The deaths of at least two residents, along with a costly cleanup and the potential for even more devastation due to the forecast for more rain faces the residents of Gila Bend, a rural area in Maricopa County which suffered horrific flooding early Saturday morning after hours of heavy rain the night before.
A state of emergency was declared Saturday by Mayor Chris Riggs as well as the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. The same is forthcoming from the State, according to Gov. Doug Ducey.
“Arizona is actively working with local emergency officials to assist in the response to the recent flooding in Gila Bend,” Ducey tweeted after learning of the devastation. “We are in contact with local first responders to provide resources and prepare a state declaration of emergency.”
Gila Bend is a town of about 1,800 located 70 miles southwest of Phoenix. Authorities say rescue efforts were hampered by the fact the area of flooding started in the dark and was widespread across the town. In addition, the monsoon rains were accompanied by a lot of lightening and a main roadway, State Route 238, was impassable in spots between Maricopa and Gila Bend.
About 30 people were pulled to safety from atop their homes by helicopters and roughly 100 residents had to find alternative housing due to the damage. Unfortunately, the mayor confirmed that two people died as a result of the flooding.
County officials activated an Emergency Operations Center near the town to help with coordination of rescue and relocation activities, while members of the Arizona Rangers aided with security and transportation. By Saturday afternoon the water had subsided enough that search and rescue workers were leaving the area, but earlier in the day there were about 90 first responders on scene.
Efforts were still underway Sunday night to account for all residents and visitors in the area.
Meanwhile, county employees were joined by Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) workers throughout the weekend to clear roads. The Maricopa County Flood Control District and state officials are expected to be in Gila Bend in the coming days to monitor water quality issues.
Emergency responders are also preparing for the potential for further flooding into Tuesday evening as more rain is forecast to hit the area.
Northland Preparatory Academy (NPA), a Flagstaff charter school, segregated maskless students last week after suddenly reinstating its mask mandate the night before. NPA called the area for segregated students an “alternative placement classroom.” The three students weren’t given direct teaching and were tasked with homework.
12 year old Olivia Oravitz was one of the students placed in the alternative placement classroom. Olivia recounted to AZ Free News how she was taken into the nurse’s office for not wearing a mask. Soon after, Olivia said that she was joined by several other maskless students – a 9th grader and a 12th grader.
According to Olivia, they spent their entire first period sitting in the nurse’s office. They were instructed to have their parents pick them up.
Olivia’s father, Jeff Oravits, recorded his encounter with NPA officials. When he arrived at the school maskless, NPA staff wanted him to wait outside but he refused. Staff allowed him to remain inside, and Jeff requested a meeting with the principal or superintendent.
The audio recording reflects that NPA Principal Jay Litwicki did meet with Jeff. The principal concurred with Jeff’s assessment that they were “isolating” maskless students. However, Litwicki informed Jeff that they wouldn’t be sending maskless students home after all because there were so few students that NPA would be singling them out. Instead, Litwicki explained that they were setting up an alternative classroom.
Litwicki noted that school staff didn’t anticipate students to be maskless.
The principal explained to the Oravitses that maskless students wouldn’t receive direct instruction until further notice. Rather, the segregated students would remain in the alternative placement classroom and receive visits from some of their teachers during preparatory periods.
Photos provided by the Oravits family show that the alternative placement room was bordered by computers and empty in the center.
At no point throughout the whole day did NPA require the segregated students to mask up.
Olivia described to AZ Free News how they didn’t have any regular teaching. Instead, the segregated students were monitored by several staff members while they did homework, and visited by some of their teachers periodically to review assignments.
Olivia added that the three segregated students were given permission to leave the classroom, and weren’t required to wear masks as they did so.
The NPA Governing Board reinstated its mask mandate during a special meeting last Thursday, voting 9-0 in favor of it. The board patterned its rationale for doing so after other school districts reinstating their mask mandates – they argued that laws don’t go into effect until 90 days after the legislative session ends, regardless of any retroactivity clauses. In the case of the mask mandate ban, that would be September 29.
In an interview with her father’s radio show, the Jeff Oravits Show, Olivia said she was disgusted by the board’s decision. At first, she planned on wearing a mask with “9/29” written on it, to signify the day the board promised to rescind the mandate. Olivia encouraged her peers to do the same.
The day after the board’s decision, however, Olivia said she’d changed her mind. She said she wondered why NPA decided to reinstate masks at all, after all this time.
“I’m just tired of them taking away my freedom to decide what’s best for me,” said Olivia. “If it hasn’t worked, it’s probably not going to work by now.”
Olivia told AZ Free News that she would’ve been fine with being removed from school, because she didn’t want to attend somewhere that removed students based on that mandate.
“I kind of went into it with nothing to lose – if I got kicked out for not wearing a mask, I didn’t want to be in a school that did that to me,” said Olivia.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Whether a new state law concerning mask mandates is effective now, or doesn’t go into force until Sept. 29 is the question a Maricopa County judge must answer, but even he admits the final decision will be made by someone else.
