MESA — Kelsey Shaw and her two children pick up large yellow and green caterpillars just off the Bush Highway near Saguaro Lake. The children have no hesitation handling these nearly 2- to 3-inch-long caterpillars, letting them crawl all over their clothes.

Shaw and her children were preparing to spend the morning picking up litter along the Salt River when they spotted the dozens of caterpillars in one of the parking lots in recreational areas of the Tonto National Forest. Although some people cringe at the sight of crawly things, Shaw and her children do not.

“We love the caterpillars,” Shaw said, “it’s just been stressful when we’re driving because they (her kids) get really upset about running them over. We don’t want to hurt them.

“I know some people are absolutely freaking out.”

Drive along the Bush Highway and you can’t miss tens of thousands of these caterpillars frantically wriggling to cross as vehicles fly by. They don’t all make it to the other side – many become yellow splotches on the black asphalt.

The caterpillars are on a mission to eat as much as they can before becoming white-lined sphinx moths (Hyles lineata), which are found across most of North America. They are hawk moths, which are among the largest in the world, and they’re “fast flyers and often highly aerobatic,” according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Not only are the caterpillars abundant on roadways, they’re showing up in swimming pools and gardens, and on walls and hiking trails.

Some Arizonans are seeking ivermectin, the unproven alternative treatment for COVID-19 that has become popular among conservatives as both a way to prevent and treat infections, leading to an uptick in calls to poison control centers and at least one hospitalization.

Ivermectin has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat COVID-19. It is primarily used for treating parasitic worms and is not an antiviral drug. One form of the medication that is approved by the FDA is used for treating people with intestinal diseases and roundworms.

Nonetheless, it has become increasingly sought after as an alternative COVID treatment, largely in conservative circles where skepticism about coronavirus vaccines runs high. Some are even taking a poisonous version of the drug that is intended solely for use as a de-wormer for horses.

Posts in private anti-vaccine Facebook groups, provided to the Arizona Mirror by Twitter user AZ Right Wing Watch, show Arizonans looking for ways to get their hands on the drug. One person was hospitalized after taking the drug, according to the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center in Phoenix. The Mirror found two nurse practitioners through the Facebook groups who have prescribed the drug to people as an off-label COVID treatment. 

In 2020, poison control officials received two calls the entire year related to the drug, which is most commonly associated with livestock but also has a form used in humans. So far in 2021, Banner poison control in Phoenix received 12 calls and its center in Tucson received 20.  It’s unclear whether the calls were for the human or livestock version of the drug.

State Rep. Randy Friese announced today that he's pulling the plug on his congressional campaign.

Friese, a physician who helped save the life of Gabby Giffords after she was shot through the head in January 2011, was one of three Democrats seeking to replace retiring Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick in Congressional District 2. (The district's lines are being redrawn for next year's election by Arizona's Independent Redistricting Commission.)

State Sen. Kirsten Engel and state Rep. Daniel Hernandez remain in the Democratic primary. Republican Juan Ciscomani recently announced his plan to run for the seat.

Friese's full statement:

With a heavy heart, I am announcing the end of my campaign for Congress here in Arizona’s 2nd District. When I moved to Tucson in 2008, it was with a firm commitment to serve and care for our community at our hospital. As the Delta variant surges across our region, it has become an increasing challenge to fulfill my obligations to the hospital, my patients, and the campaign amidst a run for Congress. I’ve always loved medicine and patient care, and I’ve come to the realization that I’m not ready to give that up.

I am deeply grateful to the thousands of people who have believed in me and our mission, and have stepped up to support this campaign. Understand that while this campaign is concluding, I remain fully committed to the values and issues at its heart — combating gun violence, ensuring affordable access to high quality healthcare, protecting our democracy, and, of course, ensuring that AZ-02 remains Democratic. I wholeheartedly encourage those who supported my campaign to do the same.

Pima County health officials warned this week that COVID cases are rising among children 11 and under—a population that remains ineligible for vaccines.

The increase comes about a month after most schools reopened for the fall semester, leading to an increase in cases by 16.5% over the last week.

