Arizona

A reporter’s short journey from Phoenix to Newark

Published

1 year ago

October 11, 2024

A reporter’s short journey from Phoenix to Newark

Even though I grew up across the river in New Jersey, I didn’t know a ton about Delaware. I knew Joe Biden was from here and Joe Flacco played here.

I left New Jersey to go to college at Arizona State at the Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. My career in Arizona was long and is filled with highlights, I reported on U.S. Senate debates, college football games and pro-Palestine encampments while serving as the ASU student news publication’s editor-in-chief until I graduated in May.

In Arizona, I usually covered state and local policy and government. It was a circus, and elections from the local to federal level were razor-thin. It was fun.

I also covered some sports in my time at Arizona. I was lucky enough to cover ASU’s last football game in the Rose Bowl as a member of the Pac-12, and directed and contributed to coverage of Pac-12’s conference realignment.

I joined The News Journal staff in August, unsure of what happens in Delaware and what people cared about. So far, I have been blessed to be given opportunities to dive into the local and fast-paced coverage that defined my time in the desert. Delaware is way different than anywhere else in the country and has a unique set of advantages and problems.

I’m happy to be here in Delaware and hope to dive deeper into topics that Delawareans care about. I cover local government in New Castle County and breaking news, but I want to cast a wide net. Shoot me an email if you think something should be covered; I want to hear from you.

Here is a Q&A to get to know me better. Follow my socials to get all the updates.

You came to this role from Arizona, a very different state than Delaware in many ways. Are there already issues you see resonating in both places right now, especially with voters?

All of Arizona’s policies, especially from the Republicans in the state Legislature, made a lot of noise. A lot of them enacted sweeping changes and were very black-and-white. Covering politics in Delaware requires getting into the minutiae of the law and what is changing for whom. One issue that I was surprised to see in Delaware that is similar to Arizona is the lack of road safety. It shocked me to learn that pedestrians die at similar rates in both states, which could not be any different in every way. Neither state has done much to mitigate the risk.

What do you think?: We welcome voices from all perspectives to shares views on issues of the day

We live in a very challenging time for newspapers and journalism in general. What made you choose this as a career and what role do you think your generation needs to play to protect the Fourth Estate and keep it viable and trustworthy for the communities we serve?

Anyone can access any kind of information at any time. Because of this kind of access, correct and incorrect things can get mixed up and presented equally. The News Journal and every other established local news publication play an invaluable role in communities across the country. I wanted to contribute to quality and reliable local news in any way I could.

What do you like to do for fun? Any interesting hobbies or interests?

I have been a lifeguard on the beach in Asbury Park every summer for six years, so I like to swim, surf, fish and row over everything. I am in the market for some waves on the Delaware beaches, so let me know any good spots I should check out.

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Arizona

Here’s what Arizona law says about pedestrians’ right of way

Published

11 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Press Room

Here’s what Arizona law says about pedestrians’ right of way

The Arizona Republic sampled expertise on pedestrian right of way from those who know the rules best: law enforcement.
Unless there is a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing, motorists must yield the right of way to a pedestrian on a crosswalk, according to Arizona state law, A.R.S. 28-792.
A pedestrian cannot “leave any curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield,” the law states.

Arizonans may think pedestrians always having the right of way is a given.

State law, however, does not quite reach that conclusion.

When pedestrians have the right of way varies based on the situation. And there is a lot to take into account.

Making matters more concerning, data from the Arizona Department of Transportation shows that in 2024 there were 2,079 pedestrians involved in traffic crashes in the state. Of these, 263 were killed.

The Arizona Republic sampled expertise on pedestrian right of way from those who know the rules best: law enforcement.

Here is what you should know about the laws regarding pedestrian right of way in Arizona.

What Arizona law says about pedestrians’ right of way in a crosswalk

Unless there is a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing, motorists must yield the right of way to a pedestrian on a crosswalk, according to Arizona state law, A.R.S. 28-792. Pedestrians also have right of way when a pedestrian is on half of the roadway that the vehicle is traveling or when approaching a vehicle so closely from the opposite half of the road that they are in danger, the law says.

