Buying in: How an ASU team picked to finish last in Big 12 put its confidence in Kenny Dillingham

  • Slug: Sports–ASU Underdog Mentality, 700 words.
  • Photo available.

By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News

ARLINGTON, Texas – Imagining Arizona State as the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff seemed unfathomable this time last year.

As the Pac-12 Conference dissolved, ASU coach Kenny Dillingham searched for answers to a 3-9 debut season that felt like it ended before Week One thanks to the university’s self-imposed bowl ban amid an NCAA investigation for recruiting violations

Making matters worse, the Sun Devils prepared for a transition to the Big 12 Conference while starting over at multiple positions on the field and within Dillingham’s coaching staff. So like any college football coach entering the 2024 season, Dillingham dove deep into the transfer portal. Continue reading “Buying in: How an ASU team picked to finish last in Big 12 put its confidence in Kenny Dillingham”

They are the champions, my friend: ASU football wins Big 12 title, awaits CFP fate

  • Slug: Sports–ASU Big 12 Championship, About 1,000 words.
  • Photo available.

By Tucker L. Sennett
Cronkite News

ARLINGTON, Texas – In late November, a highlight reel of Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo running over defenders as an 8-year-old emerged on X. His mother’s response?

“He use to put on his brother’s shoulder pads and run into telephone poles at the football field while the older kids were playing,” Becky Skattebo wrote about the post.

On Saturday in the Big 12 Conference championship, Skattebo wasn’t running into telephone poles anymore. He was running through Iowa State Cyclone defenders like a warm knife slicing through a stick of Kerrygold butter. Continue reading “They are the champions, my friend: ASU football wins Big 12 title, awaits CFP fate”

PURE Pickleball & Padel set to change the game in Scottsdale by 2026 with 50-court complex

  • Slug: Sports–Pure Pickleball Scottsdale, 1,700 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Kendall Flynn
Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE – If pickleball wasn’t growing fast enough in the Valley, the sport is about to hit a new level – by over 180,000 square feet.

PURE Pickleball & Padel, which will begin construction in Scottsdale in 2025, is expected to be a game-changer. With 50 state-of-the-art courts and top-line amenities, the facility is poised to become a hub for pickleball enthusiasts across Arizona and beyond.

The massive investment aims to take advantage of the sport’s growth across the nation, with nearly 19% of U.S. adults – over 800,000 people – playing the sport last year. According to the Association of Pickleball Players, the majority of players (70%) are between the ages of 18 and 44. Continue reading “PURE Pickleball & Padel set to change the game in Scottsdale by 2026 with 50-court complex”

Solar power growth could slow if Trump keeps promise to kill Biden-era incentives

EDS: An earlier version of this story used an incorrect title for Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association Executive Director Autumn Johnson. The error occurred in graf 21 of the original. The story below has been corrected, but clients who used previous versions are asked to run the correction found here.

  • Slug: Solar Energy Trump. 1,150 words.
  • Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Amelia Monroe
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – The $2 billion Sun Stream Complex in western Maricopa County will soon generate enough power to supply over 200,000 homes. The first phase has been transforming Arizona’s scalding sunlight into electricity for more than three years.

The vast solar farm covers more than 6,000 acres, or 9 square miles. By 2026, it will generate 973 megawatts of emission-free electricity and, over time, $300 million in lease payments and taxes to Arizona schools and communities, according to Boston-based Longroad Energy.

Continue reading “Solar power growth could slow if Trump keeps promise to kill Biden-era incentives”

Trial points to culturally competent therapy as a way to improve suicide rates in Latino teens

  • Slug: Latino Teen Therapy. 1,370 words.
  • Photos available.

By Shi Bradley
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Suicide rates for young Americans are rising. With Latino youth among the most vulnerable, some researchers are calling for a culturally informed approach in therapies.

In ethnic communities family, culture and societal expectations significantly affect identity and mental health. Dr. Yovanska Duarté-Vélez, associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, developed the first culturally adapted treatment for suicidal Latino and Hispanic teens.

