PHOENIX, AZ – Ten Arizona K-12th grade students were honored as winners of the 2 nd annual AZ529 “My Picture-Perfect Career” Photo Contest. The 10 winners represent different schools among district, charter, private and homeschools, representing seven of Arizona’s counties. AZ529, Arizona’s Education Savings Plan together with Treasurer Kimberly Yee and the Arizona State Treasurer’s Office invited K-12th graders across Arizona to take or pose for a photo representing themselves in their dream job. They could take a selfie, pose for a picture, invite friends and family into the photo or come up with their own creative ideas. The final photo just needed to visually communicate their vision of a dream job – whether the participant was in front of or behind the camera. A total of 10 winners were selected from over 100 entries. The entries were reviewed by a panel of judges and scored based on the originality, creativity and technique of the picture. The winners received $529 towards a new or existing AZ529 Education Savings Plan. The amount $529 was selected to pay homage to Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, which created the AZ529 Plan. The funds may be used for future educational expenses such as tuition for college, trade school, or workforce development training. “Our statewide photo contest has sparked conversations among Arizonans, inspiring students and families to explore and discuss their aspirations for the future. The winners honored today received $529 towards their future education and this empowers them to reach their career goals,” said Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. “With each statewide contest my office administers, we continue to see that Arizona students have boundless ideas for their future and have an unwavering dedication to accomplishing their dreams.” The AZ529 Education Savings Plan offers a tax-free approach to setting money aside for college, community college, vocational training, trade school and other educational avenues for high school graduates. Arizona residents can receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax deduction for contributions made to an AZ529 account each year, of up to $2,000 per individual or $4,000 per married couples filing jointly. Funds earned over time will remain tax-free when used for a wide variety of covered educational expenses. Beginning this year, 529 plan beneficiaries can rollover unused funds into a Roth IRA for retirement, free of income tax or tax penalties. Additionally, friends and family members may add to a child’s AZ529 Plan at any time and earn the same tax benefits for themselves. For more information about AZ529, visit http://www.az529.gov .

 

PHOENIX – Drivers planning to use southbound Interstate 17 in the north Valley this weekend should budget extra time. Pavement improvement work is reducing the freeway down to one lane for three miles from State Route 74 (Carefree Highway) to Dixileta Drive.  The lane restrictions are scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Friday, July 19, and end by 5 a.m. Monday, July 22. Drivers should plan for delays, especially from afternoon into early evening on Saturday and Sunday, and may want to consider traveling through the area earlier or later.  The work continues a much-needed project to improve the ride on six miles of I-17 between Happy Valley Road and SR 74. The project has already removed the top layer of older, worn asphalt pavement and crews will smooth the concrete surface through a process called diamond grinding and additional concrete work that requires extended time to cure.  While there is no detour, ADOT encourages drivers to pack their patience, use caution and be prepared to slow down and merge safely as they travel on the highway through the three mile restriction. Staying on this route regardless of what a navigation app may suggest is the best way for drivers to reduce delays and avoid bringing unnecessary extra traffic in and around neighborhoods. Weekend details:

• Southbound I-17 will be restricted to one lane from State Route 74/Carefree Highway to Dixileta Drive from 9 p.m. Friday, July 19, to 5 a.m. Monday, July 22.
• The Loop 303 ramp to southbound I-17 will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday, July 19, to 5 a.m. Monday, July 22.
• The SR 74/Carefree Highway ramp to southbound I-17 will be closed nightly 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20. NOTE: The cloverleaf ramp to southbound I-17 will remain open. 

July 17 & 18 nightly details:

• Southbound I-17 will be restricted to one lane between SR 74/Carefree Highway and Loop 303/Sonoran Desert Drive nightly from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday, July 17, and Thursday, July 18.
  • The southbound I-17 on-ramp at SR 74/Carefree Highway also will be closed during these nights. NOTE: The cloverleaf ramp to southbound I-17 will remain open. 
  • The Loop 303 on-ramp to southbound I-17 will be closed from 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 17, to 5 a.m. Thursday, July 18.

To learn more about this project and subscribe for updates, please visit   azdot.gov/i-17HappyValleySR74 .  The I-17 pavement work between SR 74 and Happy Valley Road is separate from the I-17 Improvement Project currently underway north of Anthem Way. For more information about that larger project visit improvingi17.com .  Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov , the az511 app (download for Apple or Android devices) or by calling 511.

