• Slug: BC-CNS-Halloween Suns Baseball. 875 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail and caption below).
• Data table available.

By Zach Bradshaw
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The city is revving up for a sports and American holiday confluence.

On Tuesday, Game 4 of the World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers will overlap downtown with a Phoenix Suns game. Tuesday is also Oct. 31 – Halloween.

The capacity of Chase Field is 48,633 people, while Footprint Center’s capacity is 17,071 people. Chase Field has sold out for games 3, 4 and 5. Footprint Center was sold out for the most recent Suns home game against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 28.

Continue reading “Phoenix to ramp up police presence as World Series, Halloween, Suns game converge”

EDS: This is a partner story from KUNC. If you choose to use it, please fill out this form to help their tracking.

• Slug: BC-CNS-River Reprieve,870 words.
• 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Alex Hager
KUNC

A wet winter and a temporary water conservation agreement have eased some pressure on Colorado River policymakers, which is reflected in a new Bureau of Reclamation proposal that says the risk of critically low reservoirs remains but is “much lower.”

The bureau’s Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, released this week, outlines water management plans until 2026 and reflects a shift away from short-term crisis management toward a more permanent rewrite of rules for how the river is shared. Continue reading “River reprieve: Wet winter, conservation deal ease Colorado planning for now”

• Slug: Sports-The Sweet Spot. Runtime 17:09.
• Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download)

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TSS HOST: This is The Sweet Spot, where we take a closer look at the week’s biggest sports stories in Arizona. I’m Brandon Tran and welcome to yet another dose of weekly sports stories from across the Valley!

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HOST: On today’s show, we are going to look at some of the similarities and differences between the 2023 and 2001 Diamondbacks World Series teams, as well as how sports card businesses have benefited from this year’s World Series matchup. We also have a mid-season update on the Arizona Cardinals, an overview of the dominance of Centennial football and a recap of the first ever AIA organized sanctions girls Flag Football playoffs. Continue reading “The Sweet Spot: Diamondbacks rise, Cardinals fall, Centennial dominates and flag football arrives”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Tree Event,450 words.
• 8 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Hunter Fore
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Valley-based nonprofit organization Trees Matter helps communities add trees to their neighborhoods.

The organization teamed up with Salt River Project in early October to give free trees to SRP customers in the Maryvale area.

Trees Matter holds regular events to promote tree education and tree planting. The tree shade program brings free trees to Valley neighborhoods that are lacking in trees and shade.

Before SRP customers can receive their trees, they must attend a workshop, where they learn about how to plant trees, how to care for them and why it’s important to have increased canopy coverage in their area. Each year, the program distributes over 5,000 trees and educates over 4,000 Valley residents. Continue reading “Trees Matter gives out free trees to increase Valley canopy coverage”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Medical Relief,1060 words.
• 6 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Angelina Steel
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Millions of dollars worth of medical supplies sit tucked away in a warehouse on W. 14th Street in Tempe. Among them are eight large pallets filled with medical relief supplies waiting to be shipped to the Middle East.

This warehouse is the Phoenix distribution center for Project C.U.R.E., an organization that was founded in 1987 in Colorado to address the staggering shortage of medical resources around the world. Its most recent project: sending medical supplies that could provide emergency relief to civilians in the middle of the Israeli-Hamas conflict. Continue reading “Local organization donating millions of dollars worth of medical aid to the civilians caught in the Israel-Hamas conflict”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Urban Beautification,790 words.
• 6 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Zach Bradshaw
Cronkite News

FLAGSTAFF – Arizona’s arts and culture sector generated $1.1 billion in statewide economic activity in 2022, according to the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

Over 11,000 employees are employed by statewide nonprofit arts and culture organizations, contributing to $15.4 million in tax revenues, the commission said, citing an Americans for the Arts survey.

An example of arts and culture initiatives in Arizona can be seen on the streets of Flagstaff. The city is devoting thousands of tax dollars to several programs to beautify its urban environments, according to city documents.

The Beautification in Action program, which started in 2010, uses local tax dollars to fund grants approved by the city’s Beautification & Public Art Commission. The grants pay for the creation and installation of public art, landscapes, gateways, streetscapes and other tools intended to enhance community aesthetics and make the environment greener. Continue reading “Flagstaff devotes thousands of tax dollars to urban beautification programs to ‘enliven the city’”

• Slug: BC-CNS-House Makeover,700 words.
• File photo, video story available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Alexandria Cullen
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Arizona lawmakers voted on party lines Wednesday as the House elected a new speaker, ending three weeks of what one representative called “weeks of political paralysis and dysfunction” in Congress.

The 220-209 vote to elect Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., also ended three weeks of GOP division that began with the ouster of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was voted out by all Democrats and eight Republicans – including Arizona Reps. Andy Biggs of Gilbert and Eli Crane of Oro Valley.

