The biggest Arizona headlines of 2021, from recycling plant fire to COVID-19 to a partisan election review – The Arizona Republic

Republic video coverage throughout 2021

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Arizona Republic

After an unforgettable2020 marked by a worldwide pandemic and apresidential election, many people looked for a return to normalin 2021.

But many of the same issues persisted. The results of the presidential election were challenged in Arizona, and COVID-19 cases continued to surge across the state, nation and world.

Here's a look back at Arizona'stop news events in 2021.

Grant Woods, a two-time Republican Arizona attorney general who frequently bucked his political party to endorse Democratic candidates and causes, died of a heart attack in October at 67.

Woods cut his political teeth as chief of staff to fellow Republican and then-U.S. Rep John McCain in the early 1980s. He ranfor office himself in 1990.He campaigned on civil rights issues, openly supporting a state Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and opposing a GOP-backed English-only ballot measure.

Woods was remembered by friends and family during a memorial at the Orpheum Theater.

John Conlan, a religious conservative who spent four years in Congress, died in June at 90.

Conlan was a member of the Arizona Senate for eight years before going to Washington. Despite more than a decade in politics, Conlan may be most remembered for his loss in the 1976 Republican primary for U.S. Senate, a race tainted with religious bigotry and mudslinging between Conlan and fellow U.S. Rep. Sam Steiger.

Woods and Conlan were two of several notable politicians and community leaders who died in 2021. Othersincluded:

Phoenix saw a near-record number of rainy days in 2021 after an unseasonably hot and dry 2020.

Rain was measured at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on 23 days over themonsoon season that runs June 15 through Sept. 30. The most rainy days ever recorded was 24 in 1896.

The rain resulted in recharged reservoirs and brought a much-needed reprieve after a prolific wildfire season but did little to replenish the Colorado River or quell widespread drought conditions.

A massive fire at a west Phoenix recycling plant led to the largest fire response in the citys history.

The fire burned multiple recycling yards at Friedman Waste Control Systems and destroyed nearby businesses near 35th Avenue and Lincoln Street in June. It threatened surrounding homes and the smoke was visible from space.

An investigation by The Arizona Republic revealed the fire wasnt a one-time accidentand that the recycling plant owner and city knew there was a hazard.

There have been at least 20 reports of fires at the facility since 1994.

Video: Fire crews work to extinguish recycling yard fire

"Crews were on scene throughout the night using front end loaders to extinguish active hotspots," the Phoenix Fire Department tweeted

Phoenix Fire Department via Twitter, USA TODAY Handout

Theformer CEO of a Phoenix health care facility where an incapacitated woman was raped and gave birth and the former nurse who raped the woman were sentenced for their involvement in various crimes, bringing some closure to the three-year case.

William Timmons, the former head of Hacienda HealthCare, was sentenced in November to three years of supervised probationafterdefrauding the state of millions of dollars through a complex medical billing scheme.

He was ordered to pay $500,000 in restitution to Arizonas Medicaid program, plus $274,500 in fines and surcharges.

WhileTimmons was in charge, a 29-year-old patient at Haciendas intermediate care facility unexpectedly gave birth in late December 2018 in a case that garnered international attention. The patient rape put a spotlight on Hacienda and Timmons.

The surprise birth triggered reviews by state agencies, highlighted safety concerns for patients who are severely disabled or incapacitated and prompted resignations at the organization. The Arizona Attorney Generals Office launched a criminal investigation into Haciendas finances in early 2019.

Nathan Sutherland, the nurse who raped the woman and was charged with sexual assault and abuse of a vulnerable adult, was sentenced Dec. 2 to 10 years in prison.

Judge Margaret LaBianca said Sutherland was tasked with caring for and protecting the most vulnerable of patients, and his crimes were a serious breach of ethics.

"It is hard to imagine a more vulnerable adult than the victim in this case," LaBianca said.

The Arizona Coyotes proposed to build a new arena and entertainment district on the southern bank of the Salt River in Tempe.

The franchise has long wanted an arena closer to its fan base in the East Valley. After negotiations broke down this summer, Glendale said it wouldnt renew the teams lease at Gila River Arena after the season ends in April.

The Coyotes have been in talks with Tempe officials for at least two years, and the team submitted a proposal to develop 46 acres of city-owned land near Priest Drive and Rio Salado Parkway.

The $1.7 billion development would includea hockey arena, hotels, apartments and shops that the team says would be financed by billionaire owner Alex Meruelo and private investors.

Tempe's elected officials have been mum as a city committee reviews the bid.

If approved, the team could play its first season in Tempe in 2025.

