Arizona
Arizona getting creative to fill school resource officer shortage, but is it working?
PHOENIX (AZFamily) —With the start of the new school year upon us, the safety of our students is at the top of our minds.
The state is pushing to add more school resource officers or SROs, but as Arizona’s Family Investigates has reported, the police officer shortage has made that challenging.
The Arizona Department of Education said it has more school resource officers this year and is using off-duty police officers to fill some of those positions through a new initiative.
Dozens of school districts across the state that couldn’t get an SRO because of the shortage are instead using school safety officers or SSOs. These are off-duty police officers who sign up for the assignment.
The Phoenix Union High School District—one of the largest high school districts in the country—brought back SROs following an incident in September 2022. Reports of an active shooter on the campus of Central High School sent students and staff running. Fortunately, no active shooter was found.
However, it took several months for the Phoenix Police Department to come up with officers to give them.
Arizona’s Family Investigates asked Mo Canady, the Executive Director of the National Association of SROs, about that shortage.
“That’s a real problem. It’s easy for me to advocate for an SRO in every school in the country, which I believe we should have,” he responded.
His group held their annual conference in Phoenix this week.
He explained SRO’s do more than security, they serve as informal counselors and build relationships with kids.
But this shortage has impacts. It meant some SROs in our state had to cover more than one school.
Arizona’s Family Investigates asked Canady if he believed that “they can be effective in that situation.” He answered, “It’s better than no SRO at all. But it’s very difficult to be effective when you’re having to move around to different schools.”
Craig Avery, an SRO at South Valley Junior High in Gilbert, knows that all too well. When he started in that position eight years ago, he was assigned to three junior highs and 30 elementary and charter schools.
“It’s good just to be within a specific set of admin, a specific set of board directors and faculty, kind of focus my efforts and not be spread so thin,” Avery said. “Way beyond just the safety of the school, being able to educate these kids,” he continued.
To combat the shortage, state lawmakers approved using off-duty police officers. These SSOs could be at a school one or two days a week and don’t have as much training as SROs.
The state tells us it’s starting the school year with 301 SROs, up from 214 last year. They’ve also got nearly 700 SSOs.
“With the implementation of the school safety officer program, it’s given other officers the opportunity to see what it’s like to be on school campuses,” Steve Dieu, the President of the Arizona SRO Association, said. He hopes it could lead more of them to consider the position full-time.
The Phoenix Union High School District said it would have four SROs and two SSOs for this upcoming school year. They’ll each be assigned to two schools, and the district explains that these SSOs will likely be different every day.
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Arizona
Final photo of Arizona man killed during routine dental procedure resurfaces as family settles wrongful death suit
A haunting selfie taken by an Arizona man hours before he suffered a fatal brain injury during a routine dental implant procedure has resurfaced as his distraught parents settled his wrongful death lawsuit.
Derek Swanson, 40, took a picture of himself beaming in a dentist’s chair on March 3, 2023. He captioned the photo: “Yesterday, new car. Today, implant! Fun never stops.”
Swanson, an avid gym-goer, was eager to receive a long-awaited dental implant. He booked the procedure at Scottsdale Facial and Oral Surgery, but never woke up following complications with the administered anesthesia.
He was placed on life support after suffering a brain injury and died on March 10, 2023, according to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner.
“He was so excited. He had fixed a lot of teeth, and they were looking really nice,” his mother, Brenda Swanson, told ABC15.
Brenda told the outlet that she was with her son the day of the surgery and was left waiting in the lobby for hours.
“They called Derek back, and that I won’t forget. He turned around and he gave me a wink and said, ‘love you,’ and he walked back,” she said.
“I just kept waiting and waiting, and Derek wasn’t coming out,” she added.
Brenda and Bill Swanson filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the dentist, Dr. Derek Lamb, and the Scottsdale surgery clinic.

The lawsuit was finally settled this week for an undisclosed amount.
The Swansons’ lawsuit alleged that the Lamb and the clinic made an error during the anesthesia process, which deprived Derek of oxygen and triggered a fatal brain injury.
The grieving parents are also looking to amend Arizona law to require a dentist and an anesthetist to be present during dental surgery.
The current laws state that a dentist can perform surgery and administer anesthesia without an anesthetist present so long as they have the proper state permit.
“We would like to not have another family go through what we had to go through and are going through and will be for the rest of our life,” Swanson told the outlet.
Arizona
Arizona lawmaker wants to fund a public health study on ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’
An Arizona lawmaker introduced a bill this week directing state health authorities to study the so-called “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS), an invented medical condition that the president and his allies have accused of afflicting his strongest critics.
Senate Bill 1070, introduced Monday by State Sen. Janae Shamp, gives the Arizona Department of Health Services a year to study the “origins, manifestations and long-term effects on individuals, communities and the public discourse” of the so-called condition, which is not recognized by mainstream medical organizations.
Beyond just directing a study, the bill would enshrine a series of legislative findings, including the claim that the “irrational animus” of TDS caused the two assassination attempts against Trump last year, while other findings praise the president’s “contributions to America’s prosperity,” such as “eliminating harmful mandates and affirming biological truth in federal policy to protect family values.”
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is unlikely to sign the bill from Shamp, a registered nurse and ardent Trump supporter.
Will Humble, former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, told Arizona’s Family the proposal is “silly.”
“You’re ordering a state agency to do a bunch of work that has no objective, no meaningful outcome,” he said. “And, by the way, it’s outside their mission — they’re not social scientists.”
The Independent has contacted Shamp for comment.
The Arizona effort follows Republican attempts in Minnesota and at the federal level to codify or study the invented syndrome.
The term “Trump Derangement Syndrome” was coined during Trump’s first term, and since then, the president and his supporters have often used the term to dismiss the strongest critics of the president as mentally ill.
Most recently, the president claimed TDS was responsible for the slaying of director Rob Reiner and his wife, provoking widespread outrage. Reiner, a lifelong progressive, was a frequent public critic of the president.
The president used a similar tactic last year, claiming that his former chief of staff John Kelly was suffering from TDS after Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, compared Trump to Adolf Hitler.
Individual psychological providers have claimed some of their patients report to be suffering from TDS.
“Is ‘Trump derangement syndrome’ real? No serious mental-health professional would render such a partisan and derogatory diagnosis,” Jonathan Alpert wrote in a November op-ed in The Wall Street Journal. “Yet I’ve seen it in my own psychotherapy practice.”
Arizona
Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Dec. 23, 2025
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025 results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers
15-37-38-41-64, Mega Ball: 21
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers
4-1-4
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Fantasy 5 numbers
04-14-23-26-34
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Triple Twist numbers
01-02-14-22-26-34
Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results
What time is the Powerball drawing?
Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?
In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.
How to play the Powerball
To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.
You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.
To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:
- 5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
- 5 white balls = $1 million.
- 4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
- 4 white balls = $100.
- 3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
- 3 white balls = $7.
- 2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
- 1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
- 1 red Powerball = $4.
There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:
Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy Arizona lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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