By Aaron Stigile
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – Love letters are typically sent in February, and they’re usually sweet. But, for Pinal County Recorder Dana Lewis, what she called “love letters” were sent to her office ahead of this election cycle and did not have lovely intonations.
She said her office would receive them through responses to notices the recorder is required to send out by law.
By Samantha Bell
Cronkite News
WASHINGTON — Arizona educators worry that President-elect Donald Trump will follow through on a campaign promise to eliminate the Department of Education, with damaging effects on the state’s public schools.
“We will drain the government education swamp and stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth with all sorts of things that you don’t want to have our youth hearing,” Trump said at a Wisconsin rally in September.
By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News
TEMPE – The lasting image of Arizona State’s exhilarating` victory over No.14 Brigham Young might be the thousands of fans streaming onto the field at Mountain America Stadium to celebrate one of the biggest wins in the school’s history.
However, it was ASU coach Kenny Dillingham’s late-game clock management that remained the hot topic in the wake of the victory. Dillingham tried to bleed the final seconds off the clock with quarterback Sam Leavitt running backward on a couple of plays, then sailing a pass high into the air and out of bounds as the clock appeared to expire.
That started a premature celebration. Continue reading “‘It worked horribly’: ASU’s Kenny Dillingham takes accountability on late-game chaos vs. BYU”
By Brenden Paul
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – Like many sports fans, Alex Kane struggled to understand the traditional moneyline odds system placed by sports bookmakers on events.
So he helped launch a new sportsbook modeled after a stock-trading platform that uses probability to simplify wagering.
“I never understood the odds,” said Kane, chief executive officer of Sporttrade, the Philadelphia-based sportsbook operation. “I built this whole thing because I wanted to create more of a Robinhood-type of experience, where you can just turn on the game, see the win probability, buy in at that win probability, and as the probability changes you can either make or lose money. And you can cash out at a fair market price at any point.” Continue reading “Sporttrade expands reach to Arizona with innovative stock market-style sportsbook”
By Lizeth Adriana Calderon
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – Practicing kickflips and boardslides on a skateboard can be about navigating difficult emotions and can be especially helpful for those coming from communities where mental health is stigmatized.
The activity builds a sense of belonging and reduces stress. Hispanics and Latinos face more barriers in access to and the quality of mental health care, National Alliance on Mental Illness reports.
People manage stress and anxiety in many non-medical ways, like getting fresh air or spending time with loved ones. One of the most effective stress relievers is exercise. As a physically demanding activity, skateboarding not only improves strength and coordination but mental health.
Continue reading “Landing new tricks and navigating difficult emotions on a skateboard”
By Tucker Sennett
Cronkite News
TEMPE – Before the game even started, a lineman from the No. 14 BYU Cougars yelled, “It’s like a home game” as he ran to the locker room for the final team talk to a chorus of visiting fans chanting “BYU, BYU.”
“That was the craziest thing I’ve been a part of,” Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson said. “Their crowd getting loud, our crowd getting loud.”
Yet Saturday wasn’t about BYU’s storybook season getting back on track or the strong contingent of Cougars fans that filled a significant portion of Mountain America Stadium. It was about ASU and coach Kenny Dillingham achieving what he has sought to do with the program since arriving: Activate the Valley. A reporter asked him after the Sun Devils’ chaotic 28-23 win that put them one victory away from a Big 12 championship game berth whether he felt like his vision had come true. Continue reading “Chaos in Tempe: ASU hangs on to beat BYU, nears berth in Big 12 championship game”
EDS: Clients who used the Cronkite News story slugged ASU BYU Fans that moved Friday, Nov. 22, under a TEMPE dateline are asked to run the following correction. The error occurred in graf 14 of the original. A corrected version of the story has been posted here.
PHOENIX – A Nov. 22 Cronkite News story about ASU and BYU fans misstated the series record between these teams. ASU leads the series 20-8.
By Jalen Weathers
Cronkite News
TEMPE – BYU football is on a mission to make history.
The No. 14 Cougars, perched atop the Big 12 standings with a 9-1 record, will be chasing double-digit wins Saturday in Tempe when they play conference rival No. 21 Arizona State. Each BYU game this season has been a statement of why the Cougars deserve to be in the conversation for the College Football Playoff.
