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Tag: Arizona

  • ‘Today’ show host Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother is missing, authorities suspect crime | Fortune

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    The disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie over the weekend is being investigated as a crime based on what authorities saw at her home, an Arizona sheriff said Monday.

    Speaking during a news conference, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said there are signs at the home indicating Nancy Guthrie did not leave on her own.

    “I need this community to step up and start giving us some calls,” Nanos said.

    Asked to explain why investigators believe it’s a crime scene, Nanos said Nancy Guthrie has limited mobility and said there were other things indicated she did not leave on her own, but declined to further elaborate.

    The sheriff said Nancy Guthrie, who lived alone, was of sound mind. “This is not dementia related. She’s as sharp as a tack. The family wants everyone to know that this isn’t someone who just wandered off,” Nanos said. He said she needs her daily medication.

    Nanos said at a news conference Sunday night that Nancy Guthrie was last seen around 9:30 p.m. Saturday at her home in the Tucson area. Her family reported her missing around noon Sunday.

    Nanos said a family member received a call from someone at church saying Nancy Guthrie wasn’t there, leading family to search for her at her home and then calling 911.

    Searchers were using drones and search dogs to look for Nancy Guthrie, Nanos said. Search and rescue teams were supported by volunteers and Border Patrol and the homicide team was also involved, he said. It is not standard for the homicide team to get involved in such cases, Nanos said.

    “This one stood out because of what was described to us at the scene and what we located just looking at the scene,” Nanos said Sunday. He was not ruling out foul play.

    On Monday morning, Nanos said search crews worked hard but have since been pulled back. “We don’t see this as a search mission so much as it is a crime scene,” the sheriff said. Savannah Guthrie issued a statement on Monday, NBC’s “Today” show reported.

    “On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support,” she said. “Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear Nancy.”

    “Today” opened Monday’s show with the disappearance of the co-anchor’s mother, but Savannah Guthrie was not at the anchor’s desk. Nanos said during the Monday news conference that Savannah Guthrie is in Arizona. Savannah Guthrie grew up in Tucson and graduated from the University of Arizona.

    Nancy Guthrie appeared in a November 2025 story her daughter did about her hometown. Over a meal, Savannah asked her mother what made the family want to plant roots in Tucson in the 1970s.

    “It’s so wonderful. Just the air, the quality of life,” Nancy said. “It’s laid back and gentle.”

    She said she likes to see the javelina eat her plants.

    This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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    Jacques Billeaud, The Associated Press

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  • Savannah Guthrie’s Mother Missing as Police Probe Foul Play

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    Homicide investigators are now involved in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie after Pima County Sheriff’s Department officials discover a ‘crime scene’ at her home north of Tucson

    Homicide investigators have been brought into the search for the missing 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, according to authorities in Arizona.

    Nancy Guthrie was last seen in the Catalina Foothills area on Saturday night, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Her family reported her missing on Sunday around noon local time, authorities said. “She did not leave on her own, we know that,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporterson Sunday.

    “It’s very concerning what we’re learning from the house,” Nanos said at the news conference late Sunday. He declined to comment on details, however, he pointed out that Guthrie was of “good, sound mind” with no cognitive issues.

    “This isn’t somebody that just wandered off,” Nanos reiterated Monday morning.

    On Monday morning, “Today” hosts shared a statement from Savannah Guthrie that thanked viewers for their “thoughts, prayers and messages of support.”

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    Michele McPhee

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  • Foul play suspected in the disappearance of ‘Today’ host Savannah Guthrie’s mom

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    The mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie has been reported missing from her home in Arizona and local authorities say they suspect foul play.

    Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen Saturday night at her residence in a community northeast of Tucson, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

    On Monday morning, Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed that detectives have transitioned their investigation from a missing person’s case to a criminal case.

    “We do in fact have a crime scene, we do in fact have a crime,” Nanos said at a news conference.

    “She did not leave on her own, we know that,” he said. “She’s very limited in her mobility.”

    Nanos declined to comment further on what led detectives to that conclusion, but said they found suspicious circumstances at her home.

    “It’s very concerning what we’re learning from the house,” Nanos said at a news conference late Sunday. Though he declined to comment on details, he pointed out that Guthrie was of “good, sound mind” with no cognitive issues. She lived alone.

    “This isn’t somebody that just wandered off,” Nanos reiterated Monday morning. “She couldn’t walk 50 yards by herself.”

    On Monday morning, “Today” hosts shared a statement from Savannah Guthrie that thanked viewers for their “thoughts, prayers and messages of support.”

    “Right now our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom,” the longtime “Today” personality and journalist wrote on behalf of her family. She encouraged anyone with information on her mother’s location to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

    That plea was echoed Monday morning by Nanos, who called on the public to report anything out of the ordinary or any possible sightings of Nancy Guthrie.

    “We’re asking the community’s help,” Nanos said. “We don’t need another bad, tragic ending — we need some help.”

    Still, he said their department remains focused on this case and is coordinating with any other agencies that may be able to help, including the security team for Savannah Guthrie. Nanos said they were not aware of any specific threats to the journalist that might be related to her mother’s disappearance.

    “We’re doing all we can to try to locate her,” Nanos said. “Every tool we have, we will use.”

    Particularly urgent in this case is that Nancy Guthrie needs to take a specific medication every day.

    “Medication that if she doesn’t have in 24 hours, it can be fatal,” he said.

    It’s not clear when she would have last taken her medication.

    Family members left Nancy Guthrie’s home around 9:45 p.m. Saturday evening, Nanos said. Someone at her church reached out to them when she didn’t show up to services Sunday morning.

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    Grace Toohey

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  • Starbucks Feels the Heat as More Chains Compete for US Coffee Drinkers

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Americans are drinking more coffee than they have in decades. But fewer of them are getting it from Starbucks.

    The company that revolutionized U.S. coffee culture remains America’s biggest player, with nearly 17,000 U.S. stores and plans to open hundreds more. But it’s facing unprecedented competition, which will make it harder to win back the customers it already lost.

    Starbucks’ share of spending at all U.S. coffee shops fell in 2024 and 2025; it now stands at 48%, down from 52% in 2023, according to Technomic, a food industry consulting firm. Dunkin ‘, a perennial rival that just opened its 10,000th U.S. store, gained market share in both of those years.

    Starbucks has other challengers, like the fast-growing drive-thru chains 7 Brew, Scooter’s Coffee and Dutch Bros. Chinese chains like Luckin Coffee and Mixue are opening U.S. stores. High-end coffee shop Blue Bottle, which has 78 U.S. stores, has opened two more since the start of the year. Even McDonald’s and Taco Bell are bolstering their beverage offerings.

