March 18, 2024
State officials warn of potentially ‘explosive’ wildfires this summer
PHOENIX - Forestry officials said Arizona is on the verge of a volatile wildfire season, and they urged state residents to be prepared and to take steps now to head off the worst of it. "The first day of any firefight starts with the actions and efforts that we do today," said Aaron Casem, the prevention officer at the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. He was speaking at a news conference Monday where state officials said a wet winter spurred excessive growth of vegetation that has the potential to become a "heavy fuel load" for fires as the state dries out this summer. That wet winter should delay the start of fire season in high country, where heavy snows fell, but at lower elevations there is the potential for "explosive" fire behavior this summer. "Wind and terrain can influence explosive fire behavior, making the challenge for firefighters harder to contain," said department Fire Management Officer John Truett. "Due to the elevation changes, there will be specific challenges in how they get in and how they get out of fire season." The warnings follow several years of relatively mild wildfire seasons in Arizona. The state recorded 1,837 wildfires in 2023 that burned about 188,000 acres - well below 2020 when 2,519 fires over 978,519 acres. [caption id="attachment_228116" align="alignright" width="350"]Aaron Casem, with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, called on state residents to take steps now to head off future wildfires. (Photo by Martin Dreyfuss/Cronkite News)[/caption] Officials Monday noted that 71% of the 2023 fires were caused by people. They said the theme of this year's Wildfire Awareness Week, which is next week in Arizona and New Mexico, is "A Time for Action," to encourage homeowners to do their part. Individual steps to boost fire protection across the state include clearing dying vegetation and debris, watering and mowing lawns, and staying aware of state fire restrictions, including prohibitions on target shooting and fireworks on state trust land. Casem said that Arizonans should start with their own property, addressing vulnerable areas to create a "defensible space" around their homes, while remaining aware of fire risks when engaging in outdoor activities. Gov. Katie Hobbs joined Monday's event, where she outlined the nationwide "Ready, Set, Go!" program that has been adopted by the Arizona Emergency information Network to educate Arizonans on "proactive measures to take before an emergency." The plan starts with residents signing up for local fire notifications, creating a "go bag" of necessities in case of an evacuation and, finally, evacuating when told to do so. AZEIN says a go kit should contain food, water and health supplies for up to two weeks, while officials Monday added money and a family rally point as two more keys to being prepared. Hobbs said her budget proposal for fiscal 2025 "continues support of fire prevention and fire restoration," despite the severe budget shortfall currently facing state lawmakers. During Wildfire Prevention Week, Arizonans can expect social media messaging, public service announcements and outreach events by the Department of Forestry and Fire Management to "amplify wildfire prevention and outreach messaging prior to the state's critical fire timeframes." Officials said it's important to everyone to be involved. "Residents and visitors need to do their part to prevent wildfires," Hobbs said. "It is important that we do our part so they can do theirs."]]>March 18, 2024
Presidential nominees already picked, but Arizona voters still have options
PHOENIX - Joe Biden and Donald Trump have already locked up their parties' presidential nominations, but that doesn't mean Arizona voters won't have a choice when they cast ballots Tuesday in the state's presidential preference election. The question is how many voters exercise that choice. Democrats angry with Biden's stance on Gaza are urging a protest vote to show their displeasure, while Trump critics can pick from eight other - former - GOP candidates whose names are still on the ballot. "By using the vote and the ballot to send a message to the people in power, that gives us a very useful tool," said James Wisehart, the outreach coordinator at Arizona Palestine Network. It is one of the groups that is urging Arizona Democrats to vote for challenger Marianne Williamson as a message to Biden. Wisehart said he doesn’t want Trump to win the 2024 election, but doesn’t want to vote for Biden unless he calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. "Frankly, a lot of people that I know — including myself — are disillusioned with the electoral process. A lot of us would rather not even vote because it just feels like a waste of time," Wisehart said. [related-story-right box-title="Related story" link="https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2024/03/18/maricopa-county-disabled-voting-accomodations/" image="https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/0X4A0391.jpg" headline="Maricopa County, First Place hold mock election ahead of primary for disabled voters"] Historically, the presidential preference election has historically not led to big voter turnout in Arizona. Participation has ranged from a high of 52.59% of eligible party voters in 2016 - when Trump beat 13 GOP candidates and Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders led a crowded field of Democrats - to 2004, when turnout was just 30.05%. Democrats had a choice of 18 candidates that year, while Republicans did not hold a primary before nominating President George W. Bush for reelection. . Blake Sacha, a volunteer leader at Voter Choice Arizona, said voters who are frustrated with the electoral system could have the potential to change it with the proposed Make Elections Fair Arizona ballot initiative, which is currently in the signature-gathering stage. The initiative would open the presidential preference election to independent and unaffiliated voters, who currently cannot vote in presidential primaries in the state. "What we see in the primary election today is that a very small percentage of people participate, and those people tend to be more partisan on the left or the right," Sacha said. “So the decisions on who gets elected are made by a small and not representative sample of the general Arizona population. "So it (the initiative) would increase the likelihood that the candidate or candidates selected would be the candidates preferred by the majority of Arizona voters," he said. Coupled with ranked-choice voting, which Voter Choice Arizona supports, voters could have more say in the