A nonprofit promised an entire grade of elementary school students free college tuition should they graduate from high school. Not only will the tuition be covered: books as well as room and board will be covered as well.
The 63 third graders attend Phoenix’s Bernard Black Elementary School in Roosevelt School District No. 66. A nonprofit in Avondale, the Rosztoczy Foundation, raised the funds through their College Promise program. The foundation has also provided scholarships for Hungarian students to research with U.S. college professors.
The students must graduate from their elementary school, then graduate from a school within the Phoenix Union High School District. The students may apply their tuition at any one of Arizona’s state universities or community colleges. They also have the option to attend a private or public post-secondary institution outside of Arizona, with the possibility of receiving funding up to the maximum available to students attending comparable in-state universities or community colleges.
While in college, the student must maintain a 2.0 GPA to continue receiving the scholarship. They must also be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester, with regular progress toward a degree. The scholarship may only apply for four consecutive years. If the student finishes their undergraduate before four years are up, they may apply the remaining scholarship toward their graduate school fees and costs.
The third graders were surprised with the news at an assembly at the end of April.
This isn’t the first time that the Rosztoczy Foundation has done this: in 2012, they awarded about 80 third graders in the Michael Anderson School within the Avondale Elementary District with the same scholarship. They would have graduated high school last year, and those enrolled in college will be completing their freshman year this month.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Democratic leaders liked a tweet describing the assault on a supporter of former President Donald Trump. Specifically, two state legislators, one county election official, two high-level state employees, and three Democratic Party leaders of various levels.
The Democratic legislators supported the violence-glorifying tweet from the same Planned Parenthood leader, Chris Love, who called for people to “break s**t” in response to the Supreme Court’s refusal to stop Texas’ abortion ban. Love tweeted to express her pleasure over her husband assaulting a Trump supporter last weekend during a pro-abortion rally.
“My husband @MiQL got lost in the crowd and I had to send folks to find him. Instead of hanging in the tented area with the cool kids, he was organizing folks,” wrote Love. “He also body checked some dude in a ‘Blacks for Trump’ shirt. Swoon!”
The tweet and Democrats’ support occurred several days before they would demand the censure and expulsion of State Senator Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff) for alleging in since-deleted social media posts that federal agents were behind the Buffalo mass shooting.
“Fed boy summer has started in Buffalo,” wrote Rogers.
One of the Democratic legislators that liked Love’s tweet celebrating assault was State Senator Juan Mendez (D-Tempe), who’s been absent for a vast majority of the legislative session on excused absence. As AZ Free News reported earlier this week, State Senator T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge) requested an ethics investigation into Mendez’s absence.
State Representative Mitzi Epstein (D-Chandler) also liked the controversial tweet. Additionally, Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly showed her support for Love’s celebration of the assault.
The two state employees that liked the tweet were Allie Bones, assistant secretary of state to Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, and Tyler Kowch, constituent services manager at the Arizona Department of Education.
One of the more prominent Democratic Party leaders that liked Love’s tweet was Priya Sundareshan: state senate candidate for district 18, election integrity staffer with the Arizona Democratic Party, chairwoman of Asian American Pacific Islander Democrats in Arizona, and director of University of Arizona (UArizona) Natural Resource Use and Management Clinic.
The other two Democratic Party leaders to like the tweet were Missa Foy, chairwoman of Navajo County Democrats, and Judy Stahl, former congressional candidate and Democratic Women of the Prescott Area Chair.
Others who liked the tweet were those within academia and activist organizations.
There was Will Knight, former Maricopa County attorney candidate and Arizona State University (ASU) Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law adjunct professor; Rebecca Garelli, Red for Ed organizer with Arizona Educators United; Dr. Dawn Penich-Thacker, co-founder of Save Our Schools Arizona; and Bridget Sharpe, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Arizona State Director.
Republican National Committee (RNC) leader Tyler Bowyer pointed out the Democratic state legislators’ support of social media posts endorsing violence, wondering why mainstream media hadn’t covered it initially.
Wow— so this violent tweet from the Planned Parenthood Board Chair calling for destroying property was liked and retweeted by sitting elected officials, including the AZ Dem Chair, candidates for Statewide and Federal Office. Why aren’t we seeing this radical stuff on @azcentral? https://t.co/R6LfSCXzA6pic.twitter.com/EjeYwgmelU
Bowyer predicted to conservative radio host James T. Harris on the “Conservative Circus” that the mainstream media’s lack of equal treatment when covering Democrats would lead to further divisiveness in the state and country.
“We’re really playing with fire here. We don’t have a community today where we can allow Democrats just to hijack our communities, incite violence, and get away with it,” said Bowers. “This is the reason why nobody trusts the media anymore. People will figure this out, they will talk, there will be an uproar of good, normal people once they find this stuff out, and people will start turning on our local media.”
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
A little but major piece of Arizona was planted recently in the downtown of California’s largest city. Arizona State University (ASU) expanded their operations to include a Los Angeles campus last fall through their ASU Local initiative. The new campus offers a hybrid of online and in-person learning.
