Senin, 06 Juli 2026

Wildfire Anniversary, GI Bill, and Teacher Merit Pay

Monday, July 6, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1920, the town of Gilbert was incorporated, starting as a small farming and hay-shipping town.

We hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend! Today's edition is a bit shorter so The Arizona Flyover team could celebrate with friends and family. Our regular edition will return Tuesday.

Today’s sponsor, Fisher Investments, is helping you plan your ideal retirement with a free guide that aligns your goals, timeline, and investment strategy for lasting financial confidence.

North Rim Marks Fire Anniversary

One year after lightning sparked the Dragon Bravo fire on the Grand Canyon's North Rim, businesses and park officials reflected on the event and discussed ongoing recovery.

The fire burned 145,504 acres and destroyed more than 100 structures, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, before crews fully contained it in September.

Jacob Lake Inn owner Melinda Rich Marshall, whose property served as a fire staging area, called the loss life-changing. Historical society president Tom Sulpizio said some lodge cabins survived and could anchor rebuilding.

The National Park Service is restoring burned land and plans to help rebuild the lodge. A nonprofit established to assist with the lodge rebuilding said the project could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Phoenix Joins Water Share Program

Phoenix City Council voted to participate in a program allowing Arizona cities to share water as Colorado River cutbacks loom.

The Secure Water Arizona Program (SWAP), to be run jointly by Phoenix and Tucson, aims to create an emergency water reserve and better connect cities willing to buy or sell water.

Water policy experts said the framework could reshape how cities across the state manage supplies, while also helping smaller communities avoid water shortages.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego called the voluntary effort "a practical program that will allow our state the flexibility to weather the uncertainties in the Colorado River Basin."

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➤ Tempe: Arizona State University ranks No. 2 among public universities nationwide for students using GI Bill benefits, with more than 20,000 military-affiliated learners enrolled. (More)

➤ Scottsdale: The city council approved an ordinance letting police classify problem short-term rentals as event centers, with fines for partygoers and possible license loss for owners. (More)

➤ Cottonwood: Mingus Union High School District's governing board approved a performance-based pay plan for teachers. (More)

➤ Phoenix: State Historian Marshall Trimble reflected on the state's frontier past and his own rise as an author. (More)

➤ Tucson: Mission Garden received a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The living agricultural museum operates on land farmed for more than 4,000 years. (More)

➤ Metro Phoenix: Giant palo verde beetles are making their annual appearance as monsoon season begins. Experts say the insects are harmless to people and healthy trees. (More)

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Which half of the summer do you prefer?

Yesterday's Results:

Have you ever been to the Fox Tucson Theatre?

No: 77%
Yes: 23%

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ A banned Chinese underground church's founder is suddenly free and on American soil, thanks in part to President Trump. (Hear Story)

➤ Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul, struck a parked car in California wine country and drove away, and now the 86-year-old could be facing charges. (Listen Now)

➤ A lavish party for a baby's very first tooth has the internet asking whether modern parents have finally gone too far. (Podcast Available)

What was the last year Phoenix went without a 110-degree day?

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Suite 102 #116
Scottsdale, AZ 85258

Aspen Fire Containment, Firefighters Honored, and Top Travel Town

Monday, July 6, 2026

Good Morning. On this day in 1994, 14 wildland firefighters died battling the South Canyon Fire on Storm King Mountain near Glenwood Springs. Remembered as the Storm King 14, their sacrifice reshaped wildland firefighting safety nationwide.

As our nation commemorates its 250th birthday, we’ll be sending out shortened editions so The Colorado Flyover staff can celebrate the holiday with friends and family. Our regular edition will be back tomorrow.

Today’s sponsor, Fisher Investments, is helping you plan your ideal retirement with a free guide that aligns your goals, timeline, and investment strategy for lasting financial confidence.