KYKOTSMOVI – Today, in a momentous act of tribal solidarity, leaders from the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe met together at the Heard Museum of American Indian art in Phoenix, Arizona to sign a landmark water rights settlement agreement. The signing of this historic agreement marks a significant step forward in ensuring water security for all water users in northeastern Arizona and providing sustainable management of the region’s precious water resources. The Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Settlement Agreement is the largest Indian water settlement to date. It not only settles decades of litigation between the three tribes and significant state water users over rights to the Little Colorado River watershed in Arizona, but it also resolves complex, long-standing disputes outside the scope of the litigation—such as the Arizona Colorado River water rights of the Hopi Tribe and the Navajo Nation, groundwater management and federal funding for vital water infrastructure on the reservations. The Hopi Tribe was represented at today’s signing ceremony by Vice Chairman Craig Andrews. For the Hopi Tribe, this settlement promises a future of safe, reliable drinking water—not just for Hopi currently living on the Reservation, but for those who wish to return and future generations. “Although our communities are the oldest in Arizona, they lack basic access to clean, reliable water,” said Vice Chairman Andrews during the signing ceremony. “Our current infrastructure is a patchwork of aging and inadequate systems, which has long jeopardized the well-being of our people and forced many to leave their ancestral lands.”  This agreement, the Vice Chairman explained, provides “access to reliable water resources and modern infrastructure to ensure the health, economic prosperity, and cultural preservation of tribal communities in northeastern Arizona for generations to come.” These water resources include reliable mainstem Colorado River water, as well as surface water and groundwater from the Little Colorado River watershed.  The Vice Chairman also expressed the cultural significance of the moment, describing the agreement as a way for Hopi to “continue to safeguard our ancestral lands by protecting our sacred springs and the water that gives life to our cultural sites.” The Vice Chairman believes that future generations of Hopi will look back on this settlement “with reverence.”  The Navajo Nation was represented at the signing ceremony by President Buu Nygren and Speaker Crystalyne Curley, and the San Juan Southern Paiute was represented by President Robbin Preston Jr. State party representatives were also present at the ceremony, including the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD) and the Salt River Project (SRP) as well as Mayor Becky Daggett of the City of Flagstaff, among others.  The parties concluded intensive, months-long settlement negotiations on May 9, 2024. On May 20, 2024, the Hopi Tribal Council unanimously passed Resolution H-035-2024 to approve the settlement. The other two tribes followed quickly behind, passing their respective resolutions approving the agreement on May 23, 2024. The state parties’ formal approval of the settlement began in June with the CAWCD and SRP, among others, and will continue throughout this summer.  On June 8, 2024, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) jointly introduced the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024 to approve the settlement in the United States Senate. The same day, Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) introduced the bill in the House of Representatives, with Reps. Greg Stanton (D-AZ), David Schweikert (RAZ), and Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) joining as cosponsors. The federal legislation requests roughly $5 billion to build essential water infrastructure. A tribal delegation, which will include Hopi Tribal leadership and members of the Hopi water rights negotiation team, will travel to Washington D.C. later this month to testify in support of the legislation and meet with the legislators. Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke and his counsel, and representatives of the Salt River Project, will be joining the tribal delegation in Washington, D.C., to help us advocate for Congressional approval of this agreement.  Vice Chairman Andrews closed his remarks with gratitude for the Arizona Congressional delegation. “As the federal legislation progresses,” said the Vice Chairman, “it is crucial that we work together with federal and state partners to secure the necessary funding and resources to protect Arizona’s precious water resources for all users and ensure our Native communities thrive for generations to come.” 

PHOENIX – Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03), a senior member of the House Natural Resources Committee and former chair of the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples, issued a statement touting his support for the bipartisan, bicameral Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024 . “I am incredibly proud to support this historic, bipartisan legislation which will finally secure water rights for Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe,” said Rep. Gallego. “As a senior member of the House Natural Resources Committee and a member of the Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries subcommittee, I have consistently fought for tribal rights and to secure Arizona’s water future. This legislation embodies both of those goals. I look forward to working across the aisle and with the Senate to get this signed into law.” The Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024 would ratify and fund the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement to address one of the longest-running water issues in Arizona by securing water rights for the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.   The settlement will provide reliable and safe water for these communities, allowing the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe to lease their water, creating economic opportunities until local demand is met through new infrastructure. The settlement authorizes $5 billion to acquire, build, and maintain essential water development and delivery projects, including a $1.75 billion distribution pipeline. In total, the Tribes would be guaranteed access to over 56,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water, and specific groundwater rights and protections. Additionally, this legislation will establish a homeland for the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.  

