Sunday, May 17, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1885, Apache leader Geronimo led 135 followers in an escape from Arizona’s San Carlos Reservation, triggering an 16-month Army pursuit before his final surrender in 1886.

It’s graduation season, and more than 5,000 Arizona Wildcats became alumni on Friday. How many high school and college graduation parties did you get invited to this year? Hit reply to let us know.

Today’s sponsor, Splash Spotless Cleaning Products, is here to upgrade your spring cleaning routine with a hands-free foam toilet cleaner that tackles stains and odors without scrubbing—just pour, let it foam, and flush for a fresh, sparkling bathroom.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Small Quake Follows Hundreds in Southern Arizona

A magnitude 2.5 earthquake struck near Why, Arizona, on Friday afternoon, rattling a small rural community in Pima County near the western border of the Tohono O’odham Nation.

According to the USGS, the quake hit around 3:30 p.m. with no damage or injuries reported, not unusual at that magnitude, when shaking is often felt by those close to the epicenter but missed entirely by others.

The tremor comes on the heels of a more significant stretch of seismic activity in the broader region. A weeklong swarm of nearly 300 earthquakes struck the Arizona-California border earlier this month, centered near Brawley, California, with the largest reaching magnitude 4.7.

Geologists say the swarms are driven by fluid movement through a hot, tectonically active crust in the Imperial Valley—an area influenced by the Imperial Fault and the San Andreas fault system—and do not necessarily signal a larger quake is imminent.

Arizona as a whole still sees hundreds of earthquakes annually due to several active faults across the state, even as California, Nevada, and Utah draw more seismic attention.

Wildcats Celebrate Class of 2026

More than 5,000 University of Arizona graduates crossed the stage at Casino Del Sol Stadium on Friday, as more than 30,000 guests packed the 162nd commencement ceremony.

Nearly 10,000 degrees were conferred across the Class of 2026, one of the university’s largest graduating classes in recent memory. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt delivered the keynote address, though some student groups asked the crowd to boo him, adding a note of controversy to an otherwise celebratory afternoon.

The new graduates step into a challenging job market. Arizona has logged seven consecutive months of year-over-year job losses.

Arizona Softball Teams Chase Super Regionals

The teams for Arizona, Arizona State, and Grand Canyon University all made it to the NCAA softball regionals, and all three are playing in the finals of those weekend tournaments today, with a chance to advance to the Super Regionals next weekend.

In the Lincoln Regional in Nebraska, the Grand Canyon University Lopes beat No. 8 seed Louisville 5-1 on Friday, but lost their first game to No. 1 seed Nebraska 2-0 on Saturday. They bounced back by beating South Dakota 5-4 on Saturday night, setting up a rematch with Nebraska this afternoon.

In the Durham Regional in North Carolina, Arizona beat Marshall 7-5 on Friday and then beat Duke 10-1 on Saturday. They’ll play in the final today, twice if they lose the first game in the double-elimination tournament.

And in the College Station Regional in Texas, No. 5 seed Arizona State beat McNeese 8-0 on Friday and then defeated No. 4 seed Texas A&M on Saturday to advance to the final today, where they may also play twice if they lose the first game.

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➤ Flagstaff: Red flag warnings are in effect through Sunday for northern Arizona and the Navajo Nation. Expect sustained winds of 20-30 mph with gusts to 50 mph, resulting in critical fire weather conditions. (More)

➤ Casa Grande: Pinal County is Arizona’s fastest-growing county, per new census data. Even as some southern Arizona cities lose population, the growth beyond metro Phoenix continues. (More)

➤ Northern Arizona: State troopers rescued a mother and her daughter from a human trafficking attempt, intercepting a transport from Nevada. Both are safe and recovering. (More)

➤ Buckeye: Rylee Montgomery, 16, was fatally shot outside a Buckeye home Thursday night. She was pregnant. Two other women were critically wounded. Suspect Michael Sanchez, 18—her ex-boyfriend—was arrested Friday morning in Avondale and denied bond. (More)

➤ Flagstaff: Tuesday is the ballot deadline for the city’s special election. Ballots can be returned in person at early voting locations or at one of 10 drop boxes around the city. (More)

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➤ Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly tossed a 100-pitch complete game on Friday to lead the team to a 9-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Kelly, 37, is the second-oldest pitcher in Diamondbacks history to throw a complete game, behind only Randy Johnson. (More)

➤ Arizona men’s basketball landed Idaho State transfer Evan Otten, a 6-foot-11 center with two years of eligibility, coming off a season where he earned Big Sky All-Defensive Team honors. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, Arizona men’s basketball freshman Koa Peat declared for the NBA draft, but his stock slipped after a poor shooting performance at the combine. He has until May 27 to withdraw and potentially return for another year at Arizona. (More)

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➤ Actress Alison Sweeney said trading Los Angeles for Arizona “completely decreased her stress.” Sweeney, the star of Hallmark’s Hannah Swensen Mysteries movies, said she has zero regrets about escaping the rat race for a quieter Grand Canyon State life. (More)

➤ The Summer of a Million Meals campaign, launched by 12News and United Food Bank, runs through September 7 at Fry’s Food Stores statewide. Donations can be made at checkout to fight food insecurity. (More)

➤ Tucson’s Jessica Cox, the world’s first licensed armless pilot, was inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame on Friday at the Pima Air & Space Museum. (More)

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Arizona’s national park sights go far beyond the Grand Canyon. This video tour explores the Petrified Forest, Saguaro, archaeological sites, desert ecosystems, and historic places across the state.