Search result for Tom Blanton

Advocates say Superintendent Tom Horne’s bathroom recommendation ‘others’ transgender students

PHOENIX – Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne advised Arizona schools not to “initiate a policy that allows biological boys to use bathrooms, locker rooms or shower facilities that are intended for girls.” Some schools already have policies in place that support trans students, and advocates say Horne’s recommendation is discriminatory.

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is advising Arizona schools not to create policies that allow transgender students to use bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity. Some schools already have policies in place that support trans students. (Photo by Kiersten Edgett/Cronkite News)

Phoenix Sky Harbor workers file complaint, vote to strike over dangerous working conditions and low wages

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.

State Rep. Analise Ortiz, left, high-fives Michael Smith outside Phoenix City Hall on Sept. 6, 2023. Ortiz showed her support for Sky Harbor concession workers after they provided personal testimony at a city council meeting about low wages and tough working conditions. (Photo by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)

ESA program added almost 50,000 students in the past year, state reports

WASHINGTON – The state added nearly 12,000 students to the Empowerment Scholarship Account program in the last quarter, bringing total enrollment to 61,689 at the end of June and renewing debates about the costs and benefits of the program.


With pay lagging, school districts try other enticements to get teachers

WASHINGTON - Chino Valley Unified School District is building tiny houses in hopes of attracting teachers, just one of the ways school districts around Arizona are scrambling to attract and retain teachers in a state that offers some of the lowest salaries in the nation.


Protesters gather at state Capitol to challenge Tom Horne’s anti-dual language rhetoric

PHOENIX – Protesters gathered at the state Capitol Thursday to challenge the attacks by Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne’s on Arizona’s dual language programs.

Protesters gather outside the state Capitol Thursday to draw attention to Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne’s criticism of dual language programs. (Photo by Josh Bootzin/Cronkite News)

GCU shortstop Jacob Wilson makes history, highlights talent in draft from Arizona

PHOENIX – Jacob Wilson makes GCU history in baseball’s amateur draft, while Arizona’s Chase Davis and ASU’s Luke Keaschall land in the first two rounds. The Diamondbacks also add to their talent.

Grand Canyon infielder Jacob Wilson made history as the first Lopes player to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft. (Photo by Zac BonDurant/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Meet the Colorado River’s newest – and youngest – power player

Meet JB Hamby, the Colorado River's newest and youngest policymaker, on his home turf. Hamby serves on the board of the Imperial Irrigation District, the largest single user of Colorado River water, and was recently appointed as California's top water negotiator.


Get on your soap box: Bisbee Coaster Races return with rich history

BISBEE – For the first time since 2019, Bisbee will hold its Fourth of July Coaster Races. Started in 1914, racers spend thousands of dollars to build soap box derby style cars that race down Tombstone Canyon into downtown Bisbee.

Coasters reach between 40-42 mph, and safety for all is always a priority, with required safety inspections, weigh-ins and brake checks. (Photo courtesy of City of Bisbee)

Tommy Lloyd, Bobby Hurley provide offseason updates in new age of recruiting

PHOENIX – At the Section 7 high school tournament, Arizona men’s basketball coach Tommy Lloyd and ASU men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley reflected on the state of college basketball and how their teams are shaping up for next season.

Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley is taking his team on an offseason trip to Europe. He hopes the journey will be a bonding experience for his returning players and new recruits in this challenging era of college basketball coaching. (Photo by Joey Plishka/Cronkite News)

Truth and Healing Commission legislation heads to Senate floor

The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has sent to the Senate legislation that would create the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States.

Dora Morning, a member of the Cheyenne Nation, is buried in the Carlisle Indian Cemetery on the former grounds of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, where she died in 1885. The Carlisle Indian Industrial School sits on the grounds of the present-day U.S. Army War College. (Photo by Addison Kliewer/Gaylord News)

Arizona State University plans new medical school among efforts to address gaps in state health care

TEMPE – The Arizona Board of Regents asked Arizona’s three universities to create real-world solutions to the state’s health care crisis. ASU responded with plans for ASU Health, which includes a new medical school focused on medical engineering and technology.

ASU President Michael Crow, left, and Fred DuVal, chair elect of the Arizona Board of Regents, confer after the regents meeting where Crow announced a new medical school on Thursday, June 1, 2023. (Photo by Sophia Biazus/Cronkite News)

Under ‘healthy pressure,’ ASU’s Preston Summerhays stars for hometown crowd at NCAA Men’s Golf Championship

SCOTTSDALE – ASU sophomore Preston Summerhays represented the only golfer in the 155-player field from Scottsdale, the home of Grayhawk Golf Club, and healthy pressure on himself to be the best he can be for the local fans.

On Monday, ASU sophomore golfer Preston Summerhayes extended the team's season with a 15-foot birdie putt in a playoff against Stanford. (Photo by Tommy Fernandez/SDA)