INSIDE:
C O M M U N I T Y P. 2 2 | B U S I N E S S P. 2 8 | O P I N I O N P. 3 1 | S P O R T S P. 3 3 | G E T O U T P. 3 6 | C L A S S I F I E D P. 4 1
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FALLEN WARRIOR
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
BOOK OF FAITH
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t least six Valley teens have lost their lives to suicide or unexplained drug overdoses since mid-March and the trend has alarmed an educator who has been a longtime advocate for the mental and emotional health of Arizona youth. At least three of the deaths are confirmed suicides and advocate Katey McPherson says the outbreak underscores the need for par-
ents, schools and government at all levels to pay more attention to the growing number of young people in crisis – a plea she has made for more than five years. The deaths also underscore a warning from Teen Lifeline, the nonprofit teen suicide prevention hotline and service, that parents of Arizona teenagers must be particularly vigilant about their children’s mental health at this time of year. More young people tend to get depressed as they either lose daily contact with classmates, experience anxiety over their
grades or for other reasons related to the end of the school year. “In the summer of 2017, we lost four students to suicide in 90 days in a neighboring school community,” said McPherson, referring to Higley and Queen Creek school districts. “This is known as an ‘echo cluster’ that if not addressed using prevention science, can lead to contagion. “In May of 2021, two CUSD students – during
An end and a new beginning
P. 24
May 19 was a glorious evening for hundreds of Desert Vista and Mountain Pointe high school seniors as they closed a chapter of their young lives by receiving their diplomas. Hundreds more family members and friends cheered from the stands of the two schools’ stadiums, as grads like Chaantia Coleman of Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista’s Maddy Makay exchanged the word “senior” for the title of “alumna.” For more scenes from both graduations, see pages 22 and 23.
KETAMINE SOLUTIONS
P. 28 SOCCER STAR
Mountain Pointe photo by AFN Contributor Zac BonDurant and Desert Vista by AFN Staff Photographer David Minton.
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P
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6 Valley teen suicides, fatal ODs raise alarms BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
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