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Council OK’s Sales Tax
Extension
Council unanimously approves six-year
extension; manager warns action is not a
cure-all
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
The Apache Junction City
Council voted unanimously
at its regularly scheduled
Tuesday, March 2, meeting to
extend the two-tenths of one
percent (.2 percent) sales tax.
Vice Mayor R.E. Eck reiterated
that this is not a new tax,
but an extension of one that
was scheduled to sunset later
this year.
“We’re trying to use whatever
means we can to keep
our head above water,” Eck
said about the City’s financial
situation. “I think it’s very
minimal—just about as minimal
as you can get.
City Manager George Hoffman
repeated the importance
of renewing the sales tax.
“A month ago, I asked that
you consider a means of addressing
the known $1.1 million
shortfall in State Shared
Revenues which will occur
for our next fiscal year beginning
in July,” Hoffman said.
“Specifically, I noted that
the two-tenths of a cent utilized
for the past 10 years for
capital projects is set to expire
on September 1 of this year
and asked whether you would
consider renewing it for the
operating budget.”
Two weeks prior to the March
2 meeting, the City Council
gave direction to staff to prepare
the ordinance.
Hoffman said a local paper
recently made three public
record requests with East Valley
communities to better understand
how much taxpayer
money is being utilized for
learning and lobbying. The
newspaper’s public records
request pertained to members
of city councils and city manager’s
offices.
See
A-1
and see Council
Acrs,
A-5

One Arrested In
Shooting
Illies found in Glendale area; Larson
still at large
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
A man wanted in connection
with a February 17 shooting
and aggravated assault in the
1500 block of South Lawson
was arrested Tuesday, March
2, police said.
Stephen J. Illies Jr., 23, was
taken into custody in the
Glendale/Phoenix area, according
to Capt. Tom Kelly
of the Apache Junction Police
Department.
“A joint investigation was
coordinated with Mesa, Glendale,
Phoenix and Apache
Junction police departments,”
Kelly said.
“Surveillance and a perimeter
team was established
around the targeted location
as investigators prepared a
search warrant for the residence.
A short while later surveillance
officers noted several
subjects rapidly exiting the
target location. All subjects
were subsequently detained
and Illies was arrested with out further
incident.”
Illies was later transported
to the Maricopa County Detention
Center for further processing.
According to Kelly, a
25-year-old man was shot at
a residence in the 1500 Block
of South Lawson February
17. The victim told police
that one of two men approached
him at which time
an altercation ensued. One
man attacked the victim and
the other began to strike the
victim with a handgun. Moments
later the victim was
shot and the offenders fled
the area.
A second man is still wanted
in connection with the crime.
Joshua L. Larson, 26, is described
as 5-feet 8-inches
tall, 160 pounds, with brown
hair and blue eyes. He is being
sought for aggravated assault.
Anyone who may have any
information on the whereabouts
of this subject is requested
to call the AJPD
Criminal Investigation Division
at (480) 982-8260.

Spring Break
Opportunities
Break for AJUSD is March 15-19
The City of Apache Junction
Parks and Recreation
Department is offering a series
of low-cost acitivities for
children to partake in during
the Apache Junction Unified
School District’s spring break
from March 15 to March 19.
Check out the below programs
that will solve your
child’s spring break boredom.
Creative Kid’s Workshops
are fun classes that include
your imagination to create
fun projects. There will be
four classes held over the
break with different class
themes. All classes held at the
Multi-Generational Center.
Class are for ages 6-12 year
olds. Each class cost $10.
Birdhouse feeders: 9 a.m. to
10 a.m. Tuesday, March 16;
Wacky Science: 1 p.m. to 2
p.m. Wednesday, March 17;
Food Creations: 9 a.m. to 10
a.m. Thursday, March 18; and
Kites from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Thursday, March 18.
Eric Carle Creations is a two day
class in which children
will paint and create pictures
using the Eric Carle method. On the
first day, children
will paint an array of
papers. The following day,
children will use the painted
paper to create original designs.
Participants must attend
both days to complete
the project. Class held at the
Multi-Generational Center.
Classes are for ages 8-12 year
olds. Cost of the class is $10
Classes, which cost $10, are
from 11 a.m. to noon Tuesday,
March 16, and Thursday,
March 18.
See
A-1
and see Spring
Break,
A-9

Track And Field
Springs Into Action
By J.J. Digos
The News
Last season, current senior
Zane Morgan qualified for
the 4A-1 State Championship
meet for the 800 meters.
This season, he is one of
only two returning member
of the AJHS boys’ track and
field team who qualified for
the state meet last year (the
other is Trevor Berner in discus).
Also, in the off-season,
Morgan decided to make
the switch from running the
800 meters to running the
100 and 400 meter events
and through two track meets
this season, it seems that the
transition hasn’t fazed the
senior. Now, this season, he
is looking to capture his first
individual state championship
and his second team
championship. (Morgan was a part of the
Prospectors’
2007 State Championship
winning team his freshman
year.)
At the Prospectors first
meet in Tempe this past
Thursday afternoon, it was
Zane Morgan, cousin Tanner
Morgan, the 4x100 meter relay
team and the high jump
duel between Colt Grandstaff
and Kyrel Parker that
highlighted the day in which
the Prospectors dominated
points wise over host Tempe
and visiting Williams Field.
Grandstaff and Parker drew
much attention during their
final attempts against one
another in the high jump and
it was Grandstaff coming out
on top over his fellow senior
teammate with a jump of six
feet, two inches. The jump
was three inches from the
school record set by former
Prospector Shane McCullen
in 2007.
See
B-1
and see Track,
B-2

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