But Biggs and Crane joined all other House Republicans to elect Johnson, who said “let’s get back to work” – just three weeks before the next potential government shutdown and with pressing demands for aid to Israel and Ukraine. Continue reading “Arizona lawmakers vote on party lines to elect speaker, get back to work”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Tribal Infrastructure,800 words.
• 2 photos, video story available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Lux Butler
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – The chairman of the Hopi tribe told a Senate panel Wednesday that promises of federal funding remain just that – promises – for smaller tribes for whom the money is inaccessible because of bureaucratic and financial hurdles.

The remarks by Hopi Chairman Timothy Nuvangyaoma were part of a Senate Indian Affairs Committee roundtable on challenges tribes are facing in getting projects approved under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act and others. Other tribal leaders from across the country shared similar frustrations. Continue reading “Hopi leader tells panel that red tape, financial hurdles put aid out of reach”

• Slug: BC-CNS-World Series Tourism. 1,300 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail and caption below).

By Zach Bradshaw
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks have clinched a spot in the World Series, and Valley hotels, restaurants and transportation services are gearing up for an increase in visitors.

The biggest baseball event of the year returns to Arizona for the first time since 2001.

The Diamondbacks are guaranteed to host two games against the Texas Rangers at Chase Field, with the possibility of a third. Game 3 and Game 4 will take place Monday and Tuesday, with a potential Game 5 on Wednesday.

Thousands of fans are expected to bring money to local businesses.

Continue reading “Phoenix businesses, airport, Valley Metro prepare for World Series visitors”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Street Releases,1060 words.
• 3 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Adrienne Washington
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – More than a month after federal officials began “street releases” of migrants waiting for shelter, border mayors say their cities are managing to cope with the influx, but may soon be stretched beyond their capacity to help.

The releases began in early September, a last resort as both Customs and Border Protection and local community shelters reached capacity and overcrowding posed safety concerns. Migrants are released to wait for the next bus to a shelter in Phoenix, Tucson or elsewhere, turning the border towns into short-term bus stops. Continue reading “Border cities are struggling – but coping – with ‘street release’ of migrants”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Pumpkin Carving. About 1,000 words.
• 11 photos available (thumbnails and captions below).
• 4 Arizona pumpkin carving stencils by Emily Mai available (thumbnails and downloadable PDFs below).

By Emily Mai
Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE – For many, carving a pumpkin is a beloved Halloween tradition. But for Ray Villafane, it’s an art form. As a pumpkin artist with numerous awards and a worldwide reputation, Villafane has turned this seasonal craft into a masterful expression of creativity.

One of his preserved pumpkin carvings is alongside a 1,700-pound pumpkin at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, but Villafane isn’t just about the grand spectacles. He believes that every pumpkin, regardless of its size, holds the potential for a masterpiece. For him, the joy of art comes from the process and not necessarily the end product.

“Sometimes it’s so satisfying to pour love into something that no one else is pouring love into. It’s OK to pursue things for the joy of doing it,” Villafane said.

Here are six tips from Villafane for finding the potential in any pumpkin carving.

Continue reading “Carving a masterpiece: Artist Ray Villafane’s 6 tips to unlocking your pumpkin’s potential (with Arizona stencils)”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Tucson Border,710 words.
• Photo, graphic available (embed code, thumbnail, caption below).

By Adrienne Washington
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – A record 2.47 million migrants were stopped at the southern border in fiscal 2023, with the Tucson sector of the border leading the rest of the nation for the third straight month.

New numbers from Customs and Border Protection show that migrant encounters in the Tucson sector rose from 48,754 in August to 51,001 in September, part of an overall increase from 232,963 to 269,735 along the entire southern border in the same period.

For the year, the Tucson sector, which includes most of the Arizona border, recorded 373,625 migrant encounters, third overall behind the El Paso and Del Rio sectors in Texas, which one analyst called “quite odd.” Continue reading “2.47 million migrant encounters at southern border in fiscal 2023 sets record”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Native Plants Heat,1140 words.
• 9 photos, graphic available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Ellie Willard
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – With July being declared Earth’s hottest month on record, Arizonans faced the grim reality of record-breaking temperatures and extreme arid conditions causing residents to seek refuge inside from the relentless heat.

But how did the native dwellers rooted into the desert soil protect themselves?

Native Arizona plants – most notably saguaro cactuses, succulents, palo verde trees and creosote bushes – have adapted over millennia to accommodate the scorching summer highs of the Sonoran Desert, but growing climate change concerns are raising alarms for how well and at what rate these plants will continue to adapt. Experts say cultivating genetic diversity and mitigating Phoenix’s urban heat island must occur to protect native plants. Continue reading “‘Not normal at all’: Rising temperatures threaten saguaros, other native plants”

EDS: This is a partner story from KUNC. If you choose to use it, please fill out this form to help their tracking.

• Slug: BC-CNS-River Wrangling,1060 words.
• 3 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Alex Hager
KUNC

A new federal government report shows Colorado River states are aiming to agree on a plan to cut back on water, but remain divided about how to share the shrinking supply among tens of millions across the Southwest.

