Arizona

Arizona swim instructor aims to help others after witnessing drowning

Published

6 months ago

May 15, 2024

Arizona swim instructor aims to help others after witnessing drowning

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – “I witnessed a drowning when I was 10, and it affected me,” said Tracy Richards. “I saw the mom’s face afterwards, and I vowed that I would never see that again. I was 10, and I vowed at that point I would never watch another child drown.

At 15, Tracy started teaching swim lessons. Today, she is a swim instructor at the Village in Gainey Ranch.

“I mean, you hear about the near drownings and people say, ‘oh, but they survived.’” Sometimes, that’s not the quality of life that anyone would like,” she said.

Woman helps others after witnessing drowning

May 15 is International Water Safety Day, which is geared toward spreading awareness and water safety education by any means possible. A Valley swim teacher takes this goal very seriously. FOX 10’s Anita Roman reports.

Statistics from the Children’s Safety Zone show that from Jan. 1 to May 11, 2024, 18 deaths resulted from 43 water-related incidents. That includes seven children up to the age of 5.

“I mean I think every parent’s worse fear is you walk outside, and your kid is in the pool, and you didn’t see it – whether they’re still trying to kick or God forbid, there is a drowning because especially in Arizona, you hear about it so much,” Taylor Bellow said. “We have so many pools.”

Taylor Bellow didn’t want to take any chances with her 2-year-old son, Brexton. He started lessons a few months ago.

“My parents live very close to us. We are over there all the time, and they do not have a pool fence, so we opted to make sure that, even though he is not really interested in the pool before we started swim, there’s just always that maybe, so we wanted him to learn to maybe flip over, float and get to the side,” said Bellow.

Group swim lessons vary in size, anywhere from two to five kids. Richards starts her lessons at 9-months-old because the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says children ages 1-4 have the highest drowning rate.

“It’s a process for everyone, but they all learn to get to the wall. They learn to roll and float on their back,” she said. “All those things not necessarily in the same order, but learning those things is important because most kids don’t fall into the middle of a pool, they fall by the side, so if you teach them to roll over and get to the side right away, it’s a good thing.”

Richards runs a number of different programs that teach children the importance of water safety, including mommy and me classes and a unique swim and read program, where she uses phonics and familiar words for the fun of swimming.

All these years after witnessing that drowning, Richards is even more passionate about saving lives because she says drowning is 100% preventable.

“It’s OK for them to be uncomfortable to learn the process because crying during the process is a lot better than never crying again,” she said.

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Arizona

Residents frustrated over desert dumping in southern Arizona

Published

4 hours ago

November 20, 2024

Press Room

Residents frustrated over desert dumping in southern Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Many of us love the landscape of the southern Arizona desert, but others may not care as much as scattered trash piles are becoming a new normal.

Residents living in the Tortolina area told 13 News they’re frustrated and angry over the dumping.

Clint told 13 News he brought his four kids out to the desert over the years, but it is starting to get worse.

“I don’t like it one bit,” Clint said. “My kids don’t like to see it, my friends and neighbors that come out here, we just really dislike it a lot. It’s disheartening, is a word I can say.”

One of his most recent finds was construction debris from a bathroom remodel, which included a worn-down bathtub, remnants of drywall, and torn boxes.

Clint found an address on one of the boxes. He said he and his friend went to the home and informed the owners of the trash.

He said the homeowners seemed unaware of the problem but the following day, the trash was gone.

“No harm no foul but they got caught,” Clint said. “Had they not, then it would still be sitting out there.”

Something similar happened about 10 years ago to Tucson resident Connie Coons. She hired someone to take her trash out to the dump, but the trash didn’t make it there.

“I got a letter in the mail probably a couple of weeks later,” Coons said. “It was a picture of my garbage in somebody’s alley.”

The city explained to her over the phone that the trash was cleared, but she was already embarrassed.

Coons tried to call the person she hired, but she was unable to reach them.

“I was angry that I trusted these people and gave them money to do a job, and then I did not get the job,” Coons said.

More than a decade years after the incident, trash dumping continues to be an ongoing issue. Both Clint and Coons told 13 News that they wish people would think twice before inappropriately disposing of their trash.

“It’s sad that we, as a society, are still thinking that it’s acceptable,” Coons added. “Not the vast majority, but obviously there is people that don’t have a problem with dumping garbage in the desert.”