Aspen Acres Fire Gains First Containment

Firefighters battling the Aspen Acres Fire in Pueblo and Custer counties reported their first containment over the holiday weekend, reaching 13% by Sunday morning after holding at 0% for a week.

The fire has burned nearly 87,000 acres across Pueblo and Custer counties, putting it among the largest in state history. Milder weather and more than 800 firefighters helped crews achieve the fire's first containment on the eastern flank near Highway 78.

At least 157 structures in Pueblo County and 55 homes in Custer County have been destroyed, and roughly 3,800 homes were ordered to evacuate. Officials say the fire, which started June 29, was human-caused but they have not released details.

Farther north, the Willow Fire forced new mandatory evacuations near Leadville on Sunday. The blaze grew to about 3,000 acres west of town and remained at or near 0% contained.

Colorado Honors Three Fallen Firefighters

Colorado flew flags at half-staff Sunday and held a public memorial in Grand Junction for three firefighters killed while battling a wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border.

Emily Barker, 38, Nick Hutcherson, 27, and Sydney Watson, 26, died June 27 in a burnover on the Knowles Fire, which was later overtaken by the larger Snyder Fire. The three firefighters were assigned to federal wildland firefighting crews participating in the Knowles Fire response.

Gov. Jared Polis ordered flags lowered from sunrise to sunset to honor them. "These three brave heroes ran towards the flames, put themselves in harm's way, and gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect Coloradans, our communities, and our families," he said.

The memorial service ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park. A burnover happens when a wildfire overtakes firefighters, often after escape routes are cut off. The firefighters deployed emergency fire shelters as the flames overtook them.

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➤ Statewide: Farmers are testing less-thirsty crops like rye, black-eyed peas, sainfoin, and camelina as Colorado looks for ways to stretch shrinking water supplies. The challenge is not just growing them—it's finding reliable markets so farmers can make the switch without taking a financial bath. (More)

➤ Denver: A new trial program offers $5 parking at 3,000 downtown spaces through the SpotHero app, with discounted evening and weekend rates aimed at attracting more visitors to the city center through September. (More)

➤ Fort Collins: CNN Travel named Fort Collins No. 5 on its list of America's 10 best towns to visit in 2026, praising Old Town Square, whose early-1900s charm inspired Disneyland's Main Street USA, along with the city's brewery scene and foothills trails. (More)

➤ Vail: Mikaela Shiffrin's historic 100th World Cup victory has been named the No. 24 greatest sports moment in Colorado history as part of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame's Top 150 countdown for the state's 150th anniversary. (More)

➤ Denver: A new guide spotlights some of the metro area's best burgers, from old-school bars and smashburger stands to upscale restaurants serving everything from classic cheeseburgers to Korean-inspired creations and green chile-topped favorites. (More)

Enjoy reading The Colorado Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family. ✈️

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How do you take your burger?

Yesterday's Results:

Do you like rugby?

Not my sport: 63%
Yes, I watch matches: 22%
Yes, I play: 15%

➤ A banned Chinese underground church's founder is suddenly free and on American soil, thanks in part to President Trump. (Hear Story)

➤ Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul, struck a parked car in California wine country and drove away, and now the 86-year-old could be facing charges. (Listen Now)

➤ A lavish party for a baby's very first tooth has the internet asking whether modern parents have finally gone too far. (Podcast Available)

At 10,152 feet in the central Rockies, what former silver-mining boomtown is the highest incorporated city in the United States?

Show me the answer

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Texas' Tallest Cop, Soccer Fans Storm Walmart, and Most Entrepreneurial City

Monday, July 6, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1861, German immigrants founded Texas' first Sons of Hermann lodge in San Antonio. The fraternal insurance society is still headquartered there today as Hermann Sons Life.

The Texas Flyover is abbreviated today, but returns to its regular format tomorrow. We hope you've enjoyed the holiday weekend—whether that meant time on the water, around the grill, relaxing at home, or under a sky full of fireworks celebrating America's 250th birthday.

