Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 91

Obituaries published by The Art zona Republic in its news columns are provided free of charge as public service. Photos of publishable quality are printed on a space-available basis, also free of charge. The Republic cannot be responsible for returning unsolicited photos. Parties desiring specifically worded funeral announcements may place them through their mortuaries in the paid classified advertising section. BELL, Guy Roy BRADSHAW, Berniece CARTER, Matthew S.

'Matt' CASTRO, James P. Jr. Lois L. GALLAGHER, John J. Jr.

GARRETT, Helen Gwendolyn GRAHAM, Edna Mae HERBRANDSON, Lester Harold HIXSON, Donna M. HOCHHALTER, Anna Mae HODGE, Caroljene JONES, John Patrick LENZI, Gino MECKFESSEL, Harriet PEARCE, Doris B. PEIRCE, Wilhelmina Corinne PETERSON, Alice C. 'Kay' PINNICK, Martha Jane POLASKI, Irene Lynch ROBINSON, Frances V. ROSCOE, Ann M.

SCHUDERER, Theodore John SMITH, Margaret Minson SMITH, Ruth T. SUITER, Charles H. TRAMEL, James 'Bill' VARGA, Emil J. WALKER, Jean Anne Guy Roy Bell, 83, of Glendale, a retired railroad engineer, died Aug. 1, 1990.

He was born in Kansas and was an Army Survivors include his wife, Florence; one son; one sister; and two grandchildren. Memorial services: 1 1:30 p.m. Monday, Christ Presbyterian Church, 6444 W. Indian School Road. Contributions to the church.

National Cremation Burial Society. Berniece Bradshaw, 65, of Phoenix, an electronics assembler, died Aug. 2, 1990. She was born in Arkansas. Survivors include her daughter, Cherryl Hartman; her mother; two sisters; two brothers; two grandchildren; and one great grandchild.

Services: 11 a.m. Saturday, Bethany Bible Church, 6060 N. Seventh Ave. Contributions: American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 5377, Phoenix 85010.

Lundberg Mortuary, White Rose Chapel. Matthew S. "Matt" Carter, 22, of Phoenix, a student, died July 30, 1990. He was born in Phoenix. Survivors include his 'mother, Margaret S.

Laney; his father, William J. Ill; one brother; and his grandparents. Mass: 9 a.m. Saturday, St. Mary's Basilica, 231 N.

Third St. Contributions: Rainbows Way Inn, 1859 E. Dana Mesa 85204. A.L. Moore Sons Mortuary.

James P. Castro newborn son of James and Monica, of Phoenix, died July 31, 1990. He was born in Phoenix. Graveside services: 10 a.m. Monday, Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery, 719 N.

27th Ave. Greer Chapel Funeral Home. Lois L. Crawford, 82, of Phoenix, a homemaker, died Aug. 2, 1990.

She was born in Missouri. Survivors include her husband, Lowry two daughters; one son; one sister; four grandchildren; and four great grandchildren. Visitation: noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Camelback Sunset Chapel, 301 W. Camelback Road.

No services are planned. John J. Gallagher 59, of Scottsdale, died Aug. 2, 1990. He was born in Rhode Island.

Survivors include sisters Dorothy Coleman, Julie Kohr and Mary Wolff. Visitation: 9 a.m. Saturday, Whitney Murphy Arcadia Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Road. Mass: 10 a.m.

Saturday, St. Theresa Catholic Church, 5045 E. Thomas Road: Helen Gwendolyn Garrett, 78, of Phoenix, a school cook, died July 2, 1990. She was born in Ohio. Survivors include her husband, Oscar; three daughters; one brother; and five grandchildren.

Graveside services: 10 a.m. Saturday, East Resthaven Park Cemetery, 4310 E. Southern Ave. Botimer Funeral Home. Edna Mae Graham, 100, of Sun City, a homemaker, died July 24, 1990.

She was born in Illinois. Survivors include her son, Robert F. Memorial services: 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Hearthstone Health Care Chapel, 13818 W. Thunderbird Sun City.

Contributions: Sun Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 1683, Sun City 85372. Sunland Mortuary Memorial Park. Lester Harold Herbrandson, 83, of Beresford, S.D., formerly of Sun City, an attorney, died July 30, 1990. He was born in South Dakota.