Be sure to subscribe to the 13 News YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@13newskold

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Arizona receives mixed lung-cancer ratings from American Lung Association

Published

12 hours ago

November 19, 2024

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Arizona receives mixed lung-cancer ratings from American Lung Association

The American Lung Association released its annual “State of Lung Cancer” report that ranks lung cancer response by state. Arizona ranked above average for rate of new cases; average for early diagnosis; and below average for survival rate, surgical treatment and, lack of treatment and, screening. (File photo by Cronkite News)

PHOENIX – The American Lung Association (ALA) graded Arizona’s lung cancer response as mostly below average Tuesday. The association releases an annual report documenting the success or failure in each state’s response to lung cancer awareness.

“The No. 1 modality (for lung cancer) is going to be smoking,” said Dr. Richard Gillespie, a thoracic surgeon at HonorHealth Heart Care – Heart and Lung Surgery – Shea. “It’s No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, but it’s not the only risk.”

The ALA report follows a criterion that ranks states on six factors. Arizona ranked above average for rate of new cases; average for early diagnosis; and below average for survival rate, surgical treatment, and lack of treatment and screening.

“Lung cancer is the No. 1 cancer killer,” said ALA Senior Director of Advocacy JoAnna Strother. “It is the leading cause of cancer deaths. We’re (ALA) just trying to make more people aware that if they are eligible for screening, that they should definitely talk to their provider.”

Those diagnosed with lung cancer can get treatments or surgeries to help lessen their symptoms.

In Arizona, according to the report, 27.1% of people diagnosed with lung cancer are alive after five years, which is lower than the national average of 28.4%.

The rate of new cases in the state, 42.6 per 100,000, is similar to last year and is significantly lower than the national rate of 53.6 – ranking the state seventh among all others.

This year, the rate of new cases has improved by 19% in Arizona and 15% nationally.

Those at high risk for lung cancer in Arizona include adults between the ages of 50 to 80 who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years, are current smokers or quit within the last 15 years. About 14% of those high-risk individuals in the state received screenings for lung cancer – compared to the national rate of 16% – ranking the state at 37th.

“People are very independent out here (in Arizona); they don’t want to be told what to do,” Gillespie said. “I think people haven’t heard about screening for lung cancer. It’s a relatively new modality. We as a community need to really be letting people know that this is something that can reduce their risk of lung cancer.”

According to ALA, lung cancer takes the lives of 361 people a day in the U.S. But within the past 10 years, the lung cancer survival rate has increased by 44%.

“Those who are recent immigrants, those who are in some of the less affluent areas of Phoenix just don’t have access to health care,” Gillespie said. “We want to be a part of outreach (and) make sure that we’re providing tools that people need to be able to take care of themselves.”

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Arizona

Tetairoa McMillan a 2024 Biletnikoff Award semifinalist

Published

19 hours ago

November 19, 2024

Press Room

Tetairoa McMillan a 2024 Biletnikoff Award semifinalist

Arizona Wildcats junior Tetairoa McMillan on Tuesday was among 11 players named semifinalists for the 2024 Biletnikoff Award, which is given annually to college football’s best pass-catcher.

McMillan is third in the nation with 1,136 receiving yards with Arizona (4-6) still set to visit the TCU Horned Frogs this Saturday and before hosting the rival Arizona State Sun Devils in the regular season finale.

His receiving yards total trails two other finalists: San Jose State receiver Nick Nash (1,282 yards) and Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (1,170).

Also on the list is a player for the Wildcats’ upcoming opponent. TCU’s Jack Bech is sixth in the nation with 982 receiving yards so far this season.

McMillan began the year well-regarded and on the lengthy Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list, as well as the Maxwell Award watch list that will be handed out to the nation’s best all-around college player.

The bulk of his production in 2024 has come in two games: a 304-yard performance in the season opener against New Mexico on Aug. 31 and a 202-yard outing on Oct. 26 against West Virginia.

A likely first-round pick, the 6-foot-5, 212-pound receiver piled up 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Current Arizona Cardinals rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. won the Biletnikoff trophy last season for his 1,211 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior for Ohio State.

LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze, who like Harrison were first-round NFL Draft picks, were the other finalists in 2023.

A panel of 600 college football journalists, commentators, announcers, former award winners and former receivers vote for semifinalists, finalists and award winners.

A fan vote accounts for one official vote as well.

Tetairoa McMillan and 10 more 2024 Biletnikoff Award semifinalists

Jack Bech (WR), TCU
Ja’Corey Brooks (WR), Louisville
Harold Fannin Jr. (TE), Bowling Green
Tai Felton (WR), Maryland
Tre Harris (WR), Ole Miss
Travis Hunter (WR), Colorado
Tetairoa McMillan (WR), Arizona
Nick Nash (WR), San Jose State
Xavier Restrepo (WR), Miami
Jeremiah Smith (WR), Ohio State
Ryan Williams (WR), Alabama

Follow @kzimmermanaz

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