Latest news with #EastValley
The Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Transgender athlete, 17, tells critics to ‘get a life' as they are booed after winning girl's state track race
TRANSGENDER athlete Veronica Garcia has told their detractors to "get a life" after being booed at a state track championship in Washington. The 17-year-old blew away their 400m rivals by a whole second and played a big role in their East Valley of Spokane team-mates winning the 4x100m relay race. For the second year in a row, Garcia, the first transgender athlete in the state of Washington to win a track title, was heckled by track goers. The Seattle Times claims scores of attendees booed when Garcia - who is permitted to compete against biological females as students in Washington state can participate in sports based on their gender identity - stood on the podium after cheering loudly for their counterparts. That wasn't the only backlash Garcia had to deal with as a man wearing a 'Save women's sports' t-shirt - shouted: "Let go, girls!" The man, who made his feelings known during the warm-up, also shouted: "Girls' race!" Garcia fully "expected" to be hounded given the reception they received last year. But unlike last year, they had a defiant message for the minority in attendance who targeted them. Garcia said: "It maybe didn't have their intended effect. "It made me angry, but not angry as in, I wanted to give up, but angry as in, I'm going to push. 2 "I'm going to put this in the most PG-13 way, I'm just going to say it's a damn shame they don't have anything else better to do. "I hope they get a life. But oh well. It just shows who they are as people." Garcia could care less about her critics, insisting: "I'm really proud of myself. "I did what I came to do, and that's good enough for me." Garcia pipped Lauren Matthew to victory in the 400m, although their rival insisted they were the "real champion" with a homemade sign. Garcia also had to endure a rival school wearing tees which read 'Keep Women's Sports Female' before and after the 4x400m relay.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mesa works to preserve Arizona's fading citrus history
The Brief FOX 10's Steve Nielsen catches up with Mesa Mayor Mark Freeman about the city's effort to preserve one of the Cs that Arizona is known for – citrus. He says protecting Arizona's agriculture is important and that the city stands ready to preserve it. MESA, Ariz. - Arizona was founded on the five Cs: copper, cattle, cotton, citrus and climate. As time has moved on, citrus has fallen off, but the city of Mesa is trying to preserve that part of our agricultural history. What we know More than 200 acres are tucked away in the city of Mesa at Gene Autry Park. "These are one of the last bastions here of citrus here in the East Valley," Mesa Mayor Mark Freeman said. "Ironically, this area is one of the last city of Mesa-owned orchards. We're here at Gene Autry Park. These trees are well over 90 years old." The land these oranges are grown on can't be used for much else. "We've created a safety zone for the aircraft flying back and forth through Falcon Field, and so this area will always be predominantly citrus," Mayor Freeman said. So citrus it will remain – beautiful, a great smell when they bloom – but also a history lesson growing right in front of our eyes that started in the 1910s. "These orchards were established and, remember, there was nothing out here and this citrus here, it was sent all over the world because, predominantly, the competition was between California, Arizona and Florida," Mayor Freeman explained. Dig deeper Over the years, as Mesa's population has exploded, orange groves have become more and more rare. "The land has become more valuable for development, so the landowners that own their land in citrus today are selling to developers for building homes or other things," Mayor Freeman said. But, these Valencia oranges will remain. Once they're ready, they'll be sold and shipped to Yuma where they'll be squeezed for fresh orange juice. That's the way it will be, because these trees will grow just like the city of Mesa, and they aren't going anywhere. "The protection of our agriculture is so important and Mesa stands ready to preserve that," Mayor Freeman said. What you can do Click here to learn more about Arizona's 5 Cs.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here are 3 projects East Valley residents should know
Two industrial projects and one townhome community are underway in the East Valley, all of which are expected to be completed in 2026. LG Energy Solutions is building a battery manufacturing facility in Queen Creek, with the goal of producing cylindrical batteries for electric vehicles. The company predicted the facility will bring thousands of jobs to the area. A 15-acre plot near Warner Road and Hardy Drive in Tempe will be home to a 144,885-square-foot industrial park. The spot was previously used for an office building, a commercial garage, outdoor storage and RV parking. A luxury townhome community in Scottsdale is being built a few hundred yards west of the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt. The developer said the community is focused on sustainability with less costly energy bills. Here's what East Valley residents should know about the projects. A 144,885-square-foot industrial park is being built on a 15-acre plot near Warner Road and Hardy Drive in Tempe. It is being developed by Phoenix- based Creation and Boston-based CrossHarbor Capital Partners. The development will include 6 acres of yard space for storage or vehicles. One structure in the park will be built before a business has signed on to lease the space. Construction is expected to be completed in mid-2026. Construction is underway on an electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility near Ironwood and Pecos roads in Queen Creek. LG Energy Solutions is expected to hire 2,800 employees. The company commenced training its launch team members at a new workforce training center, which was established under Arizona's Future48 Workforce Accelerator program, in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority, Pinal County, and Central Arizona College, it stated in a news release. The company said the project was halfway completed in April. The plant is expected to begin production in mid-2026. The southeast corner of 78th Street and San Miguel Avenue will be home to the Paloma, a 6-unit luxury and custom townhome community that focuses on sustainability. The homes are 3,000 square feet each, with two-car garages, 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. The backyards will have pools, hot tubs and cabanas. Developer Ed Gorman said it will be "the first net-zero energy ready luxury home community in Scottsdale." Monthly energy bills are expected to be 50% to 70% lower, he said. Construction is anticipated to finish in August 2026, and residents are expected to start moving in fall 2026. Like this story? Get more East Valley news straight into your email inbox by signing up for our free weekly East Valley Newsletter, which comes out on Wednesdays. Is there something under construction you'd like to tell us about or find out more about? Contact reporter Lauren De Young, who covers Tempe, Chandler, Maricopa County and transportation. Reach her at This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 3 East Valley projects to know: Tempe, Queen Creek, Scottsdale
