Author: Adnan Alam

NFL tight end Mark Andrews wants to inspire others with diabetes both on and off the field

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-Mark Andrews Diabetes, 1,800 words.
  • Two photos available

By John Busker
Cronkite News

MESA – Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was not always a football star. When he was young growing up in Scottsdale, soccer was his sport of choice. However, it appeared his sports career might be in jeopardy when he and his family found out that he had type 1 diabetes.

Now, Andrews, a Scottsdale native who played wide receiver at Desert Mountain High School, is one of the NFL’s best tight ends, with three Pro Bowl appearances and a First-Team All-Pro nomination in 2021.

But even when his body started to show symptoms of the disease when he was a child, Andrews always knew he would be fine. He knew from his next soccer game after his diagnosis that he would be fine. His blood sugar was up near 450 mg/dL, which is very high. But despite his parents’ concern, Andrews said he needed to play. And that competitive edge has now helped him achieve success at the NFL level. Continue reading “NFL tight end Mark Andrews wants to inspire others with diabetes both on and off the field”

House votes to repeal near-total abortion ban; bill still needs Senate OK

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Abortion Repeal,790 words.
  • File photo, video story available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Reagan Priest
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Arizona House voted Wednesday to repeal the state’s near-total ban on abortion, with three Republicans joining all Democrats to reverse the law despite emotional rhetoric from anti-abortion lawmakers.

The 32-28 vote came just two weeks after the Arizona Supreme Court reinstated the 1864 law that criminalizes abortion except to save the life of the mother, and it was the third try by Democrats to reverse that ruling.

The measure still needs Senate approval before it goes to the governor, who has said she would sign it. Continue reading “House votes to repeal near-total abortion ban; bill still needs Senate OK”

Abortion law status remains unclear, even as lawmakers near repeal of ban

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Abortion Calentdar,910 words.
  • 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Martin Dreyfuss
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – As state lawmakers push to repeal a near-total ban on abortion, Planned Parenthood of Arizona confirmed Wednesday that it will continue to provide abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy “until the last legal moment.”

But when that last legal moment is depends on who’s talking.

Abortion opponents argue that the ban should have taken effect this week, while Attorney General Kris Mayes said it would not take effect until June at the earliest – and she would not enforce it then. It could take weeks yet for final Senate approval of a repeal, and even then it would be months before the law took effect. Continue reading “Abortion law status remains unclear, even as lawmakers near repeal of ban”

Annual symposium for Arizona military members and families highlights veteran suicide prevention

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Veterans Suicide Prevention. 850 words.
  • Photos available.

By Brooke Rindenau
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Suicide prevention was a key focus of the Arizona Coalition for Military Families’ 14th Annual Statewide Symposium held in Phoenix on April 17 and 18. The symposium brought together military, government and community resources to focus on strengthening services and support for the half-million veterans who live in Arizona and their families.

In 2021, 6,392 veterans were among the 46,412 suicides among U.S. adults, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Between the years 2015 and 2019, veteran suicides accounted for 20.6% of the suicides in Arizona.

Continue reading “Annual symposium for Arizona military members and families highlights veteran suicide prevention”

Navajo psychiatrist bridges gaps between Native American culture and behavioral health care

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Navajo Nation Psych. 1,840 words.
  • 5 photos available (thumbnails, captions available).

Mia Milinovich
Cronkite News

GANADO – As a Navajo himself, Dr. Richard Laughter understands mental health issues experienced by members of the Navajo Nation on a deeply personal level. As a Native American psychiatrist, he breaks down accessibility barriers for his people by blending Native cultural practices with Western behavioral health care.

According to Laughter, the rural nature of the Navajo Reservation greatly impacts the number of accessible behavioral health services because of the distances people have to travel to get to them. The Navajo Nation website says tribal lands cover 27,000 square miles in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.

Continue reading “Navajo psychiatrist bridges gaps between Native American culture and behavioral health care”

Inspired: Football mom’s idea brings HBCU programs, local players together at Arizona camp

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-Arizona HBCU camp. 740 words.
  • One photo available

By Tyler Bednar
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The idea sprung into Britney Buckles’ head while she was watching her younger son, Xavier, play football at Williams Field High School.

