Thursday, March 12, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1936, crews began construction on the Sabino Canyon Dam, shown here in its early stages.

The rare cougar shadow will appear on the Superstition Mountains from Sunday through March 21, best viewed about 30 minutes before sunset near 13th Avenue and Goldfield Road in Apache Junction.

Baby Boomers are entering retirement with a financial edge that many younger Americans may never experience. The Flyover Podcast explains how the older generation built so much wealth and why younger generations are facing a far steeper climb. Tune in here!

Later today, keep an eye on your inbox for a partner message from RAD Intel on how AI is helping major brands predict which marketing campaigns will work before they spend.

The world feels heavy right now. You can’t change the news, but you don’t need to carry all of it. That’s why we read The Pour Over. It’s one of the sources we trust to deliver the facts, while uniquely keeping our hearts grounded in Christ.

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.

Report: Rotor Failure Downed DPS Helicopter

A preliminary report cites a mechanical failure involving the main rotor as the likely cause of February’s deadly crash of an Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter in Flagstaff.

Radio transmissions captured two loud bangs before the aircraft rapidly descended, and a crew member reported, “We’re going down.”

The helicopter was assisting Flagstaff police responding to a Feb. 4 domestic violence call that escalated into a shootout, with no evidence of gunshot punctures found on the helicopter.

DPS helicopter pilot Robert Skankey and trooper-paramedic Hunter Bennett were killed in the crash, while shootout suspect Terrell Storey was later indicted on 60 felonies, including two murder counts tied to their deaths.

Apartment Fire Displaces 30 People

A fire damaged about 20 units and displaced roughly 30 residents on Wednesday morning at a three-story apartment building in Phoenix, with no injuries reported.

Firefighters arrived about 3:30 a.m. to find smoke and flames coming from the top floor, visible for miles. See the photos here. An investigation continued into the cause.

Crews initially attacked the fire from inside but switched to a defensive strategy after part of the roof collapsed, using ladder trucks to douse flames from above.

The American Red Cross and Phoenix Community Assistance Program are helping displaced residents.

Six Cities Among Nation’s Happiest

Arizona cities dominated a new happiness study, led by Scottsdale at No. 3, while Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, Peoria, and Mesa also cracked the top 30 nationally.

The WalletHub study compared 182 cities across 29 measures of well-being, including mental health, physical health, income, leisure time, and community satisfaction.

Scottsdale ranked especially high for residents’ health and activity levels, with more than 88% reporting good or better health and about 87% participating in physical activity.

Fremont, California, ranked first, followed by Bismarck, North Dakota. Detroit, Michigan, ranked last. See the full rankings.

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➤ Pima County: Early results showed voters favoring a 20-year extension of the half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements, expected to raise an estimated $2.67 billion over that period to fund RTA Next projects. (Watch)

➤ Yuma: The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will perform at the 60th annual Yuma Airshow on Saturday, marking their first appearance in Yuma in nearly 40 years. (Photo)

➤ Topock: The first annual Topock66 Car Show along historic Route 66 drew more than 35 classic cars and trucks as part of the highway’s centennial celebration. (Photos)

➤ Tempe: Initial results in the race for three city council seats showed Arlene Chin leading and on pace to win outright, with the remaining seats potentially headed to a May runoff. (Details)

➤ Phoenix Valley: Early voting is underway in the Salt River Project election, where only certain landowners are eligible to vote for leaders who help set power and water rates. (Watch)

➤ Statewide: Gov. Katie Hobbs launched an initiative aimed at saving Arizona up to $100 million through bulk purchasing, streamlined operations, and expanded AI use. (More)

➤ Arizona State men’s basketball lost to Iowa State 91-42 in the Big 12 conference tournament on Wednesday. (More)

➤ In today’s conference tournament games, No. 2 Arizona men’s basketball plays in the Big 12 tournament and Grand Canyon men’s basketball plays in the Mountain West tournament. (See Full Schedule)

➤ The Arizona Juggernauts—Tempe’s 8-on-8 arena football team—will play their home games at Mullett Arena this year. Their first home game will take place May 2 against the Las Vegas Rockers. (More)

➤ Phoenix Suns forward Royce O’Neale swished a half-court shot at the third-quarter buzzer against the Milwaukee Bucks. (Watch)

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➤ Developers plan to build a 124-room hotel overlooking a golf course as part of the 330-acre Longbow Business Park & Golf Club master-planned community in Mesa. (More)

➤ A new copper recovery process undergoing testing by mining company Rio Tinto in Cochise County could unlock a much larger share of the world’s copper resources. (Details)

➤ Bamboo Sushi, ROOM and PORCH, Zara Nail Bar, and Edward Jones have signed leases at The Switchyard, a $120 million downtown district in Queen Creek set to open later this year. (More)

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➤ The North American Kettlebell Juggling Open returns to Fountain Hills March 27–29, drawing competitors for the novel strength and agility competition. (Watch)

➤ A 28-year-old truck driver from Tolleson was named one of five Professional Drivers of the Year after becoming the youngest person in his company to log 1 million miles. The award includes a $20,000 prize. (Watch)

➤ ADOT announced the winners of its Name-a-Snowplow contest, with Clearopathra, Blizzard Wizard, Scoopy-Doo, and Saltimus Prime chosen for four snowplows in Flagstaff. (Photos)

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