Survivors include his step son, James Heiertz; two sisters; one brother; two grandchildren; and four greatgrandchildren. Services: 1 p.m. Monday, Mortuary Memorial Park, 15826 N. Del Webb Sun City, with visitation one hour before services. Donna M.

Hixson, 91, of Surprise, a homemaker, died Aug. 2, 1990. She was born in lowa. Survivors include her daughter, Mary L. Roan; five grandchildren; and six great grandchildren.

Services will be in Iowa, Contributions to a favorite charity. Camino del Sol Funeral Chapel. Anna Mae Hochhalter, 69, of Mesa, a homemaker, died Aug. 1, 1990. She was born in Illinois.

Survivors include her husband, Ervin; three daughters; two sisters; five brothers; and six grandchildren. Visitation: 4 to 7. p.m. Sunday, Chapel of Prayer Funeral Home, 108 N. 56th Mesa.

Services: 10 a.m. Monday, Pilgrim Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3257 E. University Drive, Mesa. Contributions to the church. Caroljene Hodge, 51, of Mesa, an assistant manager at Cielo Park Grande, died July 30, 1990.

She was born in Maryland. Survivors include her husband, Grant; two daughters; two sisters; four brothers; and nine grandchildren. No services are planned. Contributions: Hospice of the Valley, 240 W. Osborn Road, Suite 200, Phoenix 85013.

Bunker's Desert View Chapel. John Patrick Jones, 77, of Mesa, a dairy routeman, died July 24, 1990. He was born in Illinois. Survivors include his wife, Gertrude; two daughters; five sons; two stepdaughters; two stepsons; one sister; one brother; 24 grandchildren; 19 greatgrandchildren; and two great-greatgrandchildren. Services have been held.

Greer Chapel Funeral Home. ALL EDITIONS Saturday, August 4, 1990 The Arizona Republic CLAI Superior hires a manager sort of Gino Lenzi, 86, of Peoria, a cement finisher for a construction company, died Aug. 2, 1990. He was born in Italy. Survivors include his wife, Helena; two daughters; eight grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.

Services: 1 p.m. Saturday, Resthaven Park Cemetery, 6290 W. Northern Glendale. Chapel of the Chimes Mortuary. Harriet Meckfessel, 67, of Phoenix, librarian, died Aug.

2, 1990. She was born in Missouri. Survivors include her sister, Dorothy; and brothers, Fred B. and Don E. Services will be private.

Contributions: American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 5377, Phoenix 85010 or American Heart Association, P.O. Box 7038, Phoenix 85011. Mercer Mortuary Chapel. Doris B.

Pearce, 73, of Tempe, coowner and operator of Pearce Development died Aug. 2, 1990. She was born in California. Survivors include her husband, Charles one son; and three grandchildren. Services: 2 p.m.

Sunday, Green Acres Mortuary, 401 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale. Contributions: American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 752, Scottedale 85252. Wilbelmina Corinne Peirce, 82, of Sun City, a retired advertising secretary, died Aug.

1, 1990. She was born in Illinois. Survivors include her stepdaughter, Leslie Richardson; stepson Richard; two sisters; and three brothers. Visitation: 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Lundberg Mortuary, Golden Door Chapel, 11211 Michigan Youngtown.

Services: 11 a.m. Monday at the mortuary. Alice Catherine "Kay" Peterson, 77, of Mohave Valley, formerly of Phoenix, died July 17, 1990. Survivors include her husband, Herbert one daughter; one son; seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. No services are planned.

Nevada Cremation Burial Society, Las Vegas, Nev. Martha Jane Pinnick, 74, of Sun City, realtor for Del Webb died Aug. 1, 1990. She was born in Indiana. Survivors include her stepson, James; three grandchildren; and one great grandchild.

Memorial service: 9 a.m. Saturday, St. Clement of Rome Catholic Church, 15800 N. Del Webb Sun City. Menke Funeral Home.

Irene Lynch Polaski, 82, of Mesa, a homemaker, died Aug. 2, 1990. She was born in Illinois. Survivors include a son, Harold two grandchildren; and one great -grandchild. No services are planned.

Larry C. Melcher Mortuary, Mission Chapel. Frances V. Robinson, 75, of Phoenix, a homemaker, died Aug. 1, 1990.

