Friday, March 20, 2026

Wildcats Preview, Collector Car Auction, and Air Show

Friday, March 20, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1889, outlaws robbed a train near Winslow and were captured weeks later in Utah by Sheriff Buckey O'Neill and his posse, pictured here.

Arizona men's basketball tips off its NCAA tournament run this morning against Long Island. See our game preview in Top Stories and then visit Business to learn why Tucson restaurants are excited.

Today's sponsor, Brad's Deals, is highlighting 9 hidden perks of your Amazon Prime membership that many subscribers don't realize they already have access to.

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.

Record Heat Forces Trail Closures

Phoenix will close or restrict popular hiking trails as an early-season heat wave pushed temperatures to a record 102 degrees on Wednesday, the earliest triple-digit day on record.

Affected trails include Camelback Mountain's Echo Canyon and Cholla trails, the Piestewa Peak Summit trail, and several routes in South Mountain Park during peak daytime hours.

The unusual March heat is being driven by a strong high-pressure system over the western U.S., sending temperatures about 20 degrees above normal.

Officials urged caution following recent hiker rescues in Phoenix and Tucson.

Wildcats Begin Title Quest

Arizona men's basketball begins NCAA tournament play today in San Diego as a heavy favorite against Long Island, with tipoff set for 10:35 a.m. MST.

Arizona, the top seed in the West Region, brings a 32-2 record into the matchup and is favored by roughly 30 points, according to early lines.

This season, the Wildcats have dominated the paint and free-throw line while averaging more than 86 points per game—advantages that could overwhelm a Long Island team (24-10) making its first tourney appearance since 2018.

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas is among those projecting the Wildcats to win the national championship, which would be their first since 1997.

Troopers Seize $12M in Cocaine

A traffic stop last week on Interstate 40 near Kingman led to the seizure of about 447 pounds of cocaine valued at roughly $12.1 million.

On March 11, a state trooper pulled over a white Toyota minivan for traffic violations and, after speaking with the driver, searched the vehicle.

Troopers discovered tightly wrapped packages hidden beneath rugs in the vehicle trunk. The packages tested positive for cocaine.

The driver and a passenger were arrested and booked into the Mohave County Jail on drug-related charges.

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➤ Phoenix: City leaders are considering renaming César Chávez Day to Farmworkers Day and removing Chavez's name from city sites. (More)

➤ Glendale: Mecum Auctions' car auction continues at State Farm Stadium through the weekend, showcasing 2,000 collector vehicles and motorcycles while boosting the local economy. (More)

➤ Peoria: The city will launch a new on-demand transit service on April 1, ahead of the discontinuation of its WeRide program on April 13. (More)

➤ Statewide: A bill advancing in the state legislature would extend lemon law protections to leased vehicles. (Watch)

➤ Statewide: A state Senate committee advanced education bills that would bar antisemitic material in classrooms and require that adoption information be presented in sex education classes, with critics saying the standards are unclear. (More)

➤ Florence: Country Thunder Arizona will return April 9–12 at Canyon Moon Ranch, featuring headliners Lainey Wilson, Brooks & Dunn, Zach Top, and Gavin Adcock. (Full Lineup)

➤ Arizona State women's basketball was edged out by Virginia 57-55 in an NCAA tournament First Four matchup Thursday night, the Sun Devils' first tourney appearance since 2019. (More)

➤ Sports betting in Arizona exceeded $1.6 billion during last year's March Madness tournament, while a national poll finds most Americans think gambling may affect the integrity of college basketball. (More)

➤ Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker presented the entire BYU men's basketball team with new pairs of his signature Nike shoes. (More)

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➤ Tucson restaurants expect a surge in business during March Madness as Arizona Wildcats fans pack venues, prompting longer hours, extra staff, and enhanced viewing setups. (Watch)

➤ Flagstaff leaders are considering new licensing fees for short-term rentals in a move that could impact operating costs for vacation rental owners. (See Notice)

➤ Surprise will welcome Chicago-based Rainbow Cone on March 30, marking the chain's first Arizona location for its signature stacked cones. (Details)

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➤ Luke Air Force Base in Glendale will host Luke Days this weekend, bringing one of the world's largest air shows to the West Valley, featuring aerial demonstrations and aircraft displays. (More)

➤ The Prescott Rally returns March 27–28, bringing two days of off-road rally racing, drivers, and spectators to Prescott Valley. (Details)

➤ An Arizona couple relived their prom after more than four decades at a senior dance at Robson Ranch in Eloy, where they were crowned king and queen. (Watch)

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Drought Rules, WWII Plane, and a Lord of the Rings Rave

Friday, March 20, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 2020, Colorado established Frances Xavier Cabrini Day as a state holiday. Cabrini, a humanitarian who helped establish a convent, school, and orphanage in Denver, was the first American citizen to be canonized as a saint.

Today is the first day of spring, otherwise known as the vernal equinox—but with rare March heat pushing highs near 90 degrees, it may feel more like summer. Here's a rundown of this weekend's weather outlook.

Today's sponsor, Brad's Deals, is highlighting 9 hidden perks of your Amazon Prime membership that many subscribers don't realize they already have access to.