But for BYU wide receiver Darius Lassiter, a co-captain who is second on the team in receiving yards (576), this weekend is about more than football. The Chandler native returns home for a high-stakes showdown in front of a sold-out crowd at Mountain America Stadium – a moment he has been waiting for. Continue reading “Chandler’s Darius Lassiter comes full circle for decisive BYU-Arizona State battle in Tempe”
By James Morel
Cronkite News
TEMPE – It may not be a bird or a plane but football will soar to the gloomy skies of the Pacific Northwest this Sunday as the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks meet in a pivotal NFC West matchup.
The Cardinals, coming off a bye week of mental relaxation and physical rejuvenation, travel to Seattle for a key game against a rival team that went toe-to-toe last week with the defending NFC West champions, the San Francisco 49ers, winning 20-17.
While most teams would hate to have a bye during a stretch of success, Arizona wide receiver Michael Wilson believes it was exactly what the Cardinals needed. Continue reading “Bird(s) watching: Arizona Cardinals return from bye week for NFC West thriller vs. Seattle Seahawks”
By Sebastian Mondaca Sepulveda
Cronkite News
MESA – Jake Plummer never imagined that a paddle and a plastic ball could rekindle his competitive spirit after he retired from the NFL. Yet, there he was on the court, two hours before his match, sharing laughs and volley with Shane Doan, another Valley sports legend.
For Plummer, it wasn’t just about the game — it was about staying active, connecting with others, and championing a sport that is winning over players of all ages and abilities.
“Pickleball, for me, is fun and joyful,” said Plummer, the former NFL and Arizona State quarterback who partnered with Doan in the Dinks for a Difference Celebrity Match that highlighted last week’s Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships. Continue reading “Stars align: Jake Plummer, Shane Doan join celebrities at Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships”
By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News
TEMPE – The next test for newly ranked Arizona State will be a 46-year-old throwback from the school’s past in the Western Athletic Conference as longtime rival Brigham Young comes to Tempe with a potential College Football Playoff appearance on the line for both teams.
The Sun Devils’ X account confirmed Tuesday that tickets for Saturday’s anticipated showdown are sold out. With roughly 53,599 fans packing Mountain America Stadium, the noise from fans in attendance may be a factor.
Despite tickets being sold out, tailgating will be in abundance for fans who can’t attend the game. This includes a large tailgate party being organized by the BYU Alumni Board. Continue reading “Fan duel: Sold-out Mountain America Stadium braces for ASU, BYU supporters and game-day drama”
By Brenden Paul
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – In the first-ever College Football Playoff rankings in 2014, Arizona State found itself ranked 14th. A week later, the Sun Devils skyrocketed into the top 10 at No. 9 in the Week 11 rankings. Not only did this mark the highest CFP ranking in program history, but it also set the stage for ASU’s biggest opponent of the CFP era, the 10th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The game had major playoff implications for both teams, and the fan support backed the magnitude of the game. Despite temperatures reaching 85 degrees in November, a capacity crowd of 65,870 screaming Sun Devil fans made their way to Sun Devil Stadium.
Jaelen Strong, who currently serves as a coach at AZ Compass Prep, played wide receiver on the 2014 ASU team and later went on to spend three seasons in the National Football League with the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars. Strong not only had a fond memory of the crowd for the Notre Dame game but for all Sun Devil home games that season. Continue reading “Relive the magic: Former ASU players recall 2014 Notre Dame game ahead of Saturday’s BYU matchup”
By Caleb Campero
Cronkite News
LOS ANGELES – Funny what a convincing victory can do for a team’s mentality.
Before last Saturday’s 27-3 win over the Houston Cougars, Arizona football had lost five straight and sat near the bottom of the Big 12 standings. Now coach Brent Brennan’s 4-6 Wildcats are two wins away from bowl eligibility with games against TCU and Arizona State remaining.
The Wildcats found themselves in a tough position before last Saturday’s matchup against Houston but had a bye week as it aimed to finish the season on a high note. Continue reading “Scrambling toward a happy ending: Arizona football maintains hope for bowl eligibility”
By Nash Darragh
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – The Maricopa County Elections Office canvassed election results Thursday, sharing the total number of ballots cast in the 2024 election in Maricopa County and other data. Elections Director Scott Jarrett and Assistant County Manager Zach Schira briefed the media.
