• Slug: CN2Go.
• Runtime: 8:38.
• Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download)

 

THIS IS YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2GO BRIEFING.

I’m Chase Drumgoole.

Governor’s race close (reader/Natalie)

ARIZONA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES KATIE HOBBS AND KARI LAKE REMAINED NECK AND NECK AS THE LAST VOTES WAITED TO BE COUNTED MONDAY. IT’S THE NATION’S LAST OUTSTANDING GUBERNATORIAL RACE THIS ELECTION.

ALTHOUGH LAKE HAS YET TO TAKE A LEAD IN THE RACE, SHE INSISTS THAT SHE’LL WIN OVER HOBBS AFTER THE REMAINING BALLOTS ARE PROCESSED.

LAKE HAS PUBLICLY ACCUSED ELECTION OFFICIALS OF ‘SLOW ROLLING’ THE BALLOT COUNT TO SKEW EARLY RESULTS. BUT LAKE’S STATEMENT RECEIVED BACKLASH FROM PROMINENT ELECTION OFFICIALS LIKE Republican chairman of the Maricopa County board of supervisors Bill Gates . GATES AND OTHER OFFICIALS INSIST THAT THIS ELECTION’S VOTE COUNT IS FAIR AND GOING AS PLANNED.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HAD YET TO CALL THE RACE AS OF MIDDAY MONDAY, SAYING THERE WERE STILL TOO MANY BALLOTS UNACCOUNTED FOR.

EVs and Air Quality
Host intro:
Electric vehicles… The more we have them on the roads, the less polluted our air is. Improving air quality is vital for Phoenix that’s why there’s a push for EVs and an adequate infrastructure around them. Here’s Kenneth Rasmussen with more…

Kenny:
Phoenix is the fifth most polluted city by ozone nationally, according to a recent report by the American Lung Association. The City of Phoenix even goes as far as to describe its air quality rates as some of the worst in the US. Polluted air can have major health risks, especially for low-income, Black, and Brown communities.

Roughly 46% of Phoenix’s gas emissions come from transportation according to a city infographic. To this end, electric vehicles have been promoted by the city as a more environmentally friendly alternative. Part of this initiative includes the improvement of the charging infrastructure needed to sustain a large amount of EVs, updating new building codes to include EV-readiness, and providing further incentives to own an electric vehicle.

According to Experian Automotive Data, outside of California, Phoenix was one of the fastest-growing areas for new electric vehicle registration, through the first half of 2022, having had over 14,000 EV registrations in the last 12 months.

BOYs & Girls Club Mental Health (Natalie/feature)

Host intro:
THE PANDEMIC HAD DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH OF MANY AMERICANS. FOR YOUTH, THE IMPACT WAS PARTICULARLY STRIKING.

CHILDREN WHO ATTEND BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS IN THE PHOENIX AREA OFTEN FACE DISPROPORTIONATE BARRIERS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE, FROM TRANSPORTATION AND FINANCIAL OBSTACLES TO CULTURAL STIGMA.

TO FIX THIS, THE ORGANIZATION IS LAUNCHING A PROGRAM THAT BRINGS MENTAL HEALTH CARE CLOSER TO THE KIDS THEY SERVE.

REPORTER NATALIE SKOWLUND VISITED A CLUB IN NORTH PHOENIX TO LEARN MORE.

Natalie:

IT’S JUST BEFORE 3 P.M. CHILDREN AND TEENS TROMP THROUGH A SET OF DOUBLE DOORS AND SCAN THEIR MEMBER CARDS.

 

THEY SPILL INTO A ROOM STOCKED WITH COLORFUL CUBBIES TO STORE BACKPACKS AND SCHOOLBOOKS. FOOSBALL AND POOL TABLES AWAIT USE NEARBY.

 

THE KIDS WHO FREQUENT THIS BOYS & GIRLS CLUB SAY THERE ARE A VARIETY OF THINGS TO LOVE ABOUT THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM.

 

A NEW PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE VALLEY AND TERROS HEALTH WILL BRING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EXPERTS TO CLUBS ACROSS THE PHOENIX METRO.

BUT THEY WON’T OFFER COUNSELING IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE.

INSTEAD, THEY’LL BE A PART OF EVERYDAY CLUB ACTIVITIES. HERE’S KIM MCWILLIAMS, DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN’S OPERATIONS FOR TERROS HEALTH.

…they could be in the art room, doing an art activity that helps them with mindfulness helps them with coping skills…They could be playing sports and we know how heated sports can get with kids…we’re here to just be a part of everyday activities with the kids.

