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

No. 2 Arizona tops Iowa State to win outright Big 12 title

Published

4 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

No. 2 Arizona tops Iowa State to win outright Big 12 title

TUCSON, Ariz. — Jaden Bradley scored 17 points, Motiejus Krivas had 13 and No. 2 Arizona clinched the outright Big 12 regular-season title with a 73-57 win over No. 6 Iowa State on Monday night.

The Wildcats (28-2, 15-2) secured at least a share of the conference crown by using big runs in each half to beat No. 14 Kansas 84-61 on Saturday.

Arizona earned it outright by smothering Iowa State defensively to give Tommy Lloyd his 140th victory, most in NCAA history in a coach’s first five seasons.

“The Big 12 is the best basketball conference in the country,” Lloyd said while addressing the home crowd after the game, “and to win it by a couple of games, it’s pretty impressive. So take your hats off to these guys right here.”

Coming off their first home loss of the season, the Cyclones (24-6, 11-6) labored against Arizona’s physical defense, shooting 29% from the field, including 7-of-30 from 3-point range.

During his postgame news conference, Lloyd called out the narrative surrounding his team when discussing the Wildcats’ toughness and physicality.

“I think the narrative that we were soft is lazy. I mean, look at our stats, look at our analytics — we’ve always been a great rebounding team, we’ve always pounded the paint,” Lloyd said. “If you want to just be lazy and not pay attention and say we’re soft because we’re on the West Coast, be lazy, and I’d love to play against you.”

Tamin Lipsey led Iowa State with 17 points, but leading scorer Milan Momcilovic was held to five points on 2-of-8 shooting. The nation’s best 3-point shooter at 51%, Momcilovic went 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.

Neither team could make much of anything, due to good defense and poor shooting.

Iowa State shot 9-of-33 from the field and 4-of-20 from 3 in the first half.

Arizona labored most of the half as the Cyclones focused on defending the paint before the Wildcats closed on a 15-3 run to lead 37-25 at halftime.

It only got worse for Iowa State to start the second half. The Cyclones missed their first eight shots as Arizona stretched the lead to 16.

Iowa State briefly found an offensive rhythm, using a 10-1 run to pull to within 44-37, but didn’t hit a field goal for more than five minutes as Arizona stretched the lead back to 15.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Arizona

Arizona NAACP responds to ‘Simon Says’ case, calls for police accountability

Published

16 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Arizona NAACP responds to ‘Simon Says’ case, calls for police accountability

PHOENIX — The Arizona NAACP is responding to the violent arrest of Israel Devoe, a Phoenix man who was acquitted of all charges stemming from a 2024 traffic stop in which officers punched, kneed, and elbowed him.

Sarah Tyree, president of the Arizona NAACP State Conference, said the case is part of a broader and familiar pattern.

“What happened here reflects a pattern our communities know all too well. Time and again, we see policing tactics that are dangerous and deeply harmful to civilians, yet are later justified as ‘within policy’ through carefully crafted reports and the broad protections afforded under Graham v. Connor,” Tyree wrote in an emailed statement following an ABC15 investigation.

RELATED: Phoenix man to file lawsuit after dangerous game of ‘Simon Says’ with police

Phoenix police officials found all four officers involved in Devoe’s arrest to have acted within policy, records show.

After a two-day trial, jurors unanimously found Devoe not guilty on all four of the felony charges against him — including aggravated assault on officers and resisting arrest.

In her statement, Tyree said true accountability is not possible without changing state law.

“Accountability remains out of reach in Arizona because the Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights continues to insulate misconduct from meaningful oversight, too often shifting blame onto the very communities most impacted by these encounters,” she wrote. “We also encourage Arizona voters to engage their state legislators and advocate for the repeal or amendment of the Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights to ensure systems of public safety are truly accountable to the public they serve.”

Devoe’s case again highlights problems with policing in Phoenix, which has been under scrutiny following a Department of Justice investigation that found the city had a pattern and practice of using excessive force, discrimination, and weak oversight.

ABC15 is committed to finding the answers you need and holding those accountable.

Submit your news tip to Investigators@abc15.com

The push for federal oversight ended in 2025 after the Trump administration ended such efforts across the country.

Devoe’s civil attorney, Jesse Showalter, also represents Tyron McAlpin, a deaf Black man with cerebral palsy who was violently arrested by Phoenix officers in July 2024. Showalter has said both cases reflect what he described as an accepted norm of extreme violence within the Phoenix Police Department.

A Phoenix police spokesperson said the department declines to comment because Devoe is set to file a lawsuit against the city.

This digital article was produced with the assistance of AI and converted to this platform based on the broadcast story written and reported by ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing (Dave@abc15.com). Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Arizona

Arizona Lottery Pick 3, Fantasy 5 results for March 1, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Arizona Lottery Pick 3, Fantasy 5 results for March 1, 2026

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

Here’s a look at Sunday, March 1, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers

6-4-2

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers

01-07-11-18-28

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Triple Twist numbers

12-17-23-31-37-42

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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