“We had a turnout of 80.34%, which is another very high level of turnout compared to prior elections,” Jarrett said. “So if you go back all the way to the 1970s, there’s only been three election years where we’ve had turnout that’s been over 80%. Those three years are 1980 – that was when President Ronald Reagan won – also in 2020 and then now in 2024. We had a very good showing from Maricopa County voters.”
By Kelechukwu Iruoma
Cronkite News
WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump has promised to hire 10,000 more Border Patrol agents as part of a crackdown on immigration. That may be a tall order.
Days after taking office in 2017, Trump ordered the Border Patrol to add 5,000 agents. By the time he left four years later, the Border Patrol had actually shrunk by 1,084 agents, records from Customs and Border Protection show.
By Jalen Woody
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – One of the country’s favorite pastimes has made a comeback. Social media platforms such as TikTok and various events have reintroduced roller skating to a new generation.
Kendra Mikkelson attended an adult skate night at the Zoni Girls’ new venue in the Arizona Center after being away from it for years.
Continue reading “Roller skating resurgence sparks interest in new and old roller rinks in Arizona”
By Dane Palmer
Cronkite News
TEMPE – Arizona State hopes to have a strong wall of maroon and gold Saturday when the Sun Devils host BYU in a highly anticipated Big 12 showdown. ASU coaches have implored fans who can’t make the game to resell their tickets only to Sun Devil fans, and ASU removed students’ option to buy guest passes with their free student ticket.
“If you have tickets and you’re an ASU fan, make sure they go to ASU fans,” coach Kenny Dillingham said. “There’s a lot of BYU fans in the Valley. … Make sure they show you an ASU hat, an ASU shirt.”
The hype surrounding the Sun Devils’ first home game in two weeks has grown to astronomical levels. Tickets for the game at Mountain America Stadium were sold out by Tuesday, forcing the athletic department to work harder than ever to make the game as accessible as possible.
By Ethan Desjardine
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – When legendary coach Valorie McKenzie stepped down from Horizon’s volleyball program after her fifth championship win in 2022, some questioned whether her successor, McKenzie Skaggs, could continue Horizon’s dominance.
After winning the 5A state championship last year, Skaggs’ first season as Horizon’s coach, and defeating Sunrise Mountain Saturday to complete a four-peat, all those questions have been answered.
Horizon continues to add to its legacy as a powerhouse in Arizona high school volleyball. Continue reading “Horizon volleyball secures rare four-peat as 5A state champions behind Teyara Siegler’s leadership”
By Dylan Ackermann
Cronkite News
MESA – While most middle schoolers were focused on back-to-school shopping, Kyi Kyi Miles was heading to a workout with his trainer and former Arizona State University guard Jahii Carson.
On the way to the summer workout, while Miles sat in the passenger seat, his father, Jarvis, mentioned that he received a phone call and that the caller wanted to follow up.
Not expecting it to happen so soon – he thought junior year would be the time – Miles was caught off guard when, after putting the call on speaker, he received his first verbal offer from University of San Francisco men’s basketball coach Michael Plank.
At the time, Miles hadn’t yet started his eighth-grade year at AZ Compass Prep, but according to Plank, he was still one of the best players at the Dons’ basketball camp. Continue reading “Middle school with collegiate offers? Arizona high school basketball underclassmen and coaches reveal early recruiting realities”
By Sean Brennan
Cronkite News
MESA – When a newly drafted baseball player experiences their first professional baseball games, their skills usually don’t translate into immediate success. New faces often need time to adjust before they eventually hit their stride, according to the Athletics’ Javier Godard, manager of the single-A Stockton Ports and the hitting coach for the Arizona Fall League’s Mesa Solar Sox.
That’s the case for most players, at least. First baseman Nick Kurtz, selected by the Athletics with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Entry Draft, is an exception, as proven by his performance with the Solar Sox this past season in the Arizona Fall League.
Across two levels of minor league baseball — Single-A and Double-A — Kurtz only played a combined 12 games due to a hamstring injury suffered in late August. But those 12 games were enough as it instantly became clear no grace period was needed. Continue reading “Nick Kurtz defies rookie expectations with stellar Arizona Fall League debut”
