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Guesting game: State of the Union guests make political, personal points

WASHINGTON - First lady Jill Biden will host two Arizonans for the State of the Union Tuesday and state lawmakers have invited guests ranging from college student to a college chancellor, tribal leaders to business leaders, in a tradition that can have both personal and political goals.


Super Bowl 2023 week kicks off with Opening Night at Footprint Center

PHOENIX – For the first time since 2015, Arizona will play host to the Super Bowl. The privilege comes with plenty of must-see live entertainment; tailgates; festivals; and, of course, football in the lead-up to the big game at State Farm Stadium. Follow along for live updates, featuring news, event highlights and more from the Cronkite News team, before the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs kick off on Super Bowl Sunday.

Footprint Center welcomed the Super Bowl contenders and fans Monday for a night of interviews, entertainment and the flat-out bizarre. (Photo by Reece Andrews/Cronkite News)

Ice breakers: Arizona High School Hockey Association brings new community, awareness to hockey in Valley

TEMPE – The AHSHA was started to allow high school athletes to participate in high level hockey competition across the state. However, the AIA has not sanctioned it due to equipment costs and limitations with how many schools have participated. With the league gaining traction, hockey in the desert is thriving more than ever.

Notre Dame Preparatory School's hockey team defeated Basha High School in the semifinal of the ASHA playoffs to secure a place in Saturday's championship against Desert Vista High School at Mullett Arena. (Photo by Grace Edwards/Cronkite News)

Hospitality, tourism and sports industries come together before the Super Bowl to fight human trafficking

PHOENIX – Up to 150,000 people are expected to visit the Valley for Super Bowl LVII, and It’s a Penalty is using the exposure to bring awareness to human trafficking and convene the hospitality, tourism and sports industries to raise awareness and continue the fight against trafficking.

Collette V. Smith, who was the first Black woman to coach in the NFL, and Arizona Cardinals player Jesse Luketa speak as part of a panel at the It’s a Penalty event in Phoenix Jan. 25, 2023. (Photo by Paula Soria/Cronkite News)

‘The game needs us’: MLB has diversity problem and no easy solution

PHOENIX – With no United States-born Black baseball players featured in the 2022 World Series between the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies, many felt as though baseball had taken a step away from building a diverse game. The next generation of players are growing within the youth community and the MLB DREAM Series in Tempe proved that the game still has more to learn.

Darrell Miller, right, a former major leaguer and coach at the Dream Series, believes that he was pushed to play in the outfield over playing behind the plate because he was “tall and ran a 6.60.” (Photo by Kelsey Grant/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Field of work: State Farm Stadium undergoes final preparations for Super Bowl Sunday

GLENDALE – With the Super Bowl just weeks away, the preparation for the playing surface is in full swing as the grounds crew works around the clock to ensure that the field will look good to the eyes and keep players healthy.

On Super Bowl Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will meet on a playing field made of locally grown, natural grass at State Farm Stadium. (Photo by Susan Wong/Cronkite News)

Super Bowl 57: The teams are set, and so are betting lines, ticket prices

PHOENIX – With opponents revealed, Super Bowl LVII will feature many firsts, including the first NFL title game in history with two Black starting quarterbacks.

State Farm Stadium is getting dressed up for Super Bowl LVII, which will feature a meeting between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. The popular matchup is expected to send ticket prices soaring. (Photo by Dylan Nichols/Cronkite News)

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs creates independent prison oversight commission

PHOENIX - Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed her sixth executive order Wednesday, establishing an independent prison oversight commission to improve the transparency and accountability of Arizona’s corrections system.


Gallego makes it official, announces a run for Sinema’s Senate seat

PHOENIX - Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Phoenix, made it official Monday, formally announcing a long-anticipated challenge to Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a first-term senator who recently left the Democratic Party to become an independent.


Big shoes to fill: New Saguaro football coach Zak Hill up for the challenge

SCOTTSDALE – New Saguaro football coach Zak Hill will have his hands full with one of the best high school football teams in the state. The former ASU offensive coordinator comes in after former coach Jason Mohn’s extraordinary 11-year run with the program.

Zak Hill is taking over as the head coach at Saguaro High School after serving as offensive coordinator at Arizona State. (Photo by Reece Andrews/Cronkite News)

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)

Student gumshoes at GCU collaborate with Phoenix police to create shoeprint database

PHOENIX – Grand Canyon University forensic science students and the Phoenix Police Crime Lab are building a local shoeprint database to assist investigators in identifying shoe impressions left at crime scenes.

Measuring shoes and cataloging their treads are tasks Grand Canyon University students do as they add shoes to a shoeprint database they’re working on with the Phoenix Police Department. Photo taken at GCU in Phoenix on Nov. 3, 2022. (Photo by Alexia Faith/Cronkite News)