Organ Donor Opt-Outs Spike

More than 2,500 people removed themselves from the state’s organ donor registry in July, the highest monthly total in the history of the Donor Network of Arizona.

A donor network spokesperson attributed the opt-outs to a July article in The New York Times that cited cases of premature organ removal in other states.

The organization’s concern going forward is “fewer registered donors mean fewer transplants and more Arizonans who die waiting,” the donor network said in a statement.

More than 2,000 Arizonans are on the national transplant waiting list, the organization said.

Judge Orders Animals Returned

A Rio Verde man won a court ruling ordering the return of more than 50 animals that were seized from his property in August by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

The animals include horses, camels, peacocks, rams, goats, sheep, tortoises, a cockatoo, a bull, and a zebra.

The property owner, Benjamin Alvarez, testified that he regularly provided water for the animals and that there was a leak in a water container at the time sheriff’s deputies investigated.

The judge based his ruling on Alvarez’s testimony and witness statements that the animals appeared healthy. The judge also ruled that a deputy was justified in his initial check of the animals without a warrant.

Reverse Lane Study Delayed

Four months after Phoenix officials agreed to conduct a study of the reverse lanes on 7th Street and 7th Avenue, the effort remains stalled.

City officials say they are still searching for an engineering team to assist with the study.

Meanwhile, local business owners continue to criticize the lanes, saying the rush-hour directional changes disrupt daily operations and lead to near-misses.

A group of businesses and residents submitted a petition calling for the lanes’ removal in May.

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➤ Statewide: Remnants of Tropical Storm Mario are expected to bring rain, higher humidity, and cooler temperatures over the next few days. (More)

➤ Capitol: State Sen. President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, proposed legislation to rename the Loop 202 to Charlie Kirk Memorial Loop 202. (More)

➤ Statewide: Out-of-hospital births have surged 40% in Arizona, prompting calls to update safety and oversight rules for non-nurse midwives. Some midwives voice concerns about regulatory overreach. (Watch)

➤ Phoenix: State education officials are testing new strategies to address Arizona’s teacher shortage. A 2023 study found 13% of the state’s educators said they were considering leaving the profession, compared to 8% nationwide. (Watch)

➤ Tucson: Some University of Arizona faculty and students say they were unaware of the dozens of license plate-reading cameras installed by campus police, expressing concern about oversight and data use. (Watch)

➤ Sun City: A suspect was taken into custody after a two-hour SWAT standoff in Sun City West, during which shots were fired at deputies and a police robot. (Watch)

➤ Arizona State women’s soccer coach Graham Winkworth notched his 250th career win ahead of today’s marquee matchup against BYU. (More)

➤ Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen on Monday joined Randy Johnson and Brandon Webb as the only players in franchise history to log 1,000 strikeouts with the team. (More)

➤ Grand Canyon University freshman Michael Archie was named Mountain West Athlete of the Week after his victory at the Biola Invitational cross country meet in Fullerton, California, where his 8K time set a course record. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer | WNBA

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➤ BioLab Holdings, launched by two Arizona State alums, donated $2.2 million to fund scholarships, professional development, and a new biolab learning center at the university’s W. P. Carey School of Business. (Photo)

➤ Pima County supervisors met in executive session on possible next steps in the proposed Project Blue data center development. Away from the meeting, one supervisor said he does not support a proposal to hire outside counsel to cancel the county’s $21 million land sale to the project developer. (Watch)

➤ The former Amazon Motel in Tucson reopened as 30 studio apartments for homeless people. (Watch)

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➤ The Arizona State Fair kicks off on Friday with dozens of new food items, including Birria baked potatoes, fried lobster tail, and ice cream nachos. (More)

➤ Shane Schieffer became the first person to swim the entire 140-mile length of Lake Powell unassisted, finishing the journey near Glen Canyon Dam on Friday. (Watch)

➤ The state Department of Transportation launched its ninth annual Safety Message Contest, inviting residents to submit creative messages for a chance to be displayed on state highway signs. (More)

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