    “People haven’t fallen out of love with Starbucks, but they’re now polyamorous in their coffee choices,” said Chris Kayes, chair of the management department in the George Washington University School of Business. “People are now experimenting with other coffees, and they’re seeing what’s out there.”

    Americans love coffee. In both 2024 and 2025, an estimated 66% of Americans reported drinking coffee every day, up 7% from 2020, according to the National Coffee Association, an industry trade group.

    Coffee chains are racing to cash in on that demand. The number of chain coffee stores in the U.S. jumped 19% to more than 34,500 over the last six years, according to Technomic, a consulting firm that researches the foodservice industry.

    Seattle-based Starbucks was a small, regional chain when former CEO Howard Schultz acquired it in 1987. Now, other small chains are seeing explosive growth. Nebraska-based Scooter’s Coffee had 200 locations in 2019; it now has more than 850. Arkansas-based 7 Brew, which had 14 locations in 2019, now has more than 600.

    “There’s too much supply relative to demand,” said Neil Saunders, a managing director and retail analyst at consulting firm GlobalData Retail

    Saunders said Starbucks’ size is somewhat of a disadvantage, since it has less ability to grow sales by opening new locations.

    “Honestly, they’re pretty saturated,” Saunders said. “They’re a very mature business.”

    “Growth doesn’t require us to become something new. It requires us to be exceptionally good at what we already are,” Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said.

    Starbucks expects to open more than 575 new U.S. stores over the next three years. It developed a smaller-format store that is cheaper to build but still has indoor seating, drive-thru lanes and mobile pickup. The company said the reduced scale would allow Starbucks stores to operate in locations they couldn’t before.

    Starbucks is also adding new products, like updated pastries and snackable foods that are high in protein and fiber, to try to win back customers.

    Lack of menu innovation is one reason Starbucks has struggled, especially among younger consumers who like novelty and will try new places to find it, Saunders said.

    Arizona-based Dutch Bros, for example, added protein coffee drinks in January 2024, nearly two years before Starbucks did. Energy drinks make up 25% of Dutch Bros’ business almost 14 years after the chain introduced them. Starbucks offered iced energy drinks for a limited time in 2024; executives said Thursday that customizable energy drinks would appear on the Starbucks menu soon.

    Dutch Bros, which is led by former Starbucks executive Christine Barone, has just over 1,000 shops in the U.S. and hopes to double that number by 2029. It’s betting that customers want speed and convenience; nearly all of its stores are drive-thrus with walk-up windows.

    Dutch Bros also focuses on value. In a recent meeting with investors, Barone pointed out that Dutch Bros’ medium drinks are 24 ounces; at Starbucks, a medium drink is 16 ounces.

    Luckin, whose app brims with coupons and promotions, is also value-oriented. On a recent afternoon, one of its nine New York stores buzzed with customers picking up mobile orders. The tiny shop had no seating.

    Xunyi Xie, who was visiting New York from his home in Delaware, said he stopped by to try a Velvet Latte because Luckin had a $1.99 drink promotion. Xie said he normally brews his own espresso, but if Luckin opened a store that was on his way to work, he would go there.

    As for Starbucks? “I think it’s overpriced,” Xie said.

    In 2024, the average customer spent $9.34 at Starbucks, compared to $8.44 at Dutch Bros and $4.68 at Dunkin’, according to an analysis by the investment research company Morningstar.

    Starbucks didn’t raise prices in its 2025 fiscal year and has vowed to be judicious about future increases. But Ari Felhandler, an equity analyst with Morningstar, said it would be a mistake for Starbucks to try to win over customers with discounts because competitors will always go lower.

    “Keep your prices the same and try to justify them,” Felhandler said. He thinks Starbucks’ store redesigns and new menu items will bring back traffic.

    Grams, Starbucks’ chief operating officer, said the company firmly believes its best way forward is not drive-thru-only stores or mobile pickup kiosks. It’s building cafes with comfortable seating — the “soul of Starbucks,” as he put it — that also serve mobile, drive-thru and delivery customers. Customers sometimes want something convenient, and they sometimes want to dwell, he said.

    “There’s always going to be competition. We’re aware of it, we keep an eye on it for sure, but we don’t try to be them,” Grams told The Associated Press. “We offer something that most people don’t, which is a legitimate space to sit down, enjoy and use it for a variety of different reasons.”

    But Kayes, of George Washington University, wonders if that strategy will be enough to keep Starbucks on top, or if customers who want a cozy or premium experience have already moved on to independent coffee shops or upscale chains like Blue Bottle.

    “In some ways, I think they are a victim of their own success,” Kayes said. “I do think that the aura of Starbucks as being something special and unique and exciting isn’t there anymore.”

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

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    Associated Press

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  • Indigenous Americans rush to prove their citizenship amid ICE crackdown

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    When U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement flooded Minneapolis, Shane Mantz dug his Choctaw Nation citizenship card out of a box on his dresser and slid it into his wallet.

    Some strangers mistake the pest-control company manager for Latino, he said, and he fears getting caught up in ICE raids.

    Like Mantz, many Native Americans are carrying tribal documents proving their U.S. citizenship in case they are stopped or questioned by federal immigration agents. This is why dozens of the 575 federally recognized Native nations are making it easier to get tribal IDs. They’re waiving fees, lowering the age of eligibility — ranging from 5 to 18 nationwide — and printing the cards faster.

    It’s the first time tribal IDs have been widely used as proof of U.S. citizenship and protection against federal law enforcement, said David Wilkins, an expert on Native politics and governance at the University of Richmond.

    “I don’t think there’s anything historically comparable,” Wilkins said. “I find it terribly frustrating and disheartening.”

    As Native Americans around the country rush to secure documents proving their right to live in the United States, many see a bitter irony.

    “As the first people of this land, there’s no reason why Native Americans should have their citizenship questioned,” said Jaqueline De León, a senior staff attorney with the nonprofit Native American Rights Fund and member of Isleta Pueblo.

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security didn’t respond to more than four requests for comment over a week.

    Since the mid- to late 1800s, the U.S. government has kept detailed genealogical records to estimate Native Americans’ fraction of “Indian blood” and determine their eligibility for health care, housing, education and other services owed under federal legal responsibilities. Those records were also used to aid federal assimilation efforts and chip away at tribal sovereignty, communal lands and identity.

    Beginning in the late 1960s, many tribal nations began issuing their own forms of identification. In the last two decades, tribal photo ID cards have become commonplace and can be used to vote in tribal elections, to prove U.S. work eligibility and for domestic air travel.

