Position: Senior News Reporter. Started with KTAR July 4, 1999. Favorite spots in Arizona: Pinetop-Lakeside, Alpine, Greer. Have covered some of the biggest stories in Arizona including nine of the top 10 largest wildfires in state history. The Wallow Fire in 2011 became the largest fire in state history. Rodeo-Chediski Fire in June 2002, which is the second largest fire in Arizona. Covered the Yarnell Hill Tragedy in June 2013 that left 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots dead. Favorite movies: True Grit, both 1969 John Wayne classic and the remake with Jeff Bridges and Lonesome Dove. Sports Teams: Washington State University Cougars, Texas Longhorns, The University of Montana Grizzlies.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Oct 26, 2021Holiday sales expected to be robust in Arizona despite supply woes
Despite the major supply chain issues as a result of the pandemic, a Valley economist expects plenty of holiday cheer for retailers this season.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Oct 22, 2021Arizona health official says record West Nile virus cases are dropping off
An Arizona Department of Health Services official says there have never been more West Nile virus cases in Arizona than now but there are signs of a slowdown.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Oct 18, 2021Average Valley home prices expected to reach $517K by late 2022, experts say
Home prices in metro Phoenix are still going up and real estate experts are projecting an average of $517,000 next year.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Oct 14, 2021Tempe Union High School District to phase out resource officers
The Tempe Union High School District has voted to phase out the use of local police as school resource officers by next August.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Oct 8, 2021Hispanic buying power a major piece of Arizona’s economy that’s only expected to grow
Hispanic purchasing power in Arizona reached $63 billion in 2020, according to the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, topping the expected $57 billion.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Sep 14, 2021Nearly 300 companies eyeing metro Phoenix as future home, agency says
More than 270 companies from around the planet are looking to expand operations or relocate to the Phoenix area, a spokesman for a Valley economic development agency said.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Sep 10, 2021
Former Phoenix Fire Department chief reflects on 9/11 attacks 20 years later
Just days after the attacks that brought down both towers of the World Trade Center in New York, then-Phoenix Fire Department Assistant Chief Bob Khan was at the site.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Sep 3, 2021Arizona economy reaches 95% recovery of pandemic-lost jobs
As the Labor Day Weekend weekend approaches, about 95% of the estimated 320,000 jobs lost across the state last year during the pandemic have been recovered, according to Valley economist Jim Rounds.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Jul 29, 20212021 monsoon makes a big splash in Arizona’s deep drought
A series of powerful storms that brought days of heavy rain to most of Arizona has made an impact on the drought.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Jun 21, 2021Valley athlete to be first female LGBTQ wrestler in Olympic history
What began as a dream at a very young age for a Valley wrestler is about to become reality when she travels to Japan in July for the Olympics.
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ARIZONA NEWS | May 21, 2021With holiday travel ahead, gas prices go up again in Arizona
With Memorial Day weekend on the horizon and COVID restrictions easing, holiday travel is expected to jump considerably this year and gas prices are reflecting that in Arizona and across the country, an oil industry analyst said.
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ARIZONA NEWS | May 17, 2021Metro Phoenix real estate is at the top of the hill, with no end in sight
It is not a bubble, but a boom. That is how a long-time economist in Arizona describes the rising real estate prices we are experiencing in the Phoenix metro area.
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ARIZONA NEWS | May 5, 2021Arizona tourism needs to reboot marketing campaign, economist says
A Valley economist said as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides and travel resumes, Arizona needs to step up its game to attract tourists that other states are pursuing.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Apr 16, 2021Arizona’s historic drought won’t be fixed in single strong monsoon season
Climate experts say drought conditions in Arizona are the type usually only seen once or twice in a century and one season of rain won't fix it.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Apr 9, 2021Arizona sitting in rare territory for extreme drought conditions
After last summer’s poor monsoon followed by a weak winter, the U.S. Drought Monitor shows 55% of Arizona is in the exceptional drought category, the worst level.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Apr 1, 2021Arizona economy growing with higher-wage jobs, expert says
A Valley economist said Arizona will be in the top 10 in most economic categories, as the state continues to rebound from COVID-19 pandemic job losses.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Mar 23, 2021Wildfire experts prepare for active burn season as drought continues
Almost unprecedented drought conditions could bring the threat of fire to all four corners of Arizona, wildfire experts said.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Mar 18, 2021COVID-19 brought battle on and off court for Arizona high school coach
A Valley high school basketball coach could never have imagined the obstacles his team ended up facing during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Mar 11, 2021Law puts low-risk Arizona inmates to work on wildfire prevention
Arizona is on the verge of another potentially severe wildfire season and will have more boots on the ground - inmates - to prevent wildfires under a bill signed by Gov. Doug Ducey.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Mar 1, 2021Valley economists expect Arizona to aggressively rebound in 2022-23
While two Valley economists differ on how close the state is to the finish line of the pandemic-driven recession, they both agree Arizona's return will be big.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Feb 24, 2021Arizona pump prices continue to climb in response to Texas gas shutdown
Prices at the pump are soaring in Arizona and they will climb even more over the next week, an industry analyst said Wednesday.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Jan 27, 2021Big storms will put dent in Arizona’s drought, climate expert says
The storms that pounded Arizona's high country with snow and dropped heavy rain across the deserts was welcome, but the state still has a deep drought deficit, a climate expert said.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Jan 5, 2021Business leader says Phoenix area’s 2021 economic outlook is positive
The president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council says he's optimistic there will be full recovery this year of the jobs lost in the area during the pandemic.
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ARIZONA NEWS | Jan 2, 2021SRP reservoirs finish 2020 mostly full despite dry Arizona conditions
After the hottest and driest summer in Arizona history followed by a dry and warmer fall and early winter, the six reservoirs that supply water to metro Phoenix are mostly full.