Kevinjonah Paguio expects to graduate in May 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in global studies. He has interned at the Reynolds Center for Business Journalism, is now an intern with AZ Big Media and has freelanced.
GANADO – Dr. Richard Laughter, a Navajo psychiatrist practicing in the heart of the Navajo Nation, incorporates Native American cultural practices into the behavioral health program at Sage Memorial Hospital in Ganado.
PHOENIX – Quality First’s federal pandemic relief funding for early childhood care is set to expire on June 30, ending some provider services and scholarships for families. Many, including Gov. Hobbs, are requesting an increase in state funds to mitigate the impact of this expiration.
PHOENIX - A divided Arizona Supreme Court on Tuesday reinstated a 19th-century, near-total ban on abortion, saying it overrides a 2022 law that allowed abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy.
PHOENIX - The Hearing Healthcare Assistance Project provides hearing care for low-income adults who might not able to afford care. Founded in 2021 by the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and ASU, the program now includes NAU and UArizona.
PHOENIX – Dreamscape Learn is collaborating with ASU Prep Pilgrim Rest to provide students with the first K-12 opportunity to use its new immersive virtual learning pod. Students can experience virtual realities from King Tut’s tomb to 30 meters below the ocean’s surface.
GILBERT – Phoenix senior homes held a prom in January to give their residents a special event with live music, dancing and a chance to dress up and socialize. Socialization is key to mental health and well-being for senior citizens.
PHOENIX – Abortion opponents packed the plaza outside the Arizona Capitol on Friday in an impassioned display of anti-abortion advocacy at what one advocate called "a crucial time in Arizona" for the abortion fight.
PHOENIX – Cientos de personas asistieron al primer foro en español organizado por el condado Maricopa sobre el fentanilo dirigido a la comunidad hispana. Entre los oradores estaban Ronny Morales y su madre, Marta Ayala, quienes compartieron su experiencia lidiando con la adicción en la familia.
PHOENIX – The Maricopa County Attorney's Office hosted its first Spanish-only forum on the dangers of fentanyl. The program featured Ronny Morales who told his personal story of using the drug and getting sober.
PHOENIX – Maricopa County got $2 million in national opioid settlement funds and gave $60,000 to Live and Learn AZ, a local organization that supported April Hernandez so she could overcome a crystal meth addiction and get back on her feet.
PHOENIX – Raíces del Sur and Esperanza en la Frontera assist Mexican parents who have adult children in the U.S. in obtaining visas to visit their families, regardless of the children’s immigration status.
PAGE SPRINGS – Arizona Game and Fish grows fish to replenish the state’s lakes. This supports those who enjoy the pastime while also keeping the state’s environment vibrant.
QUEEN CREEK – Special COVID-19 funds have been paying parents as caregivers for their children needing specialized care. An extension of that arrangement is set to expire but a new proposal would make pay for parent caregivers a permanent benefit in Arizona.
PHOENIX – Activists with Mass Liberation Arizona have attended the state’s high-profile police brutality and racial discrimination cases – including hearings for former Maricopa County Attorney’s Office prosecutor April Sponsel – to support marginalized defendants and make their presence known to attorneys and judges.
TEMPE – Arizona has two Hawaiian outrigger canoe teams. They focus on competition as well as preserving Hawaiian culture and building community.
WILLIAMS – The Kendrick Prescribed Fire Project was one of the first of many prescribed burns this fall and winter throughout Arizona with the goal of protecting forest lands and surrounding communities from the threat of potential catastrophic wildfires. The prescribed burns in Kaibab National Forest are part of the U.S. Forest Service’s 10-year wildfire crisis strategy.
PHOENIX – Mortgage loan interest rates are hovering around 8% for the first time in decades, and home prices are high, making a home purchase tough for buyers entering the market for the first time.
TEMPE - As the death toll in the fighting between Hamas and Israel rose this week, groups at Arizona State University gathered in separate rallies on Wednesday and Thursday to express both grief and support for Israelis and Palestinians.
SCOTTSDALE – Arizona experienced extreme heat this summer, which may affect butterfly migratory patterns. The prolonged heat means less food for butterflies and caterpillars.
PHOENIX – Arizona veteran groups, including members of local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, with the help of state Sen. Sonny Borrelli, called out public agencies for targeting them over bingo technological aids, but the state says that’s not the issue. Instead, the groups may be using illegal bingo gaming machines.
TEMPE – President Joe Biden invoked the spirit of the late Sen. John McCain while denouncing "MAGA extremists" as a threat to democracy, during a speech Thursday at the Tempe Arts Center.
PHOENIX – The need for family caregivers is on the rise, leaving families looking for education and solutions as the national caregiver shortage continues to grow.
SCOTTSDALE – Scottsdale residents denounced the city’s plan to convert hotel rooms into homeless shelters during a community hearing. State Rep. Matt Gress organized the community hearing after raising questions about the transparency and effectiveness of the plan.
PHOENIX – Concession and service worker groups at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport are speaking out about dangerous working conditions and unlivable wages. One group voted to strike and another filed an OSHA complaint.
PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and 32 other attorneys general from around the country are asking the Food and Drug Administration to ban flavored e-cigarettes and crack down on marketing that targets youth.