candidates representing them, Sacha said. He also said ranked choice voting is popular in states that have enacted it, like Alaska and Maine. Arizona is one of five states holding presidential primaries on Tuesday, and will likely be overshadowed by delegate-rich states like Ohio and Florida. Not that delegates matter much at this point: More than half the states have already held their primaries and both Biden and Trump won enough delegates to lock up their nominations after Super Tuesday voting two weeks ago in 16 states. [related-story-right box-title="Related story" link="https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2024/02/13/state-officials-call-for-federal-funds-to-protect-election-systems-workers/" image="https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/electionpanel-1024.jpg" headline="State officials call for federal funds to protect election systems, workers"] But Wisehart and several other activists still want to send a message to Biden by voting for Williamson. Similar campaigns have been organized in other states that encouraged voters to vote "uncommitted," but the Arizona activists focused on Williamson because the state does not offer an uncommitted or write-in option. Kai Newkirk, a local activist who helped organize the protest vote, said Biden risks losing support in the general election if he doesn't listen to Democratic voters who are frustrated that the administration has not called for a ceasefire. "It's putting our democracy at risk by alienating critical voters that he needs in his coalition to defeat Trump and fascism," he said. Wisehart said he hopes the protest vote sends a message to politicians that voters are tired of settling for candidates they do not fully support. "We're constantly told, choose the lesser of two evils," Wisehart said. "But that's never going to be acceptable and it never has been — even though we've pretended up until this point that it was — because the only thing you get out of that is evil."]]>March 18, 2024
Pac-12 Post-mortem: Coaches, players weigh in on final conference tournament
LAS VEGAS – Eleven years ago this month, Mick Cronin, then the men’s basketball coach at the University of Cincinnati, sat at a postgame presser offering his thoughts on participating in the final Big East Tournament. After an unfathomable collapse for one of the nation’s premier basketball conferences, Cronin expressed his shock at what would be the first domino to fall in modern-day conference realignment. “This is the greatest tradition in college athletics: this tournament,” Cronin said. “The fact that we’re sitting here and this is the last Big East Tournament is beyond ridiculous.” That was part of the somber opening scene of Ezra Edelman’s ESPN 30-For-30 “Requiem For The Big East” (2014), and Cronin couldn’t have imagined answering the same question in the same situation over a decade later. Now representing college basketball blue-blood UCLA, the most storied program of the Pac-12 Conference, Cronin again was asked for his perspective on an illustrious league facing impending doom in the latest round of shuffling. “All you've got to do is look at what happened to this great conference and realize it can happen to all college sports,” Cronin said. “If you had met me five years ago and I had told you all this was going on, you would have said there's no way.” Fitting for college basketball in the month of March, expect the unexpected. Even with the trophy and a trip to March Madness, Dana Altman, in his 14th year as coach of the Ducks, left T-Mobile Arena that night with the sense of sorrow shared by every West Coast basketball fan. “It hurts that we're not going to have a Pac-12,” Altman said. “We won the first one here in 2013 when it moved to Vegas, and we're winning the last one here in Vegas. I’m going to miss that.” Altman and Oregon may have hit the jackpot in their final hand at the Pac-12 table, but for teams that came up short last week, they’ll leave the conference with empty pockets. A stone-faced Tommy Lloyd, who had gone two-for-two in this tournament prior to 2024, could care less about what was happening beyond the hardwood. “It means so much to people outside of our sphere, which is great because we draw power from those people,” Lloyd said. “But our deal is focusing internally, game by game. And we're not getting any more complicated than that. We'll let you guys get all sentimental about the last Pac-12 stuff, this and that, how many games – I don't care about any of that.” It’s ironic, perhaps, that the most locked-in coach at the helm of the top seed in the conference tournament would fall short. Overwhelming favorites to win their third straight Pac-12 Tournament title, Arizona missed out on a chance for their 10th overall in a letdown loss to Oregon in the semifinals. As the last two Pac-12 programs to achieve No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, it was fitting for the Wildcats and Ducks to dominate the headlines in Vegas. For the teams that have now played their last game with the Pac-12 patch on their uniform, it’s a far different perspective. Take Arizona State, which was bludgeoned by Utah 90-57 in the first round, ending its season and tenure in a conference it had been a part of since 1978 in disgrace. While ASU doesn’t have the richest history among Pac-12 basketball programs, the college basketball legend who serves as the Sun Devils’ head coach expected a far better farewell. “That's going to be the lasting memory of us playing in the Pac-12. Wow!” Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said. “That's a terrible, terrible memory. Nine years of being in this league and coaching in this league, and it's going to be gone, and that's how we chose to go out. “It doesn't feel good.” [caption id="attachment_228100" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Arizona State junior guard Frankie Collins stands on the Pac-12 logo during the final season as we know it of the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas. (Photo by Dominic Contini/Cronkite News)[/caption] The sick-to-the-stomach feeling trickles down to the players, too. None of today’s players suited up for a John Wooden or Lute Olson, but it doesn’t take away from the league’s history that will fade from memory. The players are fully aware of the rich legacy the league Bill Walton likes to call “The Conference of Champions” leaves behind. “We play for a school that has a lot of history in the Pac-12,” UCLA’s Adem Bona said. “Representing the school for the last time and the last time we're ever going to play in the Pac-12 is really big.” The flagship program of the conference, the Bruins still hold the record for the most national championships in the sport with 11 and the Pac-12 can boast of legendary hoops names such as Wooden, Lew Alcindor, Reggie Miller, Russell Westbrook and Walton. “It is a bummer,” said Joshua Morgan, a USC senior forward and California native. “When I came here, the Pac-12 was my favorite conference. I always wanted to come to a Pac-12 school. It's definitely bittersweet.” While Pac-12 hoops will live on through the four teams with NCAA Tournament bids, the conference's last dance did not disappoint. From Oregon’s Cinderella run to Colorado’s upset of Washington State, the final Pac-12 Tournament gave the premier conference on the West Coast an ending worth remembering. USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington are Big Ten bound. Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado have new homes in the Big 12. Ignoring the geography implied by its name, the ACC picks up Stanford and California. Left out to dry in their small markets of the Pacific Northwest are Washington State and Oregon State. WSU and OSU leave while going in opposite directions. The Cougars qualified for the NCAA Tournament with flying colors, while the Beavers finished dead last in league play. It all left coach Wayne Tinkle with mixed emotions in the wake of Oregon State’s elimination on Wednesday. “I purposely didn't want to think about that a whole lot,” Tinkle said. “I'm kind of over my disgust and frustration and I want to celebrate… because it was a hell of a ride. And it's a shame that we're in the position that we're in, to be quite honest. And I'll probably lament on that stuff now that we're done, but we wanted to keep our focus on the present. “And it's a damn shame. We say damn this, damn that, because of beaver dams. It's a dam shame.” College basketball observers beyond the conference are equally frustrated. “The idea that the Pac-12 is going away is egregious,” ESPN’s Seth Greenberg said. “What has happened to the Pac-12 is malpractice. It is one of the great tradition conferences in the history of sport: across the board, there isn’t anything the Pac-12 hasn’t excelled in. Ten years from now, people won’t even know what Pac-12 championships are. I think that’s really sad.” Whether Mick Cronin’s quote makes the opening cut of an ESPN 30 For 30 describing the Pac-12’s demise one day is uncertain, but what is for sure is the end of an era in college basketball. Following Oregon’s 75-68 victory over Colorado in the championship game on Saturday, the Ducks claimed the final Pac-12 Tournament title. Now the conference will disband at the end of the 2023-24 academic year, its storied legacy snuffed out with barely a sound. Not even from Mick Cronin. ]]>March 18, 2024
Phoenix banks on wheels try to make banking more accessible, provide financial education
PHOENIX – For some, going to the bank is a regular errand, but for others, it’s a difficult and sometimes impossible task. That’s why some programs bring the bank to the customer instead of making the customer come to the bank. With portions of Arizona’s population having limited or nonexistent access to banking services, financial institutions are working with nonprofits to help. Bank branches on wheels is one tool they’re trying out to provide financial education and get more people signed up for bank accounts. According to data compiled by economic justice nonprofit Prosperity Now, 17% of Phoenix households were underbanked in 2021 compared to 14% of households nationwide. Underbanked households have a bank account, but they rely primarily on cash and alternative financial services like payday loans to manage their money. Prosperity Now reported that nationally and in Phoenix, 5% of households were unbanked, meaning they have no bank account or access to any banking service. Geoffrey Smith, a clinical professor in the finance department of Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business, said the problem stems from inadequate financial literacy and anxiety around money. “There's not a lot of good personal finance education at, say, the high school level or the grammar school level. There's sort of an assumption that people will just absorb this knowledge through just life,” he said. “But I think for some people, there might be some intimidation or not understanding how it works.” Now, large banks are investing money and resources in financial literacy and making their services more accessible. In January 2022, PNC Bank launched its Community Benefits Plan, an $88 billion investment in loans and financial resources for those with low to moderate income. Banks on wheels were part of the plan, and Phoenix is the seventh market where PNC Bank has added them. Other host cities include Chicago, Baltimore and Houston. PNC Bank partners with local organizations to bring the bank on wheels to their locations on a regular basis. In Phoenix, the Foundation for Senior Living’s (FSL) Village on Roeser began hosting the banks on wheels in December, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul began hosting in January. [caption id="attachment_228085" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The PNC mobile bank branch sits ready for patrons to enter on Jan. 24, 2024, in Phoenix. (Photo courtesy of PNC Bank)[/caption] Though patrons can create an account at the mobile branch, financial education is the main goal, said David Crummey, a PNC Bank vice president and Arizona’s community development officer of community development banking. “The primary goal of the mobile branch is to have financial conversations with residents,” he said. “It's about budgeting. It's about what is working for you and what isn't working for you.” FSL’s Director of Development Amy O’Sullivan said residents are pleased with the mobile branch’s friendly staff and the fact that they can withdraw as little as a dollar. “For some people, pulling out $20 can be a lot of money, so having the opportunity to pull out $1 or $5 and not feel as if they're draining their bank account is a really big deal,” she said. Mobile banks aren’t the only strategy though, and brick-and-mortar banks are still a major part of the effort to address banking access issues. Bank On is a nationwide initiative by the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund to help people establish banking relationships. Arizona’s coalition, Bank on Arizona, is partnering with Dress for Success Phoenix, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women achieve financial independence. Jessica Howell, Dress for Success Phoenix’s director of community engagement and Bank On Arizona fellow, said the coalition wants to increase communication and advocacy between local organizations and financial institutions in the same area. “We