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What will Cardinals do at pass rusher following BJ Ojulari injury?

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What will Cardinals do at pass rusher following BJ Ojulari injury?


GLENDALE — The Arizona Cardinals on Friday suffered a serious blow defensively with the loss of second-year pass rusher BJ Ojulari to a reported torn ACL.

Consistently earning first-team reps after making a noticeable jump this offseason, all signs pointed to Ojulari commanding a starting role come Week 1.

Now with that thought firmly out the window in 2024, general manager Monti Ossenfort, head coach Jonathan Gannon and the rest of Arizona’s coaching staff are left to pick up pieces at a position that didn’t see a massive revamp like other spots on the roster.

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But as Gannon said on Saturday, “the sun’s up now and we gotta go to work.”

A look at the paths Ossenfort and Co. could take following Ojulari’s season-ending knee injury:

In-house options

The Cardinals did little in adding to the outside linebackers room this offseason. Some of that could have been the free-agent market. Confidence in the guys already on the roster was likely a factor, as well.

The latter thought was made even more apparent with the two-year contract extension pass rusher Zaven Collins inked ahead of Friday’s Red & White Practice.

Ossenfort had said months ago he would like to keep Collins around after deciding against picking up the inside-turned-outside linebacker’s fifth-year option. And while the timing of the extension coincides with Ojulari going down for the year, Ossenfort was true on his word and had been working with Collins’ camp on a new deal well before Friday’s development.

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Collins has taken steps forward in the pass-rushing department since working through the switch while also providing a voice in the room for players like Ojulari to lean on, especially when working through coverages.

His role in the defense looks even more solidified now given the extension.

As for who lines up across from him, there’s a clear candidate in Dennis Gardeck, who was already firmly in the discussion before the Ojulari injury.

“He is one of the more complete players I’ve honestly ever been around,” defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said in July. “I think he’s an extremely good pass rusher. He can cover as good as any outside linebacker can cover. And he can win with leverage in the run game.

“He can provide value for us along the line of scrimmage, in space, all of that. If he takes strides in all parts of his game, he’s going to bring that much more value to our defense.”

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As for the depth immediately behind Gardeck and Collins, the two names to keep in mind are Victor Dimukeje and Jesse Luketa.

Dimukeje is coming off a career year highlighted by four sacks (tied for second on the team), five tackles for loss and eight QB hits across 16 games played (six starts).

Luketa meanwhile showed off his versatility last year, playing both fullback and outside linebacker in 14 games (one start).

He also turned in one of the better pass rushes during Saturday’s Red & White Practice during 1-on-1 work.

Dimukeje could very well be the first sub in for Collins and Gardeck with Luketa not that far behind.

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A dark horse in all of this is 2024 fifth-rounder Xavier Thomas.

Picking up the phone

Simply for depth purposes, Arizona is bound to bring another body in one way or another.

How that happens is anyone’s guess. What we do know is those discussions are already underway.

Ossenfort has a few options to consider.

He can scour what’s left of the free agent market in the hopes of adding depth sooner than later. With training camp nearing its final phase ahead of preseason action, any extra time within Arizona’s system is a plus.

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Then again, if players are still looking for a team at this time of the year, it’s likely for good reason, whether it’s centered around pay or performance.

Ossenfort getting on the phone with other GMs around the league to gauge any trade interest is on the table, too.

There’s also the possibility Ossenfort waits for the league’s 53-man roster cutdown day on Aug. 27 before making a decision.

Either way, the options are aplenty.

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3 men sentenced in Arizona for multi-million dollar scam against Amazon

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3 men sentenced in Arizona for multi-million dollar scam against Amazon


PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Three Valley men have been sentenced for their roles in what prosecutors described as a “sophisticated fraud scheme” against an online shopping giant.

In a news release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Mughith Faisal, 29, of Glendale, was sentenced on Feb. 5 to 18 months in prison. His brother, Basheer Faisal, 28, of Glendale, was also recently ordered to spend 18 months in prison.

The feds said a third defendant in the case, Abdullah Alwan, 28, of Surprise, was sentenced to six months in prison after the trio pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

Prosecutors said the three were also each ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution to Amazon.

