Arizona

Arizona prison guard union head says attack on video not ‘one-off’

Published

3 weeks ago

May 21, 2025

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Arizona prison guard union head says attack on video not ‘one-off’

A video has surfaced showing an inmate assault in an Arizona prison, raising concerns about systemic issues within the facility.
Critics of prison administration say the video highlights a lack of staff intervention and inadequate supervision.
The Arizona Department of Corrections is investigating the incident, saying it was isolated despite acknowledging a recent increase in prison violence.

A video showing inmates using locks as weapons during an attack inside an Arizona prison is not the only of its kind, according to a prison reform advocate and a corrections union leader.

Both said the footage reflects deeper, systemic failures that prison officials have ignored.

The nearly three-minute cell phone video, posted online May 14, shows a bloodied inmate being chased and beaten by two others swinging padlocks tied to straps.

The attack moves from an interior dormitory space to an outdoor area at the Winchester Unit at Arizona State Prison Complex–Tucson. At no point do correctional staff appear on screen.

“This was not a ‘one-off,’” said Carlos Garcia, executive director of the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association.

The association has discovered multiple videos of “illegal conduct with little or no staff intervention,” Garcia said in a statement.

Administrators who work for Corrections Director Ryan Thornell “have relinquished control to the inmate population,” Garcia said.

Donna Hamm, founder and director of Middle Ground Prison Reform, which watchdogs Arizona’s prison system, echoed Garcia’s concerns in an email to The Arizona Republic. She said there is little supervision in the prisons.

“In many cases of inmate-on-inmate assault, no staff will intervene,” she said. “They simply don’t want to get hurt themselves, and the inmates usually far outnumber the staff.”

She also said that open dorms have poor visibility and limited camera coverage, and that an “override” classification system has allowed high-risk inmates to be placed in lower-security housing.

The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry released a statement on May 20 saying the attack occurred on May 14 and that the department became aware of the video a day after it was posted online.

The statement said the fight was under investigation and that people involved, including the one in possession of a cell phone, would “be held accountable.”

While the department described the attack as an “isolated incident,” the statement said there had been a “recent spike in violence among the inmate population.”

As the department “continues the challenging work of corrections statewide, we are increasing our calls for better support for our staff, including funding for higher pay and better retention, recognizing the critical public safety and high-risk work officers manage each day,” the statement said.

No inmates suffered serious injuries, the department’s statement said. The bloodied man was treated at a hospital and returned to the prison the same day, it said.

The department did not describe the nature of the man’s injuries or define what it considered “serious.”

The department’s Incident Command System, which is tasked with dealing with these kinds of incidents, was activated that same day, the statement said.

The department did not say when staff began responding to the assault. The video shows no signs of intervention.

The department warned that public speculation by “third-party persons” created “intentional obstructions” to safety and diverted resources from its mission.

Hamm argued the department was downplaying the incident.

She said Thornell needed to focus on security and safety, including staff recruitment and training.

“The public doesn’t seem to understand that prisoners far outnumber the guards and that guards actually use prisoners (and need them) for cooperation and even for safety-related issues,” she wrote.

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Arizona

Arizona schools chief accuses Scottsdale Unified board of adopting ‘woke’ curriculum

Published

19 hours ago

June 12, 2025

Press Room

Arizona schools chief accuses Scottsdale Unified board of adopting ‘woke’ curriculum

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — Arizona State Superintendent Tom Horne says he plans to report the Scottsdale Unified School District to the federal government, saying the board violated a signed agreement not to teach diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Horne held a news conference Wednesday with Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan. Together, they called out Scottsdale Unified’s curriculum, particularly a history book that Horne calls a “DEI-oriented textbook” that allegedly contains anti-police propaganda.

Horne called the majority of the school board “woke” for passing the curriculum.

“To label them woke without having ever read what was the 1,250 pages in the textbook is a problem from my perspective,” said Scottsdale Superintendent Scott Menzel.

He says content experts reviewed the book and made an informed recommendation regarding a balanced approach to history that complies with Arizona state standards. Horne points to a passage that says some Black Lives Matter activists believe some deaths that led to the movement were “the result of deeply embedded racism.”