    About 70% of Native Americans today live in urban areas, including tens of thousands in the Twin Cities, one of the largest urban Native populations in the country.

    There, in early January, a top ICE official announced the “largest immigration operation ever.”

    Masked, heavily armed agents traveling in convoys of unmarked SUVs became commonplace in some neighborhoods. By this week, more than 3,400 people had been arrested, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At least 2,000 ICE officers and 1,000 Border Patrol officers were on the ground.

    Representatives from at least 10 tribes traveled hundreds of miles to Minneapolis — the birthplace of the American Indian Movement — to accept ID applications from members there. Among them were the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe of Wisconsin, the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate of South Dakota and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa of North Dakota.

    Turtle Mountain citizen Faron Houle renewed his tribal ID card and got his young adult son’s and his daughter’s first ones.

    “You just get nervous,” Houle said. “I think (ICE agents are) more or less racial profiling people, including me.”

    Events in downtown coffee shops, hotel ballrooms, and at the Minneapolis American Indian Center helped urban tribal citizens connect and share resources, said Christine Yellow Bird, who directs the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation’s satellite office in Fargo, North Dakota.

    Yellow Bird made four trips to Minneapolis in recent weeks, putting nearly 2,000 miles on her 2017 Chevy Tahoe to help citizens in the Twin Cities who can’t make the long journey to their reservation.

    Yellow Bird said she always keeps her tribal ID with her.

    “I’m proud of who I am,” she said. “I never thought I would have to carry it for my own safety.”

    Last year, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said that several tribal citizens reported being stopped and detained by ICE officers in Arizona and New Mexico. He and other tribal leaders have advised citizens to carry tribal IDs with them at all times.

    Last November, Elaine Miles, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon and an actress known for her roles in “Northern Exposure” and “The Last of Us,” said she was stopped by ICE officers in Washington state who told her that her tribal ID looked fake.

    The Oglala Sioux Tribe this week banned ICE from its reservation in southwestern South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska, one of the largest in the country.

    The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota said a member was detained in Minnesota last weekend. And Peter Yazzie, who is Navajo, said he was arrested and held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Phoenix for several hours last week.

    Yazzie, a construction worker from nearby Chinle, Arizona, said he was sitting in his car at a gas station preparing for a day of work when he saw ICE officers arrest some Latino men. The officers soon turned their attention to Yazzie, pushed him to the ground, and searched his vehicle, he said.

    He said he told them where to find his driver’s license, birth certificate, and a federal Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood. Yazzie said the car he was in is registered to his mother. Officers said the names didn’t match, he said, and he was arrested, taken to a nearby detention center and held for about four hours.

    “It’s an ugly feeling. It makes you feel less human. To know that people see your features and think so little of you,” he said.

    DHS did not respond to questions about the arrest.

    Mantz, the Choctaw Nation citizen, said he runs pest-control operations in Minneapolis neighborhoods where ICE agents are active and he won’t leave home without his tribal identification documents.

    Securing them for his children is now a priority.

    “It gives me some peace of mind. But at the same time, why do we have to carry these documents?” Mantz said. “Who are you to ask us to prove who we are?”

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    CBS Minnesota

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  • Man Boarded Air France Flight Outta Phoenix With Phony Ticket, 7 Driver’s Licenses & 20 Credit Cards: Cops – Perez Hilton

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    According to federal authorities, a man allegedly managed to slip through security at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and board an international flight to Paris without a valid ticket, setting off a chain of events that raised serious questions about airport safety.

    The incident unfolded on Sunday, when Qais Ahmad Tillawi allegedly showed up at the airport claiming he had a boarding pass for Air France Flight 69. The plane was scheduled to depart for Paris around 3:50 p.m. that day, and at first glance, nothing seemed wildly out of place. But behind the scenes, red flags were already stacking up.

    Related: Lamar Odom Arrested For DUI — Details

    An FBI affidavit uncovered by multiple media outlets said Tillawi purchased a boarding pass online around 2:00 p.m. and checked in just a couple minutes later, only for the airline to cancel the pass at 2:19 p.m. due to what they described as an “unauthorized credit card.”

    What happened next is deeply unsettling. Around 2:37 p.m., Tillawi allegedly arrived at the airport in a rental car, left it abandoned at the curb, tossed two (?!) jackets into a trash can, and headed straight for the security checkpoint at TSA. Despite the canceled ticket, he allegedly made it through security and into the sterile area of the airport just before 3:00 p.m. Yes, really.

    By the time he reached the gate, at least one customer reportedly noticed something was off and described his behavior as suspicious, per People. Still, he somehow made it onto the jet bridge. When an Air France employee tried to verify his boarding credentials, the system flagged his pass as invalid. But Tillawi allegedly refused to hand over his passport or any other documents, showing it only from a distance and then holding it unnecessarily close to the agent’s face before being waved through.

    Somehow, he got on the plane — and once there, things quickly escalated. Instead of taking a seat, Tillawi allegedly paced through the economy cabin and refused to speak with flight attendants or the captain. He also would not provide his name.

    According to the affidavit:

    “Out of concern for the aircraft and the passengers, the captain ordered Tillawi to disembark the aircraft. Tillawi refused, without a verbal response, and typed on his phone, ‘Send the USA marshal.’”

    At that point, the captain made the call to involve law enforcement. Passengers were de-boarded, and Phoenix cops eventually escorted Tillawi off the aircraft. The FBI then took over the investigation.

    What authorities allegedly found at that point only added to the alarm. Agents say Tillawi was carrying around 20 credit cards, seven driver’s licenses from California and Arizona, a US passport, a Jordanian passport, a Jordanian military service book, and what appeared to be fake employment badges from major institutions including Deloitte, IBM, and the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

    Sorry, WHAT?!

    Tillawi now faces federal charges for interfering with a flight crew and entering a secured airport area without authorization.

    Related: Man Arrested In Investigation Into Woman’s Death Snaps Mugshot In UNBELIEVABLE Hoodie

    But the story doesn’t end there. According to the affidavit, agents also spoke with his brother, who claimed Tillawi had attended Arizona State University, spoke fluent English, and had been fired from PricewaterhouseCoopers back in 2024.

    The brother also alleged Tillawi struggles with drug addiction and has been diagnosed with psychosis — and that he was previously detained in Dubai for suspicious behavior and temporarily committed for mental health treatment. Wow.

    Let’s just hope he gets the help he needs — and that cops get to the bottom of whatever the heck is going on.