Continue reading “Trial points to culturally competent therapy as a way to improve suicide rates in Latino teens”

Hurling Club of Phoenix establishes roots in Arizona with lofty goals to expand reach across Valley, U.S.

  • Slug: Sports–Hurling Club Phoenix, 860 words.
  • 2 photos available.

By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News

MESA – Before attending weekly practices on Sunday afternoons, not many new members of the Hurling Club of Phoenix knew what to expect when they had signed up to join the group.

They were informed to meet at the East Valley Academy in Mesa to practice at the school’s soccer field. Little did they know that they would practice making difficult shots at the goals with paddles.

The club has practiced at the school for the past four years and grew in that time thanks largely to Connor Jones, the team captain who started the squad after moving from Madison, Wisconsin, to Arizona for a job opportunity in 2020. Continue reading “Hurling Club of Phoenix establishes roots in Arizona with lofty goals to expand reach across Valley, U.S.”

Arizona State improves to No. 15 in latest College Football Playoff rankings with automatic bid on line in Big 12 championship

  • Slug: Sports–ASU CFP Poll, 850 words.
  • Photo available.

By Fletcher Anderson
Cronkite News

PHOENIX — Win and in.

Despite the bickering about the College Football Playoff rankings from Eugene, Oregon, to Miami and everywhere in between, Arizona State controls its destiny Saturday. A win in Arlington, Texas, against the Iowa State Cyclones will send the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff with the Big 12 championship and an automatic bid in hand.

The winner of Saturday’s title game will await its final ranking, but Tuesday’s latest rankings shed some light on what the future may hold. The Big 12 champion is currently projected as the 12th and final seed and would match up with Penn State in Happy Valley.

Continue reading “Arizona State improves to No. 15 in latest College Football Playoff rankings with automatic bid on line in Big 12 championship”

ASU, Iowa State set for Big 12 championship showdown of contrasting strengths

  • Slug: Sports–ASU Iowa State, 850 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Saleh Awwad
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Picked to finish last in the conference by Big 12 football media before the season, No. 12 Arizona State continues to defy all odds.

Following their dominant 49-7 Territorial Cup victory this past weekend, the Sun Devils (10-2, 7-2) are in position to earn an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff with a win Saturday against No. 16 Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas.

Arizona State continues to lean on star running back Cam Skattebo. The senior added to his already breakout season against Arizona, rushing for 177 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Skattebo is now up to 1,866 total rushing yards and 19 touchdowns in just 11 games this season. Continue reading “ASU, Iowa State set for Big 12 championship showdown of contrasting strengths”

Despite loss of receiver Jordyn Tyson, ASU still energized as it prepares for Big 12 championship in Dallas

  • Slug: Sports–ASU Big 12, 780 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Thomas Forbes
Cronkite News

TUCSON – After a disappointing Territorial Cup result in Kenny Dillingham’s first season at the helm, Arizona State found redemption in dominant fashion Saturday in Tucson.

Posting their first 10-win season since 2014, the Sun Devils secured a trip to the Big 12 Championship game against Iowa State at AT&T Stadium in Dallas with a 49-7 win over the Arizona Wildcats, but the victory came with a significant loss.

Dillingham shared Monday that wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is “out indefinitely” after he exited in the second half due to injury. Tyson, a key player for the Sun Devils offense this season with 75 catches for 1,101 yards, finished the game against Arizona with eight receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown.   Continue reading “Despite loss of receiver Jordyn Tyson, ASU still energized as it prepares for Big 12 championship in Dallas”

A march to Macy’s: NAU Lumberjack band uses unique culture to earn 2025 Thanksgiving Day parade invite

  • Slug: Sports–NAU Macy’s Parade 2025, 1,300 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Tucker L. Sennett
Cronkite News

FLAGSTAFF – Staples are part of every college experience. These include football, dorm life and independence. But one thing can tie the whole thing together: the sound of a traditional and talented marching band.

Northern Arizona University’s Lumberjack Marching Band – locally known as the LMB – provides that and more for the school and community at the base of the San Francisco peaks in Flagstaff.

