Friday, December 5, 2025

Viral Kindness, Trucking Schools Crackdown, and Taipei Flights

Friday, December 5, 2025

Good Morning. On this day in 1941, the USS Arizona arrived at Pearl Harbor two days before it was tragically sunk in the Dec. 7 attack.

Wish someone else handled your holiday decorating? One family hands over the keys to their Queen Creek home to volunteers, who bring the enchanting Christmas Idea House to life.

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Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Amazon Withdraws from Project Blue

Amazon withdrew from the proposed Project Blue data center in Tucson, leaving the project's future uncertain.

The proposal faced public criticism and was unanimously rejected by Tucson City Council over concerns about water use, energy demand, and transparency.

Project developer Beale Infrastructure subsequently switched from water-based to electric cooling, a method reportedly incompatible with Amazon's operations.

Pima County officials say seven or eight other prospective end-user tenants are showing interest in the project. The county sold the 290-acre site to Beale in June 2025 and retains oversight on development.

Study: Veterans' Quality of Life Lags

A study ranked Arizona in the bottom third of states for veterans' quality of life, based on factors such as health, wellness, employment, finances, and community resources.

The state moved up one spot to No. 36 from last year, with improved rankings for employment and veterans treatment courts for substance-abuse recovery.

Virginia, Florida, and Texas ranked as the most veteran-friendly states, while Connecticut, Idaho, and Delaware ranked among the lowest. See the full rankings here.

Arizona is home to about 500,000 veterans—the 13th most in the nation—based on the latest available estimates.

Kindness Campaign Blesses Grandmother

A social media influencer has raised more than $55,000 in donations for an 86-year-old Arizona grandmother, who offered to help when he claimed he was short on money for medicine.

Jimmy Darts, famous for his viral videos showcasing acts of kindness, also surprised the grandmother with $500 cash after learning of her financial hardships.

The woman—identified as Connie—teared up when Darts asked about her life's dream, saying she only wants sufficient food and rent money. Watch the full interaction.

More than 2,000 people donated in the fundraiser's opening hours.

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➤ Nogales: Authorities activated the Binational Emergency Response Program to extinguish a fire at an abandoned border building, with support from U.S. and Mexican firefighters. (Photo)

➤ Benson: Four city councilmembers face recall over the city's handling of a proposed aluminum plant, with a May special election looming if they don't resign by Tuesday. (Watch)

➤ Peoria: Mayor Jason Beck will not seek reelection, citing a desire to focus on family and business when his term ends. (More)

➤ Pinetop: Authorities served search warrants in El Centro, California, as part of their investigation into the Nov. 20 murder of Kerri Ann Abatti in Pinetop. (Details)

➤ Scottsdale: Dashcam footage captured a Tesla crossing into the wrong lane before hitting a dump truck, resulting in injuries and property damage. (Watch)

➤ Marana: A community forum on a proposed immigration detention center will take place Thursday at Mountain View High School. (More)

➤ Arizona Cardinals receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is not practicing with the team due to a heel injury, with his availability for the Los Angeles Rams game on Sunday in question. (More)

➤ Arizona football closed National Signing Day with the No. 4 recruiting class in the Big 12 and No. 34 nationally, ranking among the most talented classes in school history. (More)

➤ Arizona State football signed several top recruits on National Signing Day and will look to the transfer portal when it opens Jan. 2 to keep building its roster, as many key players exhaust their eligibility. (More)

➤ Casteel High School in Queen Creek will face off against Peoria Centennial in the Class 6A high school football state championship game on Saturday. (More)

➤ Yesterday's Results: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer | PGA

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➤ More than 40 truck driving schools in Arizona face decertification amid a federal crackdown on noncompliance with rules, prompted by a fatal Florida crash involving an illegal immigrant truck driver. (Watch)

➤ China Airlines launched nonstop flights between Phoenix and Taipei, Taiwan. (Watch)

➤ Queen Creek tops a list of Arizona's boomtowns, with its population growing by 120% and its per capita income rising 66% between 2015 and 2023. (More)

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➤ Villa De Paz Elementary School in Phoenix is turning classrooms into immersive virtual reality labs, letting students conduct science experiments and take virtual field trips. (Watch)

➤ Horne Auto Center in Show Low will host its Holiday Donation Drive from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, featuring Santa, giveaways, and a live radio broadcast. (Details)

➤ Vail baker Alisha Brewer won Pima County's top small business award for donating $1 for each cookie sold to local animal charities. (Photo)

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Trump Defends Peters, Third-Best Drivers, and Parade of Lights

Friday, December 5, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1920, The Mark of Zorro, a silent swashbuckling film, was released in theaters. Denver native Douglas Fairbanks starred in the film, making him the first to portray the masked vigilante and one of the first Coloradans to appear on the silver screen.