    [Image via MEGA/WENN]

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    Perez Hilton

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  • Man hospitalized after exchanging gunfire with Border Patrol agents in Arizona, law enforcement officials say

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    A man was hospitalized after allegedly exchanging gunfire with Border Patrol agents in Arizona on Tuesday, according to the FBI and a law enforcement source.

    Border Patrol agents attempted to stop a pickup truck near the town of Arivaca at about 7:20 a.m. local time Tuesday, a law enforcement source told CBS News. Once stopped, the driver ran away and allegedly shot at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter and Border Patrol agents on the ground, according to the source.

    Border Patrol agents returned fire, striking the man, according to the source. It’s unclear how many times he was shot, and his condition wasn’t immediately clear.

    An FBI spokesperson told CBS News the agency is investigating “an alleged assault on a federal officer” near the town of Arivaca, and that the person was taken into custody.

    The driver, who was only identified as a U.S. citizen, was carrying at least one firearm, the law enforcement source said. 

    The driver allegedly has a history of human smuggling, specifically people who are in the country illegally, and was the target of the Border Patrol operation, the source said.

    The FBI is leading the federal investigation with assistance from the CBP and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. CBP has also launched an internal Office of Professional Responsibility investigation, which is standard protocol following a shooting involving its agents.

    The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said earlier on social media it was responding to the shooting in Arivaca, an unincorporated community about 60 miles south of Tucson, close to the U.S.-Mexico border.

    “We are working in coordination with the FBI Phoenix-Tucson office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection,” the sheriff’s department said on social media, providing no further information.

    The shooting comes on the heels of the controversial Border Patrol shooting in Minneapolis, where agents fatally shot Alex Pretti on Saturday. Videos showing the shooting do not line up with the events as described by several federal officials, including Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

    This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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  • No. 1 Arizona continues undefeated start, holds on against UCF

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    (Photo credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images)

    Corrects typo in headline; clarifies highest-ranked opponent for UCF win in graf 6; adds graf 8 clarifying the undefeated teams to lose this week

    Jaden Bradley scored 23 points and sank five free throws in the final 29 seconds, and top-ranked Arizona avoided the recent trend of undefeated teams getting upset with an 84-77 victory over UCF on Saturday afternoon in Orlando, Fla.

    Bradley made 11 of 13 from the line and added six rebounds, five assists and two steals for the Wildcats (18-0, 5-0 Big 12).

    Brayden Burries notched 18 points and Motiejus Krivas posted a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Ivan Kharchenkov had 10 points while Tobe Awaka totaled 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench before fouling out.

    Leading scorer Koa Peat played with foul trouble, was held scoreless in the first half and finished with a career-low four points in 20 minutes.

    The victory continued the second-best start by Arizona in program history since it opened the 2013-14 campaign with a 21-0 record.

    Point guard Themus Fulks had a career-high 30 points but fouled out for the Knights (14-3, 3-2), who were attempting to beat a No. 1-ranked team for the first time in history. The highest-ranked team UCF has beaten was No. 3 Kansas two years ago.

    Jordan Burks netted 16 points, and Riley Kugel put in 12.

    Second-ranked Iowa State suffered its first loss of the season on Tuesday, falling at Kansas. The next day, No. 10 Vanderbilt took its first loss, falling at Texas. Both teams also lost on Saturday.

    In the matchup’s first four minutes, UCF led after John Bol’s slam and Kugel’s three-pointer, but Burries, Awaka and Krivas combined for 20 points in the first 10:07 as the Wildcats began to assert themselves and led 26-11 after a 19-2 run.

    At the 4:02 mark, Fulks canned a 15-footer to bring it to 35-31, and his deep ball inside the final minute brought UCF to within two. But Awaka’s free throw in the final seconds left the visitors with a 41-38 halftime lead.

    Krivas (15 points), Burries (11) and Awaka (nine) accounted for 35 of Arizona’s 41 points in the half, while Fulks carried UCF by tallying 18 points.

    With Peat still not on the scoresheet, Arizona led 49-45 five minutes into the second half as Kharchenkov and Bradley helped out the offense by netting four points apiece.

    The visitors grew the lead to 59-49 on Dwayne Aristode’s layup at 10:50 and led comfortably the next 10 minutes.

    UCF trimmed it to 79-73 in the final minute, but Bradley made 5 of 6 from the stripe to prevent the Knights from achieving an historic victory.

    –Field Level Media

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  • UA Looks Beyond Stalled Funding to Reopen Arizona State Museum

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    The Arizona State Museum has remained closed for more than a year after the Arizona Board of Regents declined to act on a $50 million funding request in 2024. Now University of Arizona leaders say they are pursuing a different path forward.

    In September of 2024, the school requested $50 million in system revenue bonds for the museum’s upkeep — including repairs to the electric and plumbing. The board declined to fund the museum at the time, with Regent Gregg Brewster saying “I would rather see us polish the young people of Arizona with $50 to $90 million in state-funded education than I would like to see the UA have to stand up and deliver because the state has ignored this project for years and years.”

    The Arizona State Museum is operated by the University of Arizona, but state statute puts the onus of managing the museum on the Arizona Board of Regents.

    Located in historic buildings near Old Main, the museum has been part of the University of Arizona since its establishment in 1893. It is home to more than 13,000 years of cultural treasures but in urgent need of repairs.

    Now, the university administration is working to reopen the museum in a different building with a plan that does not depend on the original $50 million request.


    Board of Regents approves a fee increase while UA administration explores options

    In September, the board approved plans to raise rates and fees by as much as 265%. The fee increases affect anyone conducting projects on Arizona state lands that require cultural resource compliance, including utility companies, public agencies, conservation programs and tribal partners.

    “The updated fees help ensure that these highly specialized services are appropriately supported without relying on tuition revenues,” Mitch Zak, a spokesperson for the university, said in a statement to Arizona Luminaria.

    The change includes increases for administrative, professional and specialist service rates as well as curation fees — or fees to store archival materials. The increase will not impact museum visitors and the museum has been closed since August 2024.

    In 2024, members of the museum council said they hoped the state would pick up some responsibility for remediating the building, but that plan has not moved forward.

    “There have been no further developments regarding the Arizona State Museum,” Nick Opich, a spokesperson for the board, told Arizona Luminaria in a statement.

    Now, the UA said they’re making plans without relying on any eventual approval of the $50 million request.

    “Over the past several months, the university’s facilities management team has been assessing building conditions and developing options. They expect to present a recommendation to leadership by early summer that makes the best use of constrained resources,” Zak said.