She was born in Texas. Survivors include daughters Nancy Gay Nance, Joy Comegys and Carol Moore; one sister; 10 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. Services: 1 p.m. Saturday, Shadow Mountain Mortuary, 2350 E. Greenway Road.

Ann M. Roscoe, 75, of Mesa, a homemaker, died Aug. 2, 1990. She was born in Illinois. Survivors include her husband, Stephen; two sons; two sisters; and four grandchildren.

Visitation: 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Larry C. Melcher Mortuary, Mission Chapel, 6625 E. Main Mesa. Rosary: 4 p.m.

Sunday at the mortuary, with visitation 2 to 5 p.m. Mass: 10 a.m. Monday, Holy Cross Catholic Church, 1244 S. Power Road, Mesa. Theodore John Schuderer, 62, of Phoenix, a carpenter for construction, died July 29, 1990.

He was born in New York and was a World War II Navy veteran. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and the El Zaribah Shrine. Survivors include his wife, Sherrie; one daughter, Donna E. Mercier; his stepfather, Tommy Williams; three stepdaughters; two stepsons; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Services: 11 a.m.

Saturday, Chapel of the Chimes Mortuary, 7924 N. 59th Glendale, with visitation one hour before services. Margaret Minson Smith, 82, of Superior, a retired nurse, died Aug. 1, 1990. She was born in Clifton.

Survivors include daughters Marnee Sell and Jacque; son Minson; nine grandchildren; and five great grandchildren, Community Services: 4 p.m. Church, Satur- Superior, with visitation one hour before services. Contributions to a favorite charity. Superior Funeral Home. Ruth T.

Smith, 90, of Sedona, a retired schoolteacher and dietitian, died July 31, 1990. She was born Iowa. Survivors include one daughter, Mill; one sister; sienu, and four grandchildren. Graveside services: 11 a.m. Monday, National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 N.

Cave Creek Road. Contributions: Volunteers Association, P.O. Box 447, Sedona 86336. Westcott Funeral Home, West Sedona. Charles H.

Suiter, 80, of Sun Lakes, an accountant for a manufacturing company, died Aug. 2, 1990. He was born in Iowa. Survivors include his wife, June one daughter; and two grandchildren. Memorial services: 2 p.m.

Saturday, Valley of the Sun Mortuary, Tri-City Chapel, 10940 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. James "Bill" Tramel, 81, of Mesa, retired manager of Goodyear Tire Center, died Aug. 1, 1990. He was born in Alabama.

Survivors include his son, James two grandchildren; and one great grandchild. No services are planned. Contributions: American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 5377, Phoenix 85010. Valley of the Sun Mortuary, Tri-City Chapel.

Emil J. Varga, 67, of Sun City, a sales representative for Keystone Camera, died July 30, 1990. He was born in Michigan and was a World War II veteran. Survivors include his wife, Victoria; one brother; and two sisters. Scripture services: 6:30 p.m.

Monday, Sunland Mortuary Memorial Park, 15826 N. Del Webb Sun City, with visitation from 5 to 8 p.m. Mass: 10 a.m. Tuesday, St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, 9728 Palmeras Lane, Sun City.

Contributions: Arizona Humane Society, P.O. Box 9231, Phoenix 85068 or Dr. Schuller, Crystal Cathedral, Garden Grove, Calif. 92642. Jean Anne Walker, 65, of Prescott Valley, a self-employed bookkeeper, died July 31, 1990.

She was born in Michigan. Survivors include her husband, Robert V. "Stringbean two daughters; one brother; and three grandchildren. Visitation: 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home, Prescott.

Services: 10 a.m. Monday at the mortuary. No. 1 pick, told to come running, is sent packing By Fred Smith and Glen Law The Arizona Republic Vito Tedeschi could chuckle about it Friday, but on Thursday evening he wasn't at all amused. Tedeschi, 40, of Phoenix, who has been around municipal politics a long time, arrived in Superior on Thursday night expecting to sign on as the town's manager.