The year saw a tide of municipal action to protect LGBTQ rights as more cities passed nondiscrimination ordinances that extend to the LGBTQ community as state and federal lawmakers fail to pass similar proposals.

The Glendale City Council in May unanimously approved an ordinance that prohibits discrimination in public places, housing and many workplaces and extended the protections to the LGBTQ community, becoming the third metro Phoenix city to tackle the issue in as many months.

Mesa and Scottsdale passed ordinances in March and April, respectively.

The votes come seven years after Arizona legalized same-sex marriages and more than 20 years after the first Arizona city, Tucson, passed a nondiscrimination ordinance in 1999.

City leaders have long pressed state lawmakers to provide consistent rules statewide.

Mesa Mayor John Giles, who leads a city that has been ranked the most conservative big city in the country, said without state action it was time for cities to act, saying ensuring civil rights for all is the right thing to do.

Arizona institution Bashas, which launched in metro Phoenix almost 90 years ago, announced in October that it was selling to California-based Raleys Holding Company.

Edward Basha, president and CEO of the company, said the pandemic showed the family it was time to sell the grocery chain his grandfather started in Chandler in 1932. The grocer had trouble getting products and filling orders during the pandemic and found that larger stores were faring better.

Joining forces with another family-operated chain in a competitive market would ensure the success of the grocer, he said.

Bashas operates 113 stores across Arizona, New Mexico and the Navajo Nation, including its Food City and AJs Fine Food stores.

The Tucson Police Department quickly moved to fire one of its officers who fatally shot a man in a mobility scooter in late November while confronting him for alleged shoplifting.

The decision came after videos of the shooting from a Lowes security camera showed Officer Ryan Remington firing his gun nine times into 61-year-old Richard Lee Richards back and side.

Richards died at the scene.

The officer alleged Richards pulled a knife on him. An attorney representing Remington said he had no non-lethal options.

Richards was one of at least 67 people shot by law enforcement officers in Arizona in 2021. At least 38 people died. At least 12of those people were shot by Phoenix police, and eight died.

At least eight law enforcement officers were killed this year while working in Arizona, including Drug Enforcement Administration Special AgentMichael Garbo, who was shot and killed in Tucson in October when a passenger opened fire on officers who were doing a routine inspection for illegal contraband on an Amtrak train.

Maricopa County sheriff's Deputy Juan Ruizdied after being beaten unconscious by a man he was putting in a holding cell in October.

La Paz County sheriff's Sgt. Michael Rudd was killed when struck by a vehicle after a stop on Interstate 10.

U.S. Border Patrol Agent Daniel Cox died in a head-on crash with another vehicle.

Phoenix police Officer Ginarro New died when his patrol car was struck by a driver who ran a red light.

Chandler police Officer Christopher Farrarwasstruck and killed by a suspect in a stolen vehicleduring a pursuit.

There were two deaths of officers while on off-duty assignments as well. Nogales police Officer Jeremy Brinton was hit by a vehicle on Interstate 19, and Maricopa County sheriff's Lt. Chad Brackman was struck while directing traffic in Scottsdale.

All five members of the Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy were ousted and replaced in September after a Republic investigationrevealed many massage therapists get second chances despite allegations of sexual abuse.

The members of the regulatory board are appointed by the governor and are responsible for licensing the states 10,600 massage therapists and investigating complaints against them.

A Republic analysis found that 100 massage therapists faced complaints before the board for allegedly exposing, fondling, sexually abusing or sexually assaulting clients duringthe past eight years and about half didnt have their licenses revoked. Others had their complaints dismissed or received only warnings.

Women who filed complaints with the board said the boards reluctance to discipline therapists put customers at risk.

Gov. Doug Ducey said the board needed to ensure that massage clients were protected. Three of the new members he appointed had experience in victim advocacy and support, Ducey said.

Wildfires brought devastating consequences statewide in 2021, leaving hundreds of thousands of acres burned, damaged structures and at least two people dead.

The Telegraph Fire, which ignited June 4 near Superior, merged with the Mescal Fire, which began June 1 southeast of Globe, burning swaths of landand becoming the sixth largest wildfire in the state since 2002.

Two firefighters responding to a wildfire northeast of Wikieup, about two hours northwest of Phoenix, died after their plane crashed.

Fires have grown larger and have burned more severely and the fire season is starting earlier as temperatures rise and drought intensifies.

The fires have led to more intense floods during heavy rains and havestuntedvegetation, forcedwildlife out of their habitats and contaminatedthe watershed.

A volatile day for the Telegraph Fire near Globe

Fire public information officers discuss the sudden volatility of the Telegraph Fire outside of Globe on June 14, 2021.

