THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1899, Henry Fountain Ashurst, the youngest member of the Territorial Legislature of Arizona, introduced a bill to create the Northern Arizona Normal School, known as Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff today. Here’s a photo of Ashurst.

There have been several lucky lottery wins across Arizona in recent weeks, including a $112 million Mega Millions jackpot—the second largest in state history. Check out today’s Et Cetera section for a story about another big win.

We’re sponsored today by the non-profit World Concern, offering an opportunity to help Somalian children in need.

Bill Allowing Armed Teachers Passes House

A bill allowing school employees to carry firearms on campus passed the House this week and will now move on to the Senate.

Sponsored by Prescott Republican Selina Bliss, the bill would require firearms training and de-escalation techniques and would shield teachers from liability for actions taken during crises. Read the full bill here.

Democrats like Rep. Nancy Gutierrez have been vocal against the measure, saying it amounts to “local control gone wrong” and puts teachers in a bad position. Watch a clip of her explaining her position here.

Arizona law already allows school employees to carry guns so long as the district approves it.

More Coyotes Found Poisoned in Tucson

The number of coyotes found dead from poisoning on Tucson’s east side doubled from 14 to 28 in a week, according to Arizona wildlife officials. See a video report here.

Authorities discovered the first batch of dead coyotes in January in the Pantano Wash between Houghton Road and Old Spanish Trail and labeled it a deliberate poisoning.

They also found remains of three javelina and a raven, and reports later surfaced that at least three pet dogs had ingested the poison.

A necropsy of one of the javelina suggested the poison was placed in food to attract wildlife.

Chandler Considers Ban on Urban Camping

The Chandler City Council is considering implementing a ban on urban camping as the city’s homeless population continues to rise.

Neighboring communities have already taken advantage of a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that gave cities more control over homeless encampments, and now Chandler looks poised to follow suit.

City officials said the delay in doing so came from uncertainty about a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that said prohibiting people from sleeping in public was cruel and unusual punishment if a homeless shelter was not available.

Chandler does not have a homeless shelter, but last year’s ruling allows municipalities to enforce urban camping laws regardless.

Flying together with our sponsor

Somalia is facing a devastating combination of natural disasters, global conflicts, widespread poverty, and disease outbreaks. East Africa has just endured its worst drought in 40 years, leaving tens of millions without access to clean water, wiping out millions of livestock, and destroying crops. With domestic food production crippled, Somalia has relied heavily on imports—90% of its wheat coming from Russia and Ukraine—until those shipments stopped.

Now, two in five children in Somalia suffer from acute malnutrition, and cholera is spreading in some regions. The food crisis, compounded by global humanitarian aid being redirected to Europe and the Middle East, has created a perfect storm, leading to a sharp rise in child malnutrition.

Be Doers

We’re asking The Flyover community to join us in partnering with World Concern to help get emergency nutrition packs (a peanut paste fortified with nutrients), water, and hygiene products to those with the most need.

Every $12 feeds a child for a month. We’re matching the first $750; just give through this link.

➤ Prescott: Republican lawmaker Mark Finchem said he wants a recent speeding ticket dismissed, citing legislative immunity. (See Video)

➤ Phoenix: A woman protesting immigration enforcement at the Arizona State Capitol is facing felony charges after throwing a bottle at a police drone, causing it to crash. (See Video)

➤ Pinetop: A temporary closure of one of the city’s post offices has created long lines and wait times at the only other post office in the area. (See Video)

➤ Mesa: The Mesa Public Schools Governing Board voted to move forward with layoffs after anticipating a significant drop in enrollment in the 2025-26 school year. (More)

➤ Flagstaff: The Northern Arizona University athletics department received its largest single gift commitment ever—a $3 million donation that will go toward sports science research. (More)

➤ Tempe: New video footage shows Tempe police arresting a Chicago police officer after he squealed his tires in traffic. (See Video)

➤ Yuma: Mayor Doug Nicholls said illegal border crossings have significantly declined under President Donald Trump. (More)

➤ The Phoenix Suns are reportedly strongly considering trading 14-time All-Star forward Kevin Durant before today’s 1 p.m. deadline. (More)

➤ The Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball team remained at No. 20 in this week’s AP Top 25 poll. They won their sixth game in a row after defeating BYU on Tuesday. (See Poll)

➤ The NFL released a video showing Mic’d Up clips of Arizona Cardinals stars Budda Baker and Trey McBride at the Pro Bowl flag football game. (See Video)

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

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ The PhotoStick® OMNI automatically finds, sorts, and saves up to 60,000 photos and videos across all your devices with just ONE click. Over 1.5 Million People Use ThePhotoStick® OMNI!

➤ KORE Power scrapped plans to build a $1 billion lithium-ion factory in Buckeye, citing the need for a restructuring to bring long-term success. Its CEO and founder also stepped down. (See Details)

➤ Tucson-based HSL Properties purchased two Mesa hotels for $50.25 million. They include the Sheraton Mesa Hotel and Courtyard Mesa, both located at Wrigleyville West. (More)

➤ A bill making its way through the state legislature would use sales and income taxes generated from games and events at Chase Field to fund the stadium’s repairs. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Kailo’s Flex™ is an all-natural pain patch, designed to quickly relieve pain anywhere on your body. It is the most flexible, comfortable, and affordable pain patch device we have ever made! (See It Here)

Flying together with our sponsor

Somalia faces a crisis from natural disasters, conflict, poverty, and disease. The worst drought in 40 years devastated crops and livestock, while food imports from Russia and Ukraine halted. Two in five Somali children now suffer from acute malnutrition. Join us in partnering with World Concern to get emergency nutrition packs & clean water to children. $12 feeds a child for a month.

➤ Actor Rob Schneider appeared alongside Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne on Tuesday to offer support for a bill that would ban foods containing certain ingredients like dyes. (See Details)

➤ A Phoenix resident won $1 million on Monday night after hitting a jackpot playing The Pick. The lottery ticket was sold at a Shell Gas Station. (See Details)

➤ The Arizona Bureau of Land Management announced it will host two adoption events to help find homes for wild horses and burros. The animals were mainly gathered from central and western Arizona, where their populations are highest. (See Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Check out CozyCharge, the rechargeable hand warmer that provides eight hours of warmth whenever you need it. (See It Here)