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Court awards $12 million to Ahwatukee HOA over seized property

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Court awards  million to Ahwatukee HOA over seized property


PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in favor of property owners in Ahwatukee after they filed a case saying the construction of the South Mountain Loop 202 freeway brought down the value of their homes and weren’t correctly compensated.

The Court ruled that the owners must receive just compensation, and that will be an additional $12 million from the state.

The case was based on the 2017 construction of Loop 202, which took away common areas within the Foothills Reserve Master Planned Community in Phoenix but not their homes.

The Arizona Department of Transportation paid $6 million as fair market value for the common areas.

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However, the homeowners association, representing 589 property owners, filed for damages since the loss of property directly impacted the value of their homes because of “noise, pollution, loss of view and the unsightliness as a result of the South Mountain Freeway.”

The Maricopa County Superior Court ruled in favor of the homeowners, but the Arizona Court of Appeals overturned that decision.

The Arizona Supreme Court disagreed with the lower court and said the property value loss should be included in the compensation to the HOA because of how close the freeway is.

The opinion was unanimous. The case could have an impact on future lawsuits involving Arizona’s infrastructure projects and property value.

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Arizona

Arizona State baseball sets opening-weekend record

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Arizona State baseball sets opening-weekend record


Despite being picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 in the preseason coaches poll, the Arizona State baseball team looked the part of a contender in their season-opening sweep of Ohio State.

And ASU fans noticed.

Arizona State (3-0) set an opening weekend attendance record at Phoenix Muni Stadium with 10,570 fans showing up for the three-game series.

On Sunday, 3,780 fans showed up for the series finale — the largest crowd for a Sunday game during opening weekend in at least 25 years. Sunday’s crowd was bigger than ASU’s opening night crowd of 3,529.

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The Sun Devils won the three games by scores of 9-8, 7-6 and 17-10. Redshirt sophomore first baseman Brandon Compton was the star for ASU, going 5-for-10 with 2 home runs, 7 RBI and 4 walks. Senior catcher Josiah Cromwick also had a big series with 2 home runs and 8 RBI.

“The thing I’ll say about Ohio State is they had plenty of chances to roll over and die and they didn’t,” Arizona State head coach Willie Bloomquist said after Sunday’s win. “They got some scrappers over there that just refused to give in. On the flip side of things, for us getting three wins this weekend, you always celebrate wins and especially a sweep against a team that battles like that.”

Arizona State continues its homestand on Monday against Austin Peay, followed by a three-game series against Oral Roberts.

The Sun Devils don’t play their first road game until they head to Los Angeles on Feb. 25 to play former Pac-12 foe UCLA in a two-game series.

More Arizona State & Big 12 Analysis



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Arizona bats test positive for possibly deadly fungus; wildlife agency seeks public’s help

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Arizona bats test positive for possibly deadly fungus; wildlife agency seeks public’s help


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Bats in southeastern Arizona have tested positive for a fungus that poses a threat to the species, prompting wildlife officials to urge the public to report any potential infections.

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A bat that was part of the cave myotis species in Fort Huachuca, just west of Sierra Vista, tested positive for a fungus known as Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) that can cause deadly white-nose syndrome (WNS), according to the Arizona Department of Game and Fish.

The positive sample was collected during a June 2024 surveillance when Game and Fish identified a bat with abnormal wing features linked to the disease. The agency later discovered four additional bats, including two from other species, that tested positive for trace amounts of the fungus.

Debbie Brewer, a Game and Fish biologist for the Fort Huachuca area, said monitoring for the Pd has existed in the area since 2014, with positive infections found in 2017, followed by low-level spread in 2021 and 2023.

“Though not unexpected, our 2024 high-level positive detection in cave myotis is highly concerning and should put other land managers in the Southwest on alert that habitat protections for this and other species of bat are warranted,” wrote Brewer in a news release.

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White-nose syndrome

Pd, which causes white-nose syndrome, is named after the white fungal growth seen on infected bats. Since 2006, the disease has led to the deaths of millions of bats across 40 U.S. states and nine Canadian provinces, according to Game and Fish.

White-nose syndrome does not pose a risk to humans or pets, but human activity is a major concern for bringing fungal spores into cold, humid caves where bats hibernate, and where optimal growing conditions exist for the fungus.

“This disease did not exist when I first began working with bats. To see new threats to our bat populations like this is disturbing,” said Angie McIntire, a specialist on Arizona bats for Game and Fish.

A bat infected with WNS may display unusual behavior, which Game and Fish said usually appears like the bat is unable to fly or is perched low on a wall or is on the ground.

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The wildlife agency asks the public to help monitor for the disease by reporting any possible cases by email to bats@azgfd.gov, sending a detailed report of the encounter, photos, location and contact information, but also reminds the public to never handle bats.

Game and Fish said since 2019, the fungus has been found in Mohave, Coconino, Yavapai and Cochise counties, and at Grand Canyon National Park. Between 2021 and 2024, a total of eight bats, including cave myotis, southwestern myotis and big brown bats, tested positive for the fungus.

Infections within the cave myotis bat species also have been found nearby in New Mexico and Texas, highlighting to researchers a possible vulnerability among the species for WNS.

Reach reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@gannett.com. Follow him on X, Threads and Bluesky @ReyCJrAZ.

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Arizona mobile bookstore aims to uplift Black storytellers

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Arizona mobile bookstore aims to uplift Black storytellers


From a $10,000 Valentine’s Day Match to long-time pups looking for their forever homes, this week’s episode of Pets on Parade offers many ways to help save the lives of the homeless pets the Arizona Humane Society saves each day. Learn more about AHS and ways to help pets at azhumane.org



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