Very few historically Black colleges and universities come to Arizona to recruit high school football players. She and her husband, Vince, were athletes at Howard University, an HBCU in Washington, D.C., and she decided to do something about it by creating a camp that would bring together HBCU coaches and Arizona athletes.

“Recruiting is really hard,” Buckles said. “We talked to a lot of coaches that there’s not a lot of HBCUs that come out here to recruit. So, we thought, ‘Let’s try to put something together where the Black colleges are out here recruiting, (and) the kids are learning about the opportunities they have.’” Continue reading “Inspired: Football mom’s idea brings HBCU programs, local players together at Arizona camp”

With Arizona Coyotes leaving, relocation talk clouds Roadrunners’ future in Tucson

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-Roadrunners Future. 626 words.
  • One photo available

By Josh Jones
Cronkite News

PHOENIX — Following the announcement of the Arizona Coyotes’ $1.2 billion relocation to Salt Lake City, another relocation rumor now swirls around a second professional hockey team in Arizona.

Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo mentioned on Thursday his plan to move the AHL Tucson Roadrunners to Arizona State’s Mullet Arena during an interview with Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo.

The move would be an effort to keep professional hockey in the Valley while Meruelo attempts to win a land auction in North Phoenix that could be a first step in bringing a new NHL team to Arizona that would carry the Coyotes name. The Roadrunners remain under the ownership of Meruelo and will be an affiliate of the new team in Utah.

“We intend to make a request to the NHL board of governors and ASU to relocate the Roadrunners to Mullett Arena,” Meruelo said.

On Friday, in a press conference with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in Phoenix, Meruelo added to his comments with an explanation that the relocation could be more work.

Continue reading “With Arizona Coyotes leaving, relocation talk clouds Roadrunners’ future in Tucson”

No funding, no problem: ASU Overwatch stuns esports elites without university’s financial backing

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-ASU Overwatch Esports. 950 words.
  • One photo available.

Sammy Nute
Cronkite News

TEMPE — Grand Canyon University showed off its multi-million dollar esports facility in mid-March by hosting the Western Cactus League 2024, the first in-person esports competition to host all four major Arizona universities.

GCU, which has been at the forefront of investing in the Valley’s esports scene, opened its doors to Arizona State, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University at the 3,200-square-foot Esports Arena. Built in 2019, the facility houses more than 70 personal computers and multiple consoles.

However, it wasn’t the host team that dominated the event that weekend.

Arizona State Overwatch stole the show en route to a tournament victory, adding to a stellar year of rapid growth. ASU climbed the Overwatch College Rankings into the nation’s top 10 without significant financial support from the school as a club sport. The program’s potential was on display amid its rise in the rankings, despite a decision by ASU’s student government to withdraw critical financial support this spring, according to the team.

Continue reading “No funding, no problem: ASU Overwatch stuns esports elites without university’s financial backing”

Supreme Court turns down Lake, Finchem suit to ban electronic vote tallies

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Lake Denied,600 words.
  • File photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Martin Dreyfuss
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned down an appeal from Kari Lake and Mark Finchem, apparently ending their two-year bid to block the use of electronic voting tabulation in Maricopa and Pima counties.

Lake, the failed GOP nominee for governor in 2022 who is now running for U.S. Senate, and Finchem, the failed 2022 Republican nominee for secretary of state, had claimed in court filings the tabulating machines were susceptible to hacking.

But a district court judge rejected those claims as highly speculative, and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed. That set up their appeal to the Supreme Court, which declined without comment to hear the case. Continue reading “Supreme Court turns down Lake, Finchem suit to ban electronic vote tallies”

‘We’re not in this alone’: How an Arizona program gives support, mentorship to dads

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Dad Together. 790 words.
  • 4 photos, video story available.

By Naomi DuBovis
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – When Lord Washington became a father, he looked everywhere for other dads to connect with. Nothing he found gave him what he needed.

“There wasn’t much out there at all,” he said. “You can get links, but there was nothing that was meeting face-to-face, and there was nothing that was local to me at that point in time.”

But then he found Dad Together, a program where dads of all backgrounds and stages meet up, share their experiences and support each other through their parenting journeys. It offers one-on-one mentoring, discussions and a 13-week course, called Nurturing Fathers, that teaches dads the fundamentals of parenting and nurturing.

