FREE SUBSCRIPTION
Commission likes downtown project PAGE 12
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
Inside This Week
FREE ($1 OUTSIDE OF GILBERT) | www.GilbertSunNews.com
$2M claim leads garbage truck mishap complaints BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
COMMUNITY............18 Williams Field High senior gets perfect ACT score.
SPORTS..................... 22 Gilbert teen helps lead flag football team to gold.
R
yan Cook was stopped at a traffic light on Elliot Road near Silverado Street when a Gilbert garbage truck rear-ended his Ford pickup, slamming him into the vehicle in front. The Gilbert man was taken to Banner Desert Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries, including a broken nose, facial fractures, a broken left wrist and head and back trauma. “His truck was literally an accordion,” said litigation paralegal Brianna Duey for the Kelly Law Team. “The only reason he didn’t die is he was driving a pickup truck.
Young Gilbert thespian has coveted ‘Les Miz’ role. COMMUNITY............................. 18 BUSINESS ..................................20 OPINION .....................................21 SPORTS ...................................... 22 GET OUT..................................... 23 CLASSIFIEDS ............................ 25
The bed of his pickup truck took the hit. It was totally crushed in.” The Phoenix law firm in April filed a $2 million notice of claim against the Town of Gilbert, which spokeswoman Jennifer Harrison said “remains open and under review.” “We will not be providing any additional information at this time,” Harrison said. According to state statute, however, because the town passed the 60-day window without taking action, the claim is legally deemed denied, according to Duey, who drafted the claim. She said the Town has made no attempt to reach out and that her plan is to file a civil suit against Gilbert in the next three
months. Cook’s claim put the full blame of the accident squarely on the Town’s shoulders for hiring a driver who had a “negligent driving history.” “He has several infractions,” said Duey. She said John Navarro Olivan’s three traffic infractions involved the use of his personal vehicle and because the information was not available to the public, she was prohibited from disclosing additional details. A search of the Maricopa County Superior Court system found a case where a woman sued the Town of Gilbert and Olivan in
see GARBAGE page 11
Woman claims 2 on council ‘bullied’ her BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
GET OUT ................... 23
Sunday, July 30, 2023
M
aureen Hoppe doesn’t want to see any more apartments go up in Gilbert. The longtime resident helped put Town Council members Jim Torgeson and Bobbi Buchli on the dais because both advocated limiting multifamily housing in town during last year’s election. She worked on Torgeson’s campaign and put up yard signs and distributed palm cards for Buchli. But in April, Hoppe soured on
Torgeson and Buchli when the 612-unit District at Cooley Station apartments won council approval. A month later, she went after them for supporting pay raises for elected officials. Now, Hoppe has filed ethics violation complaints against them. Hoppe declined an interview but in an email last week told the Gilbert Sun News: ““I’m thankful that my ethics complaint against Councilmembers Buchli and Torgeson was found to have merit and that an independent investi-
see ETHICS page 6
Councilwoman Bobbi Bu- Councilman Jim Torgeson dechli was one of four council nied the allegations made in members elected last year. an ethics complaint by a Gil(YouTube) bert resident. (YouTube)
The latest breaking news and top local stories in Gilbert!
www.GilbertSunNews.com .com
JUST A CLICK AWAY