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AJ Hikers Rescued From
Superstition Mountain
 Teens “cliffed out” in rough terrain
By Jill Jones
The News
APACHE JUNCTION- Superstition
Search and Rescue assisted
two Apache Junction teens who
ran into problems while hiking in
the Superstition Mountains on
Thursday, August 2, 2007.
Jessica Young and Nathan Smith
had gone hiking around 8 a.m. that
morning and ran into trouble
around 1:30 that afternoon. According
to SSAR Commander Robert
Cooper, the couple had gotten
“cliffed out”; meaning they had
climed to a point where they were
facing a cliff and where turning back
and trying to traverse the trail
downhill would be dangerous.
Smith, determined to make it out,
had fallen, lost his shoe and, according
to Cooper, suffered a possible
ankle fracture and a deeply
peeled back heel. Young, chosing to stay
put, phoned 911.
“Smart girl,” said Cooper. “When
her boyfriend fell, she took a seat
and called for help.”
See
A-1
and see Rescue ,
A-5
Joining The Peace
Corps
 Ashley Swopes departing August 15 for
Panama
The daughter of Ken and Moya Swopes of
Apache Junction has been accepted into
the Peace
Corps. Ashley Nicole Swopes will be
departing
for Panama on August 15 to begin
training as a
community economic development Peace
Corps
Volunteer.
Upon graduation from training in
November,
Swopes will be working with
micro-businesses,
youth leadership programs, rural
cooperatives and
statewide non-governmental organizations
to help
develop more economical business
techniques.
Swopes attended the University of
Minnesota's
Carlson School of Management in
Minneapolis,
and earned a Bachelor of Science in
Business,
graduating in 2007. Swopes previously
worked as
an intern at Riverview Economic
Development
Association on St. Paul's West Side,
planning the
25th Cinco de Mayo Fiesta.
"My mission is to connect those who
struggle
to survive with the resources that will
help them
improve the standard of living for their
families
and future generations,” said Swopes.
“The Peace
Corps offers an opportunity for me to
figure out
how to begin my mission.”
See
A-1
and see Peace
Corps ,
A-5
Couple Arrested For
Drowning Cat
 By Jill Jones
The News
APACHE JUNCTION- The
Apache Junction Police Department
arrested an Apache Junction
woman and a man from Massachusetts
on felony animal cruelty
charges after they received information
that the couple had intentionally
drowned the family cat.
Jacalyn Ann Bucho, 42, of
Apache Junction and Robert Bona,
49, of Peabody, Massachusetts
reportedly admitted they had
intentionally
drown the cat in their
swimming pool in the 1000 block
of W. 15th Lane in the early morning
hours of August 6.
Bona had reportedly first tried to
strangle the cat, at which time he was
reportedly scratched and the
cat broke free. After capturing the
cat once again the couple allegedly
wrapped it up and drown it in their
pool.
According to AJPD Civilian Commander
Jay Swart, the couple said
the cat was getting old and they
were trying to euthanize it.
Bucho and Bona were booked
into the Pinal County Detention
Center in Florence and, according
to Swart, will be “vigorously
prosecuted.”
Countdown To Kickoff
 Eleven days to 2007 opener vs. Sinagua
in Flagstaff; Prospectors to scrimmage
at Washington this Thursday
By Chuck Baker
The News
There are just eleven days remaining
before the Prospector
varsity football team begins a
new era of competition and with
a new head coach. But if you
feel like you can’t wait that long
to get your football kicks,
Apache Junction will be on the
field this coming Thursday, August
16 when they scrimmage
against the Washington Rams in
Phoenix starting at 7:00 p.m.
With the new realignment
complete and one based on projected
school enrollments,
Apache Junction finds itself
moving up into the 4A-I Division
and as a member of the new
Desert Sky Region. AJHS is joining
teams Scottsdale Saguaro,
the defending 4A-I State champs
and preseason number one in
2007, Scottsdale Chaparral, preseason
number two, Cave Creek
Cactus Shadows, the defending
4A-II State champs who are
also making their first foray into the
4A-I Division, Tempe
McClintock, Paradise Valley and
Phoenix Shadow Mountain, a
school moving down from 5AII
and one that could surprise a
lot of teams.
See
C-1
and see Countdown ,
C-3
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