State Glance
Committee votes against holiday tree on Camelback Mountain
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Parks and Recreation advisory committee won’t allow any holiday trees to be left on Camelback Mountain this December.
KPHO-TV reports the committee voted Monday to stick with the city’s “leave no trace policy” that states no one can leave anything behind in parks or on trails — including seasonal decorative items.
Last December, a group calling itself “Camelback Santa” carried a 15-foot (4.57 meters) Christmas tree up Camelback Mountain the day after Thanksgiving. But 24 hours later, park rangers removed the tree because of the policy.
Tempe police: Mesa councilman had high blood-alcohol level
MESA — Tempe police say a Mesa city councilman arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated had a blood-alcohol level of 0.22 percent, nearly three times the state’s legal limit for drivers.
Ryan Winkle was given a criminal citation for DUI on May 7 after the car he was driving was reportedly weaving in the roadway before it was pulled over by Tempe police.
Police say the city prosecutor’s office will be following up on possible additional charges.
Last week, Winkle announced he’s taking a voluntary leave of absence and will undergo counseling as he works to resolve his legal issues.
Winkle also apologized to his fellow city council members, Mayor John Giles and “the children and young people of Mesa.”
Proposed shuttle may solve state park’s parking woes
YARNELL — Arizona residents want to see a shuttle service come to a state park with an overfilled parking lot.
The Daily Courier reports residents presented their idea for the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park to a planning board last week. The proposed shuttle would drive visitors from an overflow lot in Yarnell to the state park. The group says they are looking for grants to fund the shuttle.
The park that honors 19 firefighters that died during a wildfire opened last November. More than 10,500 people have visited the park.
Park officials say the park has become so popular that its parking lot is typically filled to capacity leaving many interested visitors frustrated.
Arizona to receive $313K in Target data breach settlement
PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich says the state will receive nearly $313,000 from an $18.5 million settlement with Target Corp.
The settlement announced Tuesday resolves a multi-state probe into the discounter’s pre-Christmas data breach in 2013.
Target’s breach affected more than 41 million customer payment card accounts and exposed contact information for more than 60 million customers.
The breach forced Target to overhaul its security system. The company offered free credit reports for potentially affected shoppers.