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Arizona’s National Guard will deploy to the border as part of Gov. Doug Ducey’s emergency declaration along the state’s border counties. Sheriffs in these counties are split on the need for the deployment. Tony Paniagua traveled to Cochise County where he spoke to Sheriff Mark Dannels about his support for the declaration as well as his concerns about increased smuggling along his county’s 83-mile border with Mexico. Paniagua also learned more about a former hotel in the city of Benson that is being used to temporarily house unaccompanied minors apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol. He spoke to Mark Contento, president of VisionQuest, the company operating the shelter.
For teachers beginning their careers in Arizona, the office of State Superintendent Kathy Hoffman invested more than $2 million in federal relief aid toward a program designed to provide mentorship. Northern Arizona University’s Arizona K12 Center runs the program. We learned more about the services it provides from Professional Learning Director Danielle Brown.
A $21 million dollar boost for school counselors and social workers from the state superintendent’s office will fund an additional 140 positions for two years. It comes as many students are readjusting back to in-person learning after months of attending classes virtually. We discussed the role counselors and social workers play in their development with Rebecca Hartzell, an associate professor of practice at the University of Arizona College of Education. Hartzell’s research focuses on social skills interventions for children with autism and emotional behavioral disorder. She discussed how the transition from extended at-home learning back to in-person instruction has led to anxiety in some children.
Students at the University of Arizona are taking part in a nationwide study involving more than 20 college campuses that aims to understand whether people vaccinated against COVID-19 can still transmit the disease as asymptomatic carriers. The study’s principal investigator, Dr. Elizabeth Connick, explained how the study is being conducted and how the findings can serve the ultimate goal of ending the pandemic.
After a nearly year-long hiatus, Pima County Superior Court resumed jury trials. Presiding Judge Kyle Bryson described the new protocols in place in for jurors and how the court has adapted to the pandemic.
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