Today's sponsor, Fisher Investments, is helping you plan your ideal retirement with a free guide that aligns your goals, timeline, and investment strategy for lasting financial confidence.

Paxton Probes StubHub World Cup Sales

Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into StubHub on Friday after widespread reports that the resale platform canceled or never delivered World Cup tickets Texans had paid for.

Fans in host cities Arlington and Houston reported cancellations days or even hours before kickoff. Paxton's office says the complaints fit a pattern called "ghost ticketing," in which sellers list tickets they don't possess, collect payment, and cancel when they can't deliver.

StubHub blames transfer problems tied to FIFA's ticketing platform and says its FanProtect Guarantee provides replacement tickets or a full refund. Fans filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the company last week.

Affected Texans can file complaints with the attorney general's Consumer Protection Division. Paxton is separately investigating FIFA itself over complaints that buyers were misled about seat locations.

Texas' Tallest Cop Passes State Exam

Jordan Wilmore, the 7-foot-3 Kemah police cadet who missed his state licensing exam by a single point, has passed on his second attempt and will join the Kemah Police Department.

The 24-year-old former pro basketball player could be sworn in as early as Tuesday, becoming what's believed to be the tallest police officer in Texas. "I want to cry. I want to scream. I am so happy," Wilmore said.

Shaquille O'Neal, a certified peace officer himself, paid for Wilmore's second run at the academy after seeing his story online and promised a custom car when Wilmore passed. O'Neal's representatives say he hopes to attend the swearing-in.

Chief Raymond Garivey has been hunting for a big enough uniform and a cruiser that Wilmore's knees won't hit , and says the department wants to start him immediately.

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➤ Galveston: The Elissa, the official tall ship of Texas, sailed in Saturday's Sail4th 250 Parade of Sail in New York Harbor for America's 250th birthday. It was the Galveston-berthed ship's first visit to New York since 1986. (See Photos)

➤ Arlington: More than 100 Australian soccer fans took over the Walmart across from AT&T Stadium before Friday's World Cup match, chanting "We're getting deported" as police cleared them out. The Socceroos lost to Egypt on penalties hours later. (See Video)

➤ Dallas: Dallas Fire-Rescue and police seized more than 1,800 pounds of illegal fireworks and issued multiple citations in a July 4 crackdown on two locations. (See Details)

➤ Houston: Former U.S. Rep. Bill Archer, who represented the Houston area for 30 years and chaired the House Ways and Means Committee, died Saturday at 98. Archer succeeded George H.W. Bush in Congress in 1971 and helped craft the 1997 balanced budget agreement. (More)

➤ Falfurrias: Border Patrol agents found more than 345 pounds of cocaine in a box trailer hauled by an 80-year-old Bay City man at the checkpoint July 1. Luke Brader and his wife told agents they were promised up to $10,000 to haul the load to Houston, per the criminal complaint. (See Details)

➤ San Antonio: Thousands of fans packed the Alamodome for Ye's concert Saturday night despite calls from community leaders to cancel the show. (See Details)

➤ San Antonio: GoDaddy named San Antonio the most entrepreneurial city in America for 2026, citing microbusiness growth and new business creation. Affordable housing and a diversified economy are drawing founders to the Alamo City. (See List)

Enjoy reading The Texas Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family.

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The Definitive Guide to Retirement Income provides essential insights into creating a durable plan. If you have $1,000,000 or more, read our free guide today.

Have you ever started a business?

Yesterday's Results:

Did you attend a parade on the Fourth?

Not this year: 80%
Yes, I loved it: 13%
Yes, it was hot: 7%

➤ A banned Chinese underground church's founder is suddenly free and on American soil, thanks in part to President Trump. (Hear Story)

➤ Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul, struck a parked car in California wine country and drove away, and now the 86-year-old could be facing charges. (Listen Now)

➤ A lavish party for a baby's very first tooth has the internet asking whether modern parents have finally gone too far. (Podcast Available)