know our clients' needs, and sometimes our financial institutions are removed from that knowledge,” she said. “So, the improvement of (financial services) is providing that knowledge that, ‘Hey, this is the need that our clients are stating,’ and it’s really honestly building that bridge of trust.” Though Howell said the coalition plans to use PNC’s mobile branch services, she said that brick-and-mortar banks can be part of the solution, noting there are “other financial institutions on our coalition that although (they) might not have a wheels capability, they send individuals that are able to go out into the community and sign up accounts on site.” Smith mentioned another remedy for those who have trouble accessing banking services. “One of the big industries nowadays is fintech, which is using technology to give access to people in lesser-served communities,” he said. “You can bank on your phone or remotely, so you don't need a brick-and-mortar branch. And it reduces the costs, too, of opening accounts, transferring money and so on.” Fintech, short for financial technology, encompasses technologies that automate financial services for businesses and individuals. It includes payment apps PayPal, mobile investment services like Robinhood and digital budgets like Mint. Smith said that the main barrier to growth for fintech is that startups have to comply with hefty regulations. But he said despite the constraints, fintech is still an exploding industry.]]>March 18, 2024
Care to dance? Arizona, GCU prepare for first round of NCAA men’s basketball tournament
PHOENIX – It’s that time again. The most anticipated Sunday in college basketball has passed, and roughly two and half weeks of iconic games, breakthrough performances, Cinderella stories and millions of busted brackets lie ahead. The 2024 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament is officially here, and Selection Sunday has left us with plenty of storylines to ensure some madness this March. With the Valley hosting the Final Four on April 6 and the title game April 8, two teams have a shot to represent the Grand Canyon State. The University of Arizona and Grand Canyon University are the only teams from Arizona in this year's tournament and both find themselves nestled into the West Region of the tournament. “I feel good,” Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd said Sunday. “ I think we’re well-rested. I know we’re definitely healthier than we were last year. I think we’re ready to be in attack mode.” Headlining both the Big Dance and the East Region, the reigning champion UConn Huskies breezed through the regular season and Big East Tournament to solidify themselves as the undisputed No. 1 seed. Four of the Huskies’ starters have championship experience, and senior guard Tristen Newton is a triple-double threat on any given day. Rounding out the No. 1 seeds are a trio of teams led by their respective conference’s player of the year. The Houston Cougars (30-4) pounce into March Madness atop the South Region with elite two-way guard Jamal Shead leading the way and look to finish off their first season in the Big 12 with a bang. The Purdue Boilermakers (29-4) sit atop the Midwest Region on the back of their 7-foot-4 monster center senior Zach Edey, who led the nation in scoring at 24.4 points per game. The Boilermakers come into this year’s tournament looking to prove the doubters wrong and follow in the Virginia Cavaliers’ footsteps by winning the nNational cChampionship the year after losing to a No. 16 seed. [related-story-right box-title="Related Story" link="https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2024/03/14/rocky-mountain-colorado-rockies-mlb-spring-training-2024/" image="https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DSC_0483.jpg" headline="Colorado may be cold, but the Rockies’ bats are on fire"] Senior guard RJ Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels (27-7) head the West Region and seek redemption for their heartbreaking 2022 championship loss to Kansas. Fellow senior guard Caleb Love is also seeking that same redemption, except he’d be doing it with another team. Love transferred from North Carolina to the University of Arizona for his senior year, and the Pac-12 Player of the Year has the Wildcats (25-8) rocking the West Region’s No. 2 seed. The Wildcats hovered around a potential No. 1 seed the entire year due to the scoring of Love and dominant rebounding of senior center Oumar Ballo, but a Pac-12 tournament loss to Oregon put that to rest. Even though Houston, Purdue and North Carolina suffered the same fate as Arizona in their conference tournaments, their resumes proved to outweigh the Wildcats’. “We always factor in the entirety of the season,” said Charles McClland, chair of the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee. “Houston, UConn and Purdue were always on our board. It came down to six teams vying for a first seed, and Arizona was one of them. Outside of the conference, they had some really strong wins, but overall we felt that Arizona fell to a No. 2 seed when looking at all the metrics.” Nevertheless, Arizona has a first-round date with No.15 seed Long Beach State on Thursday. This comes just one year after the Wildcats were stunned by a No.15 seed, and Long Beach State is one of the hottest teams in the country right now, winning the Big West Championship a week after coach Dan Monson learned he was being let go at the end of the season. Barring any upsets, the Wildcats have a chance to be part of one the biggest storylines of the tournament — an Elite Eight matchup versus North Carolina. Fans might say it’s just part of the “script,” but Love facing his former team for a trip to the Final Four is what the tournament is all about. It’s not called March Madness for nothing. While the top seeds the tournament, the tournament darlings are always the double-digit seeds. The No. 11 seed Oregon Ducks (23-11) made a huge splash winning the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament, and senior center N’Faly Dante is red hot coming off a 12/12 performance in the Pac 12 championship. Fellow No.11 North Carolina State (22-14) is just as hot, running the table in the ACC Tournament while upsetting Syracuse, Duke, Virginia and North Carolina. The alpha of the Wolfpack is senior guard DJ Horne, who watched his potential No. 11 seed run with Arizona State last year end on a buzzer-beater in the Round of 64 versus TCU. The No.12 seeds all pose serious threats to their No. 5 opponents. James Madison and McNeese State enter March Madness with 30-plus wins each. The Dukes can put up points at will while the Cowboys are coming off a historic school turnaround under