WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1927, Ellen Brophy donated $250,000 and 25 acres of land to construct the Brophy College Preparatory School to honor her late husband, William Henry Brophy. A painting of Ellen Brophy hangs over the school's east entrance.

Check out this real-time map showing wildfires across Arizona. We cover the details of the growing Stronghold Fire in Top Stories.

Later today, we will email you on behalf of our partner, Timeplast, with an investment opportunity in groundbreaking sustainable packaging technology. We hope you find it worth exploring.

The most valuable tech you've never heard of? Check out today's sponsor IotaComm to find out more.

Have you tried The Flyover podcast yet? Our weekday host, Ayla Brown, has today's national news ready for you. Click on your favorite platform below to listen or watch.

State Worker Accused of Human Smuggling

A state produce inspector was fired and criminally charged for allegedly smuggling illegal immigrants across the border while in his work uniform.

Border agents arrested state Department of Agriculture employee Joshua Castro this month after finding two Mexican immigrants in the back seat of his car, which was previously identified as a possible smuggling vehicle.

Gov. Katie Hobbs said Castro was fired, and she promised to work with authorities in the ongoing investigation.

State Sen. President Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, accused Hobbs and the acting director of the agriculture department, Paul Brierley, of mismanagement.

Stronghold Fire Reaches 2,300 Acres

The Stronghold Fire in Cochise County burned more than 2,000 acres, with fire activity increasing, officials said Tuesday. Watch.

Wind gusts and warm weather helped feed the fire, which destroyed one outbuilding and threatened homes.

The Cochise County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation and pre-evacuation notices for multiple homes in the Sunsites Pearce area.

State, federal, and local firefighters battled the flames while air tankers helped slow the spread, although flights were grounded later Monday due to wind conditions.

Tempe Adding More Red-Light Cameras

Tempe will install 14 additional speed enforcement cameras to crack down on speeding and red-light violations. See a map of the locations.

The city will give violators a grace period until June 5, when drivers of vehicles speeding or running red lights will incur a $250 fine.

The intersections were chosen based on size, crash statistics, and speed disparities.

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Smart Buildings Aren't Just the Future—They're Happening Now

The dream of a futuristic smart city—where buildings, traffic, energy use, and air quality are all intelligently connected—sounds like science fiction. But it's quickly becoming a reality, thanks to advances in the $1.5 trillion Internet of Things (IoT) market.

The challenge? Traditional Wi-Fi networks are too expensive and complex to power this vision at scale.

That's why massive brands like GigNet and Crayola are tapping into IotaComm's nationwide wireless network. It's a lower-cost, more reliable alternative to help bring smarter operations to schools, businesses, and entire communities.

This smart future is not 10 years away—it's being built right now.

And here's the best part…

IotaComm is giving early investors a limited opportunity to participate in its growth. Right now, you can earn up to a 50% bonus equity, which provides an attractive way to reduce your average cost basis and help create momentum for new expansion.

Learn more about becoming a shareholder here.

➤ Tempe: Police arrested 173 young people for underage drinking at a bar near McClintock and Apache Boulevard. (Details)

➤ Prescott: Exceptional Healthcare opened a $25 million micro hospital featuring eight inpatient beds, 10 emergency room beds, a radiology suite, lab, and pharmacy. (More)

➤ Salt River: The state proposes a contract change that would reduce the number of horses allowed to live near the river. (Watch)

➤ Mesa: U.S. 60 reopened after a deadly crash early Tuesday morning near Power Road. (Video)

➤ Oro Valley: Police shot and killed an armed man suspected of firing gunshots in the area of Tohono Chul Botanical Gardens. (Details)

➤ Yuma County: The county will oversee a free property fraud alert system that warns property owners if new documents are recorded under their name. (More)

➤ Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Eugenio Suárez was named National League Player of the Week following his four-homer game on Saturday. (Watch)

➤ Less than a month after Arizona's Trey McBride became the highest-paid tight end in NFL history, San Francisco offered tight end George Kittle an even larger contract. (Details)

➤ Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham performed a 100-yard bear crawl after losing a bet to recent four-star commit Nalin Scott. (Watch)

➤ Northrop Grumman's satellite manufacturing plant in Gilbert will test and outfit the HALO crew quarters module, a key piece of NASA's plan to build a permanent base on the moon. (More)

➤ Tucson's Borderlands Brewery and its landlord are at odds as eviction looms to replace its downtown taproom with a comedy club. (Watch)

➤ Augie's Restaurant in Prescott reopened in a former Sears store, offering three dining areas, a spacious bar, and outdoor seating. (More)

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The Most Valuable Tech You've Never Heard Of

While everyone's focused on AI, one company is quietly building the infrastructure to power it.

Cities, schools, and industrial sites will never see all the benefits of cutting-edge AI innovation with Wi-Fi alone—it's simply too costly. But IotaComm's Internet of Things (IoT) platform and nationwide wireless network provide the strong, secure, low-cost connectivity to make it possible.

Even major brands like Crayola and GigNet are already partnering with IotaComm to modernize environments—from classrooms to entire regions.

Learn how you can invest in IotaComm (and receive a limited-time bonus) as they build the future.

This is a paid advertisement for IotaComm's Regulation CF Offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.iotacomm.com.

➤ Golfland Sunsplash in Mesa plans to build the state's tallest waterslide, the Riptide, featuring a 65-foot drop. (Watch)

➤ Buford, the dog who helped find a missing boy in Seligman, was presented with an honorary search and rescue certificate and a vest from the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office. The boy received a challenge coin for courage. (Watch)

➤ Pima Community College's Fashion Design program will host its annual Playful Paradox runway show on May 17. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

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