📢 You can now donate to Microburst! Subscriptions are $5/month, or you can make a one-time donation. All proceeds are used to offset technical costs and help compensate the author’s time.
Good afternoon. Friday will be partly sunny with a high of 76°, and Saturday should be partly sunny with a high of 73°. Sunday and Monday could be rainy.
🌵 A deputy’s union approved a vote of no confidence in Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
Among the reasons cited by the Pima County Deputy’s Organization: retaliatory practices, issues at the Pima County Jail, and an ongoing criminal investigation into Nanos’ handling of a sexual assault within the department. In response, Nanos said the union was illegitimate because members do not pay dues directly from their paychecks.
- AZPM: Deputy’s union releases vote of no confidence over Sheriff Nanos
- Pima County Deputy’s Organization statement on X
🌵 Governor Hobbs released details on her plan to boost education funding using the state’s land trust.
Education funding is currently being provided through voter-approved Prop. 123, which expires in 2025. Hobbs’ renewal plan would increase land trust funding from 6.9% to 8.9%, and set guidelines on how it should be distributed. Last year, Republicans put forth their own plan for a new version of Prop. 123 that would require direct voter approval.
- AZ Central: Gov. Katie Hobbs has new plan to increase pay for Arizona schools, educators. Here are the details
- KOLD: Local educators are encouraged by Gov. Hobbs’s Proposition 123 renewal plan
🌵 Arizona’s attorney general said Tucson doesn’t need to recount the results of Prop. 413 from last fall.
The ballot measure to give the mayor and city council members a raise passed by just 289 votes. Arizona state law typically requires a recount when a margin of victory is within 0.5% of the votes cast. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sided with Tucson officials who said that the law does not apply to local ballot measures.
🌵 The University of Arizona Wildcats have a new football coach.
The Wildcats hired San José State University coach Brent Brennan following the sudden departure of coach Jedd Fisch to the University of Washington. Brennan was a graduate assistant under former UA head coach Dick Tomey, the winningest coach in program history. Brennan’s contract is worth $17.5 million over 5 years.
- Arizona Daily Star: Arizona, new head football coach Brent Brennan ink 5-year, $17.5 million contract
- UA Football: Arizona Announces Brent Brennan as Head Football Coach
🌵 Lastly, Reid Park Zoo welcomed a new baby giraffe.
Penelope the giraffe gave birth to a male calf on Jan. 15. Both the mother and calf are doing well. The new zoo arrival follows the birth of a zebra foal on Christmas. An African elephant is also expected to give birth in the coming months.