TCU transfer senior guard Shahada Wells and former LSU coach Will Wade, who both have tournament experience. For Grand Canyon University, the Antelopes enter the Big Dance just below the 30-win mark at 29-4, and the WAC champions are hoping the third time’s the charm for the March Madness appearances. The 12th seed is the highest ever for the Antelopes, but a tough task in St. Mary’s awaits them on Friday. “They're a really physical team,” GCU coach Bryce Drew said. “They execute very well and in the second half of the season, they have been playing outstanding basketball. They are one of the hottest teams in the country.” [caption id="attachment_228073" align="alignnone" width="1024"] GCU teammates Gabe McGlothan, left, and Duke Brennan celebrate with the WAC Tournament trophy. The Lopes open NCAA Tournament play Friday in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by Dominic Contini/Cronkite News)[/caption] The Antelopes pose an electric offense, scoring nearly 80 points per game, but the Gaels play slow and are stout on defense, allowing only 58.7 points per game, which is second best in the country. Drew has been at the helm for each of the Antelopes' three tournament appearances, but it’s the Antelopes' first time with senior standout guard Tyon Grant-Foster. . During the 2021-22 season, Grant-Foster played a paltry 15 minutes for DePaul before two heart surgeries forced him to miss 16 months of basketball. Now, he’s the main man for GCU averaging 19.8 points per game, and earning WAC Player of the Year honors. “He’s a warrior,” forward Gabe McGlothan said. “If he has his mind set on something, he’s going to go take it. I’m just so proud of him.” With the addition of backcourt mate Ray Harrison’s scoring ability and McGlothan‘s superb three-point shooting, the trio poses a massive test for the Gaels’ defense. “It takes every single one of us,” McGlothan said. “No one is going to go out there and win a game all by himself, so we all got to lock in from this moment until Friday.” Drew is no stranger to big-time upsets during his playing days, but as coach, he pushed heavy favorites Iowa (2021) and Gonzaga (2023) to the brink. The third time may just be the charm for Drew, and if the slipper fits, a Love and UNC reunion might be replaced by a battle for Arizona in the Elite Eight. “This team has been really motivated all year,” Drew said. “We’ve had a lot of goals, and there are more goals that this team wants to accomplish. With some of the guys going last year, they have the experience of knowing what to expect and the familiarity of getting in the tournament. I think that experience will help us.” While we await the fates of both Arizona and GCU, the NCAA Tournament kicks off Tuesday at 3:40 p.m. with a First Four matchup between No. 16 seeds Wagner and Howard. ]]>March 18, 2024
Maricopa County, First Place hold mock election for disabled voters ahead of presidential primary
PHOENIX – A mock election to help voters with various physical or mental disabilities was held Feb. 27 by the Maricopa County Recorder’s Elections Office and Vote The Spectrum, an initiative launched by a Phoenix nonprofit to register 10,000 individuals with autism or intellectual or developmental disabilities. “We’ve done 250 vote registrations as of today, and that means that we’ll get additional people out there voting,” said Monica Murray, a member of the Maricopa County Special Elections Board. Those boards provide services to people whose various disabilities make voting difficult. “Compared to the millions of voters out there, 250 may not be a big number, but to me that’s 250 people that would not have voted,” Murray said. The mock election was held at First Place-Phoenix, a residential complex geared toward neurodivergent individuals. The goal of the organizers was to encourage neurodiverse people and people living with disabilities to vote because their voices matter. The event was designed to show people various aids that are available to them, such as special request ballots. It also informed people of assistance available to help them feel more comfortable and understand what to expect in the voting booth. The mock election event was attended by individuals with a spectrum of autism and disabilities. [caption id="attachment_228053" align="alignright" width="300"] Adrian Fontes, Arizona Secretary of State, speaks to people attending the mock election event on Feb. 27. (Photo by Jack Orleans/Cronkite News)[/caption] “There are folks among us every single day who are perhaps neurodivergent, and we just may not know,” said Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. The event provided large-print and Braille ballots for people who are visually impaired. The large-print ballot is 17 by 34 inches, and the Braille ballot uses American standard Braille, Murray said. Attendees also tried out a third accessibility device, an ICX machine, which uses audio instructions as well as Braille with a controller similar to a video game controller. “It's called our audio tactile interface controller and it has buttons to navigate you through the voting process. It has Braille too if you want to read it through Braille and it also has a set of earphones as well,” said Angelica Bland, the communications coordinator for the voter outreach team at Maricopa County. An estimated fewer than 10% of the 1.3 million legally blind people in the U.S. can read Braille, according to the National Federation of the Blind. However, no definitive number exists, according to the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness. Lauren Heimerdinger, an attendee at the event who is visually impaired, found that the machine has some drawbacks. She isn’t fluent in Braille, she said. [caption id="attachment_228059" align="alignleft" width="300"] Lauren Heimerdinger, a part-time receptionist for the Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, tested equipment provided by Maricopa County Elections at the mock election event on Feb. 27. (Photo by Jack Orleans/Cronkite News)[/caption] “I didn't know what any of the buttons were. If I had some time before to, you know, just feel around for what the buttons felt like and know what they did, what actions they did, then that would work for me,” Heimerdinger said. Heimerdinger said more explanation of how to use the ICX machine, or time to familiarize herself with the buttons, would have helped. The event organizers also talked about the Maricopa County Special Elections board that helps people with confining illnesses and physical disabilities who are unable to vote at a polling location. According to the Arizona Disability Compendium, 480,232 disabled people live in Maricopa County, which is about 11% of the county’s total population. Overall, Arizona saw a 10.6 percentage point increase from 2016 to 2020 of people with disabilities voting, from 66.2% to 76.8%, according to the Election Assistance Commission. Arizona’s presidential preference election takes place Tuesday.]]>March 17, 2024
