From right-hand man to a boss named lefty
Dwayne Phelps remembers white sheets, sterile walls and white-hot pain. He stared at blinding lights and watched as the doctors walked out of his hospital room.
In Focus, episode 8: Thriving without sight in Arizona
Many people lose sight as they grow older, but there are more than 15,000 visually impaired Arizonans between the ages of 18 and 34. In this episode, we hear the stories of two of them. Hiris Vela, 20, and Elijah Harris, 19, are both community college students who grew up legally blind in Arizona. They share what it was like to try to get by in high school and how they learned to thrive without sight. And we wrap up the In Focus season with a roundtable of producers, who share their behind-the-scenes insights from their reporting across the state.
Hopi Jr./Sr. High School hires investigators to examine special education
Hopi Jr./Sr. High School, one of the few high schools serving students on the Hopi Reservation in Northern Arizona, has hired investigators to examine its special education program, according to Bertha Parker, a public relations consultant representing the school.
In Focus, episode 7: ‘Aging out’ of foster care in Arizona
On this episode of In Focus, we look at the foster care system in Arizona, specifically for those in the system over the age of 18. Although foster children can leave the foster care system when they turn 18, they can sign a voluntary agreement to continue until they turn 21. Why might some teens decide stay? We talk with one young woman who explains her choice.
In Focus, episode 6: What homelessness means for pregnant women and LGBTQ youth
There are nearly 10,000 homeless people in the state of Arizona, including veterans, the elderly, individuals, youth and families. In this episode of In Focus, we explore issues that especially affect two populations of homeless young adults: pregnant women and those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Ten percent of homeless women are pregnant, according to an article published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal, and the Williams Institute estimates that 20 to 40 percent of homeless youth come from the LGBT community. We hear from one mother who found herself struggling with an addiction, homeless and pregnant with her fifth child, and why LGBT youth are disproportionately represented in homeless populations.
No true count of homeless LGBTQ youth makes problem difficult to address
PHOENIX -- Being 15 years old isn’t easy for a lot of people. You’re a freshman in high school and really starting to come into your own. You’re trying to figure out where you belong and what you want to do with your future.
Orthorexia nervosa: When healthy eating becomes unhealthy
Are you an Arizonan with orthorexia nervosa? Share your experience with us.
In Focus, episode 5: Finding ‘hidden resources’ for autism care
Raising a child with autism can be incredibly challenging under the best of circumstances. For families who live in small towns, far from big-city resources, it can be even harder. In this episode of In Focus, we talk with Elizabeth Gullikson, a 30-year-old mother and resident of Yuma. Her four-year-old son, Gavin Cunningham, has autism. Elizabeth and her family try to acquire the best help for Gavin, but it can take some serious digging to excavate the right resources.
Poll: 41.8 percent of Arizona adults know someone with a prescription painkiller addiction
PHOENIX -- More than four in ten adults in Arizona know someone who has been addicted to prescription painkillers, according to a new Morrison-Cronkite News poll.
Arizona’s relationship to prescription painkillers in 10 graphics
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Poll: 41.8 percent of Arizona adults know someone with a prescription painkiller addiction[/su_pullquote]
PHOENIX -- More than four in ten adults in Arizona know someone who who has been addicted to prescription painkillers, according to a new Morrison-Cronkite News poll. The Morrison Institute surveyed 800 randomly selected adults in the state, choosing a sample representative of the state’s population and demographics. The interviews were conducted March 11-18 and were conducted in English or Spanish. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
In Focus, episode 4: Student triathlete swims, bikes and runs his way out of depression
Young adults -- especially those ages 18 to 25 -- are at a higher risk for depression than people in any other age group. In fact, suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 34, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this episode of In Focus, we explore why mental illness is especially common in young adults and why exercise - in addition to counseling and medication therapy - may help address or even prevent the onset of depression. We hear the story of one student who found relief from depression through triathlon training and talk with experts about the effects of physical exertion on the brain.
