Heather van Blokland
KJZZ 91.5
Phoenix, AZ, United States
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Past articles by Heather:
Intel To Spend $20 Billion To Expand Arizona Facilities
Intel will spend $20 billion to expand manufacturing facilities in Chandler.In the announcement Tuesday, the technology company said it plans to build two new facilities, which will produce advanced semiconductor chips used in modern electronics. In CEO Pat Gelsinger’s first public announcement since taking the job, he said the company will partner with the state of Arizona → Read More
Arizonans Slow To Respond To Census
As of Friday, 61% of Arizonans have responded to the U.S. census. The state ranks below the national average of 65% and that means potentially leaving funding and services on the table. → Read More
Preliminary Results Rolling In For Arizona GOP, Democratic Primaries
→ Latest Results From Maricopa County Recorder's Office9:25 p.m.: Democrat Michael Muscato Wins In 8th DistrictMichael Muscato has won the Democratic primary in the heavily Republican 8th Congressional District that spans the west Phoenix suburbs. Also on the ticket were Bob Musselwhite and Bob Olson. → Read More
$10 Million To Fund Pinal County Water Infrastructure
Water conservation is getting new funding in Pinal County.UDSA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that it will invest $10 million in the partner-driven Central Arizona Regional Irrigation Efficiency project. This project is a part of NRCS's Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).Program participants say the project is to support central Arizona → Read More
Phoenix Residential Recycling Collection Up 20% Since COVID-19 Outbreak
Trash and recycling is one of the industries increasing business during the coronavirus pandemic. Trash and recycling trucks are filling up faster and making more trips to the transfer station for drop-offs and to the landfill now that many city residents are working and living at home, increasing City of Phoenix trash collection by 20% since the COVID-19 stay-at-home order began. → Read More
Some Charges Dropped Against Elizabeth Holmes In Theranos Case
On Tuesday, a judge dismissed several criminal charges in the court case involving Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the failed blood-testing startup Theranos. It's a partial win in a legal battle that bankrupted her company.Holmes is accused of falsely claiming Theranos technology could run dozens of blood tests with a single drop of blood.If convicted, Holmes and the → Read More
San Tan Valley Neighborhood Most Active in U.S. For iBuyer Home Purchases
A new survey of homes sales finds a neighborhood in San Tan Valley to have the most homes sold via iBuying. The data, which measures sales from January through October 2019, shows iBuyers purchased more than 10% of the homes in eight neighborhoods across the country last year. Three of those eight are in the Phoenix metro. → Read More
Glendale White Claw Brewery Is Arizona's Latest Investment From Canada
On Wednesday, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey touted $250 million of new investment to the state from beverage company White Claw. This marks the latest investment from a Canadian company.Canada is the largest foreign investor in Arizona. That investment continues to grow with the new White Claw facility. While White Claw Hard Seltzer is owned by Mark Anthony Brands out of Chicago, → Read More
Asarco Copper Workers May Strike Waiting For Final Contract
Arizona copper workers may strike soon, awaiting a final contract offer on pay and benefits.According to reporting by the Arizona Daily Star, employees of Tucson-based copper producer Asarco may vote to strike this week after working without a new contract since last November. Contracts detailing pay and benefits cover more than 2,000 hourly workers at five locations in Arizona and Texas. → Read More
HUD Awards $4.5 Million To Combat Tucson Youth Homelessness
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded $75 million to combat youth homelessness on Aug. 29.The $75 million is earmarked for people under age 25 who experience homelessness. The grant is $32 million more than the amount given last year, and Tucson will receive a little over $4.5 million.In addition to Arizona, the award will be funding communities in → Read More
Phoenix Home Sales 4 Times Higher Than National Number
The 30-year mortgage rate hit its lowest level in nearly three years on Thursday and, on Friday, the Fed announced plans to cut interest rates as early as next month. These efforts spur growth by encouraging new home sales, but Phoenix faces the opposite problem: too much growth and not enough homes for sale.Home sales increased 2.4% year over year nationally, according to the → Read More
Arizona Tourism Revenue Hits New Record
Tax revenue from tourism hit $1 billion — a new record for Arizona. Travelers to Arizona spent $24.4 billion during the 2018 fiscal year. That translates to $67 million per day and 8% more than the previous record for visitor spending in Arizona, set last year during the 2017 fiscal year."Everybody knows about the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. What don't → Read More
Why The Price Of Bacon In Arizona Has Spiked
Arizona food prices are on the rise, especially for certain meats. The price of bacon has more than tripled in three months.A swine flu in China is part of the reason pork prices are rising significantly, according to Julie Murphree, Arizona Farm Bureau’s outreach director.“Why would that impact us? Well, if you aggregate global prices across the board, especially with your → Read More
U.S. Recycling Begins Infrastructure Development To Solve China Crisis
U.S. recycling has nearly collapsed, prices have soared and the environmental waste problem has hit a crisis point, since China, the largest buyer of U.S. recycled products, stopped buying nearly 18 months ago. Now, recycling centers are looking to rebuild processing plants across the U.S. and that requires a policy change and millions in new funding. → Read More
Trump Tariffs May Flatten Arizona's Canned Beverages
On Friday, the Trump administration increased tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, from 10 percent to 25 percent. Goods made from imported aluminum and steel are being hit twice — after also being tariffed last year. For Arizona grocery stores, the additional aluminum tariff is a dent in the canned beverage business.Some U.S. grocers have been passing on the 10 → Read More
Phoenix's Retirement Shortfall Among Worst In U.S.
Phoenix ranks 3rd worst among U.S. cities grappling with retirement system shortfalls. That's according The Pew Research Center, which just released updated information on 33 U.S. cities out of 61 it tracks. → Read More
Phoenicians Rank Community Connection High In Local News, Mirroring National Trend
The Pew Research Center finds audience attitudes toward local news is not what you might expect, finding the connection an audience feels with local journalists is very important in determining loyalty and confidence in the journalism produced by the news outlet. Pew's analysis finds respondents who live in a metro area believe it is very important for journalists to be → Read More
Phoenicians Rank Community Connection High In Local News, Mirroring National Trend
The Pew Research Center finds audience attitudes toward local news is not what you might expect, finding the connection an audience feels with local journalists is very important in determining loyalty and confidence in the journalism produced by the news outlet. Pew's analysis finds respondents who live in a metro area believe it is very important for journalists to be → Read More
Swift Settles Driver Class Action Claims For $100 Million
19,000 truck drivers agreed to settle with one of the nations largest trucking companies for $100 million. It's the latest federal court win by truckers for better labor practices.In a joint filing in Arizona federal court on Tuesday, Phoenix-based Knight-Swift Holdings agreed to pay up to $100 million to settle with drivers who claim they were misclassified as independent → Read More
Arizona Slow To Adopt Alternative Fuel Policies Despite Climate Change Effects, Population Growth
On Friday, electric car maker Tesla announced massive layoffs across all of its operations.The reason: sales have under-performed as consumers complain about the cost of their electric cars. → Read More