Kids between 12 and 19 had COVID case growth of 11.7%, said Pima County Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco Garcia. The FDA authorized the Pfizer COVID vaccine to be offered to children 12 and older on May 10, expanding possible vaccination coverage in Pima County.

Garcia reported that 73.1% of vaccine-eligible populations (12 and older) have at least one dose of vaccine.

Garcia said the greatest rise in reported COVID cases came from young and middle aged adults.

“We see the greatest growth in this middle age group 20 to 44, there were 858 additional cases, representing 41% of the total cases from one week to the next,” Garcia said.

Garcia’s assessment was echoed by Banner Health Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Marjorie Bessel, who said that a majority of COVID patients at Banner Health are in the 20 to 65 age group—and 90% are unvaccinated.

Bessel asked the public to consider getting the vaccine even if they had COVID once before.

“Studies have shown that reinfection rates are 2.34 times more likely in those who remain unvaccinated, which is why vaccination is still recommended by the CDC and medical community even if you’ve had COVID,” Bessel said.

Getting the vaccine is especially important as the Delta variant takes America by storm. Bessel reported that the Delta variant accounts for 99.1% of all coronavirus circulating in the United States.

Tucson Democratic Rep. Charlene Fernandez is asking a court to dismiss a defamation case brought against her by two Republican state legislators and a GOP congressman because statements Fernandez made to the FBI about the two GOP legislators are privileged. 

The case stems from a letter sent by Fernandez and other Democratic lawmakers asking the FBI to investigate Rep. Mark Finchem (R-Oro Valley), former state Rep. Anthony Kern (R-Glendale) and GOP Congressman Paul Gosar’s connections to the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C. 

In February, the trio filed a lawsuit against Fernandez accusing her of defaming them by making disparaging remarks, connecting them to the violence of Jan. 6 and conspiring against them. The trio have not brought a suit against any of the 43 other Democratic legislators who also signed the letter. 

The lawsuit was stalled for months because Fernandez was immune from being served while the legislature’s annual session was taking place. But when the session ended, Fernandez waived service and both sides agreed to a 60-day response period which started at the end of the session on June 30. 

“Contrary to all of the rhetoric… this is not a lawsuit about alleged fraud in the 2020 election, the purported suppression of conservative viewpoints by social media companies or issues of border security,” Fernandez’s attorney, David Bodney, wrote in the motion to dismiss the lawsuit. “Rather, this lawsuit is about whether state legislators – or, indeed, any Arizonan – may petition federal authorities to investigate potential crimes of the utmost seriousness without being dragged into court to face frivolous and retaliatory defamation litigation.”

(Bodney represents the Arizona Mirror on matters relating to public records and other First Amendment issues.)

Bodney argued that the court should grant the motion to dismiss in part because the Democratic lawmakers were communicating with law enforcement entities. Arizona case law states that such communication is privileged and a person cannot be sued for making a report to law enforcement. 

Local WBC super featherweight champion Oscar Valdez tested positive for the banned substance Phentermine, putting his first title defense against Robson Conceicao on Sept. 10 at Casino Del Sol’s AVA Amphitheater in jeopardy.

The Nogales-born boxer found out about his positive test result on Monday after recently submitting to a random drug test by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA).

Valdez’s attorney Patrick English said his client unknowingly took the banned substance while using a certain type of herbal tea, according to a 13-page letter submitted to the WBC, Top Rank, VADA and the Pascua Yaqui Athletic Commission, the governing body in charge of professional and amateur combat sports events on tribal land.

English also states in the letter that the stimulant Phentermine—a substance used for obesity and appetite suppression—is not considered a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) unless it’s present in the fighter’s system the day before a contest.

Team Valdez, WBC and boxing promotional company Top Rank are set to have a Zoom meeting today to discuss the issue. If the WBC finds Valdez at fault for the positive test result, he could be stripped of his WBC super featherweight title.

The Pascua Yaqui Athletic Commission is also set to discuss the matter this week and will ultimately have the final say on whether Valdez vs. Conceicao will still take place at AVA Amphitheater on Sep. 10.