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Axios Phoenix
Beat the Phoenix heat with Christmas (and pizza) in July
Gather 'round the Christmas organ for some festive fun. You may even forget it's 110° outside!. The big picture: Organ Stop Pizza, a 50-year-old East Valley institution known for its theatrical organ performances, will transform into a winter wonderland this July to raise money for the United Food Bank.
More than half of Arizona homes are "equity rich"
Data: Attom; Map: Tory Lysik/Axios VisualsMore than half of Arizona homes are considered "equity rich," meaning the owner holds at least 50% equity, according to real estate data firm Attom.Why it matters: Home equity is an important tool many Americans use to build wealth and finance big expenses, from business startups to their next home.Arizona's rate of equity-rich homes is significantly higher than the national average of 44%.The big picture: People who purchased in the Valley before prices spiked during the pandemic likely paid much less than their home is currently worth, meaning they are sitting on a nice chunk of equity."Homeowner...
Phoenix weekend events: "Hamilton," soccer matches and Scorch's birthday
The weekend's almost here! Grab a pal and enjoy the fun the Valley has to offer.🔪 Days of the DeadHorror film buffs will descend upon the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Friday-Sunday for a scary comic-con-like event with celebrity appearances.Tickets start at $40, kids 12 and younger are free.⚽ CONMEBOL Copa América 2024Three of this year's CONMEBOL Copa América soccer tournament matches will be at State Farm Stadium, including this Friday (Colombia vs. Costa Rica) and Sunday (Mexico vs. Ecuador).Tickets from $86 for Friday and $105 for Sunday.🏀 Inspiring Girls Night & Scorch's BirthdayIt's Phoenix Mercury mascot Scorch's birthday, and the team...
State and national rulings legalizing same-sex marriage brought an increase in Arizona
Data: Census Bureau; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosThe number of married same-sex couples in Arizona rose dramatically in the wake of the 2014 and 2015 judicial rulings legalizing them at the state and national levels, according to the most recent American Community Survey (ACS) data.The big picture: Between 2014 — when a federal judge struck down Arizona's gay marriage ban — and 2021, same-sex married couples in Arizona increased from about 6,000 to nearly 19,000.Prior to the 2014 ruling, the number of same-sex married couples in Arizona saw slight growth, from about 2,400 in 2008, the year the state's voters approved its ban,...
Slugfest between Hamadeh and Masters dominates CD8 Republican primary
The race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko in her West Valley congressional district has devolved into a bitter fight between two former allies from the 2022 election.The big picture: Six Republicans are running for the seat, including some notable names in Arizona politics, like former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, state House Speaker Ben Toma and state Sen. Anthony Kern.But the sheer nastiness of their campaigns means Abraham Hamadeh and Blake Masters have commanded most of the attention.Why it matters: The 8th Congressional District is solidly Republican, meaning the winner of the GOP primary will almost certainly win the...
Dog Haus reopens at CityScape, slinging hot dogs and sausages back to downtown Phoenix
Dog Haus Biergarten is back in action in downtown Phoenix.State of play: The CityScape location of the national hot dog chain reopened earlier this month under new ownership. It originally opened in 2020, but closed three years later.The chain's other Arizona locations are in Gilbert and Tempe.What to expect: You can get a traditional Chicago-style dog or chili dog, but there's more exotic offerings as well, like a dog covered in cheese and barbecue sauce, or a pastrami-topped Italian sausage.If you're not in the mood for a hotdog or a sausage, you can grab a burger or sample a wide...
Legislative races to watch in Arizona's primary election
Before Democrats and Republicans can slug it out for control of the Legislature, they'll have to decide who will represent them on the ballot in November.Why it matters: Because the majority of Arizona's 30 legislative districts are one-party dominant, the winners of most of the state's legislative races will be determined by the July 30 primary rather than the general election.State of play: Republicans hold one-vote majorities in both chambers, and Democrats are hopeful they'll finally win control of the Legislature.Zoom in: Axios Phoenix took a look at some of the more competitive and notable primary races that'll be on...
Farmer Boys restaurant to replace shuttered Chase Bank in north Phoenix
A reader recently asked us what's happening at a shuttered bank building in north Phoenix, so we took a look and learned it'll soon be a place to grab breakfast or a burger.The big picture: The former Chase Bank building on the northeast corner of Thunderbird Road and 43rd Avenue is slated to become a Farmer Boys restaurant, according to city documents.The bank had a drive-thru teller section, which will make things convenient for Farmer Boys to put in a drive-thru window.Zoom in: Farmer Boys is a fast-casual franchise specializing in burgers, sandwiches, wraps and breakfast.The chain was founded in 1981 in Perris, California.It has 102 locations, mostly in California with a handful of restaurants in the Las Vegas area.The chain opened its first Arizona location in Gilbert in 2021 and followed with a second in Tolleson.My thought bubble: I'm still waiting to see what someone will eventually do with the vacant lot down the street, on the northeast corner of Thunderbird and 35th Avenue.I grew up in the area, and it's been vacant for as long as I can remember.
Most unaccompanied migrant children in Phoenix came from Guatemala
Data: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services via New York Times. Chart: Axios VisualsThe overwhelming majority of unaccompanied migrant children who came to Phoenix in recent years are from Guatemala.Why it matters: Unaccompanied migrant children are an especially vulnerable group as federal, state and city leaders spar over sheltering and supporting foreigners and asylum seekers who have crossed the border illegally.By the numbers: Guatemalans accounted for 1,743, or 72%, of the 2,406 unaccompanied migrant children who arrived in Phoenix from January 2015 to May 2023.Of the remainder, the bulk were from Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador.Mesa received 400 unaccompanied...
