Stories - AZPM

Community events are a priority for neighborhood improvements.

Tucson neighborhood to receive $500,000 in neighborhood improvement funds.

Choice Neighborhood Improvement Grants are designed for vulnerable communities.

An irrigation ditch using reclaimed water in Marana, AZ. September 2023.

Never closer and never farther away: The fight over updating Arizona's rural groundwater law

How a group that was formed to fight the problem resulted in two competing bills, neither of which made it out of the legislature.

Views of Havasupai Gardens from the top of Bright Angel Trail at Grand Canyon National Park, Thursday, Aug. 31. In 1928, the National Park Service instituted policies that forced the Havasupai Tribe out from Ha'a Gyoh, the vibrant riparian area close to the Colorado River in the inner canyon where they once lived. Colloquially and offensively, known as "Indian Gardens," it wasn’t until last year, that the National Park Service on behalf of the Havasupai Tribe, submitted a letter to the U.S. Board of Geographic Names, to change the name to Havasupai Gardens.

Grand Canyon's main water line has broken dozens of times. Why is it getting a major fix only now?

The Transcanyon pipeline twists and turns over the canyon's rugged terrain.

Governor Katie Hobbs and an ADWR staff member look at a fissure near Willcox, AZ. The fissure is caused by dropping water levels in the aquifer. September 5, 2024

Hobbs willing to use administrative action over water

The Governor spent the day in Cochise County meeting with farmers and homeowners.

A sign in front of Fondomonte's 10,000 acre farm in La Paz County shows that, as of July 2024, the company is hiring.

Saudi-backed farm Fondomonte receives approval for new well on its property

The new well is a sign that the company is growing its Arizona operations despite the loss of state land leases.

Finding reliable sources of information is critical to being an informed voter.

The Buzz: Becoming an informed voter

As the election approaches, we discuss how to avoid fake news and find good information.

Abbess Victoria Murray, in an image from the documentary film "Final Vows", produced & directed by Victoria Westover.

Final Vows: A documentary on aging, caring and faith

Also on Arizona Spotlight, The Rogue Theatre celebrates its 20th anniversary season and "Stories That Soar!" presents a boy's remembrance of his father.

Secretary of the U.S. Department Interior Deb Haaland. She represented New Mexico in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019-2021.

US Interior Secretary announces restoration of the once-endangered Apache trout species in Arizona

The Apache trout is found only in the streams of eastern Arizona's White Mountains.

This map shows an area of land identified by locals as the 15 Circles. State data still shows this land as being leased by Fondomonte, the Saudi-backed alfalfa farmers.

Hedge funds and foreign farms get water, rural Arizonans get empty wells

A Saudi presence in La Paz County is already well known. So who else is using the area's water?

Grand Canyon pipeline repairs completed; overnight lodging set to resume

Four significant breaks in the 12.5 mile-long (20 kilometer-long) Transcanyon Waterline had caused the famous tourist destination to shut down overnight hotel stays beginning on Aug. 29.

Phoenix officials are seeking public input on updates to the city’s Climate Action Plan, as the region grapples with human-caused climate change, including poor air quality, drought, and extreme heat.

Phoenix weathers 100 days of 100-plus degree temps as heat scorches western US

That's long since shattered the record of 76 days in a row set back in 1993, according to data from the National Weather Service.

The Sonoran Corridor would link I-10 and I-19 south of the Tucson Airport.

ADOT to add 18 new EV charging stations in Arizona

They said this will help encourage the use of electric vehicles as an alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles.

A home for sale in the Sam Hughes neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona.

Southern Arizona's mortgage market rebounding

The number of loans for homes is among the fastest growth rates in the nation.

Stacks of hay bales sit beside an irrigation canal in Imperial Valley on June 20, 2023. Critics have called for reductions to the amount of alfalfa grown with Colorado River water. The particularly thirsty crop is mostly used for cattle feed.

The Buzz: Arizona/Saudi relations go back long before Fondomonte

We listen to an episode of AZPM's podcast Tapped that traces the link between the two deserts

A bilingual English/Spanish vote sign outside a precinct in Arizona.

Gallego retains strong lead over Lake in August polling

The Democrat has a seven-point lead over Lake in the latest AZPOP.

Prosecutors in Arizona's fake electors case dispute defendants' allegations of a political motive

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Bruce Cohen is considering requests from at least a dozen of 18 people indicted in April to dismiss charges of fraud, conspiracy and forgery.

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