Fugitive Returned to Arizona After 17 Years

U.S. Marshals returned Jorge Lamadrid-Carranza to Arizona on Thursday, 17 years after he missed a sentencing hearing in a federal marijuana case and fled to Mexico.

Trouble started in Tucson in September 2007, when investigators seized nearly 11,000 pounds of marijuana worth about $5.5 million from a vehicle and a house fitted with commercial refrigeration for storing and processing it. A detective later testified the operation moved roughly $61 million.

Lamadrid-Carranza was arrested again in 2008 in a Michigan federal case, posted a $10,000 bond, and pleaded guilty in March 2009 to a conspiracy involving nearly four tons of marijuana. He skipped sentencing, and Pima County prosecutors tried him in absentia on 18 felony charges.

Mexican authorities caught him in Playa del Carmen in October 2023, three years before his return to Arizona. “This case exemplifies the rewards of patience, perseverance, and hard work,” Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said.

Arizona Lands $5M for Teacher Apprentices

The Arizona Department of Education won a $5 million federal grant spread over five years to train more special education teachers.

The money expands the state’s teacher apprenticeship program, which places people training to become teachers into local classrooms alongside a mentor teacher while they work toward certification. The new special education track pays apprentices while they train.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said the program already serves more than 90 apprentices statewide and has doubled enrollment in the past year. “Nearly half of current apprentices are pursuing special education certification, demonstrating the strong demand for these pathways,” Horne said in announcing the award.

Special education teaching is one of Arizona’s hardest jobs to fill, and 14% of the state’s teachers left the classroom during the 2024-25 school year. The department says 97% of apprentices stay with the program.

Health Care Leads Arizona Job Growth

Arizona is on track to add about 45,800 jobs by spring 2027, and more than half of them are in health care.

Health care and social assistance account for 26,418 of those jobs, ahead of trade, transportation, and utilities at 7,171 and leisure and hospitality at 5,749. Semiconductors, construction and skilled trades, and financial services are hiring too, and the companies doing so say a resume only gets a candidate in the door.

The market job seekers walk into now is slower than the boom years. Arizona’s unemployment rate edged up to 4.9% in June from 4.8% in May, though the state still added 23,600 jobs over the year while hiring nationally was flat.

Growth should pick up gradually, from 0.1% in 2025 to 0.5% this year and 1% in 2027, short of the pace Arizona maintained for most of the past 30 years.

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➤ Tucson: A federal judge sentenced Amanda Miller, 35, the self-described “Queen of the South,” to 17 years in prison for running a Sinaloa Cartel-linked drug ring from Mexico while a fugitive. Agents seized 14 firearms, eight vehicles, and $134,000. (More)

➤ Mesa: A private gun sale in the Bass Pro Shops parking lot near Dobson Road ended with multiple shots fired Thursday afternoon, sending a woman to the hospital. A man and a teenager were taken into custody. (Watch Report)

➤ Winslow: A driver going the wrong way on Interstate 40 told troopers he was playing a game called “Lunatic” and supervised the two other players because he was the oldest. Troopers arrested him on suspicion of endangerment and reckless driving. (More)

➤ Clarkdale: Yavapai College’s Verde Valley campus opened two dorm buildings, five RV pads, and five tiny homes built by students in its construction classes. The dorms hold 24 students, and the project cost up to $3.5 million. (More)

➤ Bullhead City: Gunfire in the 1800 block of Coral Isle Drive killed one man and wounded two others Thursday evening. Police are searching for one suspect who fled; one victim was flown to a Las Vegas hospital in critical condition. (More)

➤ Bisbee: The town is hosting its first Oktoberfest today, honoring the German-speaking Swiss immigrants who established a brewery in the gulch. One of them, Joseph Muheim, kept a beer-drinking pet bear. Proceeds benefit the Muheim Heritage House Museum. (See Details)

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➤ The Arizona Diamondbacks began their final three games at San Diego on Friday, two games behind Philadelphia for the last National League wild card spot. Arizona holds the tiebreaker, so it needs to gain two games over the three-game series. (See Scenarios)

➤ The Arizona Wildcats rank last in the Big 12 in rushing at 123.3 yards per game heading into today’s 4:30 p.m. kickoff at Washington State. Offensive coordinator Seth Doege said the fix starts with him. (More)

➤ The Cardinals rank second to last in the NFL in play-action usage at 17.1%, while San Francisco ranks second at 34.4% ahead of Sunday’s game in Santa Clara. Arizona’s run game hasn’t given defenses much reason to bite. (See Matchup)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | MLB | NHL | Soccer | Golf

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➤ Chuck Norris spent years researching what he believed were hidden threats inside the body that contribute to “rapid aging.” He identified three “internal enemies” that may affect energy, digestion, muscles, and joints. Before his passing, Chuck recorded a short video explaining what he discovered and the approach he believed could help. Watch the video here >>

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➤ The 13th annual Garlic Festival returns to the Queen Creek Olive Mill this weekend, with garlic fries, garlic-Alfredo pizza, and garlic gelato on the menu. The mill grows about 11,000 bulbs a year. Admission and parking are free. (See Details)

➤ An essay contest will pay 20 Arizona fifth and sixth graders $529 each toward a college savings account. Students write about their dream job and how they plan to get there. Winners will be honored at the State Capitol in November. (More)

➤ A Marine veteran whose RV was swept a half mile down a Globe wash with him trapped inside is back in a home and back at work a year later. David Hayes Sr. escaped by breaking a window with a flashlight. (Watch Story)

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➤ Most Americans think eating sweets for breakfast is unhealthy… But according to Stanford researchers, there’s one delicious “dessert” food that Costa Ricans in the famous “blue zone” there eat each morning that… So, what’s the #1 “dessert” food that helps Costa Ricans live healthy, lean, and energetic past 100?

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. 

➤ Some American workers could start collecting full Social Security years early, but critics warn of fallout. (Hear Details)

➤ Coastal flood alerts cover 33 million people as a rare multiday nor’easter threatens the East Coast through the weekend. (Listen Now)

➤ The robotic spacecraft launched to save a failing NASA telescope has itself plunged back to Earth. (Podcast Available)

Would you try garlic gelato?

1. Yes, bring it on!
2. No, hard pass for me
3. I already have
4. Not sure

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever bobbed for apples?

1. As a kid: 48%
2. Yes: 25%
3. No: 23%
4. Is that still a thing?: 4%

What was the name of the Swiss immigrant who built the first brewery in Bisbee?

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