Powerball jackpots helped drive sales.

Two economists said they found those results surprising given the deep recession, but Jeff Hatch-Miller, the lottery’s executive director, pointed to new games and increased advertising that the Legislature made possible by providing more funding flexibility starting in 2008.

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By Cronkite News Service

Here are the Arizona Lottery’s sales for every fiscal year since 2000:

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By IAIN WOESSNER
Cronkite News Service

PHOENIX (Thursday, Nov. 19) _ Arizona’s unemployment rate resumed its climb in October, though a return to form in seasonal hiring provided a ray of hope, the state Department of Commerce announced Thursday.

The jobless rate stood at 9.3 percent last month, up from 9.1 percent in September.

Despite the rise, the state added 13,200 non-farm jobs, led by gains in retail, trade and employment services.

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By Cronkite News Service

Here are the unemployment percentage rates by county, according to the Arizona Department of Commerce:

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By TRAVIS GRABOW
Cronkite News Service

YUMA _ Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park preserves everything from original buildings like the commanding officer’s quarters to covered wagons that carried supplies to Army posts around the Southwest.

A rarer sight on the grounds these days is state employees: The park is now run not by the state but by a partnership put together by the city.

Unwilling to see the park close down even temporarily after budget cuts left Arizona State Parks reeling, the city offered to take over day-to-day operations here.

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By Cronkite News Service

Here are quick facts about Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park:

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By CHRISTINE ROGEL
Cronkite News Service

PHOENIX (Wednesday, Nov. 18) _ Arizona’s poverty rate stood at 14.7 percent in 2008, 13th highest in the nation, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released Wednesday.

In all, 935,000 Arizonans were estimated to live in poverty, defined by the federal government as less than $14,489 per homeowner under 65. That was up from 876,000 in 2007.

“It’s worrisome because behind the numbers are real people and families struggling, and during the recession it has gotten worse,” said Timothy Schmaltz, coordinator for Protecting Arizona’s Family Coalition. “We’re living in a state where we have food boxes, but they’re smaller than they were a year before because they are serving more people.”

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By Cronkite News Service

Here are the U.S. Census Bureau’s estimates of poverty rates in Arizona counties in 2008:

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By KRISTA NORSWORTHY
Cronkite News Service

PHOENIX (Wednesday, Nov. 18) _ People are confusing “tonnage” with knowledge when it comes to the crush of information available today, NBC anchor Brian Williams said Wednesday.

“Facts matter less, throw experience in there too,” Williams said as he received an award from the journalism school named for legendary CBS anchor Walter Cronkite. “We are all finding it is a heck of a lot easier to voice an opinion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan than it is to go and report back home on what you find.”

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By Cronkite News Service

Some others who have won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication:

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By IAIN WOESSNER
Cronkite News Service

PHOENIX (Tuesday, Nov. 17) _ Arizona’s decision to repeal domestic partner benefits for state employees discriminates against homosexuals, an advocacy group said Tuesday in announcing a lawsuit.

“These gay and lesbian state workers just want the same thing that the workers at the next desk, in the next patrol car, get,” said Tara Borelli, an attorney with Lamda Legal, a national group that promotes gay rights.

The group filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Phoenix on behalf of 10 state employees who rely on domestic partner benefits. It names Gov. Jan Brewer and three officials with the state Department of Administration: David Raber, the interim director; Kathy Peckardt, the human resources director; and Phillip Hamilton, assistant director of the Benefits Services Division.

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Here are quick facts about domestic partner benefits for state employees in Arizona:

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PHOENIX _ In a Nov. 16 story about a Chinese solar-panel manufacturer basing its North American headquarters and manufacturing in Arizona, Cronkite News Service erroneously listed the title and organization of Barry Broome. He is president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.

By EVAN WYLOGE
Cronkite News Service

PHOENIX (Monday, Nov. 16) _ Federal stimulus money has saved more than 12,000 jobs in Arizona and laid the groundwork for a economic recovery built on information services and technology, Vice President Joe Biden said Monday.

“We’ll come out of this stronger than when we went in it,” Biden said during a roundtable discussion at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. “But we can’t have it built on a bubble. We can’t have it built on a dot-com bubble. We can’t have it built on a housing bubble.”

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Here are quick facts about the economic stimulus in Arizona, according to www.recovery.gov:

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By KRISTA NORSWORTHY
Cronkite News Service

PHOENIX (Monday, Nov. 16) _ A Chinese solar-panel manufacturer’s decision to put its North American headquarters and about 150 jobs in Arizona shows that a law providing tax credits will boost the state’s appeal to renewable energy firms, Gov. Jan Brewer said Monday.

“They are high-paying jobs and, yes, they will be Arizonans,” Brewer said at a news conference. “I know that today we are celebrating what is more to come for the future for renewable energy companies to come to Arizona, the land of solar.”

Brewer said Suntech Power Holdings Co. will employ up to 400 people within a few years at a 100,000-square-foot operation it will establish in the East Valley or West Valley. The company is expected to take advantage of tax credits offered by a law taking effect Jan. 1.

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By Cronkite News Service

Here are quick facts about a state law that will offer tax incentives for renewable energy manufacturing firms to set up shop in Arizona:

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By IAIN WOESSNER
Cronkite News Service

TEMPE (Friday, Nov. 13) _ A program helping students develop good character leads to higher grades and better attendance in school and decreases the chance that children will use alcohol or drugs, Gov. Jan Brewer said Friday.

“Simply put, young people benefit from interaction and relationships with caring adults as mentors and as a source of advice and guidance,” Brewer said at a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Arizona Character Education Foundation.

The nonprofit foundation provides materials and resources used in more than 900 schools as well as by youth groups and parents. Former Gov. Jane Hull and others proposed the idea in 1999.

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By Cronkite News Service

Here are some quick facts about character education in Arizona:

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