THESE EXPERTS WILL ALSO TRAIN OTHER CLUB STAFF.

…we want parents to know that their child’s in a safe place. So we’re going to be working with boys and girls club staff on trauma informed approaches, how to really approach the children from that level of understanding…and what we can do if we feel like a child has some, some needs that go beyond, you know, what we typically see in a developing child.

THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE VALLEY ARE A SAFE SPACE FOR MANY CHILDREN, MCWILLIAMS SAYS. OVER HALF OF CHILDREN ENROLLED ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FREE OR REDUCED SCHOOL LUNCHES. A MAJORITY LIVE IN SINGLE-PARENT HOUSEHOLDS.

DURING THE PANDEMIC, CLUBS IN THE VALLEY NEVER SHUT THEIR DOORS. BUT NOT ALL KIDS COULD CONTINUE IN PERSON, AND THE PANDEMIC HAD A DRASTIC IMPACT ON YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH.

…this is to get those kids back to where they should be with their social skills, their coping skills, and really have an impact on their future.
…these children that experience those learning losses, the social skills that they were behind on their parents works there and seeing all of that stress and the financial hardships as well. And that’s not easy on a child.

NATIONALLY, MORE THAN 10 PERCENT OF YOUTH HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERE DEPRESSION, BUT A MAJORITY DO NOT RECEIVE ANY FORM OF MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT.

IN ARIZONA, THE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FALLOUT IS PARTICULARLY STRIKING. ACCORDING TO MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA,THE STATE RANKS 49TH IN THE NATION FOR YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH. THAT’S DUE TO A HIGH PREVALENCE OF MENTAL ILLNESS AMONG YOUTH AND LOW ACCESS TO CARE.

ALDO CANO-LEÓN IS 15 AND HAS BEEN COMING TO THIS CLUB SINCE THE FIRST GRADE. HE SAYS THIS PLACE HAS BEEN AN ESSENTIAL PART OF HIS CHILDHOOD.

The main reason I started at the Boys and Girls Club was because my parents didn’t have time for me, since they would have to catch up with work and have to stay late. So we could have food and have a roof.

THERE WAS A PERIOD DURING THE PANDEMIC WHERE CANO-LEÓN WASN’T ABLE TO GO. THAT TIME AWAY TOOK A TOLL.

I instead went to go work with my parents for four months. And during that time I still doing school…I was totally isolated from everyone. And it would be school, and then work, school and work. And when I came back to The Club, it was, it was refreshing to get everyone that I knew, come back and into my life and start talking again with people

SILVIA CHAVEZ IS A PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR FOR BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE VALLEY. SHE SAYS THERE ARE MANY BENEFITS TO HAVING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH STAFF ON SITE.

<> SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT IS, DIFFERENCE COULD MAKE
SC: give youth cognitive skills, behavioral skills, lifelong skills, in identifying coping mechanisms and identifying emotions, and how to express those emotions appropriately
…we are adding another layer of support for not only what we’ve already voicing, the Boys and Girls Clubs has already established but an additional layer of support for the families

AS THE AFTERNOON WINDS ON, CHILDREN PRACTICE GRAMMAR IN ONE ROOM…

 

PLAY COMPUTER GAMES IN ANOTHER…

 

AND, IN THE GYM, DRIBBLE A SOCCER BALL IN A FRIENDLY–BUT COMPETITIVE–GAME OF INDOOR SOCCER.

 

CANO-LEÓN SAYS THAT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, SOMETIMES WHAT’S ON THE OUTSIDE DOESN’T REFLECT WHAT’S GOING ON WITHIN. HAVING SOMEONE AROUND WHO CAN RECOGNIZE THAT, MIGHT BE KEY.

I think adults should know that. While we may act, okay, and put a smile on our face that sometimes deep down we just need somebody to reach out. And I think that would make a huge difference.

I’M NATALIE SKOWLUND, CRONKITE NEWS.

 

Outro:
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EXPERTS WILL BE PLACED IN 10 CLUBS ACROSS THE VALLEY DURING THE PROGRAM’S FIRST YEAR. MCWILLIAMS SAYS SHE HOPES TO HAVE COACHES STATIONED AT EVERY CLUB IN THE VALLEY WITHIN THE NEXT THREE YEARS.

WE HAD HELP TODAY FROM Natalie Skowlund and Kenneth Rasmussen.

YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STORIES YOU HEARD IN TODAY’S NEWS UPDATE, BY GOING TO CRONKITENEWS-DOT-AZPBS-DOT-ORG.

THAT’S ALL FOR YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2 GO. I’M Chase Drumgoole.