    Museum council chair, Maura Raffensperger, said the new administration under UA President Suresh Garimella has been very helpful and committed to seeing the museum advance.

    “They’re working on it all the time. Is it a very complex issue you’re dealing with hundreds of thousands of artifacts and it’s monumental. It’s a monumental task,” Raffensperger said. “The direction that the current administration is taking is very positive.”


    A three-building solution

    Improvements to the former museum building —known as the North Building or Raymond H. Thompson Building — have been halted because of a lack of funding from the board of regents. But, she said, the administration is working on a three-building solution.

    Raffensperger said the plan is to open the South Building to the public. But right now, they are looking for a new 40,000 square foot off-campus curation and research facility to house the archeological research collections that are sitting in the former public space.

    “The South Building is filled with archaeological repositories which were mandated by law to keep and so we need a storage space for all that’s in that building so that we can open it up as a public space,” she said.

    These collections continue to grow, expanding by an average of about 1,000 cubic feet per year.

    This relocation will free up the museum’s two existing historic on-campus buildings. These two on-campus buildings will then be rededicated to education and public outreach, providing more space for teaching, exhibits, research laboratories, and multi-purpose rooms for various public programs.

    But the North Building still has severe maintenance issues, including original 100-year-old electrical wiring encased in wood and outdated fire alarms and suppression systems.

    “While the university has made it a priority to try to get the South Building able to be open to the public again and they have approved certain updates to the South Building, the North Building is still not a priority at this point of the university,” Raffensberger said.

    The school has not outlined a timeline and the museum has changed the note on its museum page that a year ago said “we are closed for an extended-temporary period of time (probably 2 years)” to “there is currently no plan to reopen the (North) building.”

    Despite conditions in the North Building, Raffensberger said some vaults have protected environments and can be visited through private tours by contacting Darlene Lizarraga, the museum’s director of marketing.

    Beth Murfee Deconcini, the museum’s council’s vice chair, said her primary concern is reopening a public space so people can visit all the collections have to offer.

    “I run into people all the time who talk about when they were in school, they came to the Arizona State Museum on school field trips, or with their parents, or both and it was an amazing part of their childhood and growing up and their understanding of where they live and and the history and the innovation and the resilience of the people of this state,” Murfee Deconcini said. “The longer we don’t have a public space, the more people will not have that experience.

    This story was originally published by Arizona Luminaria and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

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  • Arizona draws a line on groundwater use after letting Saudi-owned company pump freely for years

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    For years, the water table has been dropping beneath thousands of acres of desert farmland in western Arizona, where a Saudi-owned dairy company has been allowed to pump unlimited amounts of groundwater to grow hay for its cows.

    But the company and other landowners in the area will now face limits under a decision by state officials to impose regulation.

    Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said Monday that her administration is acting to “crack down on the out-of-state special interests that are pumping our state dry while Arizona families and farmers suffer.”

    Fondomonte, part of the Saudi dairy giant Almarai, is by far the largest water user in the area, using dozens of wells to to irrigate alfalfa that it ships overseas to the Middle East.

    After conducting a review, the state Department of Water Resources designated the Ranegras Plain area, located 100 miles west of Phoenix, as a new “active management area” to preserve the groundwater.

    This isn’t the first time the Democratic governor and her administration have used this approach to curb excessive pumping in a rural areas. In January 2025, her administration similarly established a new regulated area to limit agricultural pumping around the city of Willcox in southeastern Arizona.

    Hobbs pointed out that some residents’ wells have gone dry as water levels have plummeted in the Ranegras Plain, and that the land has been sinking as the aquifer is depleted.

    “Unlike politicians of the past, I refuse to bury my head in the sand. I refuse to ignore the problems we face,” Hobbs said Monday in her state of the state address. “We can no longer sit idly by while our rural communities go without help. They deserve solutions and security, not another decade of inaction and uncertainty.”

    The state’s action will prohibit landowners from irrigating any additional farmland in this part of La Paz County and require those with high-capacity wells to start reporting how much water they use. It also will bring other changes, forming a local advisory council and requiring a plan to reduce water use.

    State officials reached the decision after receiving more than 400 comments from the public on the proposal, the vast majority in support. Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, issued the decision, saying the future of residents and local businesses “depends upon protecting the finite groundwater resources.”

    According to state data, water levels in wells in parts of the area have dropped more than 200 feet over the last 40 years, and pumping has increased over the last decade.

    Some residents who spoke at a hearing last month said it’s wrong that Fondomonte gets to use the water to grow hay and export it across the world. Others said they don’t see any problem with having a foreign company as their neighbor but believe farms must switch to less water-intensive crops.

    Following the state’s announcement, Fondomonte said in a written statement that it is “committed to progressive, efficient agricultural practices,” supports the farming community, and “has invested significantly to bring the latest technology to conserve water” on its farms. The company also said it would comply with state and local regulations.

    The company currently faces a lawsuit filed by Arizona Atty. Gen. Kris Mayes alleging that its excessive pumping violates the law by causing declines in groundwater, land subsidence and worsening water quality. That lawsuit is set to continue while the state also imposes its new regulatory limits.

    Holly Irwin, a La Paz County supervisor who for years has pushed to protect the area’s water, said she’s pleased the state finally acted “to stop the bleeding that threatens the vitality of our community.”

    “It’s a big win,” said Irwin, a Republican. “It’s going to prevent other megafarms from being able to move into the area and set up the same type of operation that Fondamonte has going on right now. And it’ll prevent them from expanding.”

    Fondomonte started its Arizona farming operation in 2014. Saudi Arabia has banned the domestic farming of alfalfa and other forage crops because the country’s groundwater has been depleted. As a result, Saudi companies have been buying farmland overseas.

    A lawyer for the company has said it owns 3,600 acres in this part of Arizona. The company also rents 3,088 acres of farmland and 3,163 acres of grazing land in the state.

    In addition, it owns 3,375 acres of California farmland near Blythe, where it uses Colorado River water to irrigate alfalfa fields.

    Efforts to address the depletion of groundwater present complex challenges for communities and government agencies in Arizona, California and other Western states, where climate change is exacerbating strains on water supplies.

    Arizona’s current groundwater law, adopted in 1980, limits pumping in Phoenix, Tucson and other urban areas. But those rules do not apply to about 80% of the state, which has allowed large farming companies and investors to drill wells and pump as much as they want.

    Since Hobbs took office in 2023, she has supported efforts to address overpumping. In one step intended to rein in water use, she terminated Fondomonte’s leases of 3,520 acres of state-owned farmland in Butler Valley in western Arizona. That decision followed an Arizona Republic investigation that revealed the state had given Fondomonte discounted, below-market lease rates.