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According to federal officials, Alwan worked in Amazon’s logistics division and left the company in 2021 when he reportedly used his knowledge to manipulate rates for transportation deliveries assigned to Amazon’s third-party carriers.

The feds said Basheer and Mughith Faisal used “Blue Line Transport” to knowingly get to increased transport rates that Alwan would then input into Amazon’s system, ripping them off out of $4.5 million.

The FBI’s Phoenix Division helped in the investigation, which was then prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

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Copyright 2026 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.



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Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 3, 2026

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Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 3, 2026


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The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Tuesday, March 3, 2026 results for each game:

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Winning Mega Millions numbers

07-21-53-54-62, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers

2-0-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers

02-05-18-27-41

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Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Triple Twist numbers

11-14-17-19-23-24

Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results

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What time is the Powerball drawing?

Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?

In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.

How to play the Powerball

To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.

You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.

To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:

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  • 5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
  • 5 white balls = $1 million.
  • 4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
  • 4 white balls = $100.
  • 3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
  • 3 white balls = $7.
  • 2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
  • 1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
  • 1 red Powerball = $4.

There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:

Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

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Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Autopsies show Arizona teens were both shot in the head while camping

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Autopsies show Arizona teens were both shot in the head while camping


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  • Two teenagers were fatally shot while camping northeast of Phoenix in May 2025.
  • Both Evan Clark, 17, and Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, were shot in the head, autopsy reports said.
  • A 31-year-old man was arrested and indicted on two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths.

A 17-year-old boy who was fatally shot while camping with a female classmate northeast of Phoenix died from gunshot wounds to the head, according to the first page of his autopsy report.

Evan Clark, 17, and Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, were camping just off State Route 87 near Mount Ord when the two were shot and killed. Investigators discovered their bodies, which had been moved into nearby brush to conceal them, on May 26, 2025.

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The first page of Clark’s autopsy report, which The Arizona Republic obtained March 3, found that his death was a homicide with multiple gunshot wounds to the head. The first page of Kjolsrud’s autopsy report also ruled her death a homicide with her cause of death being gunshot wounds to the head and upper body.

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office detectives ultimately arrested Thomas Brown, 31, of Chandler on Oct. 2, 2025, in connection with their deaths. Brown was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder and remained in jail on a $2 million cash-only bond.

Detectives found Brown’s DNA on gloves inside Clark’s SUV that had Kjolsrud’s blood on them as well, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Partial autopsy reports made available following legal fight

While The Republic has obtained the first pages of both Clark’s and Kjolsrud’s autopsy reports, the remaining pages appeared to remain sealed as of March 3 since Simone Kjolsrud, Pandora’s mother, petitioned to have the autopsy reports sealed or redacted. Simone Kjolsrud argued that various details about her daughter and aspects of her personal life, potentially included in such documents, should remain private and outweigh the public’s right to know.

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A Sept. 25, 2025, motion that sought to block the report’s release argued the report could contain information law enforcement hasn’t yet shared and could impair the ongoing criminal investigation.

“Simone Kjolsrud fears that, if released, her daughter’s Medical Examiner’s Report may end up on the internet or be broadcast on the news, which would undoubtedly cause additional trauma and even jeopardize her constitutional right to justice in this case,” the motion stated.

Kjolsrud asked that Clark’s autopsy be sealed as well, arguing that it would likely contain details similar to her daughter’s.

Matthew Kelley, an attorney representing The Republic and other Arizona media outlets, previously objected to the autopsies being sealed and asked that the temporary protective order be vacated.

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“To be sure, these killings are particularly traumatic for a surviving family member,” Kelley wrote in his objection. “But the pain felt by a family member cannot override the public’s right to inspect public records reflecting the performance of law enforcement and other public agencies entrusted with investigating such crimes. A veil of secrecy only raises unnecessary speculation about such public performance.”

It was not immediately clear whether Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Geoffrey Fish, who initially ordered the autopsies remain sealed as he reviewed their contents, would unseal additional pages in their entirety or with redactions.

Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at perry.vandell@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-2474. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @PerryVandell.





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