David Wallace, Arizona Republic

A landmark case in a nearly decadelong battle to determine whether inmatesin Arizonas prison system are getting the basic health care they are entitled to under law finally made it to trial.

Jensen v. Shinnbegan Nov. 1 in Phoenix after a federal judge scrapped a 6-year-old settlement that required the Arizona Department of Corrections to create and comply with new health care benchmarks. The judge said the state had failed to meet its responsibility despite fines and repeated judicial warnings.

Prisoners in the class-action lawsuit say the medical services they receive are inadequate and constitute cruel and unusual punishment.

The trial could affect the way Arizona administers health care in state prisons and could end with the judge taking control of the prison health care system.

U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver is expected to rule in early 2022.

A massive fire in March destroyed two barns and killed an estimated 165,000 hens at Hickmans Family Farms.

The fire, at the companys farm in Arlington, about an hour west of Phoenix, destroyed equipment and supplies such as food, conveyor systems, watering systems and lighting. An employee was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

A company spokesperson said it appeared the fire started while an employee was cleaning the chicken houses on a skid-steer when the equipment malfunctioned and sparked the blaze.

The Maricopa County Attorneys Office came under firefor its apparent mishandling of cases involving protesters and as questions were raised about County Attorney Alister Adels management of the third largest prosecutorial agency in the country.

The County Attorneys Officedropped its case against 15 protesters who faced criminal street gang charges for their involvement in an October 2020 demonstration against the unfair treatment of people of color by police. Protesters were arrested after Phoenix police said they marched in the road, moved barricades and resisted arrest.

Charges also were dismissed against protesters arrested at other demonstrations.

An outside review of the charges, ordered by Adel, found the October gang case was deeply flawed," with issuesinvolving misleading testimony to a grand jury, prosecutors with potential conflicts and an unreliable police informant.

The independent report also described a breakdown in communication between the cases lead prosecutor, April Sponsel, and MCAO leadership. Sponselfiled a $10 million claim against MCAO for disparagement and other damages.

Much of this happened as Adel recovered from anOctober 2020 fall that left her hospitalized for a month and as she dealt with other health issues.

In late August, Adel entered a rehabilitation center. She announced she was seeking treatment for anxiety, which she said had led to unhealthy coping behaviors including an eating disorder and alcohol use.

She returned in mid-September.

School board members across Arizona have become a target of parents and outsiders as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought on increased scrutiny of the work boards do. School boards historically were set up to function as nonpartisan entities that deal with the nuts and bolts of teaching and maintaining school facilities, but national partisanship has seeped into the local school environment.

Concerns about pandemic protocols and how race is taught in schools have led to tense board meetings throughout the year that have forced some districts to limit public participation or move meetings online.

This has been most evident in the southwest Valleys Litchfield Elementary School District and in the Scottsdale Unified School District,where dozens of community members have shown up to protest board policies, school board members have been subject of recall efforts and numerous complaints have been filed for alleged open meeting law violations.

Despite President Joe Biden's campaign promises to reform the countrys immigration system and overturn hard-line and nativist policies from the Trump administration, efforts to address issuesfrom "Dreamers'" status in the country to asylum processing have remained stagnant with the change in administration.

Bidens proposal to offer a pathway to citizenship for some of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country has stalled in Congress. He has opted to keep or reestablish some policies and programs, such as Remain in Mexico, whichrequires asylum seekers to return or stay in Mexico while their cases workthrough the court system.

Immigration advocates say Biden set high expectations and has fallen short, leaving many of his pledges unfulfilled.

Arizona's representation in the U.S. House of Representatives is likely to shift to a Republican majority after the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission unanimously approved a transformative, GOP-leaning congressional map on Dec. 22.

The commissioners, who had met for months to create new political districts, alsoapproved a Republican-leaning but balanced map for districts in the Legislature in a contentious3-2 vote.

Arizona's current congressional delegation is made up of five Democrats and four Republicans. The new map, should it withstand legal challenges, favors Republicans in five and possibly six of the state's nine districts.

Republicans hope to flip a congressional seat from blue to red and add to their power in the state Legislature, where the party currently has a slim advantage.

Arizona and all other states redraw their political maps in a once-in-a-decade redistricting processbased on the census.

The nearly 100-year-old Mesa temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which closed in May 2018 for major renovations, reopened this fall.

Members of the public were allowed a rare look inside the temple for only the third time in its history before being rededicated and opening just to church members.Church officials allowed hundreds of thousands of people to tour the temple and hoped it brought a greater understanding of the LDS community.

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The biggest Arizona headlines of 2021, from recycling plant fire to COVID-19 to a partisan election review - The Arizona Republic