    When she ended those leases, Hobbs said Fondomonte “was recklessly pumping our groundwater to boost their corporate profits.”

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    Ian James

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  • Rockies acquire outfielder Jake McCarthy from Diamondbacks for pitching prospect Josh Grosz

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    The Rockies swung an in-division trade on Saturday to add to their outfield depth.

    Colorado acquired Jake McCarthy from the Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Josh Grosz. McCarthy is coming off a down year with Arizona, but his past suggests the potential for his bat to help the Rockies lineup.

    With the move, Colorado’s 40-man roster is full, and the Rockies have another option in an outfield that is returning its top three contributors last year in Brenton Doyle, Jordan Beck and Mickey Moniak.

    Beyond those three and McCarthy, other outfielders currently on the 40-man include up-and-comers Yanquiel Fernández and Zac Veen, utilitymen Tyler Freeman and Troy Johnston, and the yet-to-debut Sterlin Thompson.

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    Kyle Newman

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  • Cars stolen in U.S. are being smuggled to Mexico, where they’re almost impossible to recover

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    Tijuana, Mexico — After a month away, Catherine Vermillion came home to her San Diego apartment and an empty parking space.

    “I looked up and realized my car was gone,” Vermillion told CBS News. “I remembered that I had an AirTag in the car, so I checked my phone, and the AirTag showed that my car was in Tijuana, Mexico.”

    When she saw where the AirTag popped up, she said she was in “shock and disbelief.”

    Disbelief turned into frustration after she said local police couldn’t help.

    “They just said that because it’s across the border, they’re not able to go and get it even though I could show them it was only 45 minutes away,” Vermillion said.

    It’s a frustration shared by the California Highway Patrol.

    “When it comes to country borders, we cannot cross that line,” CHP Lt. David Navarro said.

    Navarro warned that organized theft rings are going after high-end SUVs, pickups and performance cars, stealing them in the U.S., then smuggling them into Mexico. He said it’s lucrative, hard to track and often impossible to recover those cars once they cross the border.

    In just the last four years, CHP data shows the number of stolen vehicles tracked crossing the border from California, Arizona and Texas jumped 79%.

    “If a vehicle’s stolen in the middle of the night, and the victim does not wake up till 7 in the morning, well if it’s stolen at 2, you have roughly five hours to transport that vehicle,” Navarro said. “If that vehicle’s not reported in the system, and it passes through that camera, then no, it’s not going to be alerted at all.”

    That’s exactly what happened to Vermillion’s Jeep. The difference was she knew exactly where it ended up — 46 miles away, over the border in Tijuana.

    Catherine Vermillion’s car was tracked to this lot in Tijuana, Mexico.

    CBS News


    Enter Phil Mohr, a repo man who has spent the last 20 years as a stolen car bounty hunter in Mexico.

    Mohr said a lot of stolen cars end up next to the airport in Tijuana, a few hundred yards from the U.S.-Mexico border.

    “This is a organized drop-off point,” Mohr said.

    Organized in many cases by cartels, who federal agents told CBS News drive the cars into Mexico and use them to traffic drugs and weapons.

    Mohr worked with local law enforcement in Mexico to repossess Vermillion’s car and bring it back to San Diego.

    “It feels like a win,” Mohr said. “It feels like you made it right, that you righted a wrong in the world.”

    A neighbor of Vermillion’s took a picture to capture the moment when Mohr brought her car back.

    “I just have my hands up, like, whoa,” Vermillion said. “It was like the best day ever.”

    For Vermillion, it was the best day ever, but for most, that day never comes.

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  • Ole Miss, Miami to play for spot in FBS national championship game

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    GLENDALE, Ariz. — Mississippi has kept winning despite its coach bolting for another program.

    Miami has rekindled the glory days of its 2001 national championship with a ferocious defense and steady quarterback.

    One will play for a national championship after Thursday night’s Fiesta Bowl, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET.

    What You Need To Know

    • Miami and Ole Miss will play in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night for a spot in the CFB championship

    • The Hurricanes are having their best season since they won the 2001 national championship

    • The Rebels have continued their successful season even after Lane Kiffin left to coach LSU after the regular season

    • The outcome could be determined by quarterbacks Carson Beck of UM and Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss

    Ole Miss (13-1) spent the last half of the regular season wondering if coach Lane Kiffin would stick around or leave for LSU. Once the coach did head out, the sixth-seeded Rebels kept winning to reach the College Football Playoff semifinals.

    Defensive coordinator Pete Golding took over as coach, and many of the assistants expected to join Kiffin in Baton Rouge stuck around to see the Rebels through the rest of the playoffs. Ole Miss and its high-scoring offense blew out Tulane in its opening CFP game and then outlasted mighty Georgia 39-34.

    Miami (12-2) is in the midst of its best run since winning the 2001 national title.

    The 10th-seeded Hurricanes have done it with a defense that went from mediocrity to one of the stingiest in the FBS under first-year coordinator Corey Hetherman. Miami gave up its fewest points since the 2001 national championship team — fourth nationally at 13.07 per game. The Hurricanes have been even stingier in the CFP, holding Texas A&M and Ohio State to a combined 17 points.

    Like most big games, the Fiesta Bowl will likely come down to which quarterback plays best.

    Miami’s Carson Beck is a proven winner, earning a national championship as a backup at Georgia before two stellar seasons as the starter. He’s been a perfect fit since transferring to Miami, throwing for 3,313 yards and 27 touchdowns on 74% passing with 10 interceptions.

    Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss took a circuitous route to the playoffs.

    With limited options out of high school, the dual-threat quarterback opted to play at Ferris State, leading the Bulldogs to a Division II championship last season. Chambliss has been superb since taking over as starter three games into this season, racking up 4,180 total yards and 29 touchdowns.

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  • Arizona narrowly holds on to No. 1 spot in AP Top 25 poll

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    (Photo credit: Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

    Arizona maintained the slimmest of grips on No. 1 in the latest Associated Press men’s top 25 poll released Monday.

    The Wildcats (14-0) earned 32 first-place votes, with Michigan (13-0) garnering the remaining 29. In all, Arizona received 1,494 votes, with the Wolverines capturing just one fewer.

    The top six in the voting remained unchanged, with Iowa State (14-0), UConn (14-1), Purdue (13-1) and Duke (13-1) slotting into those spots.

    Houston (13-1) and Gonzaga (16-1) flipped places, with the Cougars moving into the No. 7 slot and the Bulldogs No. 8. BYU (13-1) moved up a spot to No. 9, and Nebraska (14-0) rose three places to No. 10.

