New dorms: Two new dorms on Sixth Street are under construction and expected to open in fall 2011. One of the dorms will provide housing to only honors student, taking the place of Yavapai and Posada San Pedro Residence Halls for honors housing. Yuma Residence Hall will continue to be an honors residence hall. As soon as the new dorms open next year, nearby Coronado Residence Hall will close for one year to fix plumbing and mechanical problems.
UA researchers: Several UA researchers successfully engineered a new species of mosquito that is completely resistant to the strain of malaria that infects humans. Researchers plan to release the new species into the wild as soon as they determine a way to give the new mosquitoes a genetic advantage over their wild counterparts.
Tucson helicopter crash: A LifeNet medical helicopter traveling to Douglas from Marana crashed on July 28, killing the three occupants — the pilot, paramedic, and flight nurse. The helicopter was not transporting any patients when it crashed onto Park Avenue just south of Glenn Street. A memorial was held on Aug. 6 in Tucson.
Tempe Town Lake: The man-made lake lost approximately three-quarters of its water when one of the inflatable portions of the dam burst on July 20. Tempe city officials say that they expect the lake to reopen by Nov. 1.
Ben Quayle: Quayle, the son of former U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle and a candidate for congress in Arizona’s Third District, came under fire a few weeks ago when he admitted his past involvement with DirtyScottsdale.com, now TheDirty.com. In the past, Ben Quayle had denied any sort of involvement with the site. He continues to deny that he posted under the pseudonym Brock Landers.
S.B. 1070: On July 28, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton blocked some of the most controversial portions of the new Arizona immigration bill. Gov. Jan Brewer has filed an appeal challenging this decision and the case is expected to continue on Thursday, as per the schedule set down by the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Proposition 8: U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker struck down California’s ban of same-sex marriage (Proposition 8, also known as the “”California Protect Marriage Act””) as unconstitutional, saying that it violated the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses of the 14th Amendment. Later, Walker lifted the stay on his decision effective Aug. 18, thus allowing same-sex marriages to be performed on that date. On Aug. 16, however, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals extended the stay indefinitely and approved an accelerated schedule for the appeal of Walker’s ruling, setting the stage for a legal battle that will likely rage to the Supreme Court.
Mosque at ground zero: A proposal to construct an Islamic community center two blocks from the site of the former World Trade Center has attracted national attention and sparked wide debate, particularly after New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission denied to designate existing buildings at the site as landmarks, allowing them to be demolished to construct the center.
