Good morning, it’s Monday March 22nd and this is The Herald Review’s Daily Chirp podcast. We’re bringing you a closer look at one of our top stories, along with other important things going on in our community. 

 

Today - On Friday, Governor Doug Ducey visited Douglas and the border wall. He confirmed what local community leaders have been saying for weeks.

 

Before we begin, some local history.

 

Doug Ducey was born on April 9th, 1964. Before serving as the 23rd and current governor of Arizona, he was the CEO of Cold Stone Creamery, a chain of ice cream parlors based in Scottsdale.

 

Today’s history is brought to you by Benson Hospital - they’re doing more than treating illnesses in Benson, they're building a healthier community. Benson Hospital is now collaborating with the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona to provide diaper assistance to families in need. For more information visit their website at bensonhospital.org.

 

Also, The Daily Chirp podcast is giving away 5 Amazon Echo Dots - one every month now through July. You can enter for your chance to win twice a day! Today's code is HAT, and find the other codeword in our e-newsletter “The Morning Blend”. To enter the sweepstakes go to myheraldreview.com, again today's codeword is: HAT

 

Now, our feature story. 

 

On Friday, Governor Doug Ducey visited Douglas and the border wall. He confirmed what local community leaders have been saying for weeks.

 

There is an influx of undocumented immigrants who are apprehended, then released with nothing more than a court date. It’s a policy that’s been imposed by an administration that’s out of touch with the crisis they are creating.

 

And the statistics show it.

 

Last week the Border Patrol reported the number of people crossing the border from Mexico increased nearly 30 percent in February compared with January. The agency said the number of undocumented immigrants has jumped 45 percent since February 2020. This figure includes almost 30,000 unaccompanied minors and children.

 

The dramatic increase is in part the result of natural disasters, cartel violence, and poverty.

 

But it’s also partially the result of the Biden Administration’s political rhetoric that campaigned on the promise that construction of the border wall would be stopped, that the housing of children separate from their parents would end, and that America would return to the “catch and release” policy.

 

Not surprisingly, the message received by those intent on entering the US was that unlike the Trump Administration, undocumented immigrants would be welcomed across the border.

 

The immediate consequence of this change in policy has been a humanitarian crisis imposed on border communities. Willcox has been dealing with undocumented immigrants being dumped off Border Patrol buses at a local gas station. Douglas has attempted to organize local civic groups to provide essentials to desperate immigrants and the community is overwhelmed. Even Tucson has asked for federal help in dealing with the thousands of undocumented people entering the community, flooding local shelters.

 

Ducey was especially harsh on Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The governor said has been missing from the border.

 

Here’s Mayorkas in a recent interview with ABC discussing the situation.

 

Governor Ducey said he sent a letter to Mayorkas last month underscoring his concern with the Biden administration repealing the Migrant Protection Protocols.

 

Ducey said his administration would like to partner with the federal government to improve the immigration system.

 

But so far he’s not encouraged, and he thinks it’s going to get dramatically worse before it gets better.

 

To stay up to date on this story visit us at myheraldreview.com

 

Thanks for listening, before we continue, a quick message from our sponsors, Prestige Family Living. 

 

Now, we’d like to take a moment to highlight Amanda Whalen, a senior at Veritas Christian Community School who was a top finisher in two local science fairs.

 

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Amanda Whalen is making a name for herself in the science fair world. The senior at Veritas Christian Community School was a top finisher in two local science fairs: YES and SARSEF.

 

Whalen won more than $6,500 in scholarships from the two fairs with her project titled “Making a Saguaro H.A.W.T.”

 

In her project she created a wind turbine tower that incorporated the design of a saguaro cactus. The goal was to redirect wind upward towards the turbine so that it spins more. That’s how the saguaro are designed. 

 

She said the idea for her project came from a visit to Saguaro National Park. 

 

Congratulations Amanda!

 

Next, an upcoming event in our community that you should know about -- brought to you by our sponsors, Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative.

 

Tomorrow, head over to Willcox for a tour of the Riverview at Coronado Dairy. You’ll get a chance to see the daily operations at Coronado dairy and an overview of the company and its relationship with the community. Tours start at 4:15pm. You can rsvp at willcoxchamber.com

 

Finally - we’d like to remember the life of  Earl McCabe, a longtime resident of Huachuca City. Earl was born in Mitchell, Nebraska.

 

He was a lifelong entrepreneur and a local Businessman, first known for his time in Real Estate and most recently for the local antique store he owned. He was known to be kind, caring, and fair. A longtime customer of his, recently said that Earl is the type of man that you are glad is in your life and that you wish you had known your entire life.

 

Earl was an USAF Air Traffic Controller in Vietnam. He enjoyed many hobbies such as, Stock Car Driving, Piloting, and Prospecting. He also loved to travel and enjoyed the interesting friends he met along the way.

 

Earl was a beloved Father and friend. He will be dearly missed and forever in the hearts of those who knew and loved him. Thank you for taking a moment with us today to remember and celebrate Earl’s life.

 

Thanks for tuning in to the Herald Review podcast today, join us again on Tuesday! And remember, the Herald Review is here for you with local news you can trust. For more information on any of the stories you heard about today, visit us at myheraldreview.com. Right now you can become a member starting at just $1.99 per week.

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