Accidents are the cause of 28% of childhood (< 14 years old) fatalities in the state. Motor Vehicle are the cause of 45% of these accidents and drowning 31% of accidents.
After accidents, cancer is another leading cause of childhood deaths, causing about 14% of them. Other leading causes of childhood fatalities are assault/homicide 5%, suicide 4%.
As of this month, approximately 136,000 Arizonans have been issued a permit allowing them to carry a concealed weapon. This is about 2% of the state’s adult population. Almost one quarter of these permit holders are women.
To obtain a permit you must be at least 21 years of age, pass a criminal background check, and meet several other requirement. Before you can apply for a permit you must take an eight hour class, pass a written test, and demonstrate shooting ability on a range.
Permit holders cannot carry a concealed weapon everywhere. For example, they cannot carry on school grounds, certain federal building, near nuclear power plants, etc. Weapons cannot be carried in any establishment that serves alcohol. However, this law will change in September 2009. Also, any business or private person can prohibit someone from carrying a weapon (concealed or otherwise) on their property by posting a sign or asking the carrier to remove it.
Carrying a concealed weapon without a permit is a serious crime in Arizona.
Additional information on concealed weapons in Arizona can be found here:
Although there are a couple of states that are larger, the following comparisons give you and idea of the state’s size.
In 2008:
Source: Arizona Department of Health Services.
We all know the Grand Canyon is big. That is obvious just by looking at it. However, few people really understand how big it is. The Grand Canyon is about 18 miles across at its widest part and averages between 4,000 and 6,000 feet deep. To put that in perspective, recall that a mile is 5,280 feet. Its length is also truly amazing. It is over 280 miles long. The National Park that encompasses much of the canyon covers 1.2 million acres. Compare that to Yosemite National Park is only about 760,000 acres in size.
The largest fish caught in Arizona, according to official records kept by the Arizona Fish and Game Department was a flathead catfish which was 53 inches long. It was caught at Roosevelt lake in 2006. The record fish, measured by weight, weighed in at a whopping 74 pounds. It was also a flathead catfish. It was caught at Laguna Dam in 1998.
In a book I wrote in 2000, Arizona Myths Fallacies and Misconceptions (still available in electronic form), I debunked the oft told “fact” that Arizona has more boats per capita than any other state. I have heard this claim for years and you can still find it quoted on many Arizona travel and tourism websites. I’m not sure where it originated but the myth persists.
The truth is that, based on 2004 statistics, Arizona ranks near the bottom at 43rd. This is what you might expect for a state that has so much desert. What state have the most boats? As you might expect, its Minnesota. The state with the least, a surprise to say the least, the Islands of Hawaii.
The website About Phoenix updated my 2000 statistics and they can be found at:
According to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names there are 65 places in Arizona with the word “Hell” in the name. Among them are: Hell’s half Acre, Hell Hole Valley, Big Hell’s Gate, Little Hell’s Gate and Hell’s Hip Pocket.
It’s Memorial Day weekend and the forests and desert trails are buzzing with the sound of ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) an OHVs (Off Highway Vehicles). According to Arizona state agencies, then number of ATVs/OHVs has increased 347% in the last ten years. Twenty percent (one out of every five) adult Arizonans consider themselves an OHV users. (I’m one of them)
Despite the fact that thousands of Arizonans enjoy these vehicles every day, they are not without their hazards. According to ATVsafetynet.org, 52 Arizonans have died between 2005 and 2007 in ATV accidents.
In January 2009 new Arizona laws went into effect that require all ATVs to display a special tag on their license plate. The tag can be purchased online on the ADOT website. ATVs riders also need to be aware that they need to obey the following regulations, even if the ATV is not street legal and is intended to be used off-road only.
The dome of Arizona’ Capital building, located in Phoenix, is covered in fifteen tons of copper. How much copper is that? You could make 4,800,000 pennies from it!
Posted by John in 