Judge Randall Warner held oral arguments Friday morning in a petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) requested by Douglas Hester against his employer, Phoenix Union High School District, which recently announced a mandatory mask policy for its students, parents, and staff when on school property, including buses.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommend K-12 students, parents, and staff wear masks when indoors even if vaccinated for COVID-19. Phoenix Union and at least nine other districts across the state have announced or implemented mask mandate.
Hester contends the new state law barring cities, towns, charter and public schools, community colleges, and public universities from ordering or enforcing any such mandated mask usage became effective June 30.
One or both the sides in the case could appeal Warner’s decision on the effective date of the no-mask mandate statute, depending on how he rules and the reasoning behind his decision. Warner acknowledged as such Friday when he said his ultimate duty in the case is to “tee it up for the Supreme Court” and let the justices make the final ruling
Hester, a science teacher for the district, contends HB2898, the K-12 Education Budget Reconciliation Bill which created the new law, is already in effect due to a retroactive clause. Therefore, he wants Warner to issue a TRO to block enforcement of Phoenix Union’s new policy.
Phoenix Union, through its attorney Mary O’Grady, opposes any TRO. O’Grady also filed a motion on the district’s behalf asking Warner to dismiss the case. It is the district’s position that the effective date of the new statute is not until Sept. 29, the ninety-first day after the legislative session ended.
The district also questioned why legislators would include a retroactive effective date if the new law took effect on the schedule Hester’s attorney Alex Kolodin contends is in place.
According to Kolodin, the 90-day provision does not apply to HB2898m the K-12 Budget reconciliation bill. He argued Friday that is one reason appropriations bills are not subject to voter referendums.
“The retroactivity clause, the governor, and members of the Legislature have all expressed their intent was for schools to not be able to do this after June 30 by putting in that retroactivity clause,” he argued.
Hester named the Phoenix Union District and its eight board members as defendants. Warner’s decision is expected next week.
Blake Masters reported that he’s managed to outraise his opponents entire first quarter showings – in one single month. The COO of the tech investment firm Thiel Capital and president of the Thiel Foundation made the announcement in a press release Friday.
Masters reported receiving over $507,000 in contributions, though the Federal Election Commission (FEC) doesn’t have his numbers published yet. Others vying for the Republican slot – Arizona’s current Attorney General Mark Brnovich, solar power businessman Jim Lamon, and former Arizona National Guard Adjutant General Michael McGuire – raised about $70,000 to over $250,000 less in their entire first quarter according to the FEC. In his first quarter, Brnovich raised $438,000.
The Senate hopeful credited his bulk of supporters – namely, first-time donors – for making this surge in campaign contributions possible.
Masters acknowledged that money shouldn’t be everything, but asserted that incumbent Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) would raise hundreds of millions to win this race. He noted further that he must be doing something right because “the Left” is attacking him primarily.
“Money isn’t the only thing in politics, but unfortunately, without it, you’re toast,” said Masters. “Mark Kelly and the Democrats are going to raise more than $100 million to try to keep this seat. Republicans need a nominee who can bring new energy, new voters, and new donors to the fight.”
Masters asserted that this pattern of donations is proof that constituents are tired of “cookie-cutter politicians.” He says their money is proof of where their vote lies.
“I raised more $ in my first month than my opponents did in their entire first quarter,” said Masters. “More proof that people are tired of cookie-cutter politicians. We need new energy in order to take this country back!
The latest polls don’t reflect where Masters lies with voters; he entered the race almost one month ago to date.
Former President Donald Trump hasn’t endorsed any candidate for this race.
Masters has the backing of fellow Thiel Capital higher-up, founder and tech billionaire Peter Thiel, who is currently backing GOP candidates in other states such as Ohio’s Senate hopeful and bestselling author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” J.D. Vance.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
They went from denying Critical Race Theory exists, to denying it is taught in schools and universities, then claiming it is exclusively researched in law schools, suing parents requesting access to their child’s curriculum, to now just openly defying new laws prohibiting CRT to continue indoctrinating and propagandizing students with anti-white bigotry.
But around the country, citizens have stepped up to push against schools, school boards, universities, and government agencies pushing CRT. State legislatures have stepped up too. In Arizona, Republicans successfully passed, and the Governor signed, two bills prohibiting this ideology.
HB2906, sponsored by Representative Jake Hoffman, prohibits any government agency or political subdivision of the state from expending public monies for or requiring as training anything that presents any blame or judgement on the basis of race, sex or ethnicity. Additionally, in the K-12 budget, HB2898, are provisions to prohibit the same CRT tenets in K-12 schools and comes with teeth for enforcement: $5,000 fines for schools in violation and up to the suspension or revocation of teaching licenses.
Nevertheless, Maricopa Community Colleges has decided to openly defy these new laws and push forward with “Cultural Humility and Equity Office Hours” that reportedly run through the end of 2022. While advertised as optional, board member Kathleen Winn expressed that it is essentially a requirement…
