Clouds may steal the sunshine on Super Bowl Sunday

PHOENIX – Signs of the Super Bowl coat the streets of the Phoenix metro area. But despite Phoenix’s sunny reputation, there's a chance travelers will have to deal with rain for the big game.

The State Farm Stadium roof in Glendale will likely be open for Super Bowl LVII, pending weather conditions. (Photo by Dylan Nichols/Cronkite News)

Phoenix Public Transit expanding its Downtown Area Shuttle Circulator to connect riders to more entertainment, shopping, housing

PHOENIX – Phoenix Public Transit is turning to its riders for their opinion on where to expand the DASH bus route. The new route is being developed to connect to more entertainment, shopping, and housing.

The DASH bus travels to Fourth Avenue and Washington Street on Feb. 2, 2023. (Photo by Gianna Abdallah/Cronkite News)

Threatened narrow-headed garter snake gets help from the Phoenix Zoo

PHOENIX — Forty narrow-headed garter snakes were born last year at the Phoenix Zoo’s Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Conservation Center — by far the most since the program began in 2007. The center’s director is hopeful 2023 will be another successful year. The aquatic snake is threatened because of invasive species — including crawfish and frogs — climate change and development.

A Phoenix Zoo employee holds a garter snake.

Arizona, other states propose Colorado River cuts; California pushes back

WASHINGTON - Federal officials said they will consider a plan by Arizona and five other Colorado River basin states on how to further cut water consumption, even though the biggest user in the basin - California - has not signed off on it.


This winter’s rain and snow won’t be enough to pull the West out of drought

Rain has pummeled California and the Rockies are getting heavy snows, good news for the Colorado River, which has been crippled by a historic "megadrought." But scientists say it will take much more than one wet winter to turn around the basin's fortunes.


SRP solar plant northwest of Flagstaff expected to offset 1 billion pounds of CO2 each year

FLAGSTAFF – SRP partnered with Clenera to develop the largest solar plant in Arizona. Solar and clean energy expansion in the state could lead to a low-cost carbon-free future.

SRP and Clenera will begin construction on Arizona's largest solar plan in 2023 northwest of Flagstaff. SRP has been working to expand solar, including at East Line Solar in Coolidge, shown here, which was initiated by SRP and is owned and operated by a subsidiary of AES. (Photo courtesy of SRP)

Cactus High students build a road-worthy electric vehicle

GLENDALE – As the world moves slowly away from fossil fuels, Cactus High School in Glendale is teaching automotive students how to build an electric vehicle from scratch.

Junior Ethan Lucas, left, and sophomore Aiden Bratton push an electric vehicle they’ve been building at Cactus High School in Glendale on Oct. 31, 2022. (Photo by Samantha Chow/Cronkite News)

Forest Service resumes cleanup of abandoned mines near Prescott after pause

PRESCOTT – The U.S. Forest Service this week resumed its abandoned mine cleanup project in the Cherry Creek Mining District near Prescott to protect the environment and human health.


Maricopa County’s ozone pollution is high and getting worse

PHOENIX – The EPA recently moved Phoenix up in ozone non-attainment levels, from marginal to moderate. City officials are worried they won’t meet attainment by 2024, when the restrictions get tight and some businesses may not be able to operate.

Maricopa County is failing the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest ozone standards. The EPA has has reclassified the county from marginal to moderate for non-attainment of ozone limits. (File photo by Kasey Brammell/Cronkite News)

Water reductions for the new year may be just the beginning, experts say

WASHINGTON - Few Arizona residents will notice changes in water availability in their daily lives after Jan. 1, when steep cuts are imposed on the water the state can draw from the Colorado River. But that doesn't mean they can relax, as experts expect more cuts will be needed in 2023.


Horse slaughter in Apache-Sitgreaves forest highlights friction between animal and environmental concerns

SPRINGERVILLE – Dozens of feral horses were killed in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest near Springerville in October. The presence of feral horses on federal land has angered scientists, hunters, government agencies and horse advocates, but all for different reasons.

Authorities are investigating the slaughter of dozens of horses in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests in October. The Forest Service makes a distinction between wild horses, which are protected by law, and feral horses, which are not. (File photo by Megan Newsham/Cronkite News)

It’s electric: ADOT planning a statewide network of EV chargers along interstates

PHOENIX – Thanks to federal funding, the Arizona Department of Transportation will receive millions to upgrade existing electric vehicle chargers and install new ones along interstate highways.

More electric-vehicle charging ports will be installed along interstate highways in Arizona as early as 2024. ChargePoint already has some charging stations, similar to this one in downtown Phoenix, along several interstates. Each station will have four or more fast chargers capable of charging most vehicles in about 30 minutes. Photo taken Dec. 1, 2022. (Photo by Jennifer Sawhney/Cronkite News)