ASU President Michael Crowe explained to the Los Angeles Times that the number of those rejected from University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) drove the decision to establish ASU in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Times partnered with ASU to offer 20 self-paced online courses; subscribers have the added perk of 25 percent off other online courses.
The satellite campus moved into the historic building that once housed the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. ASU celebrated the launch with a tour of the facilities last August. The well over 87,000 square feet making up the satellite campus, dubbed the latest “ASU California Center,” cost $40 million to renovate. Construction began in September 2020, ending just ahead of the open house last August.
ASU's California Center opened its doors in 2021, bringing new possibilities to local learners as ASU Local's newest college experience. Read more about these programs in the latest edition of #ASUThrive magazine, in mailboxes now.
ASU California Center students receive a 20 percent discount on the online, nonresident tuition, which can range from $13,000 to $16,000 annually. Efforts to establish this Los Angeles location launched officially in 2019.
ASU Local also has locations in Washington, D.C. and Yuma. Like the newly-established Los Angeles campus, the D.C. campus was settled in a historic building that came with a similar price tag: $35 million.
ASU began expanding into California over a decade ago. In 2013, ASU announced its other ASU California Center in Santa Monica. They have also accrued partnerships with 116 California community colleges to ensure students advance to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Whether Arizonans will be able to receive assistance registering to vote while applying for a state fishing, hunting, or trapping license is now up to the Arizona Senate.
On Tuesday, the state House of Representatives approved Senate Bill 1170 by an overwhelming bipartisan 42 to 9 margin, with 9 representatives not voting. The bill requires the Arizona Game and Fish Department to assist with voter registration when accepting license applications, with the goal of allowing Arizonans the ability to update their voter registration or register to vote when they apply for AZGFD tags.
But getting the legislation to Gov. Doug Ducey’s desk will first require a vote by the state Senate.
Rep. David Cook (R-Globe) noted while voting in favor of SB1170 that the Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles already assists voters to register to vote. The same convenient, non-party affiliated option should be available for those seeking AZGFD licenses.
Cook’s comments came after Minority Leader Reginald Bolding Jr. spoke against SB1170, which he said is “singling out” AZGFD over other state agencies. Bolding (D-Laveen) claimed lawmakers have “spent a number of hours and resources” this session to make it more difficult for some departments to register individuals to vote, but SB1170 targets “a specific type” of individual with help in registering to vote.
Also speaking—and voting—against SB1170 was Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley, who has voted against several election integrity bills this session.
“It seems to me that this distributed process would add a lot of potentially untrained people registering people,” Powers Hanley (D-Tucson) stated in explaining her no vote. “There would be a lot of paper forms out there in multiple locations where they sell these permits, and I think that adding more people and more locations adds more risks for fraud in the future.”
If SB1170 is signed into law, it formally repeals similar AZGFD voter assistance language added to state law last year before the Arizona Supreme Court struck down the budget bill the language was included in. The new language includes two options for voter assistance, the first involving the AZGFD website.
If an Arizonan applies online for a fishing, hunting, or trapping license they would see a link to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s voter registration webpage. On the other hand, those applying for a license at a AZGFD office would be offered a paper voter registration form.
Those forms would come from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, which is exactly where the completed forms are to be returned. From there, the AZSOS would forward any forms to the appropriate county recorder to determine voter eligibility.
As to the question of whether state agencies should be involved in voter registration efforts, House Speaker Rusty Bowers told the chamber during Tuesday’s vote about recently receiving a letter from Arizona Health Care Cost Containment Systems (AHCCCS) in regard to his daughter who died last year.
With the letter was a voter registration form as a courtesy, said Bowers (R-Mesa).
SB1170 is a way to increase the number of people registering to vote while ensuring they “do it right,” Bowers added, and “is right in line” with efforts to ensure election integrity. Having a state agency involved in promoting voter registration “is totally appropriate,” he said.
Republican legislators expressed displeasure with a bill brought forth by State Senator Paul Boyer (R-Glendale) to require county recorders to publicize the total number of early ballots returned to voting locations on election day — 14 of 31 Republicans voting against it. Effectively, House Republicans were divided in half on the issue.
One of the first legislators to express their disapproval of the bill was State Representative John Fillmore (R-Apache Junction). He said that Arizona had passed three historic election integrity bills and failed 14 others, 13 of which he blamed on Boyer. Fillmore said the bill was an insult to Arizona voters.
“This bill doesn’t do a darn thing but insult our caucus, the state of Arizona, and the Republic,” said Fillmore. “This is a bill that should’ve never been brought to the floor.”