Continue reading “‘We’re not in this alone’: How an Arizona program gives support, mentorship to dads”

Cranks, bugs, hurlers and short scouts: Arizona Vintage Base Ball League celebrates sport’s history in yearly tournament

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-Arizona Vintage Baseball League, 1,600 words.
  • 4 photos available.

By Aaron Decker
Cronkite News

BISBEE – In this historic mining town tucked into the Mule Mountains in southeast Arizona, time travel really is possible.

At picturesque Warren Ballpark, the town’s baseball field, a man wearing a top hat calls a strike, the players on the field catch the ball with bare hands, and pitchers throw underhand. The fans in the bleachers cheer and boo for teams with names like the Mesa Miners, Maricopa Maidens, Bisbee Black Sox and Higley Haymakers.

These teams play in the Arizona Vintage Base Ball League, a local league that plays a throw-back version of baseball, or rather base ball – two words, like the olden days – using rules from 1863. Continue reading “Cranks, bugs, hurlers and short scouts: Arizona Vintage Base Ball League celebrates sport’s history in yearly tournament”

‘We want to win a ring’: Phoenix Suns close out regular season strong, begin championship quest

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-Suns Playoff Preview, 1050 words.
  • Photo available.

By Mason Byers
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns have been consistently inconsistent throughout the regular season, but the team hopes it has figured out the championship formula as the 2024 NBA playoffs get underway.

The Suns (49-33), struggling to string together a stretch of wins during many points this season, earned the sixth seed in the Western Conference with three straight victories and help from other teams to avoid the play-in game. Phoenix’s postseason starts Saturday on the road against a tough Minnesota Timberwolves, who the Suns beat 125-106 at the Target Center last Sunday to close out the regular season.

Despite a favorable matchup against Anthony Edwards & Co., the Suns’ standing is a long fall from preseason expectations, which predicted the talented trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal would contend with the Denver Nuggets for the West crown. Continue reading “‘We want to win a ring’: Phoenix Suns close out regular season strong, begin championship quest”

ASU women’s golf carries momentum into final Pac-12 title run, NCAA championships

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-ASU Women’s Golf, 840 words.
  • 4 photos available.

By Brevan Branscum
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Arizona State women’s golf is hungry for more.

Already leading the NCAA in national championship wins, the team begins its quest to win a ninth NCAA title in school history, starting Sunday in the 2024 Pac-12 Women’s Golf Championship in Pullman, Washington.

The Sun Devils, ranked No. 12 in the nation by Spikemark’s national rankings, last won the Pac-12 championship in 2009. This season will mark their last shot at capturing conference gold ahead of next year’s move to the Big 12. Continue reading “ASU women’s golf carries momentum into final Pac-12 title run, NCAA championships”

Driven: Sun Devils baseball recruit Cody Kiemele excels on diamond, oval

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-ASU Pitcher Race Car Driver, 1,200 words.
  • 2 photos available.

By Dorian Zavala
Cronkite News

AVONDALE – Even in these days of specialization, two-sport high school athletes who excel on the field and the track aren’t unusual.

Unless the track is a raceway and the athlete’s “other” sport is professional stock car racing.

Meet Cody Kiemele, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound highly touted left-handed pitcher from Arlington High School, in Riverside, California, who has verbally committed to Arizona State. Continue reading “Driven: Sun Devils baseball recruit Cody Kiemele excels on diamond, oval”

Abortion-rights advocates, opponents continue to spar, with eye on fall ballot

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Abortion Armies,710 words.
  • 3 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Martin Dreyfuss
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – While lawmakers inside the Capitol were jockeying over efforts to repeal a near-total abortion ban from 1864, advocates on both sides of the issue who gathered outside the Capitol Wednesday were looking forward to fights at the ballot box this fall.

Hundreds showed up over the course of the day, carrying signs, handing out literature and manning tables in hopes of recruiting people to their cause.

It came as Democrats tried – and failed – for a second week to repeal the 19th century law that was revived last week by the Arizona Supreme Court, that makes abortion a felony except to save the life of the mother. But the effort inched forward in the Senate, before both chambers adjourned until next week. Continue reading “Abortion-rights advocates, opponents continue to spar, with eye on fall ballot”

Herbie Behm takes coaching reins from Bob Bowman, aims to keep ASU swimming on top

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-New ASU Swimming Coach, 970 words.
  • 4 photos available.

