Gilbert Sun News - 7.25.2021

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FREE ($1 OUTSIDE OF GILBERT) | GilbertSunNews.com

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE

This Week

Ex-Higley chief indicted for district fraud BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY GSN Staff Writer

BACK TO SCHOOL

Sunday, July 25, 2021

T

he State Grand Jury indicted former Superintendent Denise Birdwell on 18 felony counts for allegedly rigging bids and taking payoffs from contractors during her time at the head of the Scottsdale Unified School District and Higley Unified School District in Gilbert, according to a report from the Arizona Auditor General. The indictment comes three years after

the SUSD Governing Board in March 2018 fired Birdwell – who started as the district’s superintendent in January 2016 – for allegedly receiving payments from Hunt & Caraway Architects, the firm hired to work on the district’s bond projects. The grand jury indicted Birdwell and three others on July 13 after prosecutors with the state Attorney General’s Office presented the Auditor General’s report that delved into her time at both districts. The report primarily focused on Bird-

well’s tenure as superintendent at Higley from 2009 to 2015 and a complex construction-lease agreement for Cooley and Sossaman middle schools that continue to plague the district’s finances to this day. Higley is asking voters to approve a $95 million bond issue of which about a third will be used to retire one of those two leases. At an April meeting, Higley acting Chief Financial Officer Jeff Gadd told his Govern-

see BIRDWELL page 6

Gilbert ambulance service starts Monday

COMMUNITY..........12 EV rescue grappling with cat explosion.

SPORTS...................... 24 Andrew Morris having impact on Mesquite

COMMUNITY........................................12 BUSINESS............................................. 14 SPORTS..................................................24 GETOUT................................................. 25 CLASSIFIED..........................................28

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

G

partment ambulance personnel will have the same medical training, medical equipment and follow the same protocols as the firefighters,” said town spokeswoman Jennifer Harrison. “This will allow for more seamless operations on medical calls.” Gilbert budgeted $6.68 million this fiscal year for the program, which included $2.48 million for start-up costs, $3.14 million for salaries and $1.06 million for operating expenses. Harrison said the program budget also included The staff manning the town’s new ambulance service includes, from $100,000 for contingencies, which left, Willie McCledon, Madi Ruiz, Alex Short, Daniel Eaton,Todd Lyon, Michaela Latraille, Trevor Gardon, Danielle Schneider and Eric Blinn.

ilbert rolls out its own fleet of ambulances tomorrow at 7 a.m.., aiming to deliver cost-effective service and faster response times during emergencies. The July 26 debut culminates a process that began last fall, when Town Council gave the go-ahead for Gilbert Fire and Rescue to buy six ambulances, equipment and supplies. The department also hired 30 civilian EMTs and paramedics for a staff of 36 full-time personnel assigned to man the six ambulances 24/7. “The Gilbert Fire and Rescue De- (Pablo Robles/GSN Staff Photographer)

Inspiring Excellence in Every Learner

Enroll Now for the 2021/22 School Year - First Day of School August 4th We invite you to schedule a tour at any of our schools to learn more! Enroll Today!

gilber tschools.net/enroll

see AMBULANCE page 5


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