State Glance

Grand Canyon schedules another 4-day period for park day use

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK — Grand Canyon National Park plans another four-day period for limited entry and daytime recreational access to some park areas on the South Rim.

A statement issued by the park Wednesday said the South entrance will be open from 4-10 a.m. on Friday through Monday for day use until sunset.

Park officials said they’re following guidance from the White House, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local public health authorities and monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic while phasing in increased access.

Permitted day use will include hiking on inner canyon trails, and officials said limited food and beverage services will be available at several locations. The park closed April 1 because of the outbreak but some parts of the South Rim were reopened on May 15-18.

Some recreation sites in Coronado National Forest to reopen

TUCSON — Several recreation sites in the Coronado National Forest in southern Arizona are ready to reopen.

Campfire, smoking and recreational shooting restrictions to prevent human-caused forest fires are in place for Thursday’s scheduled 5 p.m. reopening.

Forest officials say campgrounds in the Douglas, Sierra Vista, Safford and Santa Catalina ranger districts are reopening.

Throughout the Memorial Day holiday weekend, forest officials expect large numbers of visitors to dispersed recreation sites and recently reopened developed sites. Visitors are reminded to practice social distancing for the coronavirus pandemic and maintain a distance of 6 feet between individuals.

Phoenix airport to implement mandatory face mask policy soon

PHOENIX — Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is implementing a mandatory face mask policy starting June 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Airport officials announced Wednesday that employees and all visitors to Sky Harbor facilities will be required to have their noses and mouths covered while in the terminals, at the rental car center, the PHX Sky Train and airport buses.

Sky Harbor officials said travelers are being asked to bring their own masks although some stores at the city-run airport currently are selling them. They said face masks can be a homemade cloth mask or even a bandanna with the only requirement is that it covers the face and nose.

Teen boy dead, 2 wounded in shooting outside Phoenix store

PHOENIX — A shooting outside a Phoenix convenience store has killed a teenage boy and injured two other victims, police said Wednesday.

Officers responded to the scene around 8 p.m. Tuesday and found two gunshot victims inside the store and one outside. All three were taken to a hospital where a 16-year-old boy was pronounced dead. Police later identified the teen as Sean Chinn.

They said a 17-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man both were listed in critical but stable condition at a hospital Wednesday. Their names weren’t immediately released.

Police said all three victims were standing outside the store when they were shot by an unknown assailant.

What led up to the shooting remains unclear and police are investigating a possible motive and are searching for a suspect.