Arizona bowl organizers look to bounce back from 2020’s fanless games
WASHINGTON – With COVID-19 protocols prohibiting fans at the Fiesta and Arizona bowls last year, organizers of the three college bowls in Arizona are eager to welcome fans and teams back this year.
Wet meadows in high desert restored by low-tech volunteers
Wet meadows provide critical wildlife habitat and act as natural sponges, holding water during drought. But encroachment and climate change are major threats.
‘Add to your world’: ASU student starts initiative to help people without homes
PHOENIX – When Tierra Hopkins began noticing how many people were experiencing homelessness, she combined her passion for fitness with a desire to help those in need.
Joshua trees are first plant to get California protections because of climate change
JOSHUA TREE, Calif. – Joshua trees have interim protections in California under the state’s Endangered Species Act, but the threat of climate change and wildfires could wipe out most of the population of the iconic yuccas.
Arizona hate crimes hit their highest level since 9/11, and it’s likely an undercount
PHOENIX – The 282 hate crimes reported in Arizona in 2020 were the most since 2001, when hate crimes spiked in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the FBI says.
Making dough: Phoenix chef leaves Microsoft to sell pastries at farmers markets
GLENDALE – Slade Grove left Microsoft two decades ago to pursue his baking hobby as a career. He won Best of Phoenix Awards and attracted the eye of Oprah Winfrey but now sells his wares at farmers markets.
Advocates gather in Long Beach to fight to end drunk driving, drugged driving
LONG BEACH, California – Families gathered in Long Beach to advocate to end drunk and drugged driving. Alcohol-related crashes increased by 9% in 2020, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Hungry holidays: Break from school means break from meals for some kids
WASHINGTON - Holidays bring a break from schoolwork for students, but for more than a half-million Arizona children they can also mean a break from their only reliable source of a nutritious meal - the subsidized school meal.
Unlevel pitch: The path to professional soccer is tougher for girls than boys
PHOENIX – Pathways to the professional level vary by gender in youth soccer, where girls and boys have disparate opportunities to sign a professional contract as a minor.
Despite football’s popularity among Hispanic Americans, participation rates remain low
PHOENIX – Over 30 million Hispanic Americans consider themselves NFL fans. Despite the numbers, that fails to translate to participation in the sport at all levels.
Nearly two years into the pandemic, theaters and performers adapting to the ‘new normal’
PHOENIX – Many theaters in metro Phoenix are putting on indoor performances for the first time since the pandemic started in March 2020. Despite challenges, the pandemic has allowed for a more mindful approach to planning and staging productions.
Pregnant people aren’t getting COVID vaccine, health providers worry
PHOENIX – In September, the CDC said pregnant people with symptomatic COVID-19 have a 70% greater chance of dying than symptomatic people who aren’t pregnant. However, thousands of pregnant people around the U.S. are hesitant to get vaccinated.