GCU men punch ticket into NCAA Tournament after winning WAC Championship bout over UT Arlington
PHOENIX – Since gaining Division I status and joining the Western Athletic Conference in 2013, Grand Canyon University has steadily climbed the ranks to one of the WAC’s best. When New Mexico State left to join Conference USA starting this season, questions followed about who would take over the top spot, with the Aggies winning the WAC men’s basketball tournament and a spot in the NCAA Tournament eight out of their final 12 years in the conference. The Aggies rarely were able to create success in the “Big Dance” during this stretch, only making it into the second round once in 2022, yet remained a giant obstacle few teams in the WAC were able to solve. On Saturday night, in a purple-filled Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, the Antelopes showed there’s a new obstacle in town, as they won their second-consecutive WAC tournament and their third all-time in a physical 89-74 win over No. 3 UT Arlington (20-14 overall, 13-7 WAC). “This one means a little bit more, I think because we have so many new guys that have just grown together in nine months so quick and we’ve come for one common goal,” coach Bryce Drew said about his third trip to the NCAA Tournament with GCU. Throughout the regular season, the Lopes appeared to be the team to replace the Aggies at the top. With a veteran roster and key players transferring in, it seemed that the stars were aligning for GCU. The Lopes sat atop the conference standings at 17-3 and broke their Division I record for winning percentage and wins in a season before the WAC Championship game even began. And yet, there was a cautious optimism around the team and fans entering the weekend with No. 2 Tarleton State building up steam while GCU stuttered near the end, dropping two games in late February to Tarleton and Abilene Christian. During its semifinal on Friday night, the Lopes were able to squeak by No. 4 Seattle U after a second-half push that secured them the momentum late in the contest. Saturday’s victory over UT Arlington books the Lopes’ third appearance in the NCAA Tournament – they also went in 2021 and 2023 – as the team seeks its first ever win in the tournament after losing to Iowa in 2021 (86-74) and Gonzaga in 2023 (82-70) [caption id="attachment_228039" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Ticket punched. GCU players celebrate after their 89-74 WAC Tournament win that gives them an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. (Photo by Dominic Contini/Cronkite News)[/caption] Even though it was not the cleanest game from GCU during its record-breaking season, Drew and WAC Player of the Year Tyon Grant-Foster gave veteran Jovan Blacksher Jr. his flowers after his gritty performance. “He led and played with his heart tonight,” Drew said. “He played probably his best game of the year today.” Grant Foster said, “He’s one of our engines and he got me going.” Blacksher Jr. is one of two players on GCU that has been on both previous WAC Championship teams, alongside forward Gabe McGlothan, and has stepped into a bench role after averaging over 30 minutes a game from 2020-22. That didn’t shake Blacksher Jr., as he has consistently been a reliable option for Drew off the bench, especially on Saturday night, playing 21 minutes of intoxicating defense and scoring 14 points. Drew also found success from the bench in senior forward Lok Wur, who finished the game with 16 points and was 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Grant-Foster was named 2024 WAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player after leading the Lopes Saturday night with 22 points, nine rebounds and three steals. The DePaul transfer was grateful for the chance to play in the NCAA Tournament after not playing in the 2022-23 season after undergoing two heart surgeries due to collapsing after a game with DePaul in the 2021-22 season. After winning his first conference championship of his collegiate career, Grant-Foster was emotional talking about what he was feeling in the moment. “That was my very first time with the confetti and the nets and everything, so it was one of the best moments of my life,” Grant-Foster said. The game was a physical bout the entire night, with over 50 fouls combined. It fell right into GCU’s strength of pushing the paint consistently and getting to the charity stripe. This gave the Lopes a crucial edge, completing 34-of-46 free throw attempts compared to only 14 points from the free-throw line for the Mavericks. [caption id="attachment_228040" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The GCU student section showed up for their team's second WAC Tournament title in a row. The Lopes always have a strong fan showing. (Photo by Dominic Contini/Cronkite News)[/caption] Near the end of the game, things got chippy as guard Ray Harrison’s windmill dunk put the icing on the cake for the Lopes to increase the lead to 12 with three seconds remaining. The UT Arlington players and staff did not appreciate Harrison’s finishing move, with Phillip Russell bumping into him as Russell made his way back, and Akili Vining throwing the basketball at Russell shortly after. Both benches cleared, with Drew urging his players to quickly return to their seats to avoid a confrontation, with no blows exchanged at the end of it. The sequence resulted in an additional time to review the play to address the correct fouls, with officials ejecting one player from each team with 2.9 seconds remaining. UT Arlington coach K.T. Turner later shook hands with Drew and his staff, with Drew returning the gesture to the Mavericks sideline near the end of the play’s review. When asked postgame about the situation, Turner didn’t have much issue with Harrison’s dunk. “He’s allowed to go dunk the ball. There’s still time on the clock,” Turner said. Drew reminisced about his journey in the Valley over the last four years and what it has turned into during his short tenure. “Four years ago when I came and (was) blessed to get offered the job, we talked a lot about what this place could be and what it would look like,” Drew said. “I think four years later, looking at the crowd, looking at our team, some of that vision you know, is happening right now and it’s so fun to be part of the process and just really thankful to our school, thankful to our guys for all of the work and support for our program to be where it’s at.” This will be Drew’s sixth appearance in March Madness and his third in four seasons with Grand Canyon, after leading Valparaiso to two appearances in 2013 and 2015, as well as Vanderbilt in 2017. Drew is currently 0-5 in his coaching career in the NCAA Tournament however, with his closest loss in 2017 with Valparaiso when it lost to No. 9 Northwestern 68-66 in Salt Lake City. The GCU faithful hope that this is the year that the Lopes are finally able to taste success in the NCAA Tournament, with their best record in Division I program history and an experienced roster of talent. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi projected Saturday night that Grand Canyon will be a No. 12 seed in the tournament, with the potential of moving up to a No. 11 seed depending on other outcomes Sunday morning and afternoon. Amid all of the stress and commotion about their return to the sport’s biggest stage, Drew is grateful the Lopes are following script. “The main common goal as a team was to get to the tournament and then have chances to hopefully win (NCAA Tournament) games,” he said ]]>March 16, 2024
Top-seeded Arizona Wildcats stunned by Oregon Ducks in Pac-12 men’s tournament semifinals
LAS VEGAS – If the Arizona Wildcats planned to rinse the bitter taste of postseason defeat from last year’s early exit from the NCAA Tournament, coach Tommy Loyd’s team will have to wait. The Pac-12 Conference’s top-seeded Wildcats were left stunned by the fourth-seeded Oregon Ducks 67-59 after a dominating defensive start in the 2024 Pac-12 Men’s Tournament semifinals at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Arizona (25-8 overall, 15-5 Pac-12) and Oregon (22-11, 12-8) met for the final time in the Pac-12 conference Friday, with the Wildcats suffering their first Pac-12 tournament loss in three seasons under Lloyd in the semifinals. The early exit comes nearly a year after exiting the NCAA Tournament in an upset to No. 15 Princeton as the No. 2 seed. “We just didn’t get it done today. You’ve got to give Oregon credit,” said Lloyd, who has coached Arizona to a 7-1 mark in the Pac-12 tournament. An electric atmosphere from the Wildcats fanbase sparked the team to a 14-point lead with less than two minutes to go in the first half behind 42% shooting from the field and 33% from beyond the arc. Oregon’s rocky start came after one of its best players, center N'Faly Dante, left within the first minute of the game following a hard fall over Arizona’s Oumar Ballo. Dante was helped to the locker room and then later checked back in the game with just under eight minutes to go in the first half. Arizona used an 11-0 run to take a 27-13 lead with 6:52 remaining in the half. The Ducks shot 33% from the field and went 1-of-12 from downtown in the first half but managed to cut the deficit to 10 going at halftime. “Kind of lost our composure in the first half when Dante went down,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said after the win. “And he went down in the second, third play of the game. And we did lose our composure, had some bad turnovers, and took some quick shots.” The Ducks stormed out of the second half to cut the Wildcats’ lead to five to start the second half, thanks in part to Jackson Shelstad and Jermaine Couisnard. Shelstad finished with 21 points, while Couisard added 20 points. [caption id="attachment_228020" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The Oregon Ducks celebrate beating Arizona 67-59 and advancing to the championship round of the 2024 Pac-12 Tournament. (Photo by Dominic Contini/Cronkite News)[/caption] “As poorly as we played and as unorganized as we had them there for about five or six minutes, we were fortunate to be only down 10,” Altman said. “So to come out the second half, we got a pretty good start, I thought that was really important. Coaches always talk about the last four minutes of the first half, the first four minutes of the second half, how critical they are. In this particular game, we really needed a good start to the second half.” Arizona gifted Oregon the ball with costly turnovers in the second half, allowing the game to drift away. The Wildcats stopped putting up shots, hitting a season-low on shot attempts by only putting up 47. “Coach gives us a lot of freedom, and we've got to do a better job taking care of the ball,” Wildcats guard Jadan Bradley said. “Turnovers we have to limit those to help us win games for more possessions on offense.” Caleb Love, who was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year four days ago, struggled while shooting 2-for-11 from the field and finishing with six points. In the previous matchups against Oregon, he scored 36 and 22 points. “We love that guy. And he (Love) just hasn't played well,” Lloyd said. “The one thing I know about him is he's a high character, he's tough, he's a fighter. And I expect him to come back in full force next week.” Ballo led the team with 14 points and 12 rebounds for his 18th double-double this season. However, he didn’t see the ball in the second half or make a single-shot attempt. The loss leaves the Wildcats on hold for their seeding and destination in the NCAA Tournament, which will be revealed Sunday. Meanwhile, Oregon is set to play Colorado in the Pac-12 title game Saturday night. “You play the hand you're dealt. And obviously, we would have loved to have win today and win tomorrow. But that didn't happen,” Lloyd said. “So we're going to go back and take a look at things. And I love this group of guys. We've had an amazing journey together, and I'm expecting the best times are ahead.” ]]>March 16, 2024
Survive and advance: GCU outlasts Seattle, books WAC Championship spot against UT Arlington
