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An edition of the East Valley Tribune
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This Week
NEWS .................................. 6 Lawmakers weep at teen suicide hearings
SPORTS .......................... 24 Campo Verde among track elite
GET OUT........................25 'Big River' flows into Hale
COMMUNITY.................16 BUSINESS ......................19 OPINION ....................... 22 SPORTS ......................... 24 GETOUT .........................25 CLASSIFIED .................. 28
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Sunday, March 31, 2019
Longtime EV tech school chief may lose job BY JIM WALSH GSN Staff Writer
I
t may not be easy or cheap, but the East Valley nstitute of echnology governing board is working on a separation agreement with suspended Superintendent Sally Downey. Downey, a charismatic leader and a former Mesa oman of the ear, was placed on indefinite administrative leave in January as the newly elected governing board asked for an investigation by attorney Susan Segal, an expert in education law. Segal’s subsequent investigative uncovered a series of alleged violations of state contract and procurement laws – including a contract to supervise
Sally Downey
construction of a $ million expansion in east Mesa – that are now being examined by the Arizona Attorney eneral’s office. he cottsdale nified school board two years ago hired egal to investigate that district’s financial dealings under Superintendent Denise Birdwell, who had once been igley nified’s top executive. he E board last week met in executive session for the stated purpose of discussing a “separation agreement that would end owney’s 1 year reign as the head of a district that provides career technical education to East Valley high school students.
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Gilbert teen fights leukemia head on BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor
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acob Medina is known as a healthy, caring teenager who goes out of his way to help others at Perry High School. So, when the Gilbert teen was diagnosed with B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia two weeks ago, it sent shockwaves through the Perry community. “Everyone was heartbroken and surprised,” said CJ Valdez, Medina’s cousin and a Perry senior infielder. e’s so athletic and strong, you wouldn’t expect him to be the one that has this.” Medina, a senior, was a pitcher on Perry’s baseball team for three seasons. He joined the BlueChip Arizona Baseball Academy this season, a team for players not competing with their high schools. With small-colleges recruiting him, Medina
Jacob Medina works out with his club baseball team before he was diagnosed in early March with B leukemia. (Krystal Medina/Special to GSN)
began an extensive workout regimen with the club. In early March, he began to have pain in his ribs. He and his mother, Krystal, thought it was a minor injury. “I took him to urgent care and they thought it was just a muscle strain, which I thought made sense given his workouts,” Krystal said. e started him on anti inflammatory medication and it got better for a week or so, but then the pain came back.” Krystal, who is a surgical nurse at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, urged him to take it easy, but Medina continued to work out. Krystal and Jacob’s father, Mike, took him and a friend, who was visiting for spring break, out to dinner on a Friday. A ghostly look came across Jacob’s face and he told his parents he needed to go home.
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