State Glance

Arizona reports 3,985 additional COVID-29 cases, 51 deaths

PHOENIX — Arizona on Saturday reported nearly 4,000 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases as virus-related hospitalizations remained near peaks seen during the autumn surge.

The 3,985 additional cases and 51 additional deaths reported by the Department of Health Services’ coronavirus dashboard raised the state’s pandemic totals to 1,211,333 cases and 21,651 deaths.

COVID-19-related hospitalizations during the current surge initially peaked in early September before gradually rising again starting in late October.

The dashboard reported that 2,100 COVID-19 patients occupied hospital inpatient beds on Friday, surpassed only by the surge’s latest peak of 2,113 on Wednesday and the earlier peak of 2,103 on Sept. 11.

According to John Hopkins University data, the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases rose over the past two weeks, rising from 2,574.4 on Oct. 28 to 3,494.7 on Thursday.

The rolling average of daily deaths dropped during the same period, falling from 57.4 to 36.

Scottsdale police investigating school board president

SCOTTSDALE — Scottsdale police announced Saturday that they were investigating allegations against a school board president who the school district’s superintendent has said allegedly distributed a dossier on some parents, including photos and personal finances.

The Scottsdale Police Department said in a statement it was “aware of the allegations against Scottsdale Unified School District President Jann-Michael Greenburg. We are conducting an investigation into the matter and will report our findings once it is complete.”

The brief statement also encouraged anyone with information about the case to contact police.

Greenburg, a business executive and attorney, did not immediately respond Saturday to an emailed request by The Associated Press for comment.

Scottsdale Unified is one of the largest suburban school districts in metro Phoenix. It serves most of Scottsdale as well as parts of Phoenix, Paradise Valley and Tempe. Like many school boards nationwide, Scottsdale’s has clashed with some parents over coronavirus-related policies.

District officials announced Friday that the district will hire an outside forensic investigator to see if any school resources were utilized in the creation of Google Drive folders on certain parents.

In a statement, Superintendent Scott Menzel said the private dossier was allegedly made by the father of Greenburg “and shared by the latter.”

Menzel stressed that the district was not involved with the dossier, and he said no information from student records were in the folders.

Menzel says board members would only have access to student information if they are overseeing discipline cases.

One parent, Amanda Wray, told AZFamily.com a fellow parent noticed a link to the Google Drive in a computer screenshot attached to an email from Greenburg. She says they found folders on nearly 50 parents. Each had background information like divorce decrees, Social Security numbers and property records.

Hundreds of parents and other community members have signed a petition calling for Greenburg to resign his elected seat on the board, KSAZ-TV reported.

Man found dead in canal; had been detained by Navajo police

SHIPROCK, N.M. — A body found Friday in a Shiprock canal is that of a man who disappeared after being detained by police while highly intoxicated over two weeks earlier, the Navajo Nation Police Department said.

Jevon Descheenie, 21, disappeared Oct. 25 after being seated on the rear step of a transport van outside the police station in Shiprock while the officer who had detained Descheenie went to a nearby police vehicle to get gloves to clean up that vehicle’s passenger compartment where Descheenie had vomited, a police statement said.

“When the officer returned to the rear of the transport van, Descheenie was gone,” the statement said.

Police notified Descheenie’s relatives and searched the area but could not find him, the statement said.

It said Descheenie was handcuffed behind his back when he disappeared but didn’t say whether he was still wearing them when found. It also wasn’t clear whether there was any indication how Descheenie died or how long his body was in the canal.

Tribal police spokeswoman Christina Tsosie said Saturday the incident was under investigation by the FBI so she could provide additional information.

FBI spokespeople did not immediate request to an emailed request for additional information.