The heartbreaking case of Mikelle Biggs, an 11-year-old Mesa girl who disappeared more than 10 years ago, returns to the national spotlight Friday.

ABC News’ “20/20,” a newsmagazine show, will delve into the unsolved case as part of a series of shows featuring people who have disappeared.

Darien Biggs, Mikelle’s father, remains convinced that a sex offender sentenced to more than 100 years in prison for the brutal rape of a neighbor is responsible for his daughter’s murder.

While suspicion has focused on the convicted rapist, Mesa police consider Mikelle’s disappearance an open case and have never named a suspect. They say there isn’t enough evidence to charge anyone.

Mikelle disappeared about 6 p.m. on Jan. 2, 1999, at Toltec Street and El Moro Avenue in central Mesa. Mikelle had heard an ice cream truck and ran out to meet it. Her sister, Kimber, went home to get a jacket. Tracy Biggs, their mother, sent Kimber back to tell Mikelle to come home.

Only 90 seconds passed, but Mikelle already was gone, less than a block from the family’s house.

Mikelle’s body never was found. No one apparently witnessed what police still believe was an abduction. Police found Mikelle’s bicycle and two quarters she planned to use to buy the ice cream.

Elizabeth Vargas, an award-winning reporter who worked in Phoenix early in her career for KTVK (Channel 3) from 1986-1989, interviews the Biggs family as part of the show.

“It’s such a heartbreaking case,” Vargas said. “Within two minutes, she vanishes into thin air.”

Vargas said she has worked on profiles of 10 to 15 cases where people have vanished; some eventually were solved and others remain unsolved.

“I think the thing we have found repeatedly in these shows is that not knowing is the worst,” she said.

Darien Biggs called the “20/20″ interview another in a series of attempts to finally find out what happened to Mikelle after more than a decade.

“I won’t be a whole person again until we know for sure,” Biggs said. “I think there has to be more than one person in the world who knows what happened. It’s so hard to keep a secret.”

His hope is that the “20/20″ profile will jog memories and generate more tips for police, perhaps from someone who once lived in Mesa but has moved out of state.

“I just hope that someone will say something. You never know,” he said.

Jesus can go to 7th grade

TEMPE – Deborah Chambers thought it would be no big deal to display a picture of Jesus on her notebook at the Chandler charter school where she is a seventh-grader.

She didn’t think the image of a bloodied Christ on the cross was all that different from a Muslim head scarf or a Phoenix Suns logo.

“It’s important to me because that’s what Jesus did for me,” Chambers said.

She said that in October a teacher sent her to the principal’s office after a fellow student complained about the notebook, and the principal told her she could no longer bring the notebook to school.

Her mother, Rebecca Chambers, sought help from the Center for Arizona Policy, a conservative think tank, and she said the principal acquiesced after she presented information such as court precedents defending religious expression in schools.

That case has inspired a bill in which Rep. Rich Crandall, R-Mesa, attempts to bring together a series of state laws and court decisions banning censorship in schools based on religion.

HB 2357 would bar all forms of religious discrimination in schools and would specify that students are allowed to wear religious clothing, jewelry and apparel on campus. Crandall said spelling out these rights clearly would help prevent misunderstandings that can wind up in court.

“In their efforts to be so conservative, to avoid any appearance of favoring one or the other, they accidentally make a mistake and cross the line and break the Constitution,” said Crandall, chairman of the House Education Committee.

The House approved the bill May 6 on a 37-23 vote that sent it to the Senate.

The Center for Arizona Policy asked Crandall to sponsor the legislation.

“We see the bill as a winner all around,” said Deborah Sheasby, a litigator who has represented the group in legislative hearings on the bill.

Alessandra Soler Meetze, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, said she supports the basic premise of the bill but said it should comprehensively cover all forms of expression.

“We vigorously support all kinds of expression, religious included,” she said. “Our concern is government treating religious speech differently from other kinds of speech.”

Michael Smith, a legislative consultant with the Arizona School Administrators Association, said that he understands the ACLU’s position but thinks the bill is a step in the right direction.

“If you try to address something that prescribes all potential forms of free expression, you’re gonna walk into a nightmare,” Smith said. “If they’d like to introduce a bill to cover all possible circumstances of free expression, they’re welcome to do that.”

Deborah Chambers still brings the binder to her school, Dobson Academy, and said she hasn’t been bothered about it since. She and her mother said the school’s principal, George Ellis, was responsive and understanding about the issue.

Ellis didn’t return a telephone call seeking comment on the case.

Rebecca Chambers, Deborah’s mother, said the main benefit of the bill is protecting students’ First Amendment rights.

“Freedom of speech doesn’t stop when you enter the school gates,” she said.

———

House Bill 2357

• Public schools are not to discriminate against any student or parent on the basis of religion.

• Students may wear clothing, jewelry and other apparel showing religious symbols. However, administrators could bar these items, religious and otherwise, that are worn solely to cause disruption or convey gang affiliation.

• A grade received on a school assignment cannot be raised or lowered simply because the assignment presents a religious viewpoint.

• Parents who feel their children have been unfairly censored by school officials for religious reasons may follow a process for filing complaints. Lawsuits wouldn’t be allowed until this step has been resolved.

TREO, Sierra Vista

group to market region

Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities Inc. has entered into a regional partnership with the Sierra Vista Economic Development Foundation to help promote southern Arizona and improve the local economy, the group announced Monday.

TREO and the Sierra Vista group will work together on economic development initiatives. One such effort will be to leverage the aerospace and defense strengths in Sierra Vista. They also will work to market the assets of the entire region, including major employers, specialized work force skills, natural resources and its strategic location.

Eurofresh’s production

honored by UA center

Eurofresh Farms was honored by the University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center for developing “economically, ecologically and socially sustainable food.”

The company received the center’s 2009 Mission Award. Each year, a committee selects the award recipient for its contributions to CEAC’s overall mission – finding ways to develop controlled environment agriculture as a sustainable growing option.

Willcox-based Eurofresh filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month. The company grows tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in greenhouses.

Justice to boost antitrust

probes into big firms

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration warned corporate America on Monday that the government will more aggressively investigate big firms that hurt smaller competitors, contending that lax enforcement by the Bush administration contributed to the current economic troubles.

Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney said the Justice Department is abandoning legal guidelines established by George W. Bush’s administration in September 2008. Critics complained that the earlier instructions made it difficult to pursue antitrust cases against big firms.

The move could have serious implications for two corporate giants, Intel Corp. and Google. Intel is already enmeshed in an antitrust case with European Union regulators, and Monday’s change is seen as shifting the U.S. toward the European approach to anti-monopoly enforcement.

By Citizen Staff Report, The Associated Press

Dr. Jeff Monash leased 2,000 square feet at 1845 W. Orange Grove, Suite 115, from Orange Grove Medical & Dental. Rajan Lal of PICOR represented the tenant. Dave Volk of CB Richard Ellis represented the landlord.

Clean Water Products leased 1,440 square feet at Exchange Place Business Park, 1870 W. Prince Road, Suite 3, from Presson Corp. Rob Glaser and Paul Hooker of PICOR handled the transaction.

Chariot Italian Bistro extended its lease for 2,100 square feet at Midpoint Business Plaza, 1835 S. Alvernon Way. Rob Glaser and Paul Hooker of PICOR handled the transaction.

Burger City leased 1,920 square feet at The Plaza at Williams Centre, 5350 E. Broadway, Suite 128/130, from Larsen Baker. The restaurant is scheduled to open in June. Andy Seleznov of Larsen Baker represented the landlord.

Heavenly Feet has leased 1,668 square feet at Tucson Place Shopping Center, 595 E. Wetmore Road, Suite J-101, from Larsen Baker. The salon is scheduled to open in July. Andy Seleznov of Larsen Baker represented the landlord. Rita Perez of Tucson Realty & Trust represented the tenant.

Real estate transactions run each Tuesday here and online at tucsonbusinessedge.com. Send your listings to edge@tucsoncitizen.com.

Ben White is the branch manager for Long Realty Co.’s Sahuarita office, 15920 S. Rancho Sahuarita Blvd. White was former sales manager for the company’s central branch office in 2008. As branch manager, White will oversee all operations within the branch as well as community outreach in the Sahuarita area.

David Welsh, senior vice president of strategic partnerships for Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities Inc., and Curt Woody, president of InCite Consulting, are the new Tucson representatives elected to the board for the Arizona Association for Economic Development. AAED’s goal is to be the leading advocate for responsible economic development for all of Arizona.

The A List gives props to the Tucson business community’s movers and shakers. Send information to alist@tucsoncitizen.com

Each evening, my 4-year-old daughter tells me, “I want lunch for dinner.” Translation: I want a grilled cheese or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And, in my bloated, still working full-time, eight-month pregnant state, oftentimes that’s exactly what we have.

It doesn’t help that my sister-in-law is like the Terminator of menu planning and shopping. Each Friday she plans a menu for the following week and each Saturday morning at 7 a.m. she goes grocery shopping for that menu.

So while her kids are happily eating their vegetables each night at a civilized family table, I’m lucky if my kids aren’t camped out in front of the TV, eating whatever we could scrounge up in 15 minutes or less.

I figure there has to be an easier way and I know I need to find it quick because Baby No. 3 is set to debut in less than a month. It’s not like things are going to get easier. And I know if I plan my menus in advance, we can save money each week on our grocery bill.

To me, easier means something involving my computer and the Internet. So I went in search of software that would help me kill the proverbial two birds with one stone: plan a decent, easy-to-make menu while also preparing a shopping list for me.

I checked out all the usual suspects – CookingLight.com, MarthaStewart.com and BettyCrocker.com.

While each had really great recipes, none had that magic combination I needed – menu planning with a tailored, not generic, grocery list.

Though it’s not interactive, the Martha Stewart site comes pretty close. It offers specific menus along with corresponding “grocery bags.” The problem is Martha’s recipes aren’t generally what one would call “easy.” Plus, many of her recipes aren’t budget – or kid – friendly. While my husband will love tuna steaks, I’d still be making PB&J for my kids.

The Betty Crocker site has a cool feature that lets you input the ingredients you have on hand as well as what type of meal you’re trying to prepare. It will return several recipes that meet your criteria. The problem with this approach is that it doesn’t help you plan ahead and it assumes I would be able to get on the computer while two hungry children fight for space in my lap.

After striking out with the free online options, I checked out paid software options.

At $79.95, Dvo.com has exactly what I was looking for. As a bonus, you can purchase “plug-in” software, including Cook’n with Betty Crocker, to give you even more recipes to choose from. (You can also enter your own recipes.) It even has an on-board calculator to help you adjust for the number of people you’re serving as well as detailed nutritional information.

Menus4moms.com also has menu planning software and, at just $7.95 per month, it’s friendlier from a budget perspective. It has many of the same features as Cook’n, but the recipes are more limited.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

The Microriver 1GB iSecure Biometric USB Flash Drive is one option for grads. It sells for about $34 online.

Family, friends and loved ones of soon-to-be high school and college graduates want to give them gifts that will aid them in the next chapter of their lives.

For some that chapter will include furthering their education. For others it will entail entering the job market. Regardless of the road ahead for these graduates, there are many affordable tech gifts to make that road a little smoother.

Whether on campus or in the corporate jungle, USB flash drives seem to be commonplace. A particular flavor of USB flash drives that don’t seem to be everywhere are biometric or fingerprint scanning USB flash drives.

These drives have been around for a few years, but haven’t really caught on in mass numbers. But the fact remains that these are among the best USB drives to own. Biometric USB flash drives allow access to the drive only after a user has been authenticated by running a fingerprint over a biometric scanner embedded on the drive.

The benefits of biometric USB drives are numerous, but among the top reasons for considering them as a gift for graduates is their security features. The information stored on them is not only secure, but the fact that the information cannot be accessed acts as a theft deterrent and may even serve to increase the odds of the drive being returned if it where lost. Biometric USB drives are more expensive than regular USB drives of equal storage capacity, but there are plenty of lower capacity biometric drives priced below $50.

If your graduate is heading into the work force, you may want to consider paying for a professional subscription as a gift. Careerstrides.com is one of many Web sites that offer a professional résumé service to people new to the job market. Popular employment Web sites such as Careerbuilder.com and Monster.com offer upgraded résumé posting, a feature that is supposed to give placement preference so employers will view them before the non-upgraded résumés. This, too, could help recent grads looking to test the job market. In the current employment environment, every advantage helps.

For those who are leaving the high school campus for the larger and much greener college campus, the Digimemo may be ideal. The Digimemo is a digital tablet that allows users to write notes, draw or doodle and save it all to the device. Having a device that can save 999 individual pages of notes without the need for special paper that some other devices require will lighten the backpack of any college student. At a cost of $99, it won’t lighten the gift giver’s wallet too much, either.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds @yahoo.com.

Sarah Meadows has been named associate general counsel for the Tucson Airport Authority. Meadows will be responsible for assisting the general counsel’s office with all aspects of TAA’s legal needs. Meadows previously worked as an associate with Snell & Wilmer LLP, practicing in the commercial litigation and real estate and finance departments. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, where she served as an Ares Fellow and as a member of the Arizona Law Review.

Dr. Dan Karsch was named medical director of Via Elegante, a luxury assisted-living community. Karsch is co-founder of Old Pueblo Urology, where he practiced for 31 years. Previously he served as chief of urology in the U. S. Air Force at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

The A List gives props to the Tucson business community’s movers and shakers. Send information to alist@tucsoncitizen.com.

Two key leadership positions at the University or Arizona have been filled with interim leaders.

Jory Hancock, director of UA’s School of Dance, has been appointed interim dean of the College of Fine Arts.

He replaces Dean Maurice J. Sevigny, who announced last month he will retire a year earlier than planned.

In addition, Lynne O. Wood, UA deputy general counsel, will serve as interim vice president for legal affairs and interim general counsel.

She will replace Judith E. Leonard, who has taken the position of general counsel for the Smithsonian Institution.

Hancock will begin his interim position July 1, and Wood will begin June 6, UA leaders said.

The university will conduct an internal search for a permanent College of Fine Arts dean, Provost Meredith Hay said in a campus memo.

The position of UA general counsel will be permanently filled only after a national search, President Robert N. Shelton said in a news release.

Leslie Tolbert, vice president for research, graduate studies and economic development, will chair the search committee for general counsel.

Sunnyside mariachi director Cuco Del Cid directs practice for students (from left) Dulce Lopez, Gabriela Valenzuela and Genesis Mora Delhoyo.

Sunnyside High School’s Noche de las Estrellas, an annual event for nearly two decades, almost fell dim – and silent – this year.

“With the economy the way it is, we talked about not having it,” said Cuco Del Cid, the mariachi director at the school. “But the students from mariachi groups from schools all over town who perform here said, ‘That’s impossible. We wait for this all year.’”

So the 18th annual two-day event, which celebrates mariachi music and traditional Mexican folklórico dance, will go on.

It begins Friday with a pageant and talent contest from 6 to 9 p.m. in the auditorium at Sunnyside High, 1725 E. Bilby Road.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, “Plaza Garibaldi” will feature performances by student mariachi and dance groups from elementary, middle and high schools around the city and from Mexico.

Admission is free. There will be carnival games and booths with traditional food and drink

The Noche de las Estrellas concert will be held from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday in the auditorium. Admission is $10. The headliners are Folklorico Tapatío; Sunnyside High’s mariachi, Los Diablitos; and Desert View High’s Mariachi del Desierto. They will perform along with Sunnyside Assistant Superintendent Jeannie Favela, a former professional singer. The groups and Favela recently recorded the CD “Una Familia.”