Officials tout record low as Arizona's unemployment rate drops
Arizona's unemployment rate is flirting with historic lows, according to the state's Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). The big picture: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May 2024 was 3.4%, according to OEO's monthly report released Thursday. That's a record low under the current methodology used by the federal Bureau...
Ice skating deals in metro Phoenix to beat the heat
Trade 115 degrees for a cool 56 when you lace up your skates at one of the Valley's ice rinks this summer. The big picture: About a half dozen metro Phoenix rinks have public skating hours where you can enjoy the chill and show off your moves. Here's where you can go:
Phoenix weekend events: Cowboys vs. Aliens, poker tournament and more
Looking for something fun to do in the Valley this weekend? We've got you covered!🤠 Cowboys vs. AliensGrab your cowboy hat and plasma ray and head to the Arizona Science Center for the latest edition of its "Science With a TWIST!" series. Friday 6-10pm.Admission $30 (21 and older)🎆 After Dark in the ParkBring the family to Deer Valley Park for games, entertainment and a fireworks show. Saturday, 6-10pm.Free!🎰 Bet on Arizona Charity Poker Tournament and Casino Night You've got to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em at this event from the State Forty Eight Foundation and...
Arizona has one of the country's highest melanoma rates
Data: cancer.gov; Map: Axios VisualsSunny Arizona has one of the highest melanoma rates in the country, and cases are on the rise nationally.Why it matters: Although melanoma accounts for only about 1% of skin cancers, it's responsible for the large majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).By the numbers: Arizona averaged 28.9 melanoma cases per 100,000 from 2016-2020, well above the national average of 22.5, per the National Cancer Institute.Only six states had higher rates than Arizona.The data doesn't include Indiana or Nevada.Zoom out: Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S.New cases...
Mesa and Tempe to decide on streetcar extension in early 2025
The Mesa and Tempe city councils are expected to decide by early next year whether to move ahead with streetcar expansion, Valley Metro told Axios.Why it matters: Rail — though expensive and often controversial — can move more people quicker and with less environmental impact than private vehicles.What they're saying: With the east Tempe/west Mesa area expected to see a 55% population increase by 2050, the region needs to find new ways to transport people efficiently, Valley Metro spokesperson Juliana Vasquez-Keating told us.The big picture: The cities are exploring connecting Tempe's streetcar to some of west Mesa's biggest attractions, including...
Señor Taco Express brings delicious, classic taco shop food to central Phoenix
There's no shortage of Señor Taco restaurants in the Valley, but they've largely been confined to the suburbs — until now. .The latest: Now that Señor Taco is open for business in central Phoenix, it's available to a whole new audience — myself included.Señor Taco Express — with a smaller menu that focuses on the chain's more popular items — opened on June 10 on Central Avenue a few blocks south of Osborn Road, inside the old Jack in the Box building.Best bites: There's a full menu of everything you'd want from a Mexican restaurant, like burritos and quesadillas, but...
Arizona lawmakers pass budget and adjourn for 2024
Lawmakers passed a budget, along with a handful of other bills, and adjourned for the year over the weekend.The big picture: A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers approved a $16.1 billion spending plan for fiscal year 2025 and trimmed about $729 million from the current year's budget.The budget deal, negotiated by Republican legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, remedies a $1.4 billion combined shortfall for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.Zoom in: The budget pulled back all $333 million from the final installment of a three-year, billion-dollar plan to fund major water infrastructure projects.It delays tens of millions of dollars'...
Former Rosie McCaffrey's site will soon hawk BMWs
Rosie McCaffrey isn't serving drinks anymore, but she might help sell you a car.State of play: Chapman Automotive Group plans to turn the former site of Rosie McCaffrey's Irish Pub & Restaurant into a parking lot and vehicle display area for Chapman BMW, directly to the west.Chapman last year bought the lots where Rosie's stood for more than 20 years on Camelback Road near 10th Street.A billboard for the dealership already stands next to the former site of the distinctive Irish pub.Flashback: Rosie McCaffrey's, named for owner Seamus McCaffrey's wife, opened in 2001 and quickly became a central Phoenix mainstay.The...
Arizona Girl Scouts sold more than 3.4 million boxes of cookies
Our local Girl Scouts sold a whopping 3.4 million boxes of cookies during their 2024 cookie season, the Arizona Cactus-Pine Council announced last week.The big picture: Nearly 8,000 scouts in central and northern Arizona sold an average of 436 boxes each, up from 409 last year.The top cookie seller was Avery Vo of Surprise, who sold 8,932 packages to beat her 2023 sale of 7,866.The top troop, Troop 558 in Phoenix/Glendale, sold 60,549 packages.Between the lines: Online cookie sales — which began in 2014 but exploded during the COVID pandemic — have greatly increased scouts' selling capacity. It's also teaching them digital marketing and sales skills, Cactus-Pine Council co-CEO Mary Mitchell said in a statement.More than 1 million boxes were sold online, according to the local council.1 minty thing to go: To no one's surprise, the iconic Thin Mint was the most popular cookie.
See inside the $8 million Camelback Mountain mansion up for auction
Do you have 12 cars? A need for 10 bathrooms? And maybe several million dollars laying around?. If so, we have some great news for you. The big picture: A 13,000-square-foot mansion set on an acre of land at the base of Camelback Mountain will go up for auction June 24.
Best day-pass deals at Arizona pool resorts
If a vacation or staycation doesn't fit your budget this summer, consider a day pass to one of the Valley's resorts for a pool retreat at a fraction of the price of a room reservation. How it works: About five dozen metro Phoenix hotels sell day passes to their grounds...
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