Glendale’s Community Newspaper
www.glendalestar.com
Vol. 77 No. 33
INSIDE
This Week
‘Arizona girl’ shines at Tokyo Olympics BY BRIAN CANO SR.
Glendale Star Contributing Writer
FEATURES .... 16 Ms. Senior Arizona gears up to crown 2022 queen
August 12, 2021
Glendale’s Dallas Escobedo McGee was part of the slew of athletes who made history during this summer’s Olympic Games. Losing the women’s bronze medal softball game against Team Canada 3-2 at Yokohama Baseball Stadium on July 26, Mexico still made its mark. “Softball hasn’t even been into the Olympic Games for 13 years, so it’s just really big,” Escobedo McGee said. “It was like a final piece to the puzzle for a lot of my teammates.” These games were a sort of homecoming for Escobedo McGee. The 2011 national champion at ASU, Escobedo McGee
pitches professional for Toyota Shokki in the Japanese Women’s Softball League. Her 2014 ASU teammates Chelsea Gonzales and Sashel Palacios joined Escobedo McGee in the Olympic experience. “She (Palacios) is amazing,” she said. “I don’t think we would have gotten as far as we had without her because of her knowledge of the game. “On the other hand, Chelsea is a phenomenal fielder. She can play shortstop; second base; she was the three, four or five hitter all through college; and just so clutch. When I think of Chelsea, I think clutch.” Escobedo McGee, a former National Pro Fastpitch No. 1 draft pick and WomSEE MCGEE PAGE 3
Dallas Escobedo McGee pitches for Toyota Shokki in the Japanese Women’s Softball League. (Photo courtesy of Dallas Escobedo McGee)
Ducey calls for Navarrete to resign ‘immediately’ BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
YOUTH .......... 22 West-MEC reopens for the new academic year
OPINION..................... 10 BUSINESS.................. 14 FEATURES.................. 16 RELIGION ................... 20 YOUTH........................ 22 CLASSIFIEDS ............. 24
Glendale Star Executive Editor
State Sen. Otoniel “Tony” Navarrete was arrested and booked on suspicion of having sexual contact with a minor in 2009. Gov. Doug Ducey subsequently said, via Twitter, that Navarrete should “resign immediately.” Arrested at his Phoenix home, 35-yearold Navarrete faces five felony counts of sexual conduct with a minor, one count of molestation of a child, and one count of attempted sexual conduct with a minor.
“These allegations are abhorrent,” Ducey wrote. “My prayers are with the young victims and their loved ones during this traumatic time.” According to published reports, the victim reported the abuse on Wednesday, Aug. 4. He said he was 13 years old when the abuse started. It lasted about three years and left the boy angry, depressed and anxious. NBC reported that Navarrete confessed during a phone conversation with the victim that police recorded. He also apologized and said the alleged abuse was not the victim’s fault.
Several days prior to his arrest, Navarrete said he tested positive for COVID-19. Since January 2019, Navarrete has served the 30th legislative district, which includes Glendale and Phoenix. A member of the Democratic Party, he served one term as a state representative for the 30th legislative district from 2017 to 2019. Navarrete is a community organizer with Promise Arizona, a pro-immigration advocacy group that helps Latinos register to vote at taco trucks after Marco Gutierrez’s “taco trucks on every corner” remark. Navarrete is one of four openly LGBT SEE NAVARRETE PAGE 3
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