Arizona
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The Republic
Arizona had some of the nation’s most frequent reports of lasers pointed at aircraft in 2024, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which said lasers posed a severe danger to pilots, passengers, and everyone above a flight path.
The FAA received 550 reports from pilots in Arizona skies who were struck by a laser, which put Arizona sixth on a list of the states with the most reports of laser-related incidents.
At the top of the list in 2024 was California, with 1,489 reports, followed by Texas with 1,463, Florida with 810, Tennessee with 649, and Illinois with 662.
Nationwide, there were nearly 13,000 laser strikes reported by pilots in the U.S., a 3% decrease from last year but which the FAA said still remained too high.
The number in Arizona was also down, but only slightly, with 558 laser incidents reported by pilots in 2023.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the state’s busiest airport, handles hundreds of flights daily over the Phoenix area, home to approximately 5 million people.
“Lasers can incapacitate pilots, many of whom are flying airplanes with hundreds of passengers,” the FAA said in an announcement.
Since the FAA began tracking laser incidents in 2010, 328 pilots have sustained injuries from laser strikes. Pilots hit by a laser often experience temporary vision disruptions, including glare, afterimages, or blind spots.
The FAA said people who shine lasers at aircraft face FAA fines of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple laser incidents, and that violators can also face federal criminal penalties of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, as well as state and local penalties.
In 2019, a man from Mesa was arrested on suspicion of aiming a laser pointer at a Mesa police helicopter.
In 2016, a man was arrested and accused of pointing a laser at several aircraft at different Valley airports, including Sky Harbor.
The agency has asked pilots to report laser incidents to a dedicated online webpage.
Reach reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@gannett.com. Follow him on X, Threads and Bluesky @ReyCJrAZ.
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One fortunate Arizona lottery player will take home nearly $1.5 million after a winning Triple Twist Jackpot ticket was sold at a metro Phoenix grocery store, Arizona Lottery officials said.
The ticket, which was worth $1,470,218, was sold at the Safeway located near Peoria Avenue and Cotton Lane in Surprise.
Sunday’s winning numbers were 12,17,18,19,41 and 42.
The next Triple Twist drawing is on Monday night. With the jackpot hit, the estimated jackpot for the next drawing is $200,000.
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Arizona didn’t have the best start, but a long second half drained the life from Arizona State and sent the Wildcats back home to Tucson with a 23-7 victory, and the Territorial Cup in hand.
Brent Brennan’s first win in the rivalry series punctuates a dramatic turnaround for the program. After a 4-8 finish last season, Brennan’s aggressiveness in the portal, while retaining his roster, and making significant changes to the coaching staff, led to a 9-3 finish this time around.
The Wildcats have been great defensively all season long, and it showed up again on Friday night. The Wildcats forced five turnovers from ASU’s Jeff Sims, nabbing three interceptions and scooping up two fumbles.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Wildcats dominated the game defensively, despite only playing 20 minutes of the game. Here are the five highest-graded defenders from Arizona’s win (minimum 30 snaps).
Kennedy had a relatively quiet night in the box score, but was still effective on the edge. He made two tackles and had one pressure against the Sun Devils.
The edge rusher did a great job of keeping contain against Sims, not letting him scramble or beat the Wildcats with his legs. He did the same thing in the run game. With the exception of a few plays, ASU could only run the ball between the tackles, and the edges were a big reason why.
According to PFF, Kennedy had an overall grade of 68.3, with a tackling grade of 75.8, a run defense grade of 66.5 and a pass rush grade of 62.7.
Dansby had a big day locking down the perimeter with fellow corner Jay’Vion Cole limited to just eight snaps. The senior corner had two tackles, one pass breakup and an interception.
ASU’s first turnover of the day came as Sims was flushed from the pocket and made an errant throw toward the sideline, where Dansby dove and came up with the takeaway. He allowed just one short catch on five targets, but he also had a pass interference penalty.
Break out the turnover sword. 🗡️@dansby_michael with the INT. pic.twitter.com/pzFghLex4c
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) November 29, 2025
According to PFF, Dansby had an overall grade of 68.9, with a coverage grade of 71.4, a tackling grade of 76.6 and a run defense grade of 56.1.
Wilson had a great day opposite Kennedy on the edge. He made six tackles and batted down two passes at the line of scrimmage in the win for Arizona.
Like Kennedy, Wilson did a great job of keeping ASU contained to the pocket or running between the tackles in traffic. He also had two hits on Sims as a pass rusher, making his presence felt.
According to PFF, Wilson had an overall grade of 69.0, with a tackling grade of 78.3, a run defense grade of 75.2 and a pass rush grade of 57.1.
Arizona’s safeties once again were flying around the field and always near the ball. Smith was huge against the run, making six tackles and deflecting one pass.
While tackling has been a problem for Smith this season, he was perfect against the Sun Devils. He played close to stop the run and also picked up one pressure. Smith didn’t allow any catches as the primary defender and made some key tackles downfield to prevent ASU from scoring.
According to PFF, Smith had an overall grade of 71.7, with a tackling grade of 82.9, a run defense grade of 74.6 and a coverage grade of 68.7.
Who else? Johnson was once again all over the field making plays. He made three tackles, two pass breakups, one interception and forced a fumble in the fourth quarter.
Johnson punched the ball away from Sims on a run with ASU driving into scoring range, and Arizona recovered and went on the score the final touchdown to seal the game. On the ensuing possession, Sims overshot his man and Johnson laid out to snatch the pick, the fifth and final takeaway of the day for the Wildcats.
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🌵 that’s four, fam. pic.twitter.com/VCwlvoY8yY— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) November 29, 2025
According to PFF, Johnson had an overall grade of 83.3, by far his highest grade of the season. He also had a run defense grade of 92.7, a coverage grade of 71.3 and a tackling grade of 56.2.
What did you think of Arizona’s statement win over Arizona State? To let us know, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.
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