Here are Cronkite News Service stories that moved from March 31-April 4. If you have questions or would like to receive the daily news digest by e-mail, please contact Steve Elliott at 602-496-0686 or steve.elliott@asu.edu.

WEEKEND SPECIAL

UNIQUE RETREAT HELPS VETS COPE WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS

STAR VALLEY _ Ken Moorin lies on his back, knees bent, hands behind his head. His body trembles and shakes involuntarily, releasing tension. As an Army reserve sergeant stationed an hour from Baghdad, Moorin and his supply convoy were under a constant threat of mortar attacks. The memories stayed buried deep inside long after he returned home in 2004. Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, Moorin suffered from anxiety attacks and depression, making it difficult to work and eventually forcing him to quit his teaching career. On this day, he is starting a long process of pulling himself out of the abyss. His new routine of exercises, he says, is beginning to allow him to let go. “It works,” Moorin says, “You have to be able to release on a physical level.” The regimen is known as TRE _ trauma releasing exercises _ which he learned during his first weekend at the Merritt Center, a nonprofit retreat funded by private donations and provided free to combat veterans.

Slug BC-CNS-Merritt Center. By Jeremy Thomas. With BC-CNS-Merritt Center-Box.

NOTE: This story moved Wednesday, April 2. We recommend it for weekend use.

Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 (thumbnails, captions below)

SPECIAL PROJECT

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE BORDER AND THE FAMILIES IT DIVIDES

A young mother whose son is already beginning to forget his father. Two men who have searched for their missing brother for years. Border Patrol agents who toil miles from their families. These are the some of the people whose lives and whose families are divided by the U.S.-Mexico border. Supported by a grant from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, a group of advanced students in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University set out in fall 2007 to do a semester-long reporting project on divided families. The result, based on more than 30 trips to the border, deep into Mexico and to various parts of Arizona, is being made available to Arizona newspapers via Cronkite News Service. We commend this package to your attention and recommend it for use in your print and online editions.

Review the content here: https://cronkitenews.jmc.asu.edu/dividedfamilies

THE WEEK’S NEWS

LAWMAKER ATTEMPTS TO HELP COUNTIES WITH WASTE TIRES

PHOENIX (Thursday, April 3) _ A state lawmaker wants waste sites that store at least 500 tires for more than a year to register with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. An official says the bill sponsored by Rep. Ray Barnes, R-Phoenix, chairman of the House Environment Committee, would help counties address tires piling up in storage facilities, which can lead to mosquitoes and other problems.

Slug BC-CNS-Waste Tires. By Lauren Proper.

REVIVED OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE BILL GETS PRELIMINARY OK IN HOUSE

PHOENIX (Wednesday, April 2) _ The House gave preliminary approval Wednesday to revived legislation that would create a registration fee for off-highway vehicles after a heated debate in which a lawmaker condemned provisions that would make certain types of riding illegal.

Slug BC-CNS-Off-Highway Fee. By Grayson Steinberg. With Photo and BC-CNS-Off-Highway-Box.

Download Photo (thumbnail, caption below)

BILL: PROMOTE EMPLOYEE CODES OF CONDUCT IN PUBLIC, CHARTER SCHOOLS

PHOENIX (Wednesday, April 2) _ School employees should have a clear idea of what constitutes unprofessional or immoral conduct so students, parents and the teachers themselves can be protected, some lawmakers say. Rep. Doug Clark, R-Anthem, and Sen. Linda Gray, R-Phoenix, are primary sponsors of a measure that would charge the State Board of Education with creating guidelines defining such conduct. Public school districts and charter schools would have a chance to adopt the guidelines as-is or amend them to meet their needs.

Slug BC-CNS-Schools-Conduct. By Daniel Raven. With BC-CNS-Schools-Conduct-Box.

BILL WOULD ESTABLISH COMMISSION TO STUDY STATE’S PLACE IN RANKINGS

PHOENIX (Tuesday, April 1) _ A state lawmaker wants Arizona to establish a commission that would collect, evaluate and assess Arizona‘s place national rankings involving education and wages paid to employees. An organization representing school administrators opposes the idea, with a representative calling it “pointless.” SB 1279, sponsored by John Huppenthal, R-Chandler, has cleared the Senate and was up for consideration Tuesday afternoon in a House committee.

Slug BC-CNS-State Rankings. By Daniel Raven. With BC-CNS-State Rankings-Box.

HOUSE OKs MEASURE TO OUTLAW MEXICAN SPORT OF HORSE TRIPPING

PHOENIX (Monday, March 31) _ A horse is brought to a gallop in a circular ring with several “charros,” rodeo cowboys, trailing close behind. The charro twirls his lasso, aiming for the animal’s front legs, and slings the rope. He pulls it taught around the horse’s ankles, causing it to seize up momentarily before crashing head-first to the ground. For centuries, the sport has been a part of traditional “charreadas,” Mexican-style rodeos, but the practice may soon be a thing of the past in Arizona. On Monday, the House approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would ban horse tripping as entertainment. Supporters of a ban say the sport is cruel and frequently results in broken legs, fractured skulls and other serious injuries for the animals.

Slug BC-CNS-Horse Tripping. By Jeremy Thomas.

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PHOTOS: Click thumbnails to see full-resolution images and download

OFF-HIGHWAY FEE

CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-OFF-HIGHWAY FEE: An area of the Tonto National Forest near Mesa is scarred by an illegal trail made by off-road vehicles. The House gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bill that would make OHV users pay an annual registration fee that would be used to repair damaged landscapes, educate riders and fund additional law enforcement. It also would make certain types of riding, including damaging the environment, misdemeanors. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Nora Avery-Page)

MERRITT CENTER

CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-MERRITT CENTER: Ken Moorin, an Army reservist who served in Iraq, stands in front of a gathering place at the Merritt Center in Star Valley. Sleeping quarters for veterans are behind him. The nonprofit center, which offers its services free of charge, uses trauma-releasing exercises to help veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Jeremy Thomas)

CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-MERRITT CENTER: Ken Moorin, an Army reservist who served in Iraq, demonstrates a trauma-releasing exercise at the Merritt Center in Star Valley. The nonprofit center, which offers its services free of charge, uses the exercises to help veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Jeremy Thomas)

CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-MERRITT CENTER: Ken Moorin, an Army reservist who served in Iraq, talks with Betty Merritt, who runs the Merritt Center in Star Valley. The nonprofit center, which offers its services free of charge, uses trauma-releasing exercises to help veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Jeremy Thomas)

CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-MERRITT CENTER: Betty Merritt is shown in her home at the Merritt Center, nonprofit center in Star Valley that serves veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The center uses trauma-releasing exercises to help veterans cope with PTSD. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Jeremy Thomas)

CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-MERRITT CENTER: The entrance to the Merritt Center in Star Valley. The nonprofit center offers free services to veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Jeremy Thomas)