Data center to expand/ P. 10 FREE SUBSCRIPTION An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Mesa Council grills staff on drought prep BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Water
NEWS................... 12 Mesa desires streetcar extension study.
COMMUNITY...... 16 Budding Mesa space explorers win NASA contest.
Sunday, March 5, 2023
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s the Colorado River reservoirs supplying a third Arizona's water supply have dropped perilously close to deadpool levels, Mesa water officials have consistently painted a rosy picture of the city’s planning, the relative health of the Salt River Project reservoirs and the years-worth of water banked by in underground aquifers.
But during unusually tough questioning in a March 2 study session, some Mesa City Council members questionned staff’s sunny outlook and requested more details about how it would respond to deep cuts. “I think we need to be bluntly honest with our constituency about what our water situation is,” Councilman Scott Somers said. Somers cited an internal letter issued in February by Warren Tenney, executive director of the Arizona Municipal Water Users
Report: MPS upped classroom spending
Association, to AMWUA’s board of directors warning members that “under the best-case scenario,” Arizona cities should expect a 50% reduction in their Colorado River allocations starting in 2024. With over half of Mesa’s water coming from the Colorado River, a 50% cut would mean the loss of a quarter of Mesa's water current portfolio next year. That's three times
see WATER page 9
Diamond thrills
BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Water
BUSINESS............ 18 Mesa company taking AI to the streets. COMMUNITY .............................. 16 BUSINESS ................................... 18 OPINION ..................................... 21 SPORTS ...................................... 23 GET OUT ...................................... 24 CLASSIFIED ............................... 28 ZONE 1
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esa Public Schools spent more money in the classroom last school year than many school districts did but student passing rates in all three subjects on state assessment tests were below the statewide average. According to a report issued last week by the state Auditor General on districts’ spending and student achievement in 2021-22, MPS devoted 72.8% of all expenditures to the classroom. That money was spent in three ways, the report notes.
see SCHOOL page 6
The expression on the faces of Treyson Jones, JJ Ruiz, Joseph Prusia and Trevin Jones pretty much capture the thrill that the AZ Wildfire Baseball Club brings to boys in Mesa and the rest of the region. For a closer look at how, see page 25 (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)