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is advising motorists to plan ahead and expect delays as Westbound I-10 will be closed between US 60 and I-17 from 10 p.m. Friday, July 19, to 4 a.m. Monday, July 22, for a traffic shift. At the same time, the following will be closed: 

• The ramps from westbound US 60 to westbound I-10
• The southbound State Route 143 ramp to westbound I-10

The  following ramps will be closed from 8 p.m. Friday, July 19, to 4 a.m. Monday, July 22:

• The westbound I-10 on-ramps at Elliot, Baseline and Broadway roads and 40th and 32nd streets
• The westbound US 60 on-ramps at McClintock Drive, Rural Road and Mill Avenue

Detour: Use eastbound Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) or US 60 to northbound Loop 101 (Price Freeway) to westbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) to access westbound I-10 beyond the closure.  Drivers heading to the West Valley can bypass the closure by using the Loop 202 (South Mountain Freeway) west and north to connect with I-10 at 59th Avenue. Drivers traveling westbound on I-10 and US 60 heading to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport should use northbound Loop 101  (Price Freeway) to westbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) and use the Sky Harbor Boulevard entrance. Drivers traveling on southbound I-17 should use westbound I-10 to access the airport entrance at Buckeye Road. New lane configuration: When I-10 reopens, drivers can expect a new lane configuration. The existing lanes between 32nd and 24th streets will be split. There will be a roadway barrier and a work zone with three lanes on each side. Drivers wanting to exit onto I-17 are encouraged to move into the right three lanes before 32nd Street. Note: The westbound US 60 HOV ramp to westbound I-10 closed July 12 and will remain closed through  4 a.m. Monday, July 22 for bridge work. Detour: Motorists can use the westbound US 60 ramp to westbound I-10 instead.  The eastbound I-10 HOV ramp to eastbound US 60 will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday, July 19, to 4 a.m. Monday, July 29, for bridge work. Detour: Motorists can use the eastbound I-10 ramp to eastbound US 60 instead.

Washington, D.C. – Today, CHC BOLD PAC Chairwoman Linda Sánchez released the following statement regarding an outside interest group spending over $1 Million against Raquel Terán in Arizona’s 3rd congressional district, a Latino majority district that over half a million Latinos call home.  “This is a blatant effort by an outside group to silence the voices of over half a million Latinos in a majority-Latino district in order to buy a seat in Congress. Raquel Terán has dedicated her career to championing the rights of Latinos across the state. Instead of supporting an exceptionally qualified Latina and the only one in the race, this group has decided to work against the Latino community by pouring in over $1 Million against her. This undermines the ability of Latinos to choose their own representative, and it undermines the progress BOLD PAC has spent decades fighting for,” said Chairwoman Linda Sánchez. “It’s particularly appalling that in an attempt to deny the Latino community fair representation in Congress, this outside group has chosen to communicate in Spanish on a non-Latino candidate’s behalf. They are trying to convince voters that Yassamin Ansari understands the challenges working Latinos face, when the truth is she can’t speak to their experiences. The only candidate who can do that is Raquel Terán.” “Democrats must take Latino voters seriously in this election, especially in Arizona. So a massive effort to silence Latino voices in this crucial swing state begs the question: whose bidding is this outside group really doing? Instead, Democrats should be doubling down on their investments in Latina and Latino candidates like Raquel, who will energize Latino voters in November. Arizona has never had a Latina representative in Congress, giving the 3rd district – which is 65 percent Hispanic – an opportunity to make history this year.  “BOLD PAC has a proud history of taking on the big fights, especially against outside groups determined to undermine Latino representation. We stand with over 40 elected Democrats, progressive organizations, and community leaders that have endorsed Raquel, including Senator Mark Kelly, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Unidos US, and the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund (LCV) as we recommit to doing everything we can to get Raquel to Congress. She is an extraordinarily qualified Latina who – like us – never backs down from a fight.”

TUCSON, Ariz. — In what may be her final appearance as an Olympic athlete, University of Arizona graduate student Delaney Schnell said she has two goals in mind when she lands in Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games: win another medal and have fun while doing it. No stranger to the world stage, Schnell earned a silver medal in the 10-meter synchronized platform dive at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics alongside her teammate, Jessica Parratto, and placed fifth in the individual event. The duo will dive together again in Paris for the synchronized event after qualifying in June. Schnell also qualified for the individual platform dive.  “It’s hard not to hold the expectation to be on the podium again,” she said. “Hopefully, I will be on the podium for individual as well. But when you put those expectations on yourself, I think it can make it harder to do something. So, I really just want to enjoy this one. It’s going to be my last meet with my coach, and I just want to make sure that no matter the results that my memory is having the most fun at this competition.” Representing the United States and her fellow Wildcats on the world stage will always be exciting, said Schnell, who has worn the stars and stripes on her uniform since competing as a pre-teen. “It’s an honor because there’s only so many people in the world that get to do that, and it feels pretty cool to be part of that exclusive club,” she said. While fun may be her goal, Schnell takes her preparations very seriously. A week of training for the Olympics normally consists of twice-daily practice in the water two or three times a week, as well as weightlifting and preventative rehabilitation with athletic trainers to maintain her physical health. Physical preparation is important, but Schnell said one of the secrets to her success is maintaining mental focus. “Diving is very physical, but it’s also a big mental game,” she said. “You are throwing yourself off three-story buildings and you also have to manage your adrenaline. There has been a lot of mental training and learning how to be a better athlete, mentally.” Schnell’s talent and dedication to diving led to an impressive collegiate career at the U of A. She was named the Pac-12 Women’s Freshman Diver of the Year, earned three the Pac-12 Diver of the Year titles, holds university records in platform and 3-meter dives, won six Pac-12 diving championships and won an NCAA national championship in 2023. Now a graduate student pursuing a degree in speech, language and hearing sciences, Schnell said she hopes to one day work as a speech-language pathologist and work with adults with traumatic brain injuries. Though she could be done with Olympic competition after Paris, Schnell said diving will remain a part of her life forever. She will stay in Tucson through the end of the year and plans to work with her coaches to give back to the community that has supported her Olympic goals since the beginning. She also hopes to one day return to the world stage as a coach. Wildcats in Paris Schnell is not the only Wildcat competing in this year’s Olympics. The following current and former Wildcat athletes and coaches will represent eight different countries – the U.S., Luxembourg, Mexico, Azerbaijan, Italy, Guam, Australia and the Philippines – in six different sports: beach volleyball, swimming and diving, track and field, basketball, soccer and golf. The U of A has produced 122 Olympians, 56 women and 66 men, who have made 187 appearances at the Olympic Games. Those Olympians have earned 74 medals: 36 gold, 24 silver and 14 bronze. “We are proud that so many current and former Arizona Wildcats will be competing on the biggest stage in the world at this summer’s Olympic Games,” said Athletic Director Desireé Reed-Francois . “These athletes have all earned their way to Paris, persevering through highs and lows and pushing themselves to absolute extremes. They represent what Arizona Athletics is all about: determination, integrity and excellence. We will be cheering them on from Tucson and around the world as they compete and represent their home countries and the University of Arizona.” Men’s Beach Volleyball Chase Budinger (Team USA) played three seasons for the U of A men’s basketball team and was named the Pac-10 Rookie of the Year in 2007. After leaving Arizona, Budinger was the 44th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He played seven seasons in the NBA, with the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns. Swimming and Diving Ralph Daleiden (Luxembourg) will be a junior during the 2024-2025 season and has qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 50-meter, 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle events in each of his first two seasons. He will compete in the 100-meter freestyle event in Paris. Dwight Dumais (Team USA) is the assistant coach for USA Diving and the head diving coach at the U of A. He was named Pac-12 Diving Coach of the Year in 2022 and 2023. Dumais was a five-time All-American diver at Stanford, and previously coached USA Diving at the 2017 World Championships in Budapest. Jorge Iga (Mexico) will compete in the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle events in Paris. He swam for the U of A from 2017-2020 and earned Honorable Mention All-American honors in 2018 in the 400-meter and 800-meter freestyle relays. Maryam Sheikhalizadehkhanghah (Azerbaijan) will be a sophomore at the U of A during the 2024-2025 season and will compete in the 50-meter freestyle event in Paris. Sheikhalizadehkhanghah previously represented Azerbaijan in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, competing in the 100-meter freestyle. Giancarla Trevisan (Italy) competed for the U of A from 2014-2016 and was a top performer in the 400-meter events. Trevisan will represent Italy in the 4×400-meter relay. Track and Field Joseph Green (Guam) was a member of the 2023-2024 U of A track and field team and set the Guamanian men’s indoor record in the 60-meter event. He will compete in the 100-meter event in Paris. Edgar Rivera-Morales (Mexico) lettered at the U of A from 2010-2013 and competed in the high jump. As a Wildcat, he earned NCAA indoor and outdoor All-American recognitions in 2011 and 2012 and was the 2012 Pac-12 Championship runner-up. Paris will be Rivera-Morales’ third Olympics. He previously competed in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and at the 2020 Olypmics in Tokyo. Men’s Basketball Steve Kerr (Team USA) was a member of the U of A men’s basketball team from 1984-1988 and is currently the head coach of the Golden State Warriors. He is the head coach for Team USA’s men’s basketball team. As a Wildcat, Kerr was twice named first-team all-conference and earned All-American honors his senior year. After a 15-year career in the NBA that included five NBA championships, Kerr has led Golden State to four national titles. He was named NBA Coach of the Year and named one of the “Top 15 Coaches in NBA History” as part of the organization’s 75th anniversary celebration. Josh Green (Australia) played for the Wildcats during the 2019-2020 season, averaging 12 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game before being selected 18th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Green previously represented Australia in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, winning a bronze medal. Women’s Soccer Twila Kilgore (Team USA) is the assistant coach for Team USA’s women’s soccer team. She played soccer for the U of A from 1998-2001 and is tied for sixth in program history for career games started, with 72. She was Arizona’s Rookie of the Year at the conclusion of the 1998 season after totaling four goals. Kilgore is the first American-born woman to earn U.S. Soccer’s Pro Coaching License, and previously worked with the Houston Dash and at Pepperdine and served as the head coach at UC Davis from 2014-19. Women’s Golf Bianca Pagdanganan (Philippines) played the final two seasons of her college career at the U of A after transferring from Gonzaga University after the 2017 season. Pagdanganan helped the Wildcats capture the NCAA Team Championship in 2018. She also made first team All-Pac-12 and finished third individually at the 2019 NCAA Championship. The opening ceremony of 2024 Olympics in Paris will take place Friday, July 26, at 10:30 p.m. (PT) on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo. For the latest on U of A student-athletes and alumni in the 2024 Olympics, visit the Wildcats in Paris website .

WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema and a bipartisan group of Senators introduced legislation honoring the late Arizona Senator John McCain, who passed away in 2018 from glioblastoma, and other Americans who have battled and continue to battle brain cancer by designating Wednesday, July 17 as National Glioblastoma Awareness Day. The bipartisan resolution passed the Senate earlier this summer.     “Glioblastoma Awareness Day honors Senator John McCain – my personal hero – and the thousands of Americans who have battled or continue to battle brain cancers, and their caregivers. We’ll continue strengthening efforts to find a cure and develop new treatments for this disease and other brain cancers,” said Sinema.   Each year, over 14,000 Americans are diagnosed with glioblastomas, and 10,000 Americans tragically die from these brain tumors. Sinema’s bipartisan legislation calls for treatments of glioblastoma and related brain cancers to slow its progression, improve quality of life, and recognize the importance of molecular biomarker testing to improve diagnosis and treatment.   Last year, Sinema helped pass two bipartisan resolutions designating Wednesday, July 19, 2023 as National Glioblastoma Awareness Day and May 2023 as Brain Tumor Awareness Month – supporting efforts to develop better treatments for brain tumors that will improve the quality of life and the long-term prognoses of individuals diagnosed with a brain tumor. Click HERE to learn more about the resolution.

PIMA COUNTY, July 17, 2024 — Sample ballots mailed to voter households last week included the wrong date for the July 30, 2024, primary election. The sample ballot title page had the correct date of July 30, but the pages listing the 126 Vote Centers contained the date of August 30, 2024, at the top.

The Elections Department has mailed a postcard to all voter households that received a sample ballot, noting the erroneous date and providing the correct date in prominent text. Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher, in a memo to the Board of Supervisors , called the error “unfortunate and regrettable” and said Elections was taking steps to ensure the accuracy of future communications. For all the information you need to know about the July 30 primary election, including early voting locations, ballot drop-off sites, election day Vote Center locations, and more, go to pima.vote . Find your sample ballot by putting in your address on the voting locations map .

“ Proposition 314 has no place on the ballot box. This is a package of already failed and vetoed legislation that violates the single-subject rule in our case’s argument. The Stop and Frisk bill will disproportionately target Arizonans and subject them to suspicion and persecution. This discriminatory legislation will not only grant law enforcement immunity but will also lead to over-policing in every community across our state,” said Alejandra Gomez, Executive Director of LUCHA. Gomez continued , “This is Stop and Frisk on steroids. Arizonans, even those hundreds of miles from the border, will be under the intense vigilance of law enforcement. A routine traffic stop could quickly escalate into an inquiry about citizenship status and possible detainment based solely on the color of your skin and your last name. We urge the Arizona Supreme Court to hear our case and deny this proposition on constitutional grounds.”