Arizona
Gas, airline prices remain high in Arizona as Iran War reaches 2-month mark
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Two months since the war in Iran began, the conflict shows no clear ending in sight.
President Donald Trump posted on social media that Iran is in a “state of collapse” but offered no additional context for what that means. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
The ripple effects of the war are felt around the world, with changes in gas and fuel prices impacting consumers.
Gas prices climb
In the days before the war began, the average price for a gallon of gas in Arizona was $3.59. On Tuesday, April 28, the average is $4.63. That price is even higher in Maricopa County, sitting at $4.76.
“My husband has a diesel truck, and that’s just outrageous right now. I put premium in my car, so it’s very expensive, too,” said Kathie Nunn, who lives in Phoenix.
Airline costs soar
It’s not just drivers feeling the pinch. Flyers are too.
“I would say roughly 15 or 20 percent more is what I’ve noticed that I have to pay more,” one traveler said.
The week before the war started, the price of jet fuel was $2.50 a gallon. On Tuesday, April 28, the price is $4.26, according to Airlines for America.
“I fly Southwest mostly. I was able to get a straight flight home and two from here. It was higher than normal, for sure,” said Patrick Foy, who was flying from Phoenix to Louisiana.
Major airliners have already raised checked baggage fees because of the rising fuel prices, while some of the smaller, budget airlines are asking the federal government for billions of dollars in assistance.
“It’s obviously frustrating. It affects our family’s budget,” Foy said.
Gas experts have said even when the war in Iran ends, the full relief people see at the pump or when buying a plane ticket will most likely not be immediate.
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GARDEN CITY, UT (AZFamily) — An Arizona teen drowned while paddleboarding at a lake in Utah, according to officials with the Utah Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division.
Officials responded to Ideal Beach on Bear Lake on Saturday for reports of a drowning and found that the 17-year-old had become separated from his paddleboard and was not wearing a life jacket.
First responders pulled the teen from the lake and gave life-saving measures, but he did not survive, officials said.
“This is a tragic and unfortunate circumstance. The Utah Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division extends condolences to family and friends,” the department said in a statement.
The teen was not identified. The drowning is under investigation.
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Here are The Arizona Republic’s high school players of the year for the spring 2026 Arizona Interscholastic Association season. The players were selected by the Republic sports staff based on coaches’ input along with performances during the season and AIA statistics. All of them were included as part of The Republic’s All-Arizona teams for each sport that were presented over the previous week. Sports on this list are listed alphabetically.
Baseball
Kellan Tom, Tempe Corona del Sol, 1B/RHP, Sr.
The Arizona State commit was voted the AIA 6A Conference Player of the Year by the coaches. He became the ace of the pitching staff, leading the Aztecs to the state final with a 7-2 record. He hit .440 with 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 43 RBIs.
Beach volleyball
Vivian Hickman, Sr., and Kate MacDonald, Sr., Xavier Prep
We select two players in this category since beach is a pairs game. MacDonald and Hickman won the Division I pairs championship. MacDonald, who committed to Boise State, finished runner-up in 2024 and 2025 while teamed with different partners. This year, she clicked with Hickman, who competed in her freshman year, but then stepped away for two seasons while focusing on indoor volleyball. Hickman, a UCLA commit, was part of the Gators’ fall indoor volleyball championship teams in 2024 and ’25 before returning to beach this spring.
Boys volleyball
Tommy Henige, Gilbert Perry, MH, Jr.
Biggest force in the state and one of the greatest impact players in the nation, the 6-foot-9 UCLA commit helped lead the Pumas to a second straight 6A championship with a dominating performance against Mesa Mountain View. He crushed every ball near him. Henige, who comes from a family of volleyball players, competed in the USA Volleyball Boys U19 National Team that competed in the world championships last summer.
Softball
Tanner Banks, Mohave Accelerated, C, Sr.
She ended up the state’s all-time record holder at any level for home runs (70), RBIs (303) and doubles (77). The Boise State commit played on baseball teams until she was 12, before staying with softball full-time. This season, she led the 2A team with a .710 batting average, 21 home runs, 20 doubles and 82 RBIs.
Tennis
Boys: Vikram Narendran, Tucson Rincon/University, Sr.
Narendran won his third straight Division I state singles championship, entering the bracket as the No. 1 seed and becoming one of six players in state history to win three straight singles titles.
Girls: Japneet Kaur, Boulder Creek, Jr.
Kaur, the No. 1 seed, defeated her teammate and No. 2 seed Michelle Bullock for the D-I title for second title in the past three years. She also won in 2024 and finished runner-up in 2025 to Bullock.
Track and Field
Boys: Ryder Hall, Snowflake, Sr.
The state’s definitive best jumper. The future decathlete at BYU spent most of the season ranked No. 1 in Arizona for the triple jump (48 feet, 11.5 inches), long jump (23-11) and high jump (6-10). He won Division IV state titles in all three jump events and the 110-meter hurdles, running 13.99 (ranked No. 3 in the state). Hall was the AIA state champion in the triple and long jump.
Girls: Imani Galera-Young, Chandler, Sr.
She put together a year to remember, breaking the Arizona state record in the 300-meter hurdles at 40.65. In the 300-hurdles, the Arkansas signee won eight out of nine races. Galera-Young swept both hurdle titles at the Division I and AIA State Championships. She ended the season at 13.53 in the 100-hurdles, No. 2 in the state.
(The Republic’s Chris Coppola contributed to this report).
TUCSON, Ariz. – A former Tucson mental health counselor was arrested for allegedly producing child pornography.
What we know:
According to the Department of Homeland Security, 33-year-old Xiomar Diaz, of Tucson, is accused of being involved in the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with child victims, one of whom lived in Tucson.
(Department of Homeland Security)
Diaz, who was a mental health counselor at a behavior health care organization, worked in some capacity with kids. Officials said he spoke to children online under the usernames “velander12” or “Xixi.”
Several items, including two iPhones, were seized. Officials found around 20 CSAM images or videos, including ones of Diaz engaging in sexual acts with a “young male in the back of Diaz’s vehicle,” according to a criminal complaint. Those videos were created on May 11.
On a second phone, 20 additional images or videos were discovered, along with a conversation on Snapchat between Diaz and a 15-year-old victim, where they exchanged sexual videos and talked about filming sexual acts together, the report said.
Dig deeper:
Dropbox also reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a user uploading videos of suspected CSAM in November 2025.
He was arrested by special agents with ICE Homeland Security Investigations, following an investigation with Tucson Police.
What you can do:
Due to his profession working in proximity with children, authorities are looking for additional information to help identify potential victims he may have abused.
“If your child, or a child you know, was in contact with Xiomar Diaz, please contact the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE or through ICE’s online tip form, or contact your local law enforcement.”
The Source: Department of Homeland Security
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