LAS VEGAS – After last year’s NCAA Tournament exit, GCU turned this season into one to remember as it finished the regular season with the best win percentage in Division I program history, while tying its record for most wins in a season. The No. 1 Antelopes officially broke that record in an 80-72 victory over No. 4 Seattle University Friday in Las Vegas. The Lopes fed off the Orleans Arena crowd, which was packed by the GCU faithful and amounted to roughly 90% of the fans there. The game went back and forth in the first half, with neither team able to build a sustainable lead. But once the second half began, GCU grabbed the lead early and never allowed the Redhawks to catch up. In their previous two games against the Redhawks this season, the Lopes were led by senior forward Gabe McGlothan, who paced the Lopes with 28 and 25 points, respectively. McGlothan was silenced Friday, shooting 1-for-9 and 0-for-3 from three-point range. The Lopes didn’t have to look far for another answer on offense, however, as their leading scorer Tyon Grant-Foster led his team to the championship through a complete performance. The senior transfer was a monster on each end of the floor, totaling 28 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Grant-Foster was supported by guard Ray Harrison, who made all eight free throws during his 17-point, four-assist evening. GCU coach Bryce Drew applauded his players for stepping up in the second half despite a slow first half after not playing all week. “Really proud of our team effort, long week here waiting to play,” Drew said. “In the first half we were down two, but we still thought we were in a good place cause we hadn’t played in a week, and I thought we had some good shots that we didn’t make in that first half.” [caption id="attachment_228014" align="alignnone" width="1024"] GCU's Collin Moore places the team sticker on the ceremonial tournament bracket after defeating the Seattle Redhawks 80-72 in the WAC tournament semifinal. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)[/caption] Grant-Foster and Harrison complimented each other and their teammates, including McGlothan, amid their standout performances. “I feel like that’s what makes us different this whole year, just being able to have so many different weapons that on any given night, you have to respect (us),” Grant-Foster said. Harris added that “they’re like our engine, so they don’t have to play super good to keep us playing good. It’s amazing just to have him because without him we’d be totally different.” The win solidified the Lopes’ fifth conference championship appearance in the last six years (2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024), and improved their all-time record in the WAC tournament 12-3. The program improved to 5-1 in semifinal games, with its only loss coming in 2022 in a 75-70 loss to New Mexico State, who is now a part of Conference USA. The Lopes are 2-2 in the WAC Championship, winning their last two appearances over New Mexico State (2021) and Southern Utah (2023). If Grand Canyon wins Saturday, a conference title would be its second-consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament and third in program history, with both previous NCAA-bound teams coached by Drew. GCU hopes to build upon their success during the regular season and Friday through the WAC Championship, as they will take on No. 3 UT Arlington Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Drew wasn’t worried about the specifics of the championship game Friday night, focusing more on resting his team before the game Saturday night. ]]>March 15, 2024
GCU women’s basketball upset in the WAC semifinals after Stephen F. Austin comeback in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS – In a record-breaking season for the Grand Canyon University women’s basketball team, one team in conference play proved unsolvable in two previous matchups: Stephen F. Austin. The Ladyjacks won in the Valley 59-54 in late January, and most recently held down home court in an 85-77 bout in Nacogdoches, Texas. History reared its head yet again during the WAC women’s basketball tournament, as the No. 2 Lopes fell to the No. 3 Ladyjacks 66-63 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The Lopes (25-7; 16-4 WAC) came out of the gates hot, forcing six turnovers and limiting the Ladyjacks (22-11; 14-6 WAC) to three points in the first quarter. The offense was consistent as well, with WAC All-Defensive team selections Tiarra Brown and Trinity San Antonio leading the way with a combination of eight points, two assists and two steals in the quarter. GCU’s advantage quickly faded away in the second quarter, with Stephen F. Austin scoring 25 points, compared to the slim eight points from GCU, leaving the Lopes trailing by three at halftime. The second half was a physical battle. SFA senior Kurstyn Harden controlled the game late in the paint, with a total of 16 points, and drew crucial fouls late in the contest. The first-team All-WAC center drained two critical free throws with six seconds left to extend the lead to three. The Lopes elected to try and push the paint for a layup and hopeful foul call, but San Antonio missed the layup and was not able to draw a foul, concluding GCU’s tournament run in excruciating fashion. GCU coach Molly Miller clarified in the postgame press conference that the play was originally set for a corner three-point shot, “but things just didn’t work out.” “We drew it up for a 3 and, just the opportunity didn't present itself I guess for that pass,” Miller said. “We knew we needed a 3, it just didn't materialize to get open.” With the loss, the Lopes’ three losses to Stephen F. Austin this season were by a combined margin of 15 points, with both defeats during March resulting from comeback victories for the Ladyjacks. Unable to claw back late in the game, GCU finished with one field goal made in the final 5:30 of the contest. There was visible emotion for San Antonio and Brown, with the All-WAC First Team selection finishing her fourth year under Miller. Even though the end result was not GCU’s goal/hope, Miller and her players were proud of how they played during their winningest season in the program’s Division I history. GCU’s 24 wins in the regular season marked its highest total since joining Division I in 2013, with its previous record of 22 achieved in the 2021-22 season. Friday’s loss was a sad but familiar feeling for the Lopes, as it was their second consecutive semifinals loss and the fourth consecutive year they failed to win the WAC after making it to at least the semifinals. Stephen F. Austin advanced to the WAC Championship game Saturday at 10:30 a.m., against top-seeded California Baptist (27-3; 18-2 WAC) for an automatic bid in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. After the game, Miller reflected on the game and their season as a whole, saying that the ball just didn’t fall for them on the night. Still, she remained hopeful that they would be given a chance in the postseason to prove themselves one final time. The Lopes’ postseason outlook is still foggy, as they await a potential place in either the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) or the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) later this weekend. Even though the Lopes failed to win the WAC tournament during their historic year, Miller hopes that they can build off of this year’s success as they continue battling for that elusive NCAA tournament berth. “We’ve got to a place where we can finally win a championship,” Miller said. “It wasn’t our night, but we’ve gotten to a place where we can use momentum, and the expectation is to get back here and win it all.” ]]>