“Well there are many people in this country who don’t think that racism is deeply embedded in this country,” Horne said. “They didn’t give a two sided presentation.”

“We would never adopt a curriculum that was anti-police,” said Menzel. “We do have historically situations where some people argue that we should defund the police. Here in Arizona we had people who removed school resource officers. That’s not something that we would ever contemplate, but from a historical perspective our students should be able to wrestle with why someone might have made that argument.”

The district also responded to the news conference with a statement saying, “Horne’s claims of indoctrination and a so-called ‘leftist curriculum being imposed’ on students are simply untrue and unsupported by fact.”

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Arizona

Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for June 10, 2025

Published

2 days ago

June 11, 2025

Press Room

Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for June 10, 2025

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

Arizona offers Powerball, Mega Millions, The Pick, Triple Twist, Fantasy 5 and Pick 3 as well as Scratchers, Quick Draw and Fast Play.

Lottery players have seen enormous jackpots recently, with previous winners of both the Powerball and Mega Millions breaking into the top 10 largest jackpots in U.S. lottery history. Money raised from Arizona lottery games goes toward funding higher education, health and human services, environmental conservation and economic and business development in the state.

Mega Millions

10-11-14-38-45, Mega Ball: 24

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 3

2-5-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Fantasy 5

02-08-20-30-40

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Triple Twist

01-20-22-23-27-42

Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results

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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Arizona

Why Oprah Winfrey just had to shout out these 3 Arizona spa resorts

Published

3 days ago

June 10, 2025

Press Room

Why Oprah Winfrey just had to shout out these 3 Arizona spa resorts

Three Arizona spas were listed in Oprah Daily’s 2025 Hotel O-Wards.
The list includes spas with exceptional treatments, services and practitioners.

Three of Arizona’s most luxurious destination spa resorts received praise from Oprah Winfrey.

Her website Oprah Daily recently honored 53 destination spas worldwide in the 2025 Hotel O-Wards. Now in its second year, Oprah’s Hotel O-Wards recognize spa resorts whose treatments, services and practitioners are “best-in-class.”

The 17 honorees in the U.S. and Canada include three from Arizona: Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, Mii amo and Castle Hot Springs.

The three resorts are no stranger to recognition among Arizona’s most celebrated travel experiences, with Oprah Daily praising each of them for high quality and distinctive services.

Here’s a look at each of the Arizona honorees and why they were selected.

Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, Scottsdale

Scottsdale has more than 50 resort and day spas, according to Experience Scottsdale, the city’s convention and visitors bureau. Sanctuary Camelback Mountain stood out among them in the Hotel O-Wards survey because of the size of its spa − 12,000 square feet − and the diversity of its treatment menu.

Standout offerings include a restorative meditation experience called Nidra sound voyage, which is claimed to equal three hours of sleep, and a form of underwater shiatsu massage known as watsu therapy.

Mii amo, Sedona

The accolades for this wellness spa within Enchantment Resort in Sedona’s Boynton Canyon − a vortex believed to have healing energy − have piled up since a $40 million renovation was finished in 2023, including from USA TODAY readers who named it the nation’s best spa in 2024.

Oprah Daily cited the renovation for elevating its offerings, including 23 casitas, 26 treatment rooms, a two-story fitness studio and a new restaurant, Hummingbird.

All-inclusive getaways at Mii amo can last from three to 10 nights, with treatments including past-life regression with a hypnotherapist and aura photography, both cited by Oprah Daily as highlights.

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Castle Hot Springs, Bradshaw Mountains

One of Arizona’s oldest resorts, the 1,100-acre Castle Hot Springs in the Bradshaw Mountains north of Phoenix offers wellness retreats that include bathing in the resort’s mineral-rich hot springs.

A multimillion-dollar renovation brought the resort back to life in 2019 after a fire shuttered it in the mid-1970s; its second life has seen widespread critical acclaim, including Travel + Leisure declaring it Arizona’s best resort in three of the last four years.

Oprah Daily praised the water-centric programming, including watsu therapy in the hot springs, paddleboard yoga and − in contrast with the average 106-degree temperatures of the springs − a newly introduced cold plunge pool with temperatures ranging from 43 to 46 degrees.

Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com.

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