Weekend wrap-up: Here are the biggest Arizona stories from May 19-21
May 21, 2023, 6:00 PM
Wildflowers spread over hills as wind turbines create electricity on April 16, 2023 near Cameron, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
PHOENIX — The U.S. approved a Southwest renewable energy project involving Arizona, a wrong-way driver collided with a responding MCSO deputy and authorities shot and killed a man in Guadalupe.
Here are some of the biggest stories that headlined the Arizona news cycle over the weekend.
US approves expansive Southwest renewable energy project, involving Arizona
The U.S. Department of the Interior announced on Thursday its decision to greenlight a 520-mile, multibillion-dollar transmission line to transport renewable energy from New Mexico to Arizona and California.
The proposed SunZia Southwest Transmission Project involves two 500-kilovolt transmission lines across federal, state and private lands.
It traverses Graham, Greenlee, Cochise, Pinal and Pima counties in Arizona and Lincoln, Socorro, Sierra, Luna, Grant, Hidalgo, Valencia and Torrance counties in New Mexico to provide 4,500 megawatts of primarily wind-generated electricity.
Wrong-way driver collides with responding MCSO deputy
A wrong-way driver in Cave Creek is in life-threatening condition after colliding with a responding Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputy early Sunday morning.
The deputy is “OK,” according to the sheriff’s office.
The deputy was dispatched to the area of Cave Creek and Auto Plane roads in Cave Creek at about 2:15 a.m., according to a press release. While driving to the location, the wrong-way driver collided with a responding deputy’s vehicle.
Deputies shoot, kill man after incident in Guadalupe
A man was pronounced dead on Saturday in Guadalupe after he was shot by Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies following an incident, authorities said.
Deputies were dispatched around 9:40 p.m. Friday night to Hardy Drive and Guadalupe Road for a report of a man with a gun.
The deputies attempted to contact 42-year-old Tomas Ramirez-Martinez which ultimately led to the shooting, authorities said.
Police searching for suspect after 50-year-old man was shot, killed in West Valley
Police are searching for a suspect who shot and killed a man outside of a business in the West Valley early Saturday.
Police responded to a report of a shooting near 27th and Augusta avenues around 3:45 a.m., according to a press release.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found a man who had been shot multiple times. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Casa Grande woman arrested on suspicion of fatally running car over boyfriend after argument
A woman has been arrested in connection with the death of her boyfriend who was run over by a car after a domestic dispute, according to police in Arizona.
Shelly Shears, 51, was booked into the Pinal County jail Saturday on suspicion of second-degree murder, Casa Grande police said.
It wasn’t immediately clear Sunday if Shears had a lawyer yet who could speak on her behalf.
Officers responded to a motor vehicle versus pedestrian collision around 8:30 a.m. Saturday and found 59-year-old Billy Stephens lying near a roadway in serious condition with “significant trauma,” police said.
