Students Protest Incident At High School
Security guard accused of inappropriate behavior with female student
By Meghan McCoy
The News
APACHE JUNCTION — Approximately 85 high school students gathered near the Apache Junction High School (AJHS) campus last Thursday afternoon and Friday morning with signs protesting the district’s initial response to accusations of inappropriate action by a security guard with a female student.
   The students were protesting the district’s alleged delayed response to allegations of inappropriate conduct involving a security guard and a female student, which was purported to have occurred last November. An anonymous note found by administrators last November contained allegations involving the inappropriate treatment of a female student by one of the guards. Unable to authenticate the note, the district was not able to take any official action at the time.
   When the Apache Junction Police received a similar complaint more than a week ago with information as to the name of the student and the alleged inappropriate behavior of the security guard, immediate action was taken by the Apache Junction Unified School District (AJUSD).
   Spokeswoman Carol Shepherd said that upon notification of the complaint filed on Friday, Jan. 11, the security guard was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. A second guard was placed on leave a few days later.
   Shepherd explained, “On Wednesday (Jan. 16), a second security guard was placed on paid leave to preserve the integrity of the initial allegation.”

See A-1

Gunmen Rob Wells Fargo
Some employees and patrons were bound with plastic ties
By Jill Jones
The News
APACHE JUNCTION- A multiagency effort is underway to find three masked gunman who held up a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Apache Junction last week.
   The gunmen reportedly entered the bank at 2891 W. Apache Trail around 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, brandishing weapons. Though no one was injured in the incident, authorities said the gunmen tied up some of the bank patrons and employees using plastic ties.
   The suspects were reportedly “systematic” in their execution and quickly fled the scene heading west on Apache Trail in a brown van they had parked near the automatic teller machine.
   Authorities have released limited information in the case and have not revealed the amount of money involved.
   The Criminal Investigation Division of the Apache Junction Police Department is following up on any and all leads and is receiving assistance from the FBI and Mesa Police Department as the investigation continues.
   Anyone having information or details about the incident is asked to contact Apache Junction Police at 480-982-8260.

Spelling Bee Winners
Will represent District at Pinal County Spelling Bee
There is nothing like an old-fashioned spelling bee to motivate students to practice their spelling. The following winners of the 2008 Annual Apache Junction Unified School District (AJUSD) Spelling Bee must have been highly motivated. The first place winner was sixth grade student Emilio Couchee from Thunder Mountain Middle School, second place winner was fifth grade student Joseph Park from Gold Canyon Elementary School, third place went to fifth grade student Alexis Brown from Peralta Trails Elementary School, fourth place winner was seventh grade student Jonathon Croom from Thunder Mountain Middle School and fifth place winner was fourth grade student Mikaela Coppinger from Desert Vista Elementary School.
   Thirty-five students, the winners of competitions at all of the district’s elementary and middle schools, went head to head and brain to brain in the competition held on Tuesday, Jan. 16, to decide who would be the AJUSD representatives sent to the Pinal County Spelling Bee at the Casa Grande Union High School Auditorium at 9:30 Feb. 15.
   The first, second and third place winners will be the entrants representing AJUSD at the county spelling bee, with the fourth and fifth place winners going as alternates.

Apache Junction 2, Shadow Mountain 1
January 16, 2008 – First-ever win for AJHS varsity soccer
By Chuck Baker
The News
Behind a tenacious defense, a solid team effort and a couple of timely goals, the Prospectors defeated the Shadow Mountain Matadors 2-1 last Thursday at Davis Field recording the first ever win in varsity soccer at Apache Junction High School.
   It took the AJHS boys seven tries in their first varsity campaign to get that first victory and the heroes were aplenty.
   After Shadow Mountain had taken a 1-0 lead scoring on a penalty kick just six minutes into the match, AJHS senior Luis Ruiz answered with his own penalty kick for a goal at the 29:40 mark of the first half.
   Then, with a little over two minutes to go until halftime, freshman David Gamboa sent a perfect corner kick out in front of the Matadors goal and senior Israel Chavez found a loose ball and booted it into the goal for what proved to be the game winner.
   During the entire second half, the Prospector defense, led by juniors Casey Althoff and Jorge Valenzuela, sophomore Matt Horton, Gamboa and sophomore goal-keeper Ray Banda did their job shutting down the Shadow Mountain offense. The defense had plenty of help from mid-fielders, seniors Ricardo Jimenez, Manuel Redondo and Chavez and freshman Jesus Godinez, who dropped back deep into coverage and even the offense, including seniors Patrick Cheek and Ruiz and junior Manny Medina, were content to play defense over the final minutes to preserve the one-goal edge.

See C-1 and See Soccer, C-6