by Matthew Holloway | Jun 25, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Pima Regional Bomb Squad (PRBS) was summoned by officers of the Sahuarita Police Department after officers were dispatched to a residential area with reports of possible explosive devices at three separate locations northeast of Interstate 19 and Sahuarita Road on Friday, June 20.
The incidents followed a prior call on Friday, June 13th, which saw a man report an object he found in the street and moved to the sidewalk. The PRBS later confirmed that the device was likely an explosive device after securing it, marking three such incidents in the space of a week.
According to AZ Central, the Pima Regional Bomb Squad is conducting a forensic investigation into all three devices. The town of Sahuarita, located approximately 30 minutes south of Tucson, lies along the I-19, a key corridor for human trafficking and drug and weapon smuggling.
A Sheriff’s Department spokesman told the outlet, “We want to remind the public to stay alert and report any suspicious items or activity to local law enforcement.” A suspect has not been identified as of this report by Pima County Sheriff’s Department or the Sahuarita Police Department.
The department added that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has joined the investigation. The spokesman described the June 13th device as cylindrical, wrapped in tape with what officers believed to be a fuse protruding from it, resembling a pipe bomb. Officers determined it was “likely an explosive device.”
In a statement, the Sahuarita police said, “When the person or persons responsible for these crimes are identified, they will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.”
Per KGUN, one of the devices located on Friday, June 20th, described as four to six inches long and two inches wide, was found at a Sahuarita park: Parque del Sol. The device located on Friday, June 13th was reportedly located at the same park.
In a press release following the June 20th incidents, The Sahuarita Police Department said:
“On June 20, 2025, at approximately 7:00 p.m., Sahuarita police officers were dispatched to the area of E. Mountain Alder and S. Camino Larga Vista regarding the report of a possible explosive device. A Sahuarita resident called 911 after discovering the device in a public area. Officers arrived and immediately secured the area. Visual inspection of the device resulted in SPD contacting the Pima Regional Bomb Squad (PRBS) to assist in dealing with the device…
“At approximately 9:30 p.m., the PRBS rendered the device safe and collected it as evidence. The PRBS will coordinate an evidentiary forensic examination of the device…
“…In the early morning hours of June 20th, the SPD dealt with a different suspected explosive device at 14600 S. Camino Larga Vista (Parque del Sol). That device was rendered safe by PRBS.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact the SPD by calling 520-351-4900, 9-1-1, or 520-344-7000 during business hours Monday through Friday or by contacting the Sheriff’s TIP Line at 520-445-7847.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 25, 2025 | Economy, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Earlier this month, Goodyear’s City Council passed a massive $1.2 billion budget for 2026, unchanged from the tentative budget presented to the city in May. The budget is a shocking increase of over $304 million year-over-year or approximately 25.3%, without increasing its combined property tax rate or sales tax.
Goodyear Mayor Joe Pizzillo told reporters that the city was impacted by the loss of the city transaction privilege tax (TPT), eliminated as of Jan. 1st, 2025, through Republican tax reforms passed in the state legislature over the objections of Arizona Cities and Towns.
“A lot of cities here in the valley unfortunately had to raise their taxes to make up those $234 million…more than likely (which will) be doubling over the next five to 10 years,” Pizzillo said. “The city of Goodyear did not raise its sales tax or its combined property tax rate.”
Similar to property tax changes in Maricopa County, the city’s Truth in Taxation notice recorded an increase of $303,271. However, the overall property tax rate will not see an increase. This was accomplished by increasing the primary property tax rate, which is statutorily limited to an increase of 2%, while decreasing the secondary property tax keeping the rate effectively the same at $1.74 per $100 assessed property valuation.
In December 2024, Lee Grafstrom, a tax policy expert with Arizona Cities and Towns, told Fox10 that municipalities aren’t “cutting any of the services that citizens are requesting and requiring, so, we still have to do all the same amount of work. We just have this much less money to do it.”