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.

Cities Brace for Drought Year

Denver Water is set to impose additional water restrictions, including a two-day weekly outdoor watering limit, beginning March 25. The utility last implemented limits beyond the standard summer rules in 2013.

Aurora City Council is considering Stage 1 drought restrictions, which Thornton put in place last week. In Elizabeth, users must follow a watering schedule from March 1 through Sept. 30.

Colorado Springs Utilities, though its supply isn't low enough to trigger restrictions, is proactively encouraging "water-wise" practices to prepare for drought.

This winter's snowpack is among the lowest on record, making spring and summer reservoir shortfalls likely. Earlier this week, Colorado moved into Phase 2 of its drought response plan.

Fires Burn through Southern Colorado

Three wildfires were burning across Custer and Fremont counties as of Thursday, including one that triggered mandatory evacuations outside Westcliffe.

The Buttermilk Fire was 95% contained at 65 acres Thursday morning, with 15 homes under evacuation orders. Officials say the cause was an aspen tree falling on a power line.

A roughly 15-acre fire in Fremont County began off Highway 115 before spreading to Fort Carson territory. A third fire, also in the Fort Carson area, grew to 1,600 acres and was 80% contained.

Worse fire danger is expected Saturday, with humidity below 10%, wind gusts topping 30 mph, and highs nearing 90 degrees.

Denver Cancels César Chávez March

The Denver group planning an April 11 march and celebration of César Chávez has canceled the event in light of a New York Times investigation alleging the iconic labor rights activist abused women and underage girls.

Chávez was known for his campaigns to win higher wages for farm laborers, including in Colorado. Dolores Huerta, a prominent fellow activist and union co-founder, is among the women who accused him of sexual abuse.

Mayor Mike Johnston said Thursday that César Chávez Day, a March 31 city holiday, will be renamed Si Se Puede Day, a phrase that translates to "yes we can" and was adopted by the labor movement he helped lead. The city will also rename César Chávez Park, from which it has already removed a memorial bust and plaque.

Events and holidays honoring Chávez in several other states have been renamed, postponed, or canceled.

Flying together with our sponsor

Once upon a time, we had to make lists and physically go to stores when we needed things. Sometimes we'd have to go to several stores or even shopping malls for what we needed. Then one day, out of the heavens, came Amazon.

For many of us, free shipping and access to exclusive shows and movies are enough reasons to fork over the $14.99 per month to get Prime. But if those reasons haven't been enough to entice you to join Prime, maybe some of these lesser-known incentives will tempt you to sign up.

Here are nine of those perks.

➤ Statewide: Lawmakers rejected House Bill 1275, which would have required police to intervene when federal immigration agents use excessive force, among other provisions. (More)

➤ Denver: Two people were hospitalized following an explosion inside a Shell gas station Thursday afternoon. The cause is under investigation. (More)

➤ Statewide: A policy group formed by Gov. Jared Polis released recommended revisions to a first-in-the-nation law regulating artificial intelligence, aiming to resolve disputes that have delayed its implementation. (More)

➤ Evergreen: The House Judiciary Committee voted 7-4 along party lines to advance House Bill 26-1255, a social media warrant compliance bill that sponsors say could have prevented the Sept. 10 school shooting. (More)

➤ Front Range: Experts warn that rattlesnakes have begun to emerge early due to the unseasonably warm March weather. (More)

➤ Littleton: Police are investigating the vandalism of a park memorial honoring 19 service members, including one Coloradan, killed in a 2005 Afghanistan mission. (See Details)

➤ Elbert: The town was under a water boil advisory Wednesday after a cut to a major water line caused a temporary service disruption, with the advisory continuing into Thursday pending testing. (More)

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➤ No. 12 Colorado State faces No. 5 Michigan State today in the first round of the NCAA women's tournament. (How to Watch)

➤ CSU men's basketball lost to St. Joseph's 69-64 in the first round of the NIT, ending their season. (More)

➤ Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II said it's "electric" to be reunited with former Alabama teammate Jaylen Waddle, who was just traded to Denver. "We always talked about it and manifested playing on the same team together, and it all came to fruition." (More)

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➤ Crusoe Energy Systems, a Denver-based artificial intelligence infrastructure company, announced plans to open a Brighton factory that will produce transportable, modular data centers. (See Details)

➤ A House committee rejected two different bills that sought to raise taxes or fees on beer, wine, and spirits to fund mental health, substance abuse treatment, and a proposed mental health hospital. (See Details)

➤ Colorado filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy, seeking to overturn emergency orders to keep the Craig Unit 1 coal power plant open past its planned Dec. 31 closing date. (See Details)

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➤ The TBM Avenger, a World War II-era bomber, will take flight from Grand Junction Regional Airport Saturday. The public can ride in the plane as part of a fundraiser supporting the Military Aviation Heritage Museum and aviation education programs. (See Details)

➤ Bluebird Market, a food hall in Silverthorne, is one of 20 nominees for USA Today's reader-voted list of the 10 best food halls. (See List)

➤ Elijah Wood, known for portraying Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, will DJ a Lord of the Rings-themed rave in Denver following his May 31 Fan Expo appearance. (See Details)

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