Arizona
New part of Arizona border wall is dangerous for rare fish
PHOENIX — A newly built segment of the southern Arizona border wall may bolster national security, but it will endanger one of the rarest desert fish in the U.S., according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
The Sonora chub in Arizona is one of only two populations of the species in the U.S. and is protected under the Endangered Species Act. The fish live in the California Gulch, a stream in the western portion of the Atascosa Highlands, a region consisting of three small mountain ranges along the international border just west of Nogales.
The newly built border wall and paved road have impeded the flow of the stream where the fish live, according to a report the center released Wednesday.
The desert fish, a minnow that grows up to 20 centimeters in length, also feeds off of many native food sources in the surrounding streams. Though its Arizona population has remained steady since its discovery in 1995, the Center for Biological Diversity is concerned new infrastructure will push the fish to the brink.
Krista Kemppinen, a senior scientist at the center, said new border infrastructure is cutting this population off from its lifeline in Sonora.
“Designating California Gulch as critical habitat is more urgent than ever to minimize other threats, such as by keeping cows out of the Sonora chub’s pools,” Kemppinen said in a press release.
She also shared ideas for steps federal authorities can take to balance border security with environmental preservation.
“It’s also imperative that carefully designed culverts be added to the new border infrastructure to allow at least some semblance of a natural streamflow and migration. If federal officials are serious about saving this fish, they need to act now,” Kemppinen said.
What progress is being made to protect the fish from the new Arizona border wall segment?
Time is of the essence because the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service previously stated it would not act on a request to help preserve the fish’s habitat until 2027 at the earliest.
This announcement followed a 36-page petition submitted by the Center for Biological Diversity in March 2023.
Kemppinen said authorities should designate four miles of the fish’s native area in Arizona as critical habitat.
“The Sonora chub’s survival depends on being able to access scarce desert water on both sides of the border, exchange genetic material with nearby populations in Mexico, and bolster its populations with upstream migrations of fish from Sonora after droughts,” Kemppinen said. “The new construction makes all that impossible.”
Besides access to water, other threats to the Sonora chub include uranium mining, nearby livestock grazing and recreational activity like the creation of hiking trails.
PAGE, AZ (AZFamily) — A person accused of making terroristic threats toward a northern Arizona medical facility was arrested Friday morning.
Just after 10:30 p.m., police received a report of a person calling the facility and threatening to kill staff and Native Americans, according to the Page Police Department.
Authorities said staff placed the facility on lockdown until officers identified the suspect and arrested them outside their home.
The suspect was booked on charges of disorderly conduct, threatening and intimidating, and making terroristic threats. Police have not publicly identified the person.
“The Page Police Department is grateful for and supports the medical staff’s decision to put the medical facility into lockdown until the suspect was arrested and the situation was rendered safe,” the department said in a Facebook post.
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In these four-round projections, the Arizona Cardinals don’t get a tackle until the fourth round.
We are just days away from the 2026 NFL draft, and that means some final mock drafts. What direction will the draft take the Arizona Cardinals?
Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy put together a four-round mock draft for the Cardinals. They go defense early but rebuild the offense for 2026 and moving forward, including landing their potential franchise quarterback.
Cardinals 4-round mock draft
Here are the players in the first four rounds Popejoy projects for Arizona.
- Round 1: Ohio State EDGE/LB Arvell Reese
- Round 2: Alabama QB Ty Simpson
- Round 3: Clemson WR Antonio Williams
- Round 4: Florida OT Austin Barber
What we think of the picks
The Cardinals want to trade out of the third pick and draft a tackle, so not getting a tackle until Round 4 seems unlikely, although they did meet with Barber. They do have options at right tackle for 2026 already on the roster.
Reese would be a great pick if they don’t trade back, as they badly need pass-rushing help off the edge.
Drafting Simpson seems inevitable at this point, so it has to be in a mock draft, although the feeling is they will need to go up into Round 1 again to get him.
Williams has speed and is almost six feet tall, but he does have short arms.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Due to significant injuries to the CB position last year which includes a shoulder surgery for Terrion Arnold, the Lions CB position scored a 6/10 need on my Lions Defensive Draft Need Rankings. Thus, an early-round selection of a young, healthy prospect like Keith Abney would not come as a surprise. He enters the draft with very low medical concern level.
Here is the excerpt from my medical report on Keith Abney:
(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information are unverified and subject to update. Games played data courtesy of sports-reference.com.)
Keith Abney, CB (21) – Arizona State
Projected round 2-3. #43 on Jeff Risdon board Feb 19.
Concern level 0/10
There is an isolated report of a hand injury but no corroborating information. Even if the hand injury is true, that’s of minimal to no long-term concern.
His availability in his final two seasons has been perfect. Overall, Abney appears to be medically clean and is at an excellent age.
He finished college with 6 INT and 21 PBU.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Jimmy on X, @JimmyLiaoMD
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