Some major names fill out the musical lineup for an upcoming Denver festival. Meanwhile, Spotify Wrapped sheds some light on the city's music taste. Find out more in Et Cetera, and test your rock-and-roll knowledge with today's Trivia.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Trump Defends Peters, Slams Polis

President Trump took to social media Wednesday to criticize Gov. Jared Polis and repeat his call for the release of former county election clerk Tina Peters from state prison.

In a Truth Social post, Trump described Peters as an elderly woman and cancer survivor who was unfairly convicted of election interference, and called Polis a "SLEAZEBAG" for refusing to let her out of jail.

Peters, 70, renewed her request to be released on bond Saturday after learning her 97-year-old mother "suffered catastrophic, life-threatening injuries" and is in intensive care.

State prison officials last month rejected a request from the Federal Bureau of Prisons to transfer Peters to federal custody. Polis affirmed that decision this week.

Wildfire Suspect Pleads Not Guilty

A Loveland man accused of starting the Alexander Mountain Fire and impersonating a wildland firefighter in the aftermath pleaded not guilty to all charges Wednesday.

Jason Alexander Hobby, 50, was arrested in September 2024 for allegedly igniting the fire, which burned nearly 10,000 acres in Larimer County. The fire caused more than $30 million in damage, with firefighting efforts costing an additional $11 million, according to court documents.

Investigators found Hobby had impersonated a police officer and firefighter before and during the fire, entering restricted areas to assist firefighting efforts. His arrest affidavit states he acted as a "self-proclaimed fire manager" and wanted to be seen as a hero.

Hobby's six charges include first-degree arson and impersonating a peace officer, both felonies. His trial is scheduled to begin in July 2026.

Colorado's Drivers Among Best: Report

Colorado's drivers are some of the safest in the nation, ranking No. 3 with only 23.7 incidents—accidents, DUIs, speeding, or citations—per 1,000 drivers in 2025, according to a new report.

Trailing only Florida (23.1) and Michigan (20.9), Colorado also has the second-lowest accident rate and one of the lowest DUI rates. North Dakota's drivers rank worst overall. See a map here.

A separate report found that Colorado is the No. 8 most dangerous state for winter driving, scoring 49.7 out of 100 based on fatal-crash data.

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➤ Statewide: An initiative to replace Colorado's uniform tax rate with a graduated income tax moved forward Wednesday after a state board approved a rewritten ballot proposal. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: The Drug Enforcement Administration's Rocky Mountain Field Division ranked third for fentanyl seizures in October, with Colorado accounting for the largest share among the division's four states, officials said. (See Details)

➤ DIA: Transportation Security Administration officers at Denver International Airport are credited with saving a man's life after he collapsed and stopped breathing shortly after passing through security. (Read Story)

➤ Loveland: Family says 20-year-old Kaylee Russell has been found dead after her car was discovered overturned near the Larimer–Weld Canal. She vanished Nov. 30 after leaving a park‑and‑ride. (More)

➤ Western Slope: Colorado Parks and Wildlife began its annual wildlife surveys this week, flying low to the ground to gather population estimates for deer, bighorn sheep, moose, and other animals. (More)

➤ Adams County: The sheriff's office says it has no leads on who may have stolen more than $20,000 worth of equipment from a Thornton cow sanctuary. (More)

➤ Genesee received the most snowfall in the state during Wednesday's snowstorm, recording a total of 10.3 inches. (See List)

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➤ The Colorado Rockies hired Josh Byrnes as their new general manager. Byrnes spent the last 11 years with the LA Dodgers and previously served as the Rockies' assistant GM from 1999 to 2002, making the move a homecoming of sorts. (More)

➤ The 8-0 Colorado Buffaloes basketball team travels to Fort Collins tomorrow to face 6-2 Colorado State at Moby Arena. Despite Colorado's perfect start, ESPN's matchup predictor favors the Rams at home. (More)

➤ Top Colorado football recruits signed Division I deals on Signing Day Wednesday, with Cherry Creek, Mullen, and Valor Christian leading a strong 2026 class headed to programs like USC, Michigan, and Kansas State. (More)

➤ Yesterday's Results: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer | PGA

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➤ Powderhorn Mountain Resort east of Grand Junction opens for the ski season today after receiving 10 inches of snow earlier this week. (See Details)

➤ Wayfair, an online furniture retailer, will open a new brick-and-mortar store—its third announced and first in the Western U.S.—in a former Macy's at The Shops at Northfield in Denver. (See Details)

➤ A new study found that immigrants account for 27.7% of the construction workforce in the Denver area, exceeding the nationwide industry figure of 26%. (See Report)

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➤ The Parade of Lights in Grand Junction kicks off Saturday at 5 p.m. It's the city's biggest parade of the year, featuring around 80 glowing floats and drawing tens of thousands of spectators. (See Details)

➤ Denver's Outside Days announced the musical act lineup for its upcoming three-day festival in May. Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket, and Cage the Elephant headline, with The Flaming Lips also on the bill. (See Lineup)

➤ Spotify released a Spotify Wrapped data compilation for Denver, revealing the city's top five artists, songs, and albums based on 2025 user data. (See Wrapped)

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