By Stephen Buxton
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Eleven years ago, Herbie Behm was an athlete swimming at Arizona State. Now at his alma mater, Behm takes the reins of one of the country’s premier programs – a program completely shaped in the image of one man, Bob Bowman.

Bowman’s sudden departure to assume a newly-created role at the University of Texas after leading ASU to its first national championship last weekend left his replacement, Behm, with little time to process the move and sizable shoes to fill.

“I was told at 9:30 a.m. on Monday,” Behm said of learning Bowman was leaving ASU to become the Longhorns’ director of swimming and diving and head men’s swimming and diving coach. “We had a conversation with the (athletic directors), and Bob told me he was leaving for Texas.” Continue reading “Herbie Behm takes coaching reins from Bob Bowman, aims to keep ASU swimming on top”

Paradise lost: Coyotes, fans share emotional embrace in likely Arizona swan song

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-Coyotes Fans, Players Reax, 680 words.
  • 4 photos available.

By Josh Jones
Cronkite News

TEMPE – As the season – and 28 years of ice hockey in the desert – came to a close, Arizona Coyotes players removed their jerseys and tossed them to chosen fans. There was no rush to get off the ice because nobody wanted to leave. The players stayed to sign autographs and tossed merchandise over the glass, while spectators and team employees choked back tears.

For upwards of 40 minutes postgame, the sold-out hometown crowd and the Coyotes shared one final moment in a season finale that brought on mixed emotions – from crying and cheers to hugs and shared memories throughout the concourse at Mullett Arena.

Wednesday night marked the end of a long, up-and-down era for the Coyotes, who are relocating to Salt Lake City after nearly three decades in the Valley, similar to how the game played out in Arizona’s 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Continue reading “Paradise lost: Coyotes, fans share emotional embrace in likely Arizona swan song”

State asks Supreme Court to reject new trial for Arizona death row inmate

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Jones Execution,670 words.
  • 2 file photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Ian McKinney
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – State officials told the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday that a lower court gave too much weight to mitigating factors when it ordered a new sentencing for Danny Lee Jones in a pair of brutal 1992 murders in Bullhead City.

But Jones’ attorney argued just the opposite. While conceding that Jones was guilty of “brutal crimes,” including the strangulation of a 7-year-old girl, the defense attorney said a lower court judge “serially nit-picked” evidence of Jones’ brain damage and abusive childhood to support the death sentence for him. Continue reading “State asks Supreme Court to reject new trial for Arizona death row inmate”

Republicans stall, but don’t kill, effort that would repeal 1864 abortion ban

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Senate Abortion,960 words.
  • 3 photos, video story available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Reagan Priest and Martin Dreyfuss
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Arizona Senate took tentative steps toward a repeal of the state’s 1864 abortion ban Wednesday, just hours after House Republicans blocked efforts to do so.

Senate Democrats, with the support of Republican Sens. T.J. Shope and Shawnna Bolick, were able to introduce a bill to repeal the territorial-era law that bans virtually all abortions, a law that was resurrected by the Arizona Supreme Court last week.

That ruling is currently on hold, but abortion-rights activists have been scrambling to stop the ban from taking effect. Attempts last week to overturn the law, just days after the court ruling, were blocked by Republicans in both the House and Senate. Continue reading “Republicans stall, but don’t kill, effort that would repeal 1864 abortion ban”

Life’s curveballs: A writer and a righty find connection through health scares

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-Writer Rockies Pitcher Connection, 1,800 words.
  • 4 photos available.

By Josh Amick
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – In early November 2022, my life, college career and aspirations came to a screeching halt. The discovery of a mass led to a diagnosis of Stage 3 testicular cancer.

I was devastated.

The cancer, which is the most common among men 20 to 40 years old, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, required extensive chemotherapy, which greatly affected my physical and mental well-being. After doctors initially told me I would need three rounds of chemo, it soon became four. Then I learned I would need additional surgery to remove lymph nodes in my stomach, which meant 8-10 more weeks of recovery. Continue reading “Life’s curveballs: A writer and a righty find connection through health scares”