Instead, he left in a huff after two members of the Superior Town Council changed their minds and the council handed the job to another man. "And now, I'm just happy I didn't quit my job with Walgreen's, happier still that I didn't get the (Superior) job," Tedeschi said Friday, adding that he does not plan to contest the matter. "I think it would have become a giant headache," he said. Until last week, Tedeschi, a former assistant city manager in Lake Havasu City, was one of two men being considered by the council to replace Tom Harris as the manager of Superior, a town of 4,000 southeast of Phoenix. He and his rival, Doyle Vines, who lives in Rimrock, were vying for a job that pays $29,000 a year, and both went through interviews.

"Then on the 27th (of July), I get this call saying the council the night before had chosen me and that I should be in Superior on Aug. 2," Tedeschi said. He went as asked. But things didn't work out the way he expected. "When I get to the meeting (Thursday), I can see a lot of people are pretty nervous," Tedeschi said.

"And then I start to get uncomfortable, and then the bomb drops." First, Councilwoman Judy Rocha said she wanted to change her vote from the one on July 26 that favored Tedeschi. Her reasoning was that the job had only been offered to Tedeschi, and that Vines was better qualified. Then Councilman Edward Denogean followed suit and said he felt the Suddenly, the 5-2 vote from the July 26 meeting favoring Tedeschi turned into a 4-3 vote favoring Vines, former town manager in Jerome. After the vote, Councilman Manuel Ruiz said, Tedeschi "just put his head down." But the process produced some potential problems, said Councilman Art Diaz who with Councilmen Mike Urquijo and Ruiz, walked out of Thursday night's meeting in protest after the votes were changed. For one thing, Diaz-Gonzalez said, both the July 26 meeting and the Thursday meeting were voting 1 meetings.

For another, he said, the council on Thursday did not vote to fire Tedeschi, who he figured had been hired already. Tedeschi said, "I've been in municipal government for 11 years, SO nothing really surprises me. You just have to blow it off." Vines said Friday, "I'm not sure what happened. All I want to do is go down there (Superior) and do a good job." Diaz-Gonzalez said, "To my way of thinking, we have two town managers. "And if this sounds like an animal farm," he added, "it is." cut urged for gas firm's rate request By David Schwartz The Arizona Republic A state Corporation Commission hearing officer proposed Friday to slash a requested rate hike by Southwest Gas Corp.

by 80 percent. The recommendation calls for the an increase of for its Las Vegas company, to receive central division in Arizona, and a meager $3,000 boost for southern Arizona. CRIME COURTS Killer gets death in resentencing A Phoenix man was resentenced Friday to die in the state's gas chamber for the slaying of a 59-yearold woman who was sexually assaulted and stabbed to death in her apartment. Judge Peter D'Angelo of Maricopa County Superior Court ruled that Samuel V. Lopez, a 28-year-old laborer, deserves to die for the October 1986 murder because it was carried out in an especially, cruel, heinous and depraved manner.

D'Angelo said that in 23 years of practicing law, he has never seen a murder case "as bad as this one." Lopez was sentenced to death in June 1987, after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual assault and burglary in the death of Estefana A. "Essie" Holmes, a drapery maker. But the Arizona Supreme Court, tossing out two of the aggravating factors that D'Angelo originally had cited for imposing the death penalty, ordered Jan. 16 that Lopez be resentenced. Phoenix man shot in face listed as 'fair' 3 held A 29-year-old Phoenix man was listed in fair to satisfactory condition at a hospital Friday after he was shot in the face in a confrontation with four teen-age boys, police said.

Benny Vasquez, whose home address was unknown by police, was shot once with a handgun Thursday, when he refused the youths' demand that he turn over his car keys, according to Officer Leo Speliopoulos, a Phoenix police spokesman. Vasquez was attempting to give a ride to a woman in the 3600 block of North 67th Avenue about 1:15 a.m., a police report says. Three of the four juveniles, including the alleged gunman, have been detained and turned over to Maricopa County Juvenile Court officials, Speliopoulos said. Vasquez was taken to Maryvale Samaritan Medical Center. Head-injury group home loses bid to stall move A judge has refused to grant an extra nine months to NeuroCare operator of a controversial Phoenix group home for people with head injuries, to move from its location at 6530 N.

Central Ave. Judge Frederick Martone of Maricopa County Superior Court ruled Wednesday that NeuroCare was supposed to be out of the facility by July 7, but he gave the group until Sept. 17 to close the operation. Michael Hawkins, a Phoenix attorney for NeuroCare, said his client will comply. NeuroCare on July 6 filed for a nine-month extension, citing a depressed real-estate market.

