Chiricahua Becomes National Park

Chiricahua became Arizona’s fourth national park and the nation’s 64th after President Trump signed legislation upgrading the Cochise County national monument.

Known among Native Americans as the Land of Standing-Up Rocks, the 12,000-acre site near Willcox is famous for towering rock spires and draws about 60,000 visitors a year.

Willcox Mayor Greg Hancock called the designation an investment in rural America, and local leaders expect more tourism dollars for hotels, restaurants, and small businesses.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said planned changes will give the park the infrastructure needed for growth, while the legislation also preserves tribal access for ceremonies.

Symphony Halts Season

The Phoenix Symphony will stop performing after its Nov. 1 concert and begin laying off musicians the next day, citing financial difficulties.

Symphony leaders said it is unclear when programming will resume, and the board plans to release a recovery plan.

The orchestra cited ongoing deficits and donations that fell short of expectations, noting most endowment gifts cannot cover day-to-day costs.

The orchestra has performed in Phoenix for nearly 80 years, and board Chairman Mo Stein called the vote to pause the most difficult decision ever facing the board.

Storms Bring Rare Tornado Warnings

Severe storms swept across Arizona on Tuesday night and Wednesday, prompting rare tornado watch and warning advisories in the state.

The last known tornado watch advisory in Arizona was issued in October 2010. Forecasters said the escalation to warnings was based on radar-indicated rotation.

In the Valley, a supercell Tuesday night dropped hail larger than 1 inch on parts of Chandler and Mesa, with wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph.

A flood watch is also in effect, and Tucson faces an 80% chance of thunderstorms today before sunny skies return Friday.

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➤ Clifton: A flash flood tore through town overnight Tuesday, partially burying vehicles in debris. Crews cleared roads in the Flats area and Wards Canyon as more rain threatened. (More)

➤ Mesa: A storm Tuesday night damaged homes, toppled trees, and knocked out power near University Drive and Gilbert Road. A charter school switched to virtual classes pending a damage assessment. (More)

➤ Statewide: Nearly 109,000 students now take part in the state’s Empowerment Scholarship school voucher program, according to updated enrollment counts. (More)

➤ Flagstaff: A Habitat for Humanity starter home program that puts most of the roughly $1,000 monthly rent toward down-payment savings will expand to Winslow, Payson, and Fredonia. (More)

➤ Statewide: Updated voter registration data shows unaffiliated and other voters now make up the state’s largest registration bloc at 1,527,483, narrowly topping Republicans’ 1,522,925 and Democrats’ 1,239,489. (More)

➤ Gilbert: The mother of an 18-month-old boy found alive in a hospital morgue hours after being declared dead in February is questioning his medical care. (More)

➤ Tucson: Police arrested a suspect accused of stealing copper wire from a radio tower, with officers recovering several pounds of copper after a short foot chase. (More)

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➤ The Phoenix Suns played their season opener at Portland on Wednesday night. (More)

➤ Lacie Nemchick of Highland High School in Gilbert became the state’s first flag football player to receive a full-ride scholarship offer from a Power Four school, Nebraska. A Manning Passing Academy graduate, she leads the state in passing yards and has thrown 54 touchdowns. (More)

➤ Gold Canyon’s Superstition Mountain hosts the Senior PGA Professional Championship starting today, with 264 club and teaching pros ages 50 and older chasing 35 spots in the 2027 Senior PGA Championship. (More)

➤ Arizona men’s basketball coach Tommy Lloyd voiced frustration that forward RJ Godfrey’s eligibility remains tied up in Georgia courts as the No. 5 Wildcats prepare for their Nov. 2 opener against No. 22 UCLA in Las Vegas. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | NBA | WNBA | NHL | Soccer

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➤ The Arizona family behind Big League Wiffle Ball bought Connecticut-based The Wiffle Ball Inc., the original Wiffle ball maker founded in 1953. (More)

➤ The owner of a Glendale money-services business sued the federal government to recover nearly $500,000 in cash and checks seized in a February 2025 raid. The government’s response was not immediately available. (More)

➤ Will.i.am returned for a second year to teach AI Agentics at Arizona State University, where the top three student projects will receive funding through Amazon Web Services. (More)

➤ A Phoenix trade school said AI data centers spreading across the state are boosting demand for skilled workers, with openings for jobs that require hammers, drills, and wire cutters. (More)

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➤ A Southern Arizona exterminator cautioned residents about an uptick in pests trying to get indoors, saying recent rain and cooler temperatures are driving them inside. (More)

➤ Scottsdale ranked No. 8 and Tempe No. 11 among America’s best college towns for 2027 in a WalletHub study, with Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, and Flagstaff also in the top 70. (More)

➤ The Rosendin Family Foundation charity golf tournament presented a $90,000 grant to the 100 Club of Arizona to buy portable decontamination showers that reduce firefighters’ exposure to toxic substances. (More)

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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. 

➤ Expiration dates on your groceries are mostly guesses, except for the one you should never ignore. (Listen Now)

➤ An Australian lawmaker lost both of her legs after a car was deliberately driven into her outside her office. (Hear Story)

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Do you enjoy symphony music?

1. Yes, live concerts
2. Yes, in movies
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4. All of the above
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