Throughout the summers, football seasons, basketball seasons and more, the people of Flagstaff can hear the LMB as it brings a combination of classics and modern music to the Walkup Skydome. Continue reading “A march to Macy’s: NAU Lumberjack band uses unique culture to earn 2025 Thanksgiving Day parade invite”

After years of funding with little headway, Indigenous women still missing and murdered at alarming rates

  • Slug: Missing Native Women. 1,170 words.
  • Photos available below.

By Gabrielle Wallace
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Despite grants and numerous programs to help mitigate the issue, cases of missing or murdered Indigenous women continue at relatively high rates.

The extent of the problem is almost certainly underestimated.

Continue reading “After years of funding with little headway, Indigenous women still missing and murdered at alarming rates”

Grand Canyon College Hockey Classic brings sport back to puck-craving fans in Prescott Valley

  • Slug: Sports–Hockey Returns Prescott Valley, 1,100 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Chase Beardsley
Cronkite News

PRESCOTT VALLEY – In 2014, the sports scene in the Valley was on fire. The Phoenix Suns recorded one of the best winning percentages of a team that missed the playoffs, the Arizona Cardinals went 11-5 and the Phoenix Coyotes officially changed its name to the Arizona Coyotes.

However, up north in Prescott Valley, a different kind of sports scene was making waves. The Arizona Sundogs, a minor league professional hockey team, slipped into the Central Hockey League playoffs as the eighth seed with a 32-27-7 record.

The Sundogs upset the top-seeded Missouri Mavericks in the first round, winning in six games. Despite losing in the second round to the Denver Cutthroats, it seemed like the Sundogs were on the precipice of having a breakout season in 2015 and could challenge for the franchise’s second Ray Miron President’s Cup, their first since 2008. Continue reading “Grand Canyon College Hockey Classic brings sport back to puck-craving fans in Prescott Valley”

Brophy Prep football eyes state title, but first must top Mountain View in 6A semifinals

  • Slug: Sports–Brophy Prep Football, 800 words.
  • 3 photos available.

By Saleh Awward
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – After securing its 500th victory in team history, Brophy Prep is all in to bring home a football state title.

The sixth-ranked Broncos (10-2), who last won an Arizona high school championship in 2007, toppled Perry High last Friday and have their eyes set on the 6A trophy, but a heavyweight semifinal matchup this Friday against No. 3 Mountain View Toros (11-1) stands in the way of ending the title drought.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve even been in the state championship game. We were one play away last year, now we’re one game away,” Brophy coach Jason Jewell said after his team beat Perry, 31-13. “(It’s) gonna take a tough week of preparation. It takes luck, it takes some grit. I think our kids got it though.” Continue reading “Brophy Prep football eyes state title, but first must top Mountain View in 6A semifinals”

Arizona State rises to No. 16 after back-to-back upsets as College Football Playoff hopes hang in balance

  • Slug: Sports–Arizona State CFP, 740 words.
  • Photo available.

By Fletcher Anderson
Cronkite News

PHOENIX— So nice, they did it twice.

Not only is that true of the Arizona State faithful’s field storming on Saturday, but it can also be said about the team’s past two weeks, as the Sun Devils beat consecutive ranked opponents and moved to 9-2 on the season, 6-2 in the conference, and most importantly, first place in the Big 12 with just one week to play in the regular season.

That resume was good enough to land the Sun Devils at No. 16 in the College Football Playoff rankings. However, they still sit five spots behind No. 11 Boise State (10-1), with a host of three-loss SEC teams in between them. Based on that, it feels like a far cry for the prospective Big 12 champion to leapfrog that high to grab the final first-round bye without a loss from the Broncos. Continue reading “Arizona State rises to No. 16 after back-to-back upsets as College Football Playoff hopes hang in balance”

Spoiler alert: Arizona sees Territorial Cup meeting with ASU as a potential culture builder

  • Slug: Sports–Arizona Wildcats Football, 650 words.
  • Photo available.

By Caleb Campero
Cronkite News

LOS ANGELES – With just days left in the regular season, the Arizona Wildcats have accepted a difficult truth: Postseason football is not in their immediate future. That said, no matter what transpired during the season, one game on the calendar is always marked, and beating Arizona State Saturday could dramatically shift the Wildcats’ mood.

