Search result for Nick Wicksman

For more blue skies, Phoenix asks residents to blue-sky climate plan ideas

WASHINGTON - Phoenix wants to be more ambitious with its climate action plan, and city officials said they want residents to tell them the best way to get there. A recent public hearing included several big projects but a number of concerns at the neighborhood level, too.


It’s a bird, it’s a plane … it’s a drone! Major League Drone Racing hosts first live preseason race

PEORIA – A new competitive sport is on the rise and it involves flying drones. Major League Drone Racing has entered their 2023 preseason with a race at Peoria Sports Complex on Saturday.

A drone flown by the Arizona Desert Hawks whizzes through the air during a preseason training race against the Phoenix Falcons last Saturday at the Peoria Sports Complex. (Photo by Joey Plishka/Cronkite News)

ASU’s bats wake up to secure must-win victory over Oregon State in Pac-12 tournament

SCOTTSDALE – ASU baseball earned a much-needed 14-10 win against Oregon State to stay alive in the hunt for the NCAA tournament. The Sun Devils’ win comes after a difficult loss Tuesday against in-state rival UArizona.

Arizona State's Owen Stevenson embraces catcher Bronson Balholm after closing out a must-win 14-10 victory over Oregon State in the Pac-12 Baseball Tournament at Scottsdale Stadium. (Photo by Joey Plishka/Cronkite News)

‘We’re going to bounce back’: ASU baseball optimistic despite dropping Pac-12 tournament opener

SCOTTSDALE – More than a month after losing 20-0 to the University of Arizona, the Sun Devils walked a season-high 10 batters in a 12-3 loss in the first game of the Pac-12 tournament at Scottsdale Stadium.

ASU baseball took a thumping Tuesday in a 12-3 loss to UArizona in the Pac-12 tournament opener at Scottsdale Stadium. (Photo by Joey Plishka/Cronkite News)

A slice of home: Sydney Seigel’s backyard dream plays out at 2023 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship

SCOTTSDALE – Phoenix native and Pinnacle High alum Sydney Seigel competed as a member of the University of Tulsa golf team last weekend at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club, and she brought a crowd to watch her fulfill a dream of playing close to home.

Sydney Seigel's golf journey came full circle last weekend at the 2023 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club – a course she played while growing up in Arizona. (Photo by Taylyn Hadley/Cronkite News)

Watchdog fights to protect consumers, keeps tabs on utility companies and the commission that regulates them

PHOENIX – Since 2018, Abhay Padgaonkar has worked as a fierce consumer advocate, fighting for the rights of those who struggle to pay their electricity bills. Padgaonker believes that his background in engineering and financial modeling makes him uniquely suited for data analysis as he keeps tabs on utilities and the commission that regulates them.

Protesters march around the Arizona Corporation Commission building in Phoenix before a September 2019 meeting about Arizona Public Service’s electricity shut-off policy. (File photo by Jake Eldridge/Cronkite News)

Arizona film tax credit expected to spur new production companies

PHOENIX – The Arizona film tax credit passed in 2022, and the Arizona Commerce Authority is in the process of reviewing comments to finalize the rules for the credit. The credit is encouraging the launch of new production companies in Arizona, such as Camelback Productions.

Anita Verma-Lallian works at her desk on April 13, 2023, in Paradise Valley. Verma-Lallian is the owner of Camelback Productions, which she says is Arizona’s first woman- and South Asian-owned film production and entertainment company. (Photo by Gianna Abdallah/Cronkite News)

From Jael Mary to serving youth: Former ASU receiver Jaelen Strong has big plans for Arizona’s young athletes

TEMPE – Jaelen Strong spent two seasons at Arizona State, solidifying his position as one of the great receivers in school history. Now, after a stint in the NFL, Strong has formed 602Era, an athletic and academic organization for young athletes.


Finding Grandma Joyce: What happens when someone dies alone?

TUCSON – A two-year search for Joyce Maryanna Williams led to Maricopa County’s final resting place for the unclaimed, unidentified and indigent. Between September 2021 and August 2022, 718 people in Maricopa County died alone, meaning next of kin were unable to be located or refused to handle arrangements.


After pitching struggles in Oregon, ASU baseball turns focus to Stanford series

EUGENE, Ore. – Although it came away with just one victory in its series at Oregon, the Arizona State baseball team is ready to shift its focus to the future. Especially since Stanford awaits.

Arizona State right fielder Nick McLain hit three home runs during the Sun Devils’ series against Oregon in Eugene. (Photo by Anthony Remedios/Cronkite News)

Back to black: Goth fashion hits the runways in a post-pandemic world

LOS ANGELES – Following the success of Netflix’s “Wednesday,” Goth is having yet another moment in popular culture. The mood following years of a pandemic play into the trend, and solidify its return.

Fashion designer Hilary Branner Fuerst models one of her outfits. She says the Goth look doesn’t have to be somber. “Things can be loud and fabulous.” (Photo courtesy of Hilary Branner Fuerst/Hilary’s Vanity)

On the clock: Countdown to the 2024 Men’s Final Four underway

PHOENIX – With the 2024 Men’s Final Four set to be in Arizona, the countdown for the event begins at Sky Harbor International Airport, early Thursday morning.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, center, flanked by Gov. Katie Hobbs, left, and JoAn Scott, the NCAA’s managing director of men’s basketball championships, shares her excitement about what the 2024 Final Four will mean for the Valley. (Photo by Robert Crompton/Cronkite News)