Additionally, the law directs drivers to not try and pass a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian at a marked crosswalk or at an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.

Are there exceptions to when a pedestrian has a right of way in Arizona?

A pedestrian cannot “leave any curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield,” the law states.

What law enforcement says about pedestrians’ right of way in Arizona

Phoenix police spokesperson Sgt. Brian Bower explained that a pedestrian crossing a crosswalk with signage indicating not to cross would be a fault in a crash. Pedestrians cannot cross the street on an angle, but must cross in a straight path, Bower added.

“The pedestrians have to ensure that there is safe distance and it’s safe to cross over,” Bower said. “It’s still up to the drivers that if there’s somebody in the street, they have to still slow down or stop for that individual.”

Marked crosswalks typically have white lines painted on them, he noted, adding, there are also the ones with traffic signals at major intersections.

Bower also pointed to the High Intensity Activated CrossWalK (HAWK) crosswalks found in Phoenix, which are activated by a pedestrian pushing a button and a sequence of yellow, red and flashing red lights for motorists to yield.

Some tips for drivers regarding pedestrians’ right of way

Mesa police spokesperson Detective Jessie Macias advised that pedestrians make eye contact with approaching drivers.

“Try to be seen,” Macias said. “You want to do it in each lane.”

Macias also urged drivers approaching a green light where some vehicles appear to have slowed down or have come to a complete stop to double check whether there is a pedestrian still crossing.

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Arizona

Cardinals WR Joins Patriots for Playoff Push

Published

23 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

Cardinals WR Joins Patriots for Playoff Push

ARIZONA — Former Arizona Cardinals WR Trent Sherfield Sr. is joining the New England Patriots’ practice squad ahead of their Divisional Round tilt against the Houston Texans.

Sherfield was one of eight Cardinals players that had his contract expire yesterday, effectively making him a free agent. It didn’t take him long to find a new home.

Sherfield played a total of 12 regular season games between the Cardinals and Broncos this year. He signed to Arizona’s practice squad later in the year after a plethora of injuries plagued the Cardinals’ wide receiver room.

For the Cardinals specifically, he had just one target thrown his way through the two games he played after landing in Arizona back in November.

It was initially a homecoming for Sherfield, who began his career with Arizona as an undrafted free agent back in 2018.

“Coming here was a blessing in a lot of different ways,” said Sherfield (h/t AZCardinals.com). “I needed to be here … It’ll be surreal to be back out there.”

Now, Sherfield is a depth piece for one of the league’s hottest teams in New England, who could very well make a push to the Super Bowl if they play to their strengths.

As for the Cardinals, they’re in the midst of a coaching search yet again after Jonathan Gannon was sent packing after three years of service.

“I know our fans are frustrated. I am more frustrated. I know Monti is more frustrated. And so is JG and every one of those coaches and players. We all expected more. But when I look at it, some of the changes that were made with other teams just a year or two years ago, those teams with new coaches from a year or two ago are now in the playoffs, playing this weekend,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said.

“I know we can turn it around, and I’m looking forward to getting going with this search because it’s going to be a great opportunity for us to be that next story where we flip it around.

“We want to win. This was a decision that was based solely off winning. When I look at what other teams have done, and frankly, historically, we’ve done a quick turnaround in our not too distant past, I am looking forward to that, and I hope it’s going to be in the first year, not in the second year,” he said.

“But we’re confident that our search is going to be thorough, it’s going to be broad, and we’re going to select the right coach.”

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Arizona

Arizona will regulate groundwater where Saudi company grows alfalfa

Published

1 day ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

Arizona will regulate groundwater where Saudi company grows alfalfa

Arizona is creating a new active management area in the Ranegras groundwater basin to more tightly monitor water use.
The new rules require annual water use reports and conservation goals for high-capacity wells.
Saudi-owned Fondomonte and other large farms will face new reporting requirements and conservation goals.

Farmers, municipalities and industry in southeastern La Paz County, where Saudi-owned Fondomonte grows alfalfa for export, will face new requirements on groundwater use and reporting.

