March 9, 2021

News roundup: Second day in a row with no new COVID deaths, UA plans for in-person graduation

Recent coverage impacting Southern Arizona, March 9.

Arizona COVID-19 cases: 7 days

Map shows COVID-19 cases and case rates over the week preceding the last update.

Credit: Nick O'Gara/AZPM. Sources: The New York Times, based on reports from state and local health agencies, Census Bureau. Case reports do not correspond to day of test.

Cases 827,800 | Deaths 16,326

On Tuesday, March 9, Arizona reported 563 new cases of COVID-19 and no additional deaths. This is the state’s second day in a row with no new reported deaths.


UA readying for in-person graduation

AZPM

The University of Arizona is moving forward with plans to hold in-person graduation ceremonies in May.

The graduation ceremonies will take place at Arizona Stadium between May 11-18 and include about 1,000 students at each event.

Guests will not be allowed at the events, but all of the graduation ceremonies will be live-streamed.

The ceremonies are still in the planning stage and could be adjusted based on the public health numbers. Officials set up a website for people to get the latest information.

Learn more here.


Southern Arizona to get more than 60,000 COVID-19 vaccines this week

AZPM

Pima County is expecting more than 44,000 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines this week. The county received 8,200 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine last Thursday.

This week’s vaccine shipment, according to the Pima County Department of Health, is expected to include 21,060 Pfizer doses and 24,000 doses of Moderna.

Other southern Arizona counties are also expecting larger numbers of doses this week.

Learn more here.


Election bills clear state senate

AZPM

The Arizona Senate Monday approved setting aside money to investigate suspected voter fraud, in a debate that saw tempers flare. The Senate also approved more required steps for voters casting their ballots by mail.

Senate Bill 1652 allocates $1 million for Attorney General Mark Brnovich to investigate antitrust and "voter integrity" issues, even though the state has had only about 20 voter fraud convictions in the last decade.

The bill passed on a 16 to 14 party line vote, and will now go to the state House for consideration.

Learn more here.


Arizona reports 563 additional COVID-19 cases, no new deaths

AP

PHOENIX — Arizona on Tuesday reported 563 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases but no additional deaths for the second straight day as related hospitalizations increased slightly.

The state’s pandemic total of confirmed cases increased to 827,800 while the total death toll dropped by two to 16,326. The state Department of Health Services attributed the decrease to reviews of death certificates.

Related hospitalizations rose with 928 COVID-19 patients occupying inpatient beds as of Monday, up from 919 on Sunday but still far below the pandemic high of 5,082 on Jan. 11. Seven-day rolling averages of daily new cases and daily deaths both continued to drop.

Learn more here.


Navajo Nation reports 6 new COVID-19 cases, 2 more deaths

AP

WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation on Monday reported six additional COVID-19 cases and two more deaths from the virus.

The numbers pushed the tribe's totals to 29,873 cases and 1,203 known deaths since the pandemic began a year ago.

Health facilities on the reservation and in border towns are conducting drive-thru vaccine events or administering doses by appointment. The Navajo-area Indian Health Service has vaccinated more than 135,000 people so far.

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez says home is still the safest place for people to be despite the relaxing of some restrictions in neighboring states, including Arizona.

Learn more here.


Arizona man who wore horns in Capitol riot to remain jailed

AP

WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Washington has ruled that an Arizona man who stormed the U.S. Capitol two months ago while sporting face paint, no shirt and a furry hat with horns will remain jailed until his trial.

Judge Royce Lamberth concluded Jacob Chansley’s willingness to resort to violence and refusal to follow police orders during the siege signal that he wouldn’t follow court-ordered conditions of release.

Lamberth said Chansley doesn’t fully appreciate the severity of the charges against him and found none of Chansley’s “many attempts to manipulate the evidence and minimize the seriousness of his actions” to be persuasive.

Learn more here.


Montana joins Arizona lawsuit to halt Biden immigration plan

AP

HELENA, Mont. — Montana’s top prosecutor joined a lawsuit filed by Arizona seeking to halt President Joe Biden’s new immigration policies.

The lawsuit was originally filed Feb. 3 by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, to stop a 100-day moratorium on deportations issued by Biden's administration. The lawsuit was amended Monday to add Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, also a Republican.

The lawsuit challenges guidance issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Feb. 18 indicating that the agency would primarily apprehend and remove people who pose a threat to national security, committed crimes designated as “aggravated” felonies or recently illegally crossed the border.

Learn more here.


AP Exclusive: Schools boss quit after porn found on computer

AP

FLAGSTAFF — A longtime educator whose career included high-profile jobs on the Navajo Nation resigned from his latest post as an Arizona county schools superintendent after officials discovered pornographic images on his work-issued computer.

Tommy Lewis Jr. resigned as the Coconino County superintendent of schools in late January, citing personal reasons. But records obtained by The Associated Press show he was under investigation for potential criminal activity.

The investigation in Arizona ended recently with no charges against him. Law enforcement officials say none of the material discovered involved the exploitation of children.

The county's Information Technology Department also found Lewis tried to access explicit or pornographic websites more than 100 times since early December.

Learn more here.


Barricades Turned Into Memorials For Women’s Day In Mexico

Fronteras Desk

MEXICO CITY — In Mexico, violence against women, femicides and impunity against those crimes have sparked a large movement for women’s rights. And despite the pandemic, feminists organized to protest today on International Women’s Day.

Protesters used social media and — from their homes and cars — played speeches from mothers of murdered women and chants from previous rallies.

Some feminists placed the names of female crime victims, like journalist Miroslava Breach, on street signs.

Prior to the rally in Mexico City, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum ordered historic buildings and monuments to be protected with barricades that they called “the walls of peace.”

Learn more here.

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