Fire districts face uncertain funding future after ballot measure’s failure
WASHINGTON – Voters said no to a plan that would have added one-tenth of a penny to the state sales tax to benefit rural fire districts, but firefighters warn that the need - and the threat to public safety - have not gone away.
Two good? Perry Pumas continue dominance in search of consecutive state championships
GILBERT – Perry basketball, led by Cody Williams, Koa Peat and Sam Duane Jr., are hoping to repeat as state champions this season. After an 11-0 start, can the Pumas win back-to-back titles?
Border communities, Border Patrol brace for migrant surge as Title 42 ends
TUCSON - Record-high numbers of migrants stressed humanitarian organizations and border officials alike in 2022. Now, both groups are bracing for a new surge, with the end next week of Title 42, a pandemic-era rule that allowed 2.5 million migrants to be turned away.
Student loan forgiveness program would help Black, Latino borrowers in Arizona
PHOENIX – Student loan forgiveness could eliminate college debt for thousands of Black and Latino borrowers in Arizona. According to a report from the Student Borrower Protection Center, 90% of Black and 72% of Latinx students take out loans to attend college, compared with 66% of white students.
For love of the game: Arete Prep’s Aiden Wander leaves heart on the field after scary injury
GILBERT – Arete Prep RB Aiden Wander doesn’t remember leaving the field after suffering a concussion early in the season. His road to recovery was long and difficult, but there was never a doubt that he was going to finish out his senior year.
Bears witness: Phoenix College women’s soccer moves one title closer to building a dynasty
PHOENIX – The Phoenix College women’s soccer team has won two of the past three nationals after upsetting the No. 1 seed in this year’s Division II national championship tournament. Can the team replaces its stars and keep the momentum going into next season?
Last-second miss: GCU men fall to North Texas in Jerry Colangelo Classic
PHOENIX – GCU came up just short against North Texas in the Jerry Colangelo Classic, named after the former owner of several Arizona teams and the namesake of GCU’s business school.
Arizona slipped from top 10 in Pentagon spending, but defense economy still strong
WASHINGTON - Pentagon spending in Arizona fell sharply in fiscal 2021, part of an overall decline in expenditures nationally that bumped the state from seventh place among states to 13th, Pentagon data shows, but experts say the industry remains strong in the state.
Arizona resumed executions in 2022, outgoing Brnovich seeks one more
WASHINGTON - After an eight-year hiatus, Arizona executed three death-row inmates in 2022, the most it has carried out in a decade. And Attorney General Mark Brnovich has set the wheels in motion for a fourth execution, which could come after he leaves office next month.
Phoenix nursery provides model solution for newborns exposed to opioids
PHOENIX – Hushabye Nursery uses a model called Eat, Sleep, Console to treat newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome, the result of withdrawing from drugs they were exposed to before birth. The nursery gives parents and babies private rooms to allow for family-centered care, with the goal of breaking the cycle of addiction across generations.
Brittney Griner’s release raises questions about lingering impact of Russian penal colony imprisonment
PHOENIX – Brittney Griner was released Thursday from a Russian penal colony and is headed the United States. Some worry about the lingering effects of imprisonment in a Russian penal colony.
ASU men’s swim team strokes its way to 5th in the nation and a bright future
LOS ANGELES – The swim team is not only strong this season, but its success is being powered by freshmen and sophomores that could maintain its edge for years to come.
