Border & Immigration Reporter. Based in Douglas, Carl brings boots-on-the-ground reporting from Arizona's southern border communities. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona.
246 articles published
Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona announced a merger with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona that is expected to be finalized Oct. 1. The partnership is intended to expand operational support for the long-running nonprofit as demand for home-delivered meals climbs amid recent SNAP benefit cuts.
A wildfire ignited in the Catalina Foothills Friday night after lightning moved through the area. Our meteorology team observed the fire while tracking storms; officials have not yet released information on size, containment, or response agencies.
Tempe councilman Randy Keating has asked the Arizona Supreme Court to remove Proposition 144 from the fall ballot, arguing the measure improperly combines several distinct election changes into a single up-or-down vote. Supporters of the proposal say the provisions are tied together by a common purpose — election integrity — and a Maricopa County judge already found the package sufficiently related to remain on the ballot.
Central Arizona remains under a High Pollution Advisory after a second consecutive Category 5 dust storm, with hazy skies and poor air quality across the Valley. Meteorologists say widespread monsoon relief is not imminent; only isolated evening storm chances — about 20% Sunday and 30% Monday night — are forecast while extreme heat persists through the weekend before a cooler pattern arrives next week.
A 34-year-old man was taken into custody after investigators linked his vehicle to a hit-and-run on Camelback Road that left a pedestrian with life-threatening injuries. Police say a motorist who followed the suspected vehicle while on the phone with 911 provided a license plate number that led detectives to the suspect's apartment.
Aaron Farinacci, a man now in custody in an Arizona jail, has a criminal record that includes a 2010 killing of his father. Authorities are investigating his possible connection to the Old Trails fire in the Spokane area while forensic teams comb through a charred home for evidence.
Dillon Brooks has signed a three-year, $73 million extension that will keep him with the Phoenix Suns through the 2029–30 season. The deal follows a summer in which the Suns prioritized continuity, re-signing multiple veterans and adding pieces to the roster while maintaining the team’s recently established, hard-nosed identity.
A powerful dust storm that moved through the Phoenix metropolitan area overnight pushed air pollution readings to more than 14 times normal Tuesday and lingered into the afternoon. Michael Graves, an air quality meteorologist with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, spoke with local media as the storm reduced visibility and covered neighborhoods in dust.
Glendale police are searching for a suspect after a shooting early Monday near 91st Avenue and Cardinals Way that left three people wounded. All three victims were taken to the hospital and are expected to survive as investigators work the scene and seek a description of the attacker and vehicle.
A settlement between the East Valley Institute of Technology and nine school districts resolved a yearlong fight over funding, but transportation problems have continued into the start of classes. Parents, district leaders and EVIT officials report late or missing buses, unfamiliar drivers and ongoing adjustments to routes and service.
A Tucson man convicted in a March road‑rage shooting that injured two teenage girls was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, followed by probation and ordered to pay fines and restitution including the victims’ medical bills. The investigation relied on identifying details provided by the victims that led police to a nearby residence where the suspect was arrested shortly after the shooting.
Tucked into a quiet Mesa strip mall since 1983, Zur Kate German Restaurant has built a steady following by serving traditional Bavarian dishes, led by a widely praised schnitzel. Regulars and first-time visitors alike point to the restaurant’s authentic flavors, cozy decor and occasional live accordion music as the elements that transport diners out of Arizona and into a German neighborhood eatery.
Tenants at the Tucson House affordable housing complex report asbestos-laden dust from ongoing renovation work has made them feel unsafe and sick. The city began renovations in March to address safety concerns; the project is slated to continue through 2028, and construction managers say licensed contractors and environmental consultants are overseeing abatement work.
A powerful high-pressure heat dome is producing record and near-record temperatures across the western United States, pushing day and nighttime readings into dangerous territory. Authorities have issued widespread heat advisories and Red Flag Warnings, restricted outdoor burning in some areas and urged residents to take precautions as wildfire risk climbs.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department on Friday published two ransom notes tied to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Savannah Guthrie. The first, dated Feb. 2, demanded $4 million in bitcoin and warned law enforcement could not help; a second note, dated Feb. 6, said the woman “perished shortly after she was taken.”
A 20-unit affordable apartment building, to be called Acacia Affordable Housing, is planned for a long-vacant 0.58-acre parcel directly north of the Acacia Branch of the Phoenix Public Library. The property owner, Footprint Properties LLC, secured preliminary site plan approval from the city on July 6.
For more than 45 years, a family-run Italian deli on West Dunlap Avenue has quietly built a devoted following for its pizza, sandwiches, pastries and a market stocked with imported goods. With a near-perfect customer rating and hundreds of rave reviews, Romanelli’s has become a neighborhood institution in Phoenix.
USA TODAY released its Bars of the Year 2026 list on July 29, naming 38 establishments from across the country. Two Arizona venues — Sunny’s Lounge in Phoenix and Yucca Tap Room in Tempe — were included on the list.
A 21-year-old from Mesa has pleaded guilty to burglary in a Kingman courtroom, but the judge presiding over the case signaled he may reject the plea agreement as too lenient. The arraignment took place July 28 at the Mohave County Law and Justice Center.
Patricia Ruth Peterson, a longtime Tucson educator who took part in NASA’s 1984 Teacher in Space program and who taught across the Southwest, died March 18, 2026, at age 95. She is survived by her son, Eric Peterson, and a private family service was held at Holy Hope Cemetery in Tucson.
Evenflo has announced a recall of roughly 60,000 REO by Revolve360 child car seats after a safety test found the seats did not meet federal requirements and the headrest can shift unexpectedly, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. The recall covers specific REO styles and model numbers; a remedy is being developed and owners will receive notification letters starting Aug. 17.
Six hospitals in the Phoenix area have been identified in a national enforcement effort over federal price‑transparency requirements. The facilities were among more than 500 hospitals that received warning letters or requests for corrective action this spring as regulators push to make machine‑readable price files and consumer cost tools more reliable.
Monsoon storms moved into parts of the Phoenix metropolitan area Saturday evening, producing gusty winds, blowing dust and pockets of rain. Officials issued a flash flood warning for portions of Yavapai County and warned of strong outflow-driven wind gusts across lower elevations.
Phoenix technical rescue crews assisted an adult male hiker on South Mountain after he experienced a heat-related emergency. The hiker was cooled and hydrated on scene, escorted down the Bursera Trailhead, re-evaluated by paramedics and transported to a local hospital in stable condition.