Top stories
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Litchfield Park Historical Society temporarily closes museum due to COVID-19
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
Microburst damages Litchfield Park home, Scout Park facilities
FIRST RESPONDERS
Thefts, burglaries, assaults reported Jan. 19-26 in Goodyear, Litchfield Park

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E-edition

Read the latest print edition here.


View this issue

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LOCAL NEWS & SOCIAL MEDIA
Local news
NATIONAL HEART MONTH

Residents can sign up to receive heart health tips from Abrazo Health

Heart disease still ranks as the No. 1 killer in the United States, and Abrazo Health, which operates Abrazo West Campus in Goodyear, will mark National Heart Month in February with weekly email tips to inspire and empower individuals to commit to a healthy heart in 2021.
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

COVID-19 cases in Litchfield Park top 3,000

The Arizona Department of Health Services reported the number of COVID-19 cases in Litchfield Park 85340 was 3,059 as of Friday, Jan. 22, a 7.52% increase over last Friday and 2.9% increase over Thursday.
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Goodyear council to consider discounted recreation passes

Goodyear is implementing new recreation and rental fees this year, but residents will receive a break if the City Council approves a 75th anniversary pass promotion when it meets in regular session Monday, Jan. 25.
PREVENTION

Abrazo announces free women’s heart health webinars

Abrazo Health, which operates Abrazo West Campus in Goodyear, is registering participants for a free virtual webinar series on women’s heart health scheduled for Feb. 15 to 19.
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Litchfield Park council eyes COVID-19 grant, Ground Control expansion requests

Litchfield Park’s City Council has a packed night Wednesday, Jan. 20, with a regular meeting that will see reelected incumbents Ron Clair, Ann Donahue and John Romack taking their oaths of office and selection of a vice mayor among seven action items and numerous presentations, project updates and monthly reports.

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SPORTS & DAILY NEWS BRIEFS
West Valley Preps
WEST VALLEY PREPS

The 2020 All-West Valley Preps football team

For the eleventh straight year, West Valley Preps honors the best football players from schools in the Northwest Valley.We picked three running backs for each team. With most teams running a variant of the spread offense, the first team has three receivers and the second team includes a tight end.
WEST VALLEY PREPS

West Valley Preps' Goodyear/Surprise boys soccer preview

A shorter, COVID-delayed season is under way for Northwest Valley high schools. Here are previews, with boys coaches’ comments, for teams that responded to our …
WEST VALLEY PREPS

West Valley Preps Goodyear/Surprise girls soccer preview

A shorter, COVID-delayed girls soccer season is under way for Northwest Valley high schools. Here are previews, with coaches’ comments, for teams that responded to our questions.
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Estrella Foothills, Millennium high school winter coaches, parents weigh in on chance to play again

By a 5-4 vote Jan. 12 Arizona interscholastic Association board vote, winter sports — boys and girls basketball, soccer and wrestling — will start as (re)scheduled on Jan. 18. Players …
WEST VALLEY PREPS

AIA board reverses course, votes 5-4 to start winter sports play Jan. 18

Much like the decision of the Arizona Interscholastic Association Executive Board to cancel the winter sports season Jan. 8 by one vote, the 5-4 decision at Tuesday's board meeting to reinstate the winter sports season.

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LOCAL OPINION, COMMERCE & EDUCATION
Opinion

Westmarc is focusing on reaching California’s brokerage and young talent communities.

Welcome to the new year! I hope your holiday season was terrific. I also hope our future will get better now that vaccines are available.
With the approval of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the major tasks are now distribution and vaccination. Developing the vaccines has been a technological marvel, but until we get shots in the arms of 80% of the population, the COVID-19 pandemic will not be aborted.
There is an early warning sign that high-demand jobs may be hard to fill when the labor market fully reopens, even with millions of Americans looking for work.

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Business

Abrazo West Campus, 13677 W. McDowell Road in Goodyear, has earned Primary Plus Stroke Center certification for its ability to evaluate, stabilize and provide emergency care to all patients with acute stroke symptoms and if necessary, admit patients to a dedicated stroke care unit.

The industrial facility that serves as the headquarters and manufacturing facility for Legends Furniture Inc. in Tolleson sold in December for $16.35 million, Colliers International in Arizona announced.
The city of Litchfield Park announced that CenturyLink will discontinue its Prism Internet Protocol Television service to city residents on March 31.
The 263,606-square-foot industrial building that houses Daimler Trucks North America’s parts distribution facility in Goodyear’s PV|303 industrial park has sold for $43.1 million, brokers Cushman & Wakefield announced.

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Education

Credit Union West has announced that the organization’s 2021 Scholarship Program is now accepting applications from high school seniors in Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, Yuma, Mohave, …

The search for Agua Fria Union High School District’s new superintendent is formally under way.
Now through Friday, Feb. 12, Arizona residents can fill out an application online to nominate their favorite K-5 school in the state (located within a 10-mile distance of a Bashas’ or Food City grocery store) for a chance to receive a learning garden for an elementary school at bashas.com or captainplanetfoundation.org/contest/bashas.
Agua Fria Union High School District will hold a virtual town hall-style meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11, to discuss the characteristics and traits desired in the district’s new …

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Entertainment
Ballet Arizona dancers perform in “Pas de Sept

Ballet Under the Stars adapted for COVID-19 safety

Ballet Arizona will continue to pull a pirouette on its programming during the COVID-19 pandemic as the Valley’s only professional ballet company presents Ballet Under the Virtual Stars, an online adaptation of its free Valley-wide community performances, Saturday, Jan. 23.
Kiwanis Club of Litchfield’s Trout Fishing Derby drew 806 fishing enthusiasts to Tierra Verde Lake Park in 2020. This year’s event will feature masks, social distancing and other COVID-19 mitigation measures.

Kiwanis Trout Fishing Derby modified for COVID-19 safety

Kiwanis Club of Litchfield’s much-loved Trout Fishing Derby will go on this year, with social distancing and other COVID-19 safety mitigations in effect to keep participants safe.
Bronze sculptures by Arizona artist Kim Seyesnem Obrzut will be among the art on display during the 2021 Litchfield Park Gathering.

Litchfield Park Gathering to showcase Native American art

Downtown Litchfield Park should be humming with activity Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 9 and 10, as the city celebrates the 29th annual Native American Fine Arts Festival.
Baby reticulated giraffe Noel was born at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park just before Christmas

She’s already 6 feet tall: Wildlife World Zoo welcomes baby giraffe Noel

Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park in Litchfield Park is celebrating the holiday season with the birth of Noel, a baby reticulated giraffe who arrived just before Christmas.
Peregrine falcons will highlight the Watchable Wildlife Program’s first virtual experience. [Submitted photo]

AZGFD to kick off virtual speaker wildlife series Jan. 7 

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is getting ready to roll out a new and exciting way to keep people connected with the state’s diverse wildlife.

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