The Bureau of Reclamation on Thursday released the results of its two-month summer “scoping” process, gathered input from states, environmental groups, tribes and others with a stake in the river’s future. Those comments will be used to draft the Environmental Impact Statement, likely by the end of this year, outlining the plan for the amount of water released from major reservoirs. Continue reading “‘Scoping’ results show new Colorado River rules will face a range of demands”

• Slug: BC-CNS-First Time Homebuyers. 1,200 words. By Alyssa Bickle.
• 2 photos available (thumbnails and captions below).

By Alyssa Bickle
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – High home sales prices and mortgage interest rates are squeezing out first-time home buyers from entering the market, especially as incomes have not kept up, housing experts say.

In 2020, the housing market was in a frenzy. High numbers of homes were selling, agents’ inventories were low and offers were frequently being made over list prices, said Jason Giarrizzo, a realtor with West USA Realty, who has been in the industry for 31 years.

Coming out of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the market continued to surge as people began buying real estate, Giarrizzo said. “We weren’t sure where the market was going to go, (if) it (was) going to plummet because of you know, the shutdown and everything, but it was quite the opposite.”

A balanced market in the Phoenix metropolitan area would have inventory levels of about 30,000 properties, Giarrizzo said, but by the end of 2021 inventory began to shrink to about 4,400 properties in the area.

Continue reading “High home prices and interest rates contribute to tough market for first-time homebuyers”

• Slug: Sports-The Sweet Spot. Runtime 12:03.
• Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download)

[Music bed under] 

TSS Host: This is The Sweet Spot where we take a closer look at the week’s biggest sports stories in Arizona. I’m Alex Chenevey and thank you for tuning into the show.

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TSS Host: On today’s show we’ll tell you how business has been booming due to the Diamondbacks’ success in the MLB Playoffs. Then we’ll talk about state records being broken in high school football and the ever-growing sport of Pickelball in the Valley. Lastly, a look at high school marching band, and how 23 bands gathered in Flagstaff for a competition. Continue reading “The Sweet Spot: Making the most of DBacks run, making music and breaking records”

• Slug: BC-CNS-CN2Go Weekly Update. Runtime 10:34.
• Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download)

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CN2Go Host: This is Cronkite News 2 Go. I’m your host, Kiersten Edgett.

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CN2Go Host: On today’s show we talk about Debbie Lesko’s announcement that she will not be running for re-election, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix’s recently-opened Mental Health Ministry, and how some veteran organizations have been left in limbo over a criminal case relating to bingo games and technology. Continue reading “CN2Go Weekly Update: Phoenix Catholic church expands its Mental Health Ministry”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Migrant Monuments,710 words.
• Photo, video story available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Alexandria Cullen
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Tohono O’odham Chairman Verlon Jose told a House panel Wednesday that while migrants crossing his reservation are causing problems, those are overshadowed by problems from the construction of the border wall meant to stop migration.

“Construction of a wall on federal lands near our reservation also interferes with the flow of scarce, vital water resources on which plants and wildlife depend. Our tribal members rely on these plants for food, medicine and cultural purposes,” Jose said in his testimony.

His comments came during a House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing on the federal government’s recent decision to use Floyd Bennett Field, a National Park Service site in Brooklyn, as an emergency housing site for some of the thousands of migrants who have recently been shipped to New York from the border. Continue reading “Tohono O’odham official says immigration is a problem – but so is the wall”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Homeless Mesa,740 words.
• 2 photos, video story available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Adrienne Washington and Renee Romo
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Mesa Mayor John Giles told a Washington seminar Thursday that he no longer has to fight to make people understand the seriousness of homelessness, but that the fight to solve the issue is ongoing.

“I remember saying homelessness is an issue in Mesa, Arizona,” Giles said during the seminar. “I no longer feel like I need to say that, because I think most people have come to realize it’s not an issue, it’s the issue in our communities.”

Giles’ comments came at a Bipartisan Policy Center forum with mayors from across the country on city approaches to ending the cycle of homelessness. The mayors agreed that long-term solutions are needed but that – it’s complicated. Continue reading “Giles, other mayors say ongoing homelessness issue needs ongoing solutions”

• Slug: BC-CNS-Mental Health Ministry. 1,450 words. By Deanna Pistono.
• 5 photos, audio story available.

By Deanna Pistono
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – On Sept. 10, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix held its second annual Mass of Remembrance for People Who Died by Suicide. People holding white carnations filled the pews at Saints Simon and Jude Cathedral and vases of white carnations surrounded an altar of Mary. Organ music rang out as Bishop John Dolan began to lead the Mass.

Dolan, who has been bishop at the Diocese since Aug. 2, 2022, has a personal connection to the event. Three of his siblings died from suicide: his brother, when Dolan was in eighth grade, one of his sisters and her husband, when Dolan was in college in the 1980s, and another sister in October 2022.

For Dolan, being open about his ways of dealing with these deaths has led to more open conversations among parishioners.

Continue reading “The Diocese of Phoenix supports mental health through ministry”