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Gilbert man dies in Eloy skydiving accident, marking second death in 8 days

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Gilbert man dies in Eloy skydiving accident, marking second death in 8 days


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Eloy police reported that a man from Gilbert, believed to be wearing a wingsuit, died after his parachute failed to deploy before a hard landing on Saturday. This marks the second skydiving-related death in the area within eight days.

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About 11:40 a.m., 32-year-old Shawn Bowen was reportedly skydiving near the Eloy Municipal Airport while wearing a “wingsuit-type apparatus,” according to a news release from the Eloy Police Department on Saturday evening.

Eyewitnesses reported that during Bowen’s freefall, his parachute did not deploy, and he died after injuries he sustained from the landing.

Investigators from Eloy police and the Federal Aviation Administration were interviewing witnesses to determine why Bowen’s parachute failed to deploy.

The Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office was also at the scene to investigate the death and would conduct an autopsy later next week, according to the Eloy police news release.

Police said the victim’s wife had been notified and offered their condolences to Bowen’s loved ones.

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Anyone with information about the death of Bowen was asked to contact the Eloy Police Department at 520-466-7324, ext. 0, referencing case number 2025000741.

Here are recent deaths attributed to skydiving in Arizona

On Jan. 24, Ann Wick, a 55-year-old from Minnesota, died after her parachute failed to deploy after a skydiving experience in the same area as where Bowen died.

Medical personnel attempted lifesaving measures on Wick, but she was later pronounced dead, according to police. The exact cause of death was still under investigation.

Terry Gardner, 73, died at Skydive Arizona on Jan. 31, 2024, after making a hard landing without a fully deployed parachute. Skydive Arizona said Gardner had completed thousands of jumps.

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That incident came several weeks after a hot-air balloon crash killed four people in Eloy. The balloon, operated by Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides, had been carrying 13 people at takeoff — eight of them skydivers who had left the craft before issues arose causing it to crash. None of the skydivers was injured in that incident.

The Arizona Republic’s Jose R. Gonzalez and Perry Vandell contributed to this article.

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



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Arizona Cardinals’ Jordan Burch takes lessons from rookie year

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Arizona Cardinals’ Jordan Burch takes lessons from rookie year


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Last year in early July, Cardinals edge rusher Jordan Burch was a rookie third-round draft pick out of Oregon who was looking forward to his first NFL training camp and eventual first season.

That rookie year is behind him now, and Burch has identified what he needs to improve on heading into his second season. He said he now knows what to expect and look for, and after talking with outside linebackers coach Matt Feeney, Burch built an offseason plan with which he was comfortable.

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“I don’t think anything was like a surprise,” Burch said on Thursday, July 9, at the Cardinals’ Tempe headquarters. “I kind of know what to prep for, so this offseason I can look at my old plays, and then I can call my coach and tell him, from last year to this year, what does he want to see on the field.”

Burch seeks to improve his pass rush. He played in all 17 games last season and had five solo tackles with a sack, and also broke up three passes.

Much of his position was dropping into pass coverage, so Burch looks to recognize pass catchers’ routes better in 2026. He gets help from veteran Josh Sweat, who is there to answer questions about the position they share.

“Every week, every game going against somebody good,” Burch said about takeaways from last season. “The talent of the quarterbacks. We’re playing the Rams, how quickly they get the ball out.”

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Burch looks forward to building a stronger bond with his teammates, having invited some of them for dinner or to watch TV. He said he was happy with his progress as a player throughout last season.

The Cardinals open training camp Wednesday, July 22, at State Farm Stadium. It’s a week earlier than most teams because Arizona plays the Carolina Panthers in the Aug. 6 Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald will be among those inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Aug. 8.



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Arizona is among the worst states to move to, study says. Here’s why

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Arizona is among the worst states to move to, study says. Here’s why


A new study has ranked Arizona as one of the worst states to move to for two years in a row, largely due to what it calls a poor quality of life.

The study conducted by Consumer Affairs analyzed the best states to move to in the United States, putting Arizona at the bottom of the list.

Before Arizonans get too defensive about the Grand Canyon State, Consumer Affairs used factors such as affordability, safety, economic strength and education to measure each state, leaving out factors like entertainment, retirement benefits and other considerations that may be important to people living here.

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Popular states such as California and New York also landed at the bottom of the list due to their lack of affordability, even though they both have some of the best health care and education in the nation, Consumer Affairs noted.

Here’s why the study says you shouldn’t move to Arizona. Do you agree?

Why you shouldn’t move to Arizona

Arizona ranked No. 10 out of the worst states to move to, scoring especially poorly in quality of life.

Quality of life was measured by the state’s Social Progress Index, average air quality, weather, environmental protection and number of national parks. Due to Arizona’s extreme summers and Phoenix’s consistently poor air quality, it’s easy to see why Arizona ranked No. 44 in quality of life out of 50 states, even though the Grand Canyon is one of the most popular national parks in the nation.

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However, Arizona also ranked poorly in other categories, sitting at No. 42 in health care and education, No. 41 in safety and No. 34 in affordability out of 50 states.

There was one category Arizona did impressively well in, ranking No. 5 in economic strength even as one of the youngest states in the country. Still, Arizona’s economic power wasn’t enough to boost its ranking.

Top 10 worst states to move to

Arizona wasn’t alone; some of the biggest states in the country were also considered the worst states to move to in 2026.

  1. New Mexico
  2. Louisiana
  3. California
  4. Arkansas
  5. Oklahoma
  6. Nevada
  7. Alaska
  8. Mississippi
  9. Oregon
  10. Arizona

Top 10 best states to move to

  1. Utah
  2. New Hampshire
  3. Idaho
  4. Minnesota
  5. Massachusetts
  6. Maine
  7. North Dakota
  8. Pennsylvania
  9. Iowa
  10. South Dakota



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WATCH: Arizona’s health insurance marketplace is seeing dropping enrollment

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WATCH: Arizona’s health insurance marketplace is seeing dropping enrollment


PHOENIX — Arizona’s ACA marketplace enrollment fell from 363,000 to just over 255,000 in a single year — a nearly 30% decline and the third-largest annual drop in the country.

Rising premiums and expired tax credits are driving the trend, with the average benchmark plan premium in Arizona now at $532 — up 30% from 2025.

In the player above, ABC15 Data Analyst Garrett Archer takes a look inside the numbers on how healthcare premiums are impacting health insurance enrollment.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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