Weekend wrap: Here are the biggest Arizona news stories from July 31-Aug. 2

From a 10-year-old hiker hospitalized to Andy Biggs’ pick for lieutenant governor, here are some of the top Arizona news stories from July 31-Aug. 2.

10-year-old boy hospitalized after mountain rescue on Camelback’s Echo Canyon Trail

Emergency crews rescued a 10-year-old boy off Camelback Mountain late Saturday morning after he suffered a heat-related illness while hiking with his family, authorities said.

Firefighters responded around 11 a.m. to the Echo Canyon Trailhead following reports of a child experiencing a medical emergency on the trail.

Upon arrival, crews located the 10-year-old boy, who had become overheated while hiking alongside his parents.

Rescuers deployed a “big wheel” operation (utilizing a specialized single-wheeled stretcher designed for rugged terrain) to safely wheel the boy down the steep trail to the trailhead.

Once off the mountain, the child was moved to an awaiting ambulance and taken to a local hospital in stable condition.

Bygone mall favorite Hot Dog on a Stick plans return to Arizona

Hot Dog on a Stick, the long running West Coast hot dog and lemonade-focused chain, is under new ownership and in talks for a return to Arizona.

The mall staple, which had locations in the now defunct Paradise Valley Mall and Metrocenter, as well as Chandler Fashion Center, closed its remaining stores in Arizona in 2014. The chain has gone through several different ownership groups and was acquired this summer by Las Vegas-based Amazing Brands for $8 million through a bankruptcy court-approved transaction.

Stephen Siegel, founder of Amazing Brands, told the Business Journal that he is in lease negotiations for at least six different sites to bring Hot Dog on a Stick back to the Valley.

“We’re looking all around Arizona and the Phoenix area at all kinds of locations,” Siegel said. “Some of which we were in prior, some are going to be new locations – spreading around the Valley.”

What’s more, Siegel is interested in opening some of his other brands in the Valley. Pinkbox Donuts, one of several companies under his Amazing Brands umbrella, is currently constructing a store in Scottsdale on the corner of Scottsdale Road and Shea, which is set to open before the end of 2026.

This story is posted in partnership with Phoenix Business Journal. Click to read the full story.

Andy Biggs picks Sine Kerr as running mate in 1st Arizona election with lieutenant governor

Republican gubernatorial nominee Andy Biggs named former state Sen. Sine Kerr as his running mate Friday, completing the GOP ticket for Arizona’s November general election.

“I am thrilled to have Sine Kerr as my running mate and Arizona’s first nominee to be lieutenant governor,” Biggs said in a news release. “Sine knows Arizona’s agriculture community as well as anyone and has the respect of farmers, ranchers and policymakers from around the state.”

Biggs, an East Valley congressman, also released a campaign video introducing Kerr as his running mate.

The lieutenant governor announcement was first reported in an exclusive story from The Arizona Republic.

Driver impaired by marijuana sentenced for Peoria crash that killed 5

A man who drove under the influence of marijuana when he was 16, causing a crash that killed five people, has been sentenced to 30 years in  prison, authorities announced Friday.

Bjorn Hartzell is now 20. He pleaded guilty to five counts of second-degree murder and one count of endangerment in connection with the crash in November 2022, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

“No one expects a routine drive to end in tragedy because another driver chose to speed while impaired,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in the announcement. “Cases like this highlight why reckless and impaired driving remain among the greatest dangers on our roads.”

Central Arizona Project president says feds ‘bought the lies’ on Colorado River plan

The president of the Central Arizona Project accused the Department of the Interior on Friday of siding with Upper Basin states and accepting false claims about water obligations in the newly released Colorado River management plan.

The Central Arizona Project is the state’s largest supplier of renewable water, delivering Colorado River water to Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties through a 336-mile canal system.

“The Department of Interior basically bought their lies,” Terry Goddard told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos, referring to Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico, which have refused to agree to any water reductions even in the most extreme shortage conditions.

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