Arizona Edition

This year the Arizona Early Childhood Alliance released data indicating a third of the state-licensed childcare centers have been forced to close because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"We have an industry on the brink of collapse," - Nicole Newhouse, Chief Executive Officer at the Association for Supportive Child Care (ASCC).

The centers still in operation are at 38-percent capacity, according to Nicole Newhouse, Chief Executive Officer at the Association for Supportive Child Care (ASCC).

Last year the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Grounds celebrated its 75th-anniversary, this year it celebrates the passing of the torch, as one of the world's largest military installations welcomes a new commander, Colonel Patrick McFall III.  

Col. McFall took command July 8, replacing Col. Ross Poppenberger. McFall says he has he wasn't sure what to expect when he moved to this part of the American southwest. 

State Representative Charlene Fernandez served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention that wrapped up last week in Delaware and was broadcast virtually for the first time. 

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris offer answers to the many problems facing the country, says the Arizona House Minority Leader, but the lasting message for Fernandez is hope. 

As the total number of COVID-19 cases surpass 12,000 in Yuma County, daily reports over the last couple of weeks have shown a downward trajectory in the number of cases reported. The health director for Yuma County says it could be a result of effective safety measures. 

While the deadline for filling out the U.S. Census has been pushed to the end of September, the Census return rate for Yuma County is currently under 50-percent.