Arizona

Arizona is reneging on a promise to fund our water future. Big mistake

Published

2 years ago

June 14, 2024

Press Room

Arizona is reneging on a promise to fund our water future. Big mistake

Opinion: If the governor and lawmakers aren’t careful, they could turn a short-term budget fix into a long-term mistake for Arizona’s water future.

It’s disappointing — but not at all surprising — that lawmakers and the governor want to completely sweep money that had previously been earmarked for the Water Infrastructure Financing Authority.

State leaders radically expanded the authority in 2022 and promised to seed it with $1 billion, mostly to bring Arizona water from elsewhere.

But they insisted on breaking the investment over three fiscal years. I said then that the likelihood of seeing the full billion was slim.

Sure enough, lawmakers failed to fully fund a second $333 million installment in 2023, even though they had the cash, preferring to fund pet water projects instead.

And this year, staring down a $1.4 billion shortfall, the idea is to give WIFA no cash at all.

WIFA has been fighting an uphill battle

I get it.

If the choice is between paying someone or building something right now, versus putting money in a fund for a later benefit — even a big one that could radically change the state’s water future — lawmakers are going to choose the here and now.

And — try as WIFA might to dispel the distrust — some lawmakers just don’t want to give the agency any more cash after former Gov. Doug Ducey brazenly, but unsuccessfully, tried to fund his favored Mexico desalination project just before leaving office.

Granted, the board has completely backed away from that effort and is working instead to create a fair evaluation process for all projects that could bring Arizona more water.

But all of this points to the uphill battle WIFA has been fighting for two years to meet lawmakers’ expectations.

It made tough choices to award $200 million

This isn’t necessarily the agency’s fault, considering how lofty and somewhat conflicting those expectations are.

WIFA exists to speed water projects while maximizing the state’s return on investment — something that also requires transparency and due diligence, both of which take time.

The board has set strategic plans and surveyed potential water users on their needs. It is finalizing a process to assess potential water importation projects, in hopes of compressing the lengthy federal environmental review process that will likely be necessary to get them built.

How much water will TSMC use? Less than you think

At the same time, it pored through more water-saving proposals than it had money to fund, and in roughly a year awarded $200 million in federal pandemic cash toward turf removal, more efficient irrigation for farmers and other conservation projects.

Those projects are estimated to save as much as 5.5 million acre-feet of water over their lifespans — a decent chunk of water with savings in every county (the agency is now working on a system to track actual water saved each year).

Ambitious water goals deserve more cash

But even if WIFA has a lot to show for its efforts, it still lacks completed projects to prove how those 2022 investments stopped persistent leaks, for example, or took stress off limited supplies.

The agency needs those stories — of the projects it accelerated by years and those that without the funding, would have never been possible — to make its case for more cash.

WIFA, to its credit, has set ambitious goals for how much water it will save (5 million acre-feet in five years) and the new supplies it will find (between 100,000 and 500,000 acre-feet in five to 15 years).

But those goals are predicated on WIFA finding another $200 million for conservation projects and getting the full $1 billion for additional water supplies.

Receive less than that, and it will severely hamstring efforts to save and find more water — both of which are critical for Arizona’s long-term water security.

Don’t make this a long-term mistake

It’s frustrating, particularly given all the lip service about water this session, that everyone seems resigned to short WIFA this year.

But we don’t need to make this a long-term mistake.

Whether it’s lawmakers or the governor, someone needs to make a commitment that when there is more cash, more of it will flow to the agency.

Ideally, that commitment would come without the stipulation that most of it fund only the projects that can import water from elsewhere.

If we want water, there also are opportunities to find it in state, and those ideas should have an equal shake at the cash.

If the goal is to provide the most water for a price that providers are willing to pay, it shouldn’t matter where it comes from. Just that it’s wet and that it flows to taps when we need it.

Reach Allhands at joanna.allhands@arizonarepublic.com. On X, formerly Twitter: @joannaallhands.

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Arizona

Arizona Lottery Powerball, The Pick results for April 13, 2026

Published

4 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Arizona Lottery Powerball, The Pick results for April 13, 2026

The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Monday, April 13, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers

38-43-59-63-64, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning The Pick numbers

05-13-22-24-28-31

Check The Pick payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers

0-0-1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers

02-11-25-31-34

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Triple Twist numbers

05-13-15-28-34-37

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/.