    Falling out of the top 10 was Michigan State (12-2), which slid three places after a two-point loss to Nebraska on Friday.

    Iowa (12-2) took the biggest climb on the week, rising six spots to No. 19. The biggest plunge belonged to North Carolina (13-2) and Kansas (10-4), which tumbled five spots each.

    Entering the poll were No. 24 SMU (12-2) and No. 25 UCF (12-1). Out of the top 25 were Southern California and Florida.

    The defending national champion Gators dropped to 9-5 on the season after a 76-74 loss to Missouri.

    The rest of the top 25:

    11. Vanderbilt (14-0)

    12. Michigan State (12-2)

    13. Alabama (11-3)

    14. Texas Tech (11-3)

    15. Arkansas (11-3)

    16. Illinois (11-3)

    17. North Carolina (13-2)

    18. Georgia (13-1)

    19. Iowa (12-2)

    20. Louisville (11-3)

    21. Tennessee (10-4)

    22. Kansas (10-4)

    23. Virginia (12-2)

    24. SMU (12-2)

    25. UCF (12-1)

    –Field Level Media

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  • Missing Twin Cities woman, her infant daughter found safe, police say

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    By WCCO Staff

    / CBS Minnesota

    Police in Champlin, Minnesota, canceled a missing persons alert late Saturday after a young mother and her infant daughter were found safe.

    © 2026 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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  • Keeler: CU Buffs transfers wonder what 2025 under Deion Sanders would’ve looked like if they stayed: ‘They missed out’

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    Noah Fenske had his luggage with him Saturday. It wasn’t Louis.

    “Just Under Armour,” the former CU Buffs offensive lineman texted me from his vacation in Nashville.

    While on the road with his fiancée, Fenske’s also been keeping an eye on an old CU teammate, Alex Harkey. Oregon’s starting right tackle? Yeah, he used to be a Buff.

    Harkey, a 6-foot-6, 327-pound redshirt senior, is prepping for a Friday night showdown with Indiana — and another former CU player, the Hoosiers’ Kahlil Benson — in one College Football Playoff semifinal. The Ducks’ bruiser helped Oregon put up 245 passing yards and convert four fourth-down conversions on The Best Defense Money Can Buy, blanking Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl.

    He’d transferred into CU as a 305-pounder out of Tyler (Texas) Junior College, a 3-star who was weighing offers from Middle Tennessee and Old Dominion. After appearing in 12 games, largely as a reserve guard, Harkey was one of the kids from CU’s 2022 recruiting class swept out in the great Deion Sanders roster purge during the spring of 2023.

    Fenske, who played in seven games with the Buffs in ’22, was Harkey’s roommate at CU. He got swept away, too. Under Armour was out, Louis Vuitton luggage was in.

    “(Harkey has) done incredible, man,” Fenske gushed. “Because when he first came in (to CU), he wasn’t what he is now. And just seeing his transformation from being a (backup) guard on a 1-11 team to being a first-round or second-round (NFL) draft pick …”

    Big Alex could play. So could wideout Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State). And cornerback Simeon Harris (Fresno State). And quarterback Owen McCown, once he’d had some more brisket. McCown, who played as a wafer-thin true freshman at CU in ’22, threw for 30 touchdowns at UTSA this past fall — including three in a 57-20 win over Florida International in the First Responder Bowl.

    “We just stay connected, support each other’s success,” Harris, who still belongs to a group chat of former Buffs, told me over the weekend. “You’ve got to expect the unexpected. That (purge) hit us all in the mouth.”

    CU fans talk a lot — a lot — about 1-11 in 2022. About rock bottom. About Coach Prime lighting the candle for the climb out of obscurity.

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    Sean Keeler

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  • Helicopter Crashes in Arizona Mountains, Killing 4 People Aboard

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    SUPERIOR, Ariz. (AP) — Four people were killed when a helicopter crashed Friday in the mountains in Arizona, officials said.

    The crash near Telegraph Canyon, about 64 miles (103 kilometers) east of Phoenix, took place around 11 a.m., the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on the social platform X.

    All four people on the helicopter were killed, including the 59-year-old pilot and two 21-year-old women and a 22-year-old woman, according to the sheriff’s office.

    “Our prayers are with the victims and their families,” the sheriff’s office said.

    The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

    The flight had taken off from an airport in the nearby town of Queen Creek.

    Flights were temporarily restricted over the area due to safety reasons, according to the sheriff’s office.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

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  • Economic oasis emerges in the Arizona desert

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    Arizona is fast becoming a major hub for computer chip production thanks to what’s being called the largest foreign direct investment in U.S. history. Kris Van Cleave takes us to a sprawling campus in Phoenix that is providing thousands of jobs while reducing America’s reliance on overseas products.

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  • Prominent California farmer charged with killing estranged wife held on $5.5-million bail

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    A prominent Imperial Valley farmer charged with killing his estranged wife was extradited to Arizona on Tuesday, where bail has been set at $5.5 million.

    Michael Abatti, 63, was arrested on Dec. 23 for allegedly killing Kerri Ann Abatti, 59. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder on Wednesday in Navajo County Superior Court.

    An Imperial County Sheriff’s Office booking mugshot of Michael Abatti.

    (Imperial County Sheriff’s Office)

    Once bail is posted, Abatti will be allowed to return to El Centro — where he lives and where he can receive ongoing medical treatments, according to his attorneys, Owen Roth and Danielle Iredale. He is required to surrender his passport, and will be allowed limited travel to Arizona and Wyoming, where the Abattis own property.

    Kerri Abatti was shot in her home in the Arizona town of Pinetop-Lakeside at around 9 p.m. on Nov. 20, authorities say. An autopsy report shows she was shot once in the head. The shot came from outside her house and went through a window.

    Her nephew found her after hearing a loud bang, and called 911, according to autopsy reports. She died while being taken to a hospital in Show Low, which is roughly 10 miles from Pinetop-Lakeside.

    According to the couple’s divorce filings, the Abattis had been embroiled in a bitter feud about the amount of financial spousal support Kerri Abatti was owed following the separation. Kerri Abatti left her husband and their El Centro home in August 2023 after 31 years of marriage.

    While he was on a fishing trip, she left for Pinetop-Lakeside, where the couple owned a 7,000 sq. ft. home on a 14-acre lot.

    Kerri Abatti grew up in Pinetop-Lakeside; it is where her parents, siblings and extended family reside.

    The couple have three adult children who live in California and Nevada.

