TUCSON, ARIZONA – Rancho Sahuarita’s newest neighborhood, Entrada Del Rio, will officially open this weekend; featuring homes by Richmond American Homes and Lennar.

A special family-friendly event will be held during the Grand Opening Weekend, on Saturday, March 16th, from 10:00 a.m. –2:00 p.m. The event will feature food, music and fun activities at the Entrada Del Rio Welcome Center and nearby Parque Del Rio neighborhood amenity. Buyers can stop by and enjoy the event, and take the opportunity to visit the models of both Lennar and Richmond American Homes. There they can take tours and learn more about the homes and special incentives, which are available to buyers who enter into contract on a home in Entrada Del Rio during the Grand Opening Weekend of March 16th and 17th.

The two builders’ neighborhoods, which together total 124 new home lots, are located close to nearby shopping and other conveniences, as well as some of the community’s top amenities. Broken into 5 different phases, the entire Entrada Del Rio neighborhood will include over 500 new homes at completion.

Lennar began pre-selling its homes in late January, and is bringing a brand new set of floorplans to the Tucson market with its debut in Rancho Sahuarita. The builder’s new home offerings at Entrada Del Rio will feature a highly versatile plan grouping, with square footages ranging from 1668 up to 2897-square-feet. The floorplans feature garages with extra storage spaces standard, which can also be converted to an additional bedroom or office if desired. Lennar’s homes in Entrada Del Rio will also feature one of the company’s Next Gen® -The Home Within A Home® plans.

Richmond American, which is already selling new home options in its existing neighborhood of Entrada La Villita, will also bring new floorplans to Rancho Sahuarita in Entrada Del Rio, with options offering 3 to 6 bedroom plans, (with 1,810 up to 2,630-square-feet), and the chance to own a home from their Seasons™ Collection.Interested homebuyers can visit www.ranchosahuarita.com/DelRio for more details.

PIMA COUNTY, ARIZ. — Pima County’s continuing efforts to safely lower its jail population received a boost March 11 with the addition of Mike Steber to the Sheriff’s Department’s corrections staff as jail population coordinator.

“Sheriff Napier and his team deserve a great deal of credit for taking this bold and innovative step,” County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said. “I believe this will go a long way to making the Corrections Center a safer place and will ensure a more efficient use of taxpayers’ money.”

As Jail Population Coordinator, Steber will review the jail’s roster and case management system continuously to look for individuals incarcerated for non-violent offenses who corrections officials believe, once released, will be unlikely to miss scheduled court appearances.

The Sheriff’s Department created the new post to identify inmates who can be released safely while waiting for their court hearings.

“My job is to not only make Pima County a safer place but to also ensure that we are spending taxpayer funds appropriately,” said Sheriff Mark Napier.  “Part of achieving both is ensuring that the right people are incarcerated in our jail for the right reasons.  This will reduce costs and keep our county safer.”

Steber will consult with the County Attorney’s Office, Public Defenders, Adult Probation and other partner agencies to find inmates who have shown a willingness to seek counseling or treatment for substance abuse or mental illness or who may be able to take advantage of a change in circumstances such as offers of housing and support from family or social service agencies.

“We don’t want repeat business,” PCSD Chief Deputy Byron Gwaltney said. “In my experience, many people do better and are less likely to re-offend if they remain connected to the community and the social services available on the outside.”

Steber will report to the corrections staff and work to spot trends that will help keep jail population to a minimum while ensuring public safety. Steber is also charged with researching programs that aid in keeping the overall jail population down, such as Pima County Justice Court’s monthly Warrant Resolution Night Court events.

Funding for the coordinator position will come from the County’s General Fund through the budget for the Criminal Justice Reform Unit.

Donors to be recognized with signs at new PACC

PIMA COUNTY –The Pima County Board of Supervisors gratefully acknowledged three generous donations to benefit the homeless pets at Pima Animal Care Center. The donations were made to Friends of PACC, the official nonprofit partner to the shelter, as part of the joint “Your Love Save Lives: Investing in PACC programs for Today and Tomorrow” programming campaign. These are just a few of the hundreds of donors that contributed to the $5 million effort.

Three individual donors were recognized Tuesday:

• Barbara A. Spelman: $45,000 donation
• Gail Smith, MD: $5,000 donation
• Amy Schneider: $5,000 donation

“Having these signs around the building shows how much this community cares about animals in need,” said Kristen Auerbach, Director of Animal Services. “I am grateful for the chance to thank those who helped make this new shelter successful.”

The “Your Love Saves Lives campaign,” completed in February of 2019, garnered significant community support and created new sources of revenue for important lifesaving programs at PACC. These signs do more than connect the donors to the building and PACC’s mission. They also connect PACC to the community and serve as a reminder that it takes everyone working together to provide for pets in need.
“Our community’s compassion and generosity for pets in need is inspiring,” said Jennifer Camano, Executive Director for Friends of PACC. “They have laid the foundation to keep saving more lives at PACC than ever before.”

Naming rights went to several people like Neil and Nita Freeman. They have donated $1 million to the Friends of PACC. Their name is under the entrance to the facility. The Freemans have not only made donations to the shelter, they have also rescued several pets.

The Foster and Rescue Office is named in honor of Barbara A. Spelman. Dr. Smith’s multiple donations gave her the chance to name one of the Canine Medical Play Yards. She asked that it be named for Jan Elser and Lola, a friend of Dr. Smith and her dog. Amy Schneider will get naming rights to another Canine Medical Play Yard with her donation.
There are many signs posted around the PACC campus and more opportunities available to interested donors. Other areas with signs like these include the clinic, the Animal Protection Services office, the cat room, and more. Anyone who would like to make a donation or learn more about naming opportunities can reach out to PACC’s official nonprofit partner, Friends of PACC.

The new facility was made possible thanks to voters who approved the bond funds in Proposition 415. The upgrades cost around $21 million. The shelter went from 39,000 square feet to 60,000 square feet.

For those who can’t make a monetary donation, the shelter is offering $17 adoptions for all pets four months or older in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. PACC also is participating in Petco Adoption Weekend on Sunday, March 17, waiving fees for pets four months or older at the Petco located at 1st and Wetmore, 585 East Wetmore Rd.
Adopted pets are spayed or neutered, have age-appropriate vaccinations, a microchip and a free vet visit. A $19 licensing fee will apply to dogs. PACC is located at 4000 N. Silverbell Rd., open Monday through Friday, noon-7 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekends.