HISTORY
THIS MONTH IN HISTORY For these and other historical stories, visit InMaricopa.com.
5 years ago
10 years ago
15 years ago
20 years ago
Exceptional Healthcare broke ground twice on its new Maricopa hospital at John Wayne Parkway and Honeycutt Avenue. To maintain social distancing during the pandemic, the Texas-based company held two Nov. 12 ceremonies, one for business leaders and another for city officials. The $20 million, one- story hospital was designed to include a 24-hour ER, 10 patient rooms, 10 ER bays and a helipad. Then–Fire Chief Brady Leffler called it a “gamechanger” for a department that once transported patients nearly 20 miles away.
A tandem skydive south of Maricopa ended in tragedy when a parachute malfunction led to the death of 26-year-old Geriann Henderson. She had been jumping with a Skydive Phoenix instructor over the Hidden Valley area when their chute failed to fully deploy, sending them crashing into a field near Bowlin and Hidden Valley Roads during mid-morning. The instructor, 40-year-old Todd Dimauro, suffered two broken legs but survived. Pinal County and FAA officials later determined that federal safety regulations were followed, and the death was ruled an accident.
A tragic mistake at Pinal County Animal Care and Control made national headlines after staff accidentally euthanized Target, a war hero brought home from Afghanistan by Sgt. Terry Young. Target saved soldiers from a suicide bomber overseas and was featured on Oprah before joining Young’s family. When she slipped out of the yard and was picked up as a stray, an employee mistakenly euthanized her despite safeguards meant to prevent such errors. The county called the incident “unacceptable,” fired the employee and pledged to review policies to ensure it never happened again.
Maricopa’s first public park was officially named, marking a milestone in the city’s growth. The site at Porter and Honeycutt Roads was once part of a 1,000-acre pecan grove, connecting the park to the area’s agricultural past. Residents submitted 135 entries, ranging from thoughtful to humorous, in the city’s Name the Park contest. The chosen name, Pacana Park, honors that pecan-grove history, as “pacana” nods to the Spanish word for pecan. The winner received a year of free Parks and Recreation classes and joined both the groundbreaking and grand opening in 2006.
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InMaricopa.com | November 2025
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November 2025 | InMaricopa.com
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