THE NEWSPAPER OF AVONDALE, BUCKEYE, GOODYEAR, LITCHFIELD PARK & TOLLESON
Cielo comes to Estrella PAGE
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westvalleyview.com
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS .............. 4 Avondale budget discussions continue
SPORTS ........ 19 Verrado lefty is the ‘King’ of the hill
9 DAYS ......... 21 Looking for something to do? Check out the 9 Days a Week calendar
LETTERS ........................12 BUSINESS......................16 SPORTS ..........................19 FEATURES .....................23 NEIGHBORHOOD......26 YOUTH ...........................28 OBITUARIES .................34 CLASSIFIEDS................36 SOUTH
Masala Mix opens in Avondale PAGE
The Voice of the West Valley for 33 years
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April 25, 2018
Buckeye PD recognized for combating opioid epidemic By Connor Dziawura Buckeye Police Department was recently recognized by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) for establishing an opioid overdose recognition and naloxone administration program. Commonly branded as Narcan, naloxone is an opioid inhibitor. Previously, only EMS personnel were equipped to carry and administer naloxone in the field. At this point, it’s no secret that Arizona has a statewide health emergency surrounding the use of opioids. Officially declared by Gov. Doug Ducey on June 5, 2017, the situation is an “epidemic.” To combat the problem, governmental and law enforcement agencies are coordinating a solution, and the expansion of access to naloxone is just one piece of the puzzle. Buckeye is among the many law enforcement agencies addressing and cracking down on the problem. Goodyear police were previously recognized in August 2017. Departments are recognized through the Public Health Excellence in Law Enforcement (PHELE) program, which is overseen by the ADHS Bureau of EMS and Trauma System. “(PHELE) allows the Department of Health to recognize the law enforcement agencies who make an outstanding effort to collaborate a lot with EMS providers, other law enforcement agencies, public health officials and hospitals to address the opioid overdose. It isn’t just a simple ‘thank you.’ It requires law enforcement
Buckeye SWAT medic Tim Freund, left, and Jason Woliver, a police officer who handles reporting for the opioid overdose recognition and naloxone administration program, display a box of Narcan. (West Valley View photo by Melissa Fossum)
agencies to take some extra steps – performance improvement standards; training standards; accountability for medications that they wouldn’t normally have to provide,” said David James Harden, strategic planning and EMS recognition programs manager. “The PHELE supports EMS and law
enforcement’s collaborative efforts to respond to Arizona’s opioid overdose crisis. It’s very much a collaborative process and it’s definitely a recognition way to facilitate Arizona’s ability to reduce these stats.”
Buckeye...continued on page 2
Avondale man charged in connection to Sendejas’ death By Sarah Donahue and Bryan Pietsch Avondale resident Vincent Parker was arrested April 17 on charges connected to the death of Loring Sendejas, 33, whose body was found in an Old Town Scottsdale alley in February. Parker, 51, was charged with endangerment, sexual assault and abandonment and concealment of a dead body, according to Scottsdale court records.
Sendejas was last seen February 4 in Old Town Scottsdale, and then heard from at 12:45 a.m. February 5. She called a friend, who described Sendejas as sounding extremely intoxicated, according to the police report. An unidentified male got on the phone and told the friend he was taking care of her. According to toxicology reports,
Sendejas’ blood alcohol level was .28, more than three times the legal limit. The narcotic fentanyl was also present. Her autopsy found she was sexually assaulted. There were no suspects until Parker was stopped for DUI and, during his Breathalyzer test, his DNA was collected.
Charged...continued on page 10