The bill, SB1329, passed with some bipartisanship. 15 Republicans joined 22 Democrats to pass the bill. In addition to Fillmore, State Representatives Brenda Barton (R-Payson), Leo Biasiucci (R-Lake Havasu City), Walt Blackman (R-Snowflake), Judy Burges (R-Skull Valley), Neal Carter (R-Queen Creek), Joseph Chaplik (R-Scottsdale), Mark Finchem (R-Oro Valley), Teresa Martinez (R-Oro Valley), Kevin Payne (R-Peoria), Beverly Pingerelli (R-Peoria), and Justin Wilmeth (R-Phoenix) voted against the bill.
Democrats expressed wholehearted support for the bill. State Senator Lorenzo Sierra (D-Avondale) claimed that belief that the 2020 election was rigged in favor of President Joe Biden was the biggest lie of all time. Sierra’s assertion elicited groans from those around him, provoking him to insist that Fillmore instigated him.
“I support this bill because it attacks the greatest lie ever told in the course of human history,” said Sierra. “[Fillmore] started it, it’s going, I vote yes!”
State Senator John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills) made light of Fillmore’s ire, remarking that his colleague’s vote against the bill seemed to inspire all Democrats to support it. His comment stoked laughter around the room.
“I wanted to thank Representative Fillmore for discovering a new, secret weapon for the Republicans. Apparently if he votes against an election integrity bill, every Democrat votes for it, which is absolutely amazing,” said Kavanagh with a laugh.
As an explanation of her “no” vote, Martinez simply referenced the recent documentary on widespread mail-in ballot fraud in the 2020 election, “2000 Mules” from conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza.
“2000 Mules. And with that, I vote no,” stated Martinez.
Minority Leader Reginald Bolding (D-Laveen) insisted that the bill was a common-sense policy that offered transparency to voters concerning the number of ballots cast and counted in real time.
“This gives many of the unfounded issues that we saw during the 2020 election when people asserted that there were somehow additional ballots that were out there, floating, that were being added to support candidates or another,” said Bolding.
SB1329 now heads to Governor Doug Ducey for approval.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
One of the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) high school counselors that organized a drag show featuring students was arrested last week for having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. Tucson High Magnet School counselor Zobella Brazil Vinik, a 29-year-old woman, was charged with one count of sexual conduct with a minor.
Vinik worked alongside fellow counselor Sunday Hamilton, a transgender man, to create their first annual drag show. That event was supposed to take place on May 7 — two days after TUSD put Vinik on administrative leave and launched an investigation into her, and four days before Vinik turned herself in to police.
As AZ Free News reported, TUSD spokeswoman Karla Escamilla explained that not allowing the drag show to occur would constitute as gender expression discrimination.
Vinik and Hamilton also oversaw the high school’s LGBTQ+ student club, “Q Space.” The club encouraged students to explore their identities as they learned about LGBTQ+ history.
Vinik’s ex-wife initially informed police that she and Vinik allowed the 15-year-old victim to live at their residence. According to the police report obtained by KVOA, the ex-wife discovered Vinik’s underwear under the pillow of where the minor slept. Further police searches of phone records uncovered intimate conversations between Vinik and the minor.
Regarding Vinik’s arrest, Escamilla didn’t respond to specific questions submitted by AZ Free News. Instead, she shared TUSD Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo’s statement on the matter:
On May 4th, 2022, detectives from the Tucson Police Department Sexual Assault Unit informed the administration of Tucson High Magnet School of an ongoing investigation into one of its counselors, Zobella Brazil Vinik. The administration was informed of an alleged inappropriate relationship between the counselor and a 15-year-old student from Tucson High.
Working with the Tucson High administration, the District administration acted swiftly to remove the counselor from campus and place her on administrative leave. Our School Safety Department immediately initiated a comprehensive investigation into this alleged incident, which is currently ongoing.
On Thursday May 5th, 2022, Ms. Vinik resigned her position from the Tucson Unified School District and is no longer an employee of the district. The Tucson Unified School District administration will continue to cooperate with the Tucson Police Department in its ongoing investigation. Our administration will continue to emphasize the health and safety of our students as our highest priority.
The social media account created for the high school’s inaugural drag show, @tucsonhigh_drag, posted an eight-day countdown featuring some of the students that would be participating. The event also featured adults that would be performing alongside students: local performers under the stage names, “Erotica Powers,” “Onika Grande,” and “Sophia G. Lauren.”
The account deleted its initial post on the page announcing the event.
Arizona school counselor who arranged drag show for students is accused of having sex with a 15 year-old student pic.twitter.com/l2Q7AlZrGY
It appears the drag show did occur. The event hashtag, #thmsdragshow22, was used by at least one of the minor participants who posted pictures related to their attendance. According to an email from Vinik, the drag show occurred on school grounds and received help from other teachers and organizations such as the University of Arizona’s (UArizona) Institute for LGBTQ Studies and the Southern Arizona Aids Foundation.
Grooming happening at Tucson Magnet HS. Counselor that organized the school approved drag show was arrested for having sex with 15 year old student. Maybe don’t approve drag shows at school and just teach class? https://t.co/0ZBU11xd8vpic.twitter.com/A1hMsGy85C
