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THE NEWSPAPER OF AVONDALE, BUCKEYE, GOODYEAR, LITCHFIELD PARK & TOLLESON
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This Week
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Sen. Contreras tests positive for COVID-19
NEWS .............. 7 Rep. Lesko tests negative, votes for stimulus
NEWS ........... 10 Developer granted delay for truck facility project
OPINION ...............12 BUSINESS.............. 14 FEATURES ..............16 YOUTH ..................19 OBITUARIES ...........20 CLASSIFIEDS ..........21 NORTH
April 29, 2020
The Voice of the West Valley for 35 years
Graduation dates still up in the air BY TOM SCANLON
West Valley View Managing Editor
NEWS .............. 6
19
For high school seniors, May is typically a combination of joy and activity, with prom, finals and graduation stacking up to signify the end of a four-year journey. West Valley high school seniors looked forward to tossing graduation caps in the air — a symbol of release. Then came a pandemic. After Gov. Doug Ducey’s order in March, districts around the state closed schools and canceled or postponed all events for the remainder of the school year. West Valley districts are figuring out what that means for graduation ceremonies. Seniors at Agua Fria, Canyon View, Desert Edge, Millennium and Verrado high schools had May 16 graduations postponed. “Graduations for our district high schools are currently slated for July 1 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale,” said
Dennis Runyan, superintendent of Agua Fria Union High School District. Runyan later added the date is still under review and “this is not a done deal ... “We continue to monitor CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommendations and this opportunity remains subject to the state and local advisories in place for this July,” Runyan said. But, he added, he is optimistic graduation will happen July 1. “The very spacious stadium venue has also offered to keep in place social distancing supports and to streamline the event ceremony in a safe manner based on the advisories at
Grad...continued on page 3
Sending a sign to their students are Desert Edge High School teachers, from top left, Allison Nau, Kristin Jennings, Bernadette Korb, Bobby Vernier, Bianca DeMarco, Rachel Stringham, Jennifer Cole, Allison Payenski and Marci Thraen. (Photo courtesy Desert Edge High School)
Spike in COVID-19 long-term care deaths BY TOM SCANLON
West Valley View Managing Editor
While the number of Maricopa County deaths due to COVID-19 in long-term care facilities has spiked over the last two weeks, county health officials refuse to provide names of the facilities that have had deaths and coronavirus positive tests.
In the last two weeks, of the county’s 73 COVID-19 deaths, 53 were long-term care facility residents, according to data provided by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. The West Valley View asked Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, Maricopa County’s medical director of public health, to provide the
names of long-term facilities with exposures. “We consider that confidential and have no intention of releasing that data,” Sunenshine answered during an April 23 webinar that focused on personal protective equip-
Spike...continued on page 4
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