NeuroCare began battling the North Central Avenue Homeowners Association and the city soon after it opened its three-bedroom, nine-apartment home in September 1988. Zoning on the property allows group homes, but the homeowners group contended it was a business. The Phoenix City Council agreed, setting off a judicial battle that finally was settled out of court. In February 1989, NeuroCare agreed to move by July 7. Compiled from reports by The Arizona Republic.

Southwest Gas had sought a $47.4 million combined rate hike, or a roughly 15 percent increase for its 518,000 natural-gas customers in the state. The hearing officer's proposal would increase the average monthly bill for Phoenix- residents to $31.80 from $30.25: Tucson-area bills would remain the same. Company executives were not immediately available for comment on the proposal released late Friday afternoon. A spokesman said the 98-page proposed order was being reviewed. It now goes to the three-member commission for a final decision, with rates expected to go into effect next month.

The proposed order by Beth Ann Burns also calls for an investigation into Southwest Gas' purchases from an unregulated subsidiary. The utility pays about $70 million a year for natural gas from the subsidiary, Santa Fe Gas Marketing. The proposed order also takes the company to task over the purchase of its distribution system in Phoenix and Tucson. Burns said ratepayers should have pay only a fraction of the cost of replacing faulty piping in the gas systems it bought. Southwest Gas bought the Arizona Public Service Co.

gas system in 1984 and the Tucson Electric Power Co. gas system in 1979. It has spent about $150 million on improvements and additions since its last rate case in 1987. The combined system includes metropolitan Phoenix, Yuma, GlobeMiami and all of Cochise County. The system also operates in Tucson, Green Valley, Casa Grande, Clifton-Morenci and Bullhead City.

Burns' proposal also would disallow more than $1.5 million in advertising expenses that Southwest Gas requested be passed along to its ratepayers. The proposed order also recommends that the company not be allowed to pass along to customers an estimated $75,000 for employee dinners, retirement parties and picnics. Despite the large cut in its proposal, the company would receive more than what had been sought by commission staff members. The commission recommended a $2.8 million rate increase. The commission's staff had sought a $7.1 million decrease, a proposal that shocked Southwest Gas when it was revealed in October.

The Residential Utility Consumer Office (RUCO) had recommended about a $12.3 million increase. Those recommendations have resulted in an unusually bitter rate case for Southwest Gas. At one point, the company sued the commission but later dropped the lawsuit. Phoenix woman slain, boyfriend held By Jim Walsh The Arizona Republic A 31-year-old mother of three small children was stabbed to death in west Phoenix on Friday afternoon, and police arrested her boyfriend and accused him of first-degree murder. When police arrived at a house in the 4700 block of North 76th Avenue, "they came into contact with a subject who was covered with blood, and he made statements that he had just stabbed someone," said Sgt.

Kevin Robinson, a police spokesman. The suspect, Rory J. Gibbs, 36, lived at the house with the victim, but they apparently were not married, Robinson said. Friends and neighbors of the victim, who was not identified by police pending notification of rela- Defendant Michael Steven Gallegos, a Flagstaff man accused in the sex slaying of 8-year-old Kendall Wishon of Phoenix, admitted Friday on the witness stand that he killed the girl. "You had killed Kendall, right?" Louis Stalzer, a deputy Maricopa County attorney, asked Gallegos during a three-hour court hearing.

After pausing several seconds, Gallegos replied, "Yes," without offering any details of the slaying. Cindy Wishon, the victim's mother, was present during the testimony. She later said she never doubted Gallegos had killed her daughter, but she had a ARIZONA NEWS BRIEFS Slaying suspect arrested by FBI A woman sought in the 1988 killing of a Mesa man was arrested Friday by the FBI in Tennessee. Maria Catherine Armstrong, 25, was arrested outside a Memphis laundry, FBI Agent William D. Fallin said.