Del Cid said the event is “a lot of work, a lot of work, but we enjoy it very much and it helps teach many kids the most traditional Mexican music.”

Del Cid, a professional mariachi for years in Mexico City with Mariachi los Camperos, has taught at Sunnyside for 16 years.

He loves preparing students for performances and for their future.

College is of utmost importance to Del Cid. “Of course, I tell my kids to go to college.

“When I came to work here, I told the principal I would do it on one condition – that we teach them the music, the instruments, but we don’t want just mariachis.

“I want them to become lawyers, doctors, pharmacists and other professionals who also know how to be mariachi musicians.

“They can and should still play in groups or play as a hobby when they grow up, but be a doctor for a living.”

Proceeds from the event go to college scholarships for the district performers.

PHOENIX – Arizona should keep the AIMS test as a high school graduation requirement but add other tests to measure students’ readiness for college and careers, a state task force recommended Wednesday.

The task force created as a result of 2008 legislation submitted its report to Gov. Jan Brewer, top legislative leaders and the state Board of Education.

The seven-member task force, consisting mostly of educators, said the high school AIMS test is an important measure of students’ proficiency of 10th-grade standards. But it said the reading, writing and math exam doesn’t do enough.

The task force recommended steps that include requiring 11th-graders to take a college and career readiness test but giving parents the option of exempting their children.

Also, a current test for ninth-graders should be replaced with one measuring career and college potential, the task force said.

AIMS measures student achievement and provides accountability measurements for teachers and schools but it can’t meet the need for a “credible, robust test of college and career readiness,” the report said.

“Our goal is to provide opportunities for students that open rather than close doors,” it stated. “For example, tests that provide information to students and parents as they choose their college or career pathway are an incentive that opens doors for further success.”

All of the testing should have “feedback loops” so that students can assess their progress and make timely corrections to meet their academic objectives, it said.

The 2008 bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Rich Crandall of Mesa, said he hadn’t read the report and could not immediately comment on it. He said last year the state should revamp its testing program.

AIMS, short for Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards, is designed to measure students’ knowledge of math, reading and writing.

The State Board of Education and the Arizona Department of Education developed the AIMS test under a mandate in state law. High school testing began in 1999 and testing of grades 3, 5 and 8 began in 2000. Testing in other grades has been added since.

Starting in 2006, high school students have had to pass the AIMS test to get a diploma. Students begin taking the high school graduation test as sophomores and have multiple opportunities to take it.

You can even find a place in San Diego for your dogs with the right Web site.

My husband and I have been seriously considering becoming “Zonies.”

Yes, we’ve been thinking about a summer getaway to San Diego. If we undertake such a journey, we will be joining the annual mass exodus of Arizonans to the beach during the ungodly heat of July and August.

But neither of us is all that familiar with San Diego and we don’t know where to stay. We’d like to be near the beach and to stay in a relatively nice neighborhood, but we don’t have a lot of money to throw around. And, since we’re soon to be a family of five, a place with a kitchenette would work best for us as eating out three meals a day would break the bank.

So where does that leave us?

On the Internet, of course.

In this troubled economy, vacation deals abound and the Internet makes it really easy to research the best ones. Condo rentals offer the best opportunities this summer and several Web sites can help you book the one that’s right for you.

First, there’s vacationrentals.com, which features some 35,000 family-friendly rentals across the U.S. I also really like Pickpackgo.com, which features professionally managed rental properties. It’s really easy to use and features an interactive map to help you determine exactly where the particular rental property is located – a very valuable feature when you’re not familiar with your travel destination.

If you’d like to deal directly with the property owner, go to VRBO.com. While the site isn’t as easy to use as Pickpackgo.com – and there are no maps to help you figure out where the properties are located – it’s still a good resource for those wanting to go directly “to the source” for their rentals.

Time shares are another option. Redweek.com features listings of time shares available for rental. They are usually rented by the night, rather than the week and sometimes have date restrictions.

As with any travel arrangements, protect yourself by paying with a credit card. Should something go wrong, you’ll have more recourse than if you pay by check or debit card. Credit card companies can often intervene on your behalf if there are disputes regarding charges or other problems. If you pay by check or debit, you’re on your own.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

Q I recently upgraded from dial-up to high-speed DSL. One question that I have concerns the DSL modem. I always shut down my computer at the end of the day. Should I also turn off my modem or leave it on? Whatever the answer, why is that the correct answer?

Norma I.

A: This question is one that has been around just about as long as home broadband connections. DSL connections, like all broadband connections, were meant to always be connected.

There are three prevailing opinions to this question. One is that you should turn it off. Another is that you should leave it on, and the final is that it doesn’t matter either way.

Those who say you should turn the modem off often cite potential security risks as the primary reason. It is argued that leaving your modem on opens the door for people to use your Internet signal to cause mischief online or on your home network.

I can see the truth in this, but it is built on several assumptions. One assumption is that every home network is wireless. Some home networks are still hard-wired or networked through the electrical outlets. There is also the assumption that all home wireless networks are open and do not have the requisite security in place to prevent spurious intrusions.

Those who support leaving the modem on use many of the previous viewpoints to strengthen their own position. They also expound the notion that the number of people who are technically proficient enough the circumvent most home network security measures is rather low. If someone who falls into that category wants to get into your network and cause havoc, then you are limited in your options for securing your computer.

The third position uses combined and ancillary retorts to support their viewpoint. Some of the circumstantial information factored in includes the location of the modem, network, the computers, the manner in which the computers are used and the number and level of the users who have access to the computers.

These factors serve to paint a broader picture that can lend itself to a more situation-specific solution. If the computer connected to the modem is in the middle of nowhere and is used only for updating a blog or reading news links from Google, then it really doesn’t matter if you turn the modem off or leave it on.

Personally, I am of the last school of thought. It is a situational call and you must weigh as many factors as possible. If your modem broadcasts wirelessly, is unsecure, and you are concerned about people picking up your signal and using your wireless to go online, then you may want to turn it off. Otherwise, there may be no harm in leaving it on.

The correct answer depends on your specific situation.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds @yahoo.com.

Daniel Wegener is the new community life director for The Retreat at Santa Rita Springs. He will be responsible for planning classes and programs for residents at the independent living retirement community in Green Valley. Wegener previously was superintendent for curriculum and instruction with the Sunnyside School District. He retired from that job in 2005.

The A List gives props to the Tucson business community’s movers and shakers. Send information to alist@tucsoncitizen.com.

It will be an early and wet monsoon if a long-range outlook from the federal Climate Prediction Center holds true.

Based on hints in Caribbean and Pacific surface temperatures, the Rocky Mountain snowpack, and Plains states drought and computer models, the agency calls for above average rainfall for southeast Arizona in June, July and August.

University of Arizona monsoon researcher Christopher Castro tentatively agreed.

“Those indicators are pointing to an early and wet monsoon,” Castro said.

Two computer models foresee rapid development of a typical monsoon high pressure zone in May, then a rapid advance northward of the zone, the CPC outlook said.

Each year, this high pressure zone settles over the Four Corners area in northeast Arizona, shifting our prevailing winds from the west to the southeast. This wind shift is the monsoon, and when it happens early we typically get more rain than average.

Of the past 20 monsoons, Tucson got less than average rainfall (6.06 inches) in 13 and more than average in seven, according to the National Weather Service. Last year, the airport, where official tallies are kept, got 5.52 inches, the weather service said.

Tucson typically gets about half of its annual rainfall during the monsoon, June 15-Sept. 30.

Rain is not in this week’s forecast, with temperatures expected to climb into the mid-90s by Friday. Windy, dry conditions prompted a fire danger warning for Tuesday across the southeast quadrant of Arizona.

———

By the numbers

6.06 inches, normal monsoon rainfall for Tucson

5.52 inches, last year’s total

13.84 inches, wettest monsoon (1964)

1.59 inches, driest monsoon (1924)