Weekend wrap-up: Biggest Arizona stories during Mother’s Day weekend

PHOENIX — This Mother’s Day weekend was a busy one, news-wise.

Here are some of the biggest news stories that happened this weekend, both in Arizona and across the nation.

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Phoenix-area school district warns staff against wearing Red for Ed shirts

Teachers and staff in a Phoenix-area school district have been warned they could be fined if they wear Red for Ed or Save our Schools T-shirts to work, citing rules against political advocacy on campuses.

Buckeye Elementary School District staffers were informed in a letter from district Superintendent Kristi Sandvik that “Clothing or signs that specifically advocate for political action to influence an election are prohibited.”

The ruling applied to the public backing of an upcoming ballot initiative filed by organizers of the recently ended statewide teachers walkout.

Police: Stalker sent 65,000 texts, had bath at victim’s home

A first date turned into a nightmare for a Phoenix man when the woman he met became so obsessed, she bombarded him with more than 65,000 text messages and took a bath after breaking into his house, authorities said in court documents.

The documents outlined a series of incidents in which police say Jacqueline Claire Ades, 31, stalked the victim, who reported he had met her through an online dating website and only gone on one date.

The first incident occurred on April 8 when Ades entered the victim’s home in the upscale Phoenix enclave of Paradise Valley when he was not there, the documents said.

Officers said they found Ades taking a bath and that she had a butcher knife in her car.

Arizona group aims to give free meals to more low-income students

An organization in Arizona is working to expand a free breakfast and lunch program to students at more than 140 school districts across the state.

The Community Eligibility Provision, led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, offers free breakfast and lunch to all students at schools that have a high percentage of low-income students.

Angie Rodgers with the Association of Arizona Food Banks told KTAR News 92.3 FM that while 265 school districts in the state would be eligible for the program, only 125 are currently participating.

Rodgers and her organization are working to close that gap.

Arizona effort to tax rich draws concerns from business advocates

Arizona voters could decide on a proposal to hike income taxes on the wealthy to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for schools this fall, a measure that leading business advocates say would damage the state’s economy.

The Invest in Education Act is a ballot initiative that’s won support among tens of thousands of teachers who went on a six-day strike to demand higher school funding before a state budget gave them a 20 percent raise over three years.

David Lujan, director of the Arizona Center for Economic Progress and an organizer of the initiative, said the proposal is designed to affect a small amount of residents who can afford to pay.

“I think people realize that what came out of the Legislature is not going to fulfill the funding requirements students in Arizona need,” Lujan said. “This is a fair way to fund our schools.”

Raytheon, the world’s largest missile producer, is expanding in Tucson

The world’s largest missile maker, Raytheon Missile Systems, cut the ribbon on new facilities in Tucson, Ariz. that are expected to house some 2,000 new employees.

It was part of a 559,000-square-foot expansion that will include a testing facility, multi-purpose building, enhanced laboratories and engineering and manufacturing enhancements.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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