Armstrong is charged, in a warrant issued in Mesa Justice Court, with first -degree murder in the killing of Robert Agenti 29. Agenti's partially decomposed body was found in an apartment he and Armstrong had shared in the 500 block of East McKellips Road. An autopsy concluded that he had been beaten and stabbed. The slaying was re-enacted in 1989 on NBC TV's Unsolved Mysteries. The FBI arrested Armstrong on suspicion of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

She is expected to be extradited to Arizona, Fallin said. Indictment is ruled out in fatal Arizona shooting FLAGSTAFF A California man was released from Coconino County Jail Friday after a grand jury declined to indict him on first-degree-murder tives, said she was afraid of Gibbs and had planned Friday to kick him out of her house. "He's been talking about this for days, that he was going to kill her," said Donna, a friend of the slain woman who refused to give her last name because she fears reprisals. Robinson confirmed that the slaying is believed to have stemmed from a domestic dispute but said he did not know what triggered the attack. Donna said Gibbs is the father of the victim's 2-year-old son, who was named after him, and that the woman had two other small children from a previous marriage.

"She was just a good mother, trying to raise her children," said Shirley Jackson, another neighbor. "I feel bad for her, but I feel even more bad for her children." in hearing strong reaction to his admission. "I almost threw up," she said. Gallegos, 18, is charged with first murder, sexual conduct with a minor and two counts of child molestation in the smothering of Kendall, whose nude body was found March 16 near her home in the 1800 block of North 71st Avenue. The case is before Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Hotham, who has not set a trial date.

Gallegos testified during a hearing on a motion by his lawyer, Greg Clark, to exclude from evidence statements Gallegos made after the and attempted-murder charges. Eric Burton, 26, had been arrested July 25 in the shooting death of Daniel Kempton, 37, of Meteor City and the wounding of Gary Kendrick, 40, Two Guns, on Interstate 40 west of Winslow. "The grand jury returned a 'no bill' because they thought the shootings had been in self-defense," said Lt. Terry Kenney of the Coconino County Sheriff's Office. Burton had been stranded on Interstate 40 after his car broke down July 24, police said.

He enlisted the help of Kempton, who managed a convenience store at the 1-40 exit to Meteor Crater, and Kendrick, a mechanic who brought a tow truck from Two Guns. Kenney said lesser charges likely will be filed against Burton without referring the matter to a grand jury. 2 Valley workers killed in electrical accidents Two Valley electricians were killed Friday in separate accidents. Calixto O. Hernandez, 26, of the 300 block of West Ardmore Road, was electrocuted when he touched a panel box about 7 a.m., said Dick Steely, a spokesman for Tempe police.

At the time, Hernandez was work- Jackson described the victim as "a good neighbor and a friendly person" who used to stop by to chat and give her rides to the supermarket. Robinson said the young mother was stabbed in the chest and found lying in a carport. Police later found a knife believed to have been used in the slaying. Officers were called to the house at 3:15 p.m. when the victim's niece, described by Robinson only as "a young girl," ran out of the house and asked a neighbor to call the "911" emergency number.

Donna said the niece, who was baby-sitting, took the children out the front door shortly before their mother was killed. "He (Gibbs) had her under a lot of stress. She was telling us she couldn't sleep at night," Donna said. he killed girl slaying to Phoenix homicide Detectives Armando Saldate and Mike Chambers, admitting involvement in the girl's death. Clark argued that in obtaining the statements, the detectives were overbearing in their handling of Gallegos, but Hotham disagreed, saying that the defendant voluntarily talked to the officers and that the statements will be allowed into evidence.

Stalzer asked Gallegos whether he killed Kendall, after Gallegos said that he was frightened when he spoke with the officers. ing on a "hot switch" that was being installed in a new business complex at 9020 South McClintock Road, the spokesman said. He said Hernandez was pronounced dead at Chandler Regional Hospital. Leslie Leon Minich, 58, was killed about 10 a.m. while doing construction work at Gilbert Elementary School, 140 S.

Gilbert Road. Minich, of Apache Junction, was dead at the scene, said Lt. Jack Young, a Gilbert police spokesman.Phone-service changes to be subject of hearings Hearings will be conducted Tuesday in the Valley to obtain public comment on changes to phone service in metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson. The hearings are expected to in recommendations for US West Communications to include as part of its expected rate increase request in January. Sessions are set for 1:30 p.m.

at the Corporation Commission offices in Phoenix, 1200 W. Washington and 6:30 p.m. at the Mesa Public Library, 64 E. First St. Compiled from reports by The Arzona Republic and The Associated Press..