Sam Fox Trades Restaurants for Hotels

Phoenix restaurateur Sam Fox has stepped away from Fox Restaurant Concepts, the company he launched with one Tucson restaurant in 1998.

Fox stayed on after selling the group to The Cheesecake Factory for more than $350 million in 2019, and the pandemic kept him longer than planned. Over his run, the company created 22 brands, including Culinary Dropout and Flower Child, and opened 170 restaurants.

His last day was Oct. 30, and he’ll now focus on Author & Edit Hospitality, which runs the 141-room Global Ambassador hotel in Phoenix. “It’s time for me to focus on things that I own 100% of,” Fox said.

The Global Ambassador was Fox’s first hotel, which has won a Michelin Key every year since opening in December 2023. Fox has hinted at a smaller sister hotel in Phoenix. He and Justin Timberlake plan to open a second Twelve Thirty Club, their Nashville supper club, in Austin, Texas, in 2027.

Donors Bring Phoenix Symphony Back

The Phoenix Symphony will return to the stage Nov. 12 after local donors pledged enough money to lift the suspension of its 2026-27 season.

The orchestra stopped playing after Nov. 1 and laid off its 66 musicians without pay the next day. The comeback opens with Brahms at the Musical Instrument Museum, then a Lloyd Webber, Elton John, and McCartney pops show Nov. 13-15 at Symphony Hall.

The symphony hasn’t said how much it raised or who gave it. A musicians’ spokesperson said concerts will run through the end of the year, and fundraising must continue to carry the season into 2027.

An 11-member commission, including two musicians, will rework the orchestra’s finances and operations. “Now we must build a financial and operating model that allows the Symphony to thrive, not simply survive from one season to the next,” said John Graham, the group’s co-leader.

Screwworm Reaches Graham County

A pet dog near Thatcher is Arizona’s fifth confirmed case of New World screwworm, and the first in Graham County.

The screwworm is a fly larva that burrows into the living flesh of animals and, rarely, people. The dog had no known travel history and turned up about 75 miles from the state’s first case.

Days earlier, officials confirmed a ram and a horse near Duncan in Greenlee County, and a dog and a horse in Cochise County round out the five. Each case triggers a 12.4-mile quarantine radius that no animal may leave without the state veterinarian’s OK.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is putting $25 million toward a sterile fly facility in Douglas to fight the pest, which resurfaced in Mexico in 2024. State officials will answer questions from residents Tuesday, Nov. 10, at Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher.

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➤ Winona: As Route 66 nears its 100th birthday, the small community east of Flagstaff is drawing visitors from around the world to the Winona Trading Post and the 102-year-old Walnut Canyon Bridge. (Watch Report)

➤ Fountain Hills: Multiple crews responded to a large mansion fire in the Eagles Nest subdivision early Saturday morning. The Fort McDowell Fire Department, Rio Verde Fire District, Scottsdale Fire Department, Mesa Fire Medical Department, and Salt River Fire Department all responded to the blaze. No injuries were reported. (More)

➤ Morristown: Searchers found the body of Benny Sutton Jr., 63, five days after floodwaters swept his vehicle into a wash near Castle Hot Springs Resort, where he worked. The wash ran 200 feet wide at its peak. (More)

➤ Sun City: Deputies are looking for an at-risk 2-week-old infant and his mother, Crystal Renee Miller, who left Banner Boswell Medical Center on Nov. 3. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said Miller was using drugs before the child’s birth. (More)

➤ Oak Creek Canyon: SR 89A has partially reopened to drivers while crews continue repairs, ADOT said. (See Update)

➤ Mesa: A collision between a school bus and a car killed two adults Friday afternoon. No students were aboard, but the bus driver was hospitalized in critical condition. Police say both adults inside the sedan, which is believed to have been speeding, died at the scene. (More)

➤ San Carlos: A vehicle struck a power line near the south end of Chinatown early Nov. 7, prompting lane closures, San Carlos Apache police said. (More)

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➤ Jake Fette became the first Arizona State quarterback since 1996 to throw and catch a touchdown pass in the same game, helping the Sun Devils beat Colorado 20-10 on the night the 1996 team was honored. (More)

➤ The Arizona Cardinals will start Gardner Minshew today against the Seattle Seahawks after he led a brilliant comeback when former starter Jacoby Brissett was benched last week. The Cardinals are currently 8.5-point underdogs. (More)

➤ Arizona Diamondbacks star outfielder Corbin Carroll has undergone surgery to remove loose bodies from his non-throwing elbow. Carroll is expected to return to action before spring training. (More)

➤ Arizona State men’s basketball improved to 2-0 on Friday under new head coach Randy Bennett, taking down Northern Colorado 90-63 on the back of a 33-point career-high performance by senior forward Paulius Murauskas. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | NHL | NBA | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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➤ A 3-foot rattlesnake turned up curled in the corner of a young girl’s Cave Creek bedroom last week. A snake expert says cooler weather drives snakes indoors for warmth and suggests checking laundry rooms, spare rooms, and under refrigerators. (See Snake)

➤ A speeding driver dressed in an inmate costume, on his way to a Halloween party, got arrested in Bisbee. A trooper clocked him at 70 mph in a 45 zone on Highway 80. He said he was showing off his car’s exhaust pops. (More)

➤ Historic Roosevelt neighborhood homes, from early-20th-century originals to modern remodels, will open to visitors Nov. 14 for the annual Roosevelt Neighborhood Home Tour in downtown Phoenix. The tour runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes music and local history. (See Details)

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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. 

➤ A 36-year-old tennis star went from beating the world’s best to calling it quits after a crushing loss. (Hear More)

➤ The latest home design trends revealed which exterior colors were making a comeback and which were falling out of favor. (Listen Now)

➤ Macy’s unveiled its newest Thanksgiving balloons, and one beloved character was returning after more than 40 years away. (Podcast Available)

Have you ever found a rattlesnake on your property or in your home?

1. Yes, outside on property
2. Yes, inside my home
3. Does the garage count?
4. Both
5. No, thank goodness!

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you think service dogs can help veterans with healing from PTSD?

1. Yes, most definitely: 85%
2. Not sure: 11%
3. No opinion: 3%
4. No: 1%

Who was the American Western painter often called Arizona’s first cowboy artist?

Show me the answer