    Photos of Michael Abatti taken Wednesday in Navajo County show him shirtless and wearing a suicide vest.

    His attorneys told The Times on Monday that he had surrendered to authorities in El Centro when he learned of the arrest warrant. He also waived his right to extradition.

    At a press conference on Monday, Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse told reporters his detectives “had strong reason to believe that Mr. Abatti had traveled from El Centro, Calif., on Nov. 20 to Pinetop, Ariz., committed the homicide and traveled back to California.”

    A pre-trial conference and release hearing is scheduled for March 17 in Navajo County.

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    Susanne Rust, Alex Wigglesworth

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  • No motive revealed in killing of prominent California farmer’s estranged wife in Arizona

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    Investigators declined to reveal the suspected motive in the shooting death of a prominent California farmer’s estranged wife in eastern Arizona, but they said the couple’s prolonged divorce case arose in nearly all interviews with family and friends.Michael Abatti, 63, was arrested last week in El Centro, California, in the shooting death of Kerri Ann Abatti, 59, at her family’s vacation home in Pinetop, Arizona, where she moved after splitting with her husband.Investigators, who discussed the case at a news conference Monday, say Michael Abatti traveled from El Centro to Pinetop on Nov. 20, carried out the killing and returned to California early the next morning. They declined to say what occurred at the Pinetop house in the last days of Kerri Abatti’s life.“Different theories will come up,” Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse said of the motive. “The only thing that’s glaring that I think everybody already knows is there’s a divorce in place and they weren’t able to come to a resolution. But I can’t speak exactly to what the motive would be.”Owen Roth, one of Michael Abatti’s attorneys, said his client surrendered to law enforcement, agreed to be extradited to Arizona and remains innocent under the law. “Our client is in his mid-60s and has significant health issues, and we continue to worry about his well-being,” Roth said. “We ask the public to respect his privacy and constitutional rights and reiterate that this case will be decided based on the evidence by a jury.” An autopsy report released Monday said Kerri Abatti’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.The report said she was found unconscious on the floor near her kitchen by her nephew, who told investigators he heard a loud sound before finding her. When investigators searched the home they found a “circular defect” on a window and determined “a gunshot likely originated from the yard outside the home,” the autopsy report said.The Associated Press left a message for the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office for further explanation. The medical examiner’s office in Coconino County, which conducted the autopsy, directed questions about the report to a Navajo County official, and the AP also left a message for the official. A descendant of early Latter-day Saints settlers who helped found Pinetop in the 1880s, Kerri had filed for divorce, with proceedings pending in California at the time of her death.Authorities searched his home in far Southern California on Dec. 2 as part of the investigation into his wife’s death.Michael Abatti comes from a long line of farmers in the crop-rich Imperial Valley, which is the biggest user of Colorado River water and known for growing leafy greens, melons and forage crops. His grandfather, an Italian immigrant, was among the region’s early settlers and his father helped start the Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association.Michael Abatti served on the board of the powerful Imperial Irrigation District from 2006 to 2010.The Abattis, who married in 1992 and had three children, were sparring over finances. Kerri told the court the couple had lived an affluent lifestyle during more than three decades of marriage. They owned property in three states, vacationed internationally and sent their children to private school.Kerri initially received $5,000 monthly temporary spousal support. She later sought an increase, citing struggles to maintain her standard of living as well as keep up the Arizona property. She also asked for an additional $100,000 in attorney’s fees, court filings showed.Michael Abatti eventually agreed to raise support to $6,400 monthly, despite having countered in a court filing that poor farming years had reduced his income. He blamed market shifts favoring Ukrainian crops, rising shipping costs and harsh weather.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    HOLBROOK, Ariz. —

    Investigators declined to reveal the suspected motive in the shooting death of a prominent California farmer’s estranged wife in eastern Arizona, but they said the couple’s prolonged divorce case arose in nearly all interviews with family and friends.

    Michael Abatti, 63, was arrested last week in El Centro, California, in the shooting death of Kerri Ann Abatti, 59, at her family’s vacation home in Pinetop, Arizona, where she moved after splitting with her husband.

    Investigators, who discussed the case at a news conference Monday, say Michael Abatti traveled from El Centro to Pinetop on Nov. 20, carried out the killing and returned to California early the next morning. They declined to say what occurred at the Pinetop house in the last days of Kerri Abatti’s life.

    “Different theories will come up,” Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse said of the motive. “The only thing that’s glaring that I think everybody already knows is there’s a divorce in place and they weren’t able to come to a resolution. But I can’t speak exactly to what the motive would be.”

    Owen Roth, one of Michael Abatti’s attorneys, said his client surrendered to law enforcement, agreed to be extradited to Arizona and remains innocent under the law. “Our client is in his mid-60s and has significant health issues, and we continue to worry about his well-being,” Roth said. “We ask the public to respect his privacy and constitutional rights and reiterate that this case will be decided based on the evidence by a jury.” An autopsy report released Monday said Kerri Abatti’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.

    The report said she was found unconscious on the floor near her kitchen by her nephew, who told investigators he heard a loud sound before finding her. When investigators searched the home they found a “circular defect” on a window and determined “a gunshot likely originated from the yard outside the home,” the autopsy report said.

    The Associated Press left a message for the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office for further explanation. The medical examiner’s office in Coconino County, which conducted the autopsy, directed questions about the report to a Navajo County official, and the AP also left a message for the official. A descendant of early Latter-day Saints settlers who helped found Pinetop in the 1880s, Kerri had filed for divorce, with proceedings pending in California at the time of her death.

    Authorities searched his home in far Southern California on Dec. 2 as part of the investigation into his wife’s death.

    Michael Abatti comes from a long line of farmers in the crop-rich Imperial Valley, which is the biggest user of Colorado River water and known for growing leafy greens, melons and forage crops. His grandfather, an Italian immigrant, was among the region’s early settlers and his father helped start the Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association.

    Michael Abatti served on the board of the powerful Imperial Irrigation District from 2006 to 2010.

    The Abattis, who married in 1992 and had three children, were sparring over finances. Kerri told the court the couple had lived an affluent lifestyle during more than three decades of marriage. They owned property in three states, vacationed internationally and sent their children to private school.

    Kerri initially received $5,000 monthly temporary spousal support. She later sought an increase, citing struggles to maintain her standard of living as well as keep up the Arizona property. She also asked for an additional $100,000 in attorney’s fees, court filings showed.

    Michael Abatti eventually agreed to raise support to $6,400 monthly, despite having countered in a court filing that poor farming years had reduced his income. He blamed market shifts favoring Ukrainian crops, rising shipping costs and harsh weather.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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