New book tells tragic tale of Granite Mountain Hotshots who died in Arizona wildfire

PHOENIX – On June 30, 2013, members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots worked to protect the small town of Yarnell, Ariz. from an approaching wildfire. Only one of the crew’s 20 firefighters survived. The tragedy of the Yarnell Hill Fire captivated grieving audiences and Fernanda Santos, Phoenix bureau chief for The New York Times. In her book, The Fire Line, Santos tells the story of how 19 men lived and died.


Community gardens cultivate life outside jail cells

PHOENIX – TigerMountain Foundation is trying to lower the recidivism rate in south Phoenix by cultivating community gardens.


Yuma farmers grow more with less water during drought

YUMA - As Arizona copes with a 15-year drought, farmers in Yuma are learning to do more with less and leading the way in water conservation.


Grijalva, Gallego join call for more minority inclusion in public lands

WASHINGTON - Arizona Democratic Reps. Raul Grijalva and Ruben Gallego joined other lawmakers and civil rights groups Thursday urging President Barack Obama to implement more inclusive policies on the nation's public lands.


Tribes, Grijalva ask Obama to protect 1.7 million acres at Grand Canyon

WASHINGTON - Tribal leaders joined Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Tucson, on Tuesday urging President Barack Obama to designate 1.7 million acres around the Grand Canyon as a national monument, bypassing Congress in the process.

Confluence photo

McCain calls for a criminal probe of EPA for Gold King Mine spill on Navajo land

Arizona Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., are accusing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of neglect for the agency’s response to Navajo communities after a Colorado mine spill polluted the San Juan River last August.


Cochise spending thousands to keep endangered wolf out of region

SOUTHEAST ARIZONA — Inside a large chain-link cage at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, a Mexican gray wolf gently moves from behind a tree and into the open air. It stands in the midday sun, dark-lined eyes looking intently beyond the fence, before settling under the tree for shade.

Bill Stoller photo

Arizona official tells House that ozone rules penalize rural areas

WASHINGTON - The director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality told lawmakers Thursday that new air-quality standards will burden rural communities, like many in Arizona, by holding "rural counties accountable for pollution they did not create."


Western officials attack EPA clean-water rule in House hearing

WASHINGTON - Officials from Western states Wednesday blasted what they called "overreaching" and "job-killing" clean-water regulations proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency but currently on hold as the result of a court challenge.


South Mountain Park no longer has gold mines but is treasured by hikers, bikers and hang gliders

South Mountain Park and Preserve glistens like a desert gem nestled in Phoenix.


Eco-friendly green burials become more popular in Arizona, the U.S.

An alternative, environmentally-focused way of interment is picking up popularity across the United States.


Swarm of earthquakes rock Arizona

Over the past couple of weeks, there has been a swarm of earthquakes in the state of Arizona.

Earthquake photo