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November 18, 2020
The Voice of the West Valley for 35 years
Goodyear obliges, Amazon delivers BY TOM SCANLON
West Valley View Managing Editor
NEWS ........... 12 Gather outdoors, suggests health director
SPORTS ........ 19 Young golfer clocks into Rolex All-America Team
YOUTH ......... 23 School districts go ‘in the red,’ close classrooms
OPINION ...............13 BUSINESS.............. 15 SPORTS ..................17 FEATURES ..............19 YOUTH ..................23 OBITUARIES ...........25 CLASSIFIEDS ..........26 NORTH
Racing to get a massive robotics warehouse completed on time, Amazon hit an inspector’s “roadblock” in March. Frustrated with the inspector, a senior manager at the corporate giant—Amazon’s worldwide revenue topped $280 billion in 2019—fired off angry emails to the city of Goodyear’s economic managers, calling delays “unacceptable.” Emails Goodyear provided to the West Valley View show the city eager to smooth out “challenges with communication.” Indeed, the project near Phoenix Goodyear Airport soon got back on track. Though Goodyear started the year with a work stoppage at the same facility, the relationship between Amazon and the city rebounded and flourished through 2020. Emails show the city obliging Amazon’s behind-the-scenes requests, pushing forward permits while keeping a major expansion announcement secret for months.
Despite a stern “stop work immediately” letter Jan. 8, and a later dispute between an inspector and Amazon, problems were smoothed over for construction to resume on Amazon’s 800,000-square-foot robotics facility. The project at Yuma Road and South Bullard Avenue is on track for an expected completion next month. (West Valley View photo by Tom Scanlon)
And Amazon, which promised to bring jobs to the city by the hundreds, lived up to its reputation: It delivered. On Aug. 19, Amazon said it is building
11 facilities around Phoenix—highlighted by a Goodyear robotics warehouse on Yuma
Amazon...continued on page 2
Alleged WV serial bank robber caught BY TOM SCANLON
West Valley View Managing Editor
After being arrested Nov. 4, a resident of a Glendale halfway house who allegedly robbed banks from Peoria to Avondale told police he needed money for his drug habit. William Cantrell, 29, faces various robbery and burglary charges.
“Don’t press the alarm or you’ll make me do something,” he allegedly told a teller. Cantrell, who worked at an Albertsons distribution facility in Tolleson, is accused of robbing or attempting to rob a string of West Valley banks from Sept. 18 to Nov. 4: • U.S. Bank, 6611 W. Bell Road, Glendale. • U.S. Bank, 12320 N. 83rd Avenue, Peoria.
BLACK FRIDAY STARTS NOW!
• Alaska Federal Credit Union, 1575 N. Dysart Road, Avondale. • U.S. Bank, 12970 W. Indian School Road, Litchfield Park. He allegedly often targeted banks in grocery stores, in each case passing a “demand
Robber...continued on page 6
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