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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Arizona

Businessman Chris Sheafe, wife named in fatal Arizona plane crash

Published

16 hours ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

Businessman Chris Sheafe, wife named in fatal Arizona plane crash

Chris Sheafe, a Rio Nuevo Board member, and his wife Jacque Sheafe died in a plane crash at Marana Regional Airport on April 8, 2026.
The single-engine plane crashed and caught fire while attempting to land on April 8.
Sheafe had served as the treasurer for the Rio Nuevo Board since 2012 and played a key role in downtown Tucson development.

Chris Sheafe, a longtime member of the Rio Nuevo Board, and his wife, Jacque Sheafe, were killed in last week’s plane crash at Marana Regional Airport, the board said April 11.

Board member Taunya Villicana shared the announcement on Facebook on behalf of the board.

Rio Nuevo is a tax increment finance district created by voters in 1999 to revitalize downtown Tucson. It uses state sales tax revenue to partner with private developers on redevelopment projects, according to its website.

The Sheafes died April 8 when their single-engine Piper PA-32R-301T crashed while attempting to land at the airport northwest of Tucson.

The crash occurred about 5:15 p.m. when authorities said the aircraft went off the end of the runway and caught fire. No other injuries were reported.

Villicana said Chris Sheafe had served as treasurer of the Rio Nuevo Board since 2012. As of April 12, the board’s website still listed him as treasurer.

He played a key role in managing tax dollars and helping guide downtown development projects, Villicana said.

“His property development experience and financial acumen have been major factors in our success,” she said.

Chris Sheafe previously ran Estes Homes, served on the Pima County Bond Commission and was a former chairman of the Tucson Airport Authority, according to Villicana.

“He loved life, he loved Jacque (a pure joy to be around), he cherished his time with Rio Nuevo and he loved to fly. As fellow pilots, we often talked about our love of flying and the fact that the sky is unforgiving,” she said.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were investigating the crash. The cause has not been determined.

The Rio Nuevo Board planned to observe a moment of silence at 1 p.m. April 14 during its regular meeting to honor their former treasurer, Villicana said.

“Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, stop and look to our unforgiving sky to honor his legacy and love of Tucson,” she said.

Rey Covarrubias Jr. covers business and breaking news for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: rcovarrubias@azcentral.com, and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ.

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Arizona

3 injured after small plane crashes down on busy Arizona road: ‘100% a miracle’

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

3 injured after small plane crashes down on busy Arizona road: ‘100% a miracle’

Three people were injured when a small plane crash-landed onto a busy Arizona road on Sunday afternoon, according to authorities.

The pilot of a privately-owned Republic RC-3 plane made an “emergency gear-up landing” near 7th Street and Missouri Avenue in Phoenix around 3:25 p.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and the Phoenix Police Department.

The pilot of a privately-owned Republic RC-3 plane made an “emergency gear-up landing” near 7th Street and Missouri Avenue in Phoenix on Sunday afternoon. Instagram / @thereal_kingbenjo

Three people on board the single-engine plane miraculously suffered only minor injuries, Arizona Family reported.

Photos posted to social media showed at least one individual crawling out of the dented white-and-blue aircraft as it leaned into the road verge.

The pilot with over 40 years of flying experience had attempted to avoid power lines and find a clear place to land, Phoenix Fire Captain DJ Lee told the outlet.

The plane hit a water main during the freak landing, but no vehicles or buildings were struck on the busy intersection.

“It is 100% a miracle,” Lee said.

Roads surrounding the scene were closed into Sunday evening as emergency crews removed the plane and worked to repair water main issues, authorities said.

A small plane crashed on 7th St in Phoenix, Arizona. — Three people on board the single-engine plane miraculously suffered only minor injuries. X / @PHXFire

It is not immediately clear what led the crew to make the emergency landing. The FAA will investigate the incident.

The crash comes mere days after a couple, Chris and Jacque Sheafe, were killed when a single-engine Piper PA-32 ran off the runway and erupted in flames at Arizona’s Marana Regional Airport on Wednesday, KOLD reported.

On the same day, a Cessna T-41B plane “veered off the runway” at the Sun Valley-Bison- Fort Mohave Airport in Arizona, and plowed right into a home’s garage.

The two people steering the small aircraft were hospitalized with injuries.

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