Saguaro Signal desk
Local Government
Cities, counties, school boards, and decisions closest to home.
Local
From Rivals to Roommates: Former ASU, Arizona softball standouts forge bond as pro teammates
Portland Cascade pitcher Kenzie Brown (right) and catcher Sydney Stewart helped Portland advance to the playoffs in the expansion franchise’s first season in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. (Photo courtesy of AUSL) "...
Local
Low morning turnout, small-town stakes, and a faster path for mailed ballots in Maricopa County
Light morning turnout in Paradise Valley and Gilbert puts small-town races on a knife’s edge, even as Maricopa County rolls out an in-person signature check to speed mail-ballot tabulation. Polls close at 7 p.m., with first results at 8.
Local
5 years after sports betting legalization, what does gambling look like in Arizona?
The FanDuel Sportsbook at PHX Arena opened on Sept. 9, 2021, the same day sports gambling was legalized in Arizona. (File photo by Tyler Wargo/Cronkite News) " data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/cronkitenews.azpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/FD2.png?fit=780%2C488&ssl=1" /> PHOENIX – It's been almost five years...
Local
GCU’s Jaden Henley, ASU’s Basheer Jihad gave Pistons’ NBA Summer League roster Arizona flavor
The Detroit Pistons’ Jaden Henley drives to the basket in an NBA Summer League game against the Phoenix Suns at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas on July 15, 2026. (Photo by Tony Carter/Cronkite News) "...
Local
Liberty scorecard lifts Keshel, Farnsworth and spotlights taxes, utility hikes on primary eve
Liberty caucus grades put Keshel and Farnsworth at the top, flag hotel guest taxes, and weight committee votes as GOP voters head to Tuesday’s primary.
Local
Phoenix skipped hosting FIFA 2026. The math didn’t pencil out.
Phoenix walked away from FIFA 2026 after concluding the costs would likely exceed the benefits. Local sports leaders say the World Cup’s financial model was upside down for Arizona and chose fiscal discipline over summer spectacle.
Local
Arizona lacrosse growth stalls while California surges. Can AIA and local pipelines catch up before 2028?
Arizona lacrosse organizers say interest is there but awareness and AIA sanctioning are not.
Local
Tape says fines and failures. Minutes say “Report.”
In four Arizona districts that record but do not post audio, reporters found minutes that stripped out key talks on fines, audits and pay. Legal, maybe. Transparent, no.
Local
Sanitized: When official school board minutes do not match the tape
blue audio waveform. computer generated technology background " data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/cronkitenews.azpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AdobeStock_85619893-scaled.jpeg?fit=780%2C439&ssl=1" /> Some school districts in Arizona do not provide a clear picture of what transpires in their school board...
Local
El Mundial añade un sabor internacional al crisol de culturas de Estados Unidos
Aficionados celebran el gol con el que Japón abrió el marcador en su último partido de la fase de grupos ante Suecia durante una reunión para ver el encuentro en la Fan Zone de Union Station, en Los Ángeles, el jueves 25 de junio. (Foto de Matthew Badger/Cronkite News) "...
Local
Por qué Phoenix decidió no ser sede de partidos del Mundial de la FIFA 2026
El State Farm Stadium, en Glendale, pudo haber albergado partidos de la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026 este verano, pero los líderes cívicos del Valle determinaron que las exigencias financieras y logísticas de la FIFA superaban los beneficios económicos para una ciudad con amplia experiencia en la organización de...
Local
Arizona’s first rounders deliver in Vegas as Peat targets the 29 picked ahead of him
Arizona’s first round duo delivered in Vegas. Brayden Burries scored 23 for the Bucks, Koa Peat posted 19 in a Suns win, and Summer League records make a rematch unlikely, according to Cronkite News.
Local
Phoenix’s autograph squeeze: Booming memorabilia market tests the rail at Chase Field
As Phoenix’s memorabilia market surges, Diamondbacks players say they are tightening boundaries on when and where they sign, with kids first and hotel hounding off-limits.
Local
Arizona’s iconic saguaros are being threatened. These are the perpetrators
Adam Farrell-Wortman with a healthy saguaro at the Tucson Botanical Gardens on July 8, 2026. (Photo by Eleri Mosier/Cronkite News) " data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/cronkitenews.azpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Cactus_1-scaled.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&ssl=1" /> TUCSON – The saguaro is facing growing threats....
Local
Sen. Kelly questions spy chief pick’s willingness to stand up to Trump
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., joined at left by Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., questions Jay Clayton, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the nation’s intelligence agencies, as he appears for his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, July 15,...
Local
To sign or not to sign: Autograph boom creates dilemma for players
A baseball fan holds a ball as he waits to get an autograph from players before a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on Monday, June 23, 2025. (Photo by Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press) "...
Local
Former Arizona Wildcats teammates Koa Peat and Brayden Burries renew acquaintances at NBA Summer League
The Suns’ Koa Peat defends the Bucks’ Brayden Burries during NBA Summer League action on Monday, July 13 at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. The former teammates faced off against each other for the first time since leading Arizona to the Final Four. (Photo by Tony Carter/Cronkite News) "...
Local
Lettuce flagged in national illness probe; Arizona governments should prep for targeted transparency
Michigan investigators told the Arizona Mirror that early interviews point to lettuce or salad greens as a potential lead in a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak.
Local
House votes to end clock changes, put entire country on daylight saving time year-round
A Senate hearing last week tackled the possibility of ending daylight saving time nationwide and bringing the other 48 states in line with Arizona and Hawaii – the only two states where residents don’t spring ahead and fall back. (Illustration by Alexis Heichman /Cronkite News) " data-image-caption=" The U.S. House...
Local
Trump twists ‘communist’ label in Red Scare-style attacks on Democrats, experts say
President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the Fourth of July celebration at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Keystone, South Dakota. (White House Photo by Daniel Torok) "...