The Arizona Department of Water Resources designated an active management area in the Ranegras groundwater basin on Jan. 9, the agency said. With it, the area will become the eighth AMA in the state and the second one initiated by state mandate during Gov. Katie Hobbs’ administration. Hobbs also announced the designation in her Jan. 12 State of the State address.

The agency held an informational public meeting in Salome in October, and a formal hearing in December, ahead of its final decision. From the 400 oral and written comments it received from the public, the “vast majority” supported the AMA, the agency wrote in a press release.

“The future of residents and businesses depends upon protecting the finite groundwater resources,” Director Tom Buschatzke said in a statement.

According to the agency, agricultural water use in Ranegras is estimated at nearly 40,000 acre-feet a year; recharge, or what is returned to the aquifer, is an estimated 2,000 acre-feet per year. There are no exact numbers because, until now, individuals could pump unlimited amounts of groundwater without reporting how much they were using. That’s still the case in most of rural Arizona, where there are no groundwater regulations in place.

La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin celebrated the announcement.

“We asked for a rural management tool that would fit our unique needs. Year after year, those pleas fell on deaf ears. Today, we’ve finally been heard,” she said in a statement. The AMA, she added, “is the decisive action we need to stop the bleeding that threatens the vitality of our community.”

County Supervisor Ducey Minor opposed the creation of an AMA at the formal hearing, saying that there is a water problem to address but the imposed regulations would stunt growth.

The AMA blocks agricultural expansion, and mandates annual water use reports and water conservation goals. Land that had not been irrigated for crop production sometime in the last five years cannot be farmed again unless owners show they’ve made a “substantial capital investment” on it.

Fondomonte, a subsidiary of Saudi-owned dairy Almarai, owns 22,873 acres of land in La Paz County, according to the assessor’s office, and will be granted “irrigation grandfathered rights” for land the company has farmed in the area in the past five years. The company hasn’t responded to numerous requests from The Republic to disclose how many acres it is actively farming in the Ranegras basin.

Like all other water users irrigating more than two acres or using pumps with a capacity of more than 35 gallons per minute, Fondomonte will face conservation goals and report annual water use, which is not public today.

Egg producers, pistachio orchards, dairies, feedlots and other farms in Ranegras would face similar requirements. There are nearly 8,000 acres of irrigated farmland in the basin, according to state estimates.

Wells that pump 35 gallons per minute or less, like those used for home needs, are not subject to regulation under the AMA.

Arizona’s water authority said the mandatory measuring and reporting will provide “reliable water use data,” benefit all users, and improve decision-making and transparency.

What will change?

The AMA will place restrictions on new high-capacity wells, like those used for crop irrigation, and demand annual water use reports or estimates. Anyone who wants to drill or deepen a well that pumps more than 35 gallons per minute, known as a “non-exempt well,” will have to perform a well-impact analysis, which will be subject to approval.

The AMA places no restrictions on wells pumping less than 35 gallons per minute, also called “exempt” wells.

Farmers using wells that irrigate more than two acres of land or pump more than 35 gallons per minute will have to measure how much water they are extracting. The conservation goals and management plan for the area, to be determined, would be designed to mitigate or slow down groundwater depletion. There would be a different conservation plan for agriculture, municipalities and industry.

A groundwater users advisory council, or GUAC, made up of five volunteer members who represent water users in the basin, will provide input to the state agency prior to adoption of the management plans. Those members are appointed by the governor. Anyone can submit their candidacy.

The Department said in the announcement it will send additional information to stakeholders and residents of the basin over the coming weeks.

Fondomonte is in an ongoing lawsuit with the Arizona Attorney General’s office.

“Regardless of whether an AMA is imposed in the Ranegras Plain, which I support, my office is moving forward with our public nuisance lawsuit against Fondomonte,” Attorney General Kris Mayes said at a meeting in Cochise County on Jan. 8, where she announced a settlement with Riverview LLP, a Minnesota-owned dairy that owns 58,562 acres in the Douglas and Willcox AMAs.

Managing groundwater depletion and protecting rural water users takes a mix of tools, she added.

“(An AMA) does not address the damage already done.”

Clara Migoya covers agriculture and water issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to clara.migoya@arizonarepublic.com.

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