“Huge week for us,” Arizona coach Brent Brennan said. “Obviously the ASU game is such a special rivalry in college football and it means so much to everybody here, everybody at this university, everybody in Tucson and thousands in the state of Arizona.”

Arizona sits at 4-7 heading into the Territorial Cup matchup in Tucson and is in 13th place out of 16 teams in the Big 12. ASU, meanwhile, was initially picked to finish last in the conference but is first at 9-2. The Sun Devils are likely one win away from a Big 12 title game appearance in their inaugural season with the conference. Continue reading “Spoiler alert: Arizona sees Territorial Cup meeting with ASU as a potential culture builder”

SRP employees band together to clean 10 miles of Salt River canal system

  • Slug: SRP Canal Cleanup. 625 words.
  • Photos available below.

By Aidan Hansen
Cronkite News

MESA – Early on a November morning, Kyle Quiroz, chemical operations specialist and crew leader for Salt River Project (SRP), led 14 employees into a cold canal holding a giant fence-like structure. Workers dragged the fence across the bottom of the canal to corral around 100 white amur fish, also known as grass carp.

“You’ve got a lot of guys in the canal moving the fish, and then you’ve got the crew up top, so it’s a real big team effort and requires a lot of communication between the groundwater group, the construction group and everyone else,” Quiroz said.

Continue reading “SRP employees band together to clean 10 miles of Salt River canal system”

Mesa Community Court, Mesa Community College partner to help curb homelessness through education

  • Slug: MCC Community Court. 680 words.
  • Photos available below.

By Hayden Larkin
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Mesa Community Court is collaborating with Mesa Community College to refer some of the city’s unhoused people to enroll in the school, giving them access to a multitude of services to assist their reintegration.

In addition to education at MCC, they can access the Mesa Market to buy food and hygiene products and get counseling services, among others. The goal of the court, which began in 2018, is to prevent the cycle of homelessness within the justice system. Working with MCC is just one new service added.

Continue reading “Mesa Community Court, Mesa Community College partner to help curb homelessness through education”

‘Culture of family’ among California firefighters provides support during busy holiday season

  • Slug: First Responder Holidays. 715 words.
  • Photo available below.

By Emery Davis
Cronkite News

LOS ANGELES – With the holiday season rapidly approaching, many are preparing for feasts, gift giving, activities and festive decoration. But how do first responders on duty during this time celebrate, cope and give back?

Andrew Dowd, public information officer for Ventura County Fire Department, said because the firehouse is like a second home to many firefighters, the holiday season is a time for those on duty to celebrate like one big family.

Continue reading “‘Culture of family’ among California firefighters provides support during busy holiday season”

El cáncer afecta a cualquier persona. Pero los hispanos enfrentan resultados desproporcionadamente severos

  • Nombre: CNHisCan. 1256 palabras.
  • 3 fotos disponibles

Por Nicollette Valenzuela
Cronkite Noticias

PHOENIX – Para Beatriz Topete, de 58 años, el cáncer ha sido parte de su vida desde temprana edad. Cuando apenas era una niña, Topete perdió a su madre a causa de la leucemia. Catorce años después, su media hermana, de 3 años, fue diagnosticada con tumor de Wilms, un tipo de cáncer que afecta a los riñones. La niña sobrevivió.

Continue reading “El cáncer afecta a cualquier persona. Pero los hispanos enfrentan resultados desproporcionadamente severos”

Trump-linked Project 2025 would deny federal college loans in Arizona, other states with in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants

  • Slug: Trump Student Loans Migrants. 1,140 words.
  • File photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Mia Osmonbekov
Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Arizona is one of 25 states that offer in-state tuition to undocumented students.

Under a policy blueprint crafted by allies of President-elect Donald Trump, that in-state tuition policy could mean an end to federal student loans for 67,000 undergraduates just in Arizona – most of them American citizens.

Continue reading “Trump-linked Project 2025 would deny federal college loans in Arizona, other states with in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants”