A local initiative geared at helping the homeless in Casa Grande is slowly, but surely, gaining momentum. The Interfaith Homeless Emergency Program, or I-HELP, is a coalition of local churches that have banded together to assist the homeless population in the area by giving them a place to stay every night. The program is expected to be up and running in May.

Two bills being considered by the Arizona Legislature could boost teacher pay by $10,000 and potentially lower their health insurance costs. But there may be something standing in the way of the bill proposing the big bump to teacher pay getting the approval it needs — its price tag.

Plus, in global news, athletes from Russia and Belarus could be bared from competing in next year’s Paris Olympics if 34 nations who signed statement Monday get their way. As the International Olympic Committee looks for a way to allow athletes from both countries to compete, the nations who signed the statement (which includes officials from the United States, Britain, France, Canada and Germany) aren’t thrilled with the idea as the war in Ukraine rages on.