“We have to find a way to either cut services or make up that shortfall,” he added. “This is a minor piece of a solution to a much larger problem, in terms of housing affordability.”
Finance Manager Ryan Bittle asked rhetorically, “‘Why is my property tax bill going up if the rate isn’t changed?’ (It) is one of the typical questions you might hear, and that’s simply because the value of your property is likely more this year than it was last year.”
The changes, according to Bittle, will bring more consistent revenues to Goodyear’s general fund. He explained that the secondary tax rate can only be used for servicing the city’s debts, while the primary property tax provides revenue for approximately 8% of the general fund on an ongoing basis.
In addition, Bittle explained that most of the property taxes paid by Goodyear property owners goes toward education, by a wide margin. “Most of the property taxes paid by citizens here in Goodyear falls outside of council’s decision-making authority,” Bittle said, noting that a full 66% of the collected taxes fund schools with just 15 cents on the dollar going to the city’s coffers.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 23, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
A new report from the Common Sense Institute (CSI) Arizona has shed light on the growing trend of homeschooling and the associated costs nationwide, using Utah as an example and revealing both the financial burden and opportunities for families opting out of in-person public education. The in-depth study, released Wednesday, explores the economic and educational landscape of home-based learning, particularly in light of Utah’s innovative Utah Fits All (UFA) scholarship program, a similar but far more limited program than Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA).
According to the CSI report, nearly 30,000 Utah students applied for 10,000 UFA scholarships in 2024, with an estimated 80% of recipients using the funds for homeschooling. These $8,000-per-student scholarships have expanded access to educational resources, enabling families to afford formal programs, online classes, tutoring, and specialized instruction. Although a fraction of the Arizona ESA program’s more than 86,000 students, Utah’s UFA presents a reasonable sample size.
One Utah parent, homeschooling seven children, told CSI Arizona that the UFA scholarship allowed their youngest child to access structured online courses, a resource unavailable to their older siblings.
“Nearly all respondents who shared feedback cited UFA as enabling greater ‘access to opportunities,’” the report states, highlighting the program’s role in addressing parental demand for a greater diversity of educational options.
The report estimates homeschooling costs in Utah range widely, from $700 to $70,000 annually, depending on the services and resources families choose. Unlike traditional schools, homeschooling families are frequently left to absorb significant expenses, such as curriculum materials and facility costs, which are not covered by public funding outside of programs like UFA.
Homeschooling’s rise in Utah and Arizona both mirror national trends, with the report citing an increase to as much as 11% of U.S. students being homeschooled since 2020. In Utah, public school enrollment has declined by 0.3% since its 2021 peak, with district schools losing over 6,000 students between 2021 and 2024, largely driven by smaller kindergarten classes. A similar phenomenon was observed in Arizona by CSI. Meanwhile, charter school enrollment also grew by 1,500 students over the same period. The report seems to reinforce CSI’s earlier observations that dissatisfaction with traditional school environments or curricula is a key driver of homeschooling demand, predating the introduction of UFA and the Arizona ESA.
Despite Utah’s $10.2 billion investment in public education, only about $1 billion supports charter schools, and homeschooling families have historically relied heavily on personal funds to get by, putting added stress on families already suffering under inflation. The UFA program, launched in 2024, created a significant shift, offering financial relief and flexibility to homeschooling parents.
Programs such as UFA in Utah and ESA in Arizona are responding to growing parental demand for tailored learning experiences, and as homeschooling continues to expand, the study calls for greater transparency in tracking participation and costs to better tailor it and programs like it to the evolving needs of homeschooling students.
CSI Arizona concluded, “Over the past five years, the K-12 landscape in the United States has changed dramatically. Today, there are fewer kids in America’s traditional public schools than before the pandemic, and far more children are being homeschooled.
“At the same time, the nature and cost of homeschooling has changed as it has grown. Today’s homeschoolers often started out either enrolled in or considering the traditional school system, and are looking for a rigorous educational experience that includes diverse and formalized coursework, curriculum, and standards. Providing that is costly – comparable in costs to other traditional schools, or even more expensive per-pupil once all costs (direct and hidden) are accounted for.”
CSI added that state policymakers “should carefully consider the consequences of policies that continue treating students differently based on where they go to school – especially if those differences are based on assumptions that underestimate the cost of non-traditional options.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 22, 2025 | Economy, News
By Matthew Holloway |
A bill to establish a Bitcoin Reserve in the State of Arizona was resurrected in the legislature by the State Senate before the chamber adjourned Sine Die on Friday. House Bill 2324, introduced by Arizona Representative Jeff Weninger, was passed in the Arizona House on its third reading, but was reconsidered in the Senate and advanced 16-14. The bill now returns to the House for consideration before it also adjourns.
The proposed measure would create a “Bitcoin and Digital Assets Reserve Fund” designed to manage all legally forfeited digital assets and currencies.
According to the Senate Fact Sheet, HB 2324 would allow “a court to order a person convicted of an offense for which forfeiture applies to forfeit any digital asset used in, acquired through or traceable to the offense.” I also, “prescribes procedures for a government agency to sell seized digital assets and outlines the allocation of monies acquired from the sale.” And it, “establishes the Bitcoin and Digital Assets Reserve Fund, administered by the State Treasurer, to store, manage and allocate digital assets securely.”
The bill now concurred upon by the Senate must also pass the Arizona House before moving to Governor Katie Hobbs’ desk where its fate is uncertain. According to Coin Telegraph, the first $300,000 in digital assets from a criminal forfeiture would head to the Attorney General’s office, from whence any mount over $300,000 would be divided with 50% going to the Attorney General, 25% to the state general fund, and 25% to the new digital assets reserve fund. While Hobbs has vetoed three Cryptocurrency bills, she has also signed HB 2749 into law which permits the state to hold unclaimed cryptocurrency and establish a Bitcoin reserve fund that wouldn’t utilize any state funding or taxpayer dollars.
At the time, Hobbs stated, “Current volatility in cryptocurrency markets does not make a prudent fit for general fund dollars,” and described the cryptocurrency-related legislation as “risk(s),” and “untested.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 21, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Republican Congressman Andy Biggs continues to enjoy a comfortable advantage in the upcoming primary contest for the 2026 Gubernatorial Election with what pollster NextGenP described as a “massive lead.” The poll, conducted over June 17-18 of 1,380 likely Republican Primary voters, placed Biggs at a commanding 48.6% over fellow Republican Karrin Taylor-Robson who polled at 26%, barely edging out “Other” and “Undecided” with a combined 25.5%.
The poll has a margin of error of ± 2.6% at the 95% confidence level.
In net favorability polling, the survey was even more decisive with Biggs maintaining a 48% approval rating while Robson held onto just 21%, a difference 27 points. Total approval for Biggs sat at 66%, while total approval for Robson polled at 49%.
“With more than a year until Election Day, Andy Biggs continues to lead with a formidable 22.6-point lead with nearly half the electorate already in his corner. His +48% net favorability and 95% total name ID underscores his strong position, especially compared to Robson’s +21% net favorability,” NextgenP Managing Partner Gregg Pekau said. “But with nearly 18% of voters still undecided and 7.7% favoring other candidates, the field remains fluid-and there’s plenty of time for dynamics to shift.”
Partner at NextgenP Luke Mosiman emphasized the importance of the poll’s sample size saying, “With a sample size of 1,380 likely Republican primary voters, this poll carries real statistical weight. In a landscape often shaped by smaller, less reliable snapshots, these numbers give a much more grounded view of the race—showing Andy Biggs with a 22.6-point lead and nearly half the electorate behind him. That kind of margin, backed by solid data, can’t be easily dismissed.”
Another recent poll from American Commitment at the end of May also showed Biggs with a commanding lead with 57% support versus just 25% support for Robson.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
