Valley 101

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How did Arizona have two Governors in the same term? Sep 11, 2023

Show notes

A certain word has become standard in the past few years when discussing Arizona politics.

At some point, maybe "recount" made people think of doublechecking that everyone in their group was accounted for, or the thing to do when they second-guessed the number of Easter eggs they were hiding. But politicos in Arizona, especially in Maricopa County, now associate the word “recount” with the word “ballots.”

In 1916, maybe it felt the same way. That year, the election for Arizona governor was won by 30 votes, recounted and then overturned. The process left two people sharing a single term for head of the state. One barricaded himself in the office to keep the other man out. Meet Gov. Thomas E. Campbell and Gov. George W.P. Hunt.

In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we go back in time, more than a century ago, to early Arizona statehood.

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Our 10 favorite road trips to escape Phoenix heat, from Bisbee to Flagstaff Sep 04, 2023

Show notes

You know you live in Phoenix when it's still triple digits in September. If you're looking for an escape, Valley 101 has 10 cool locations to check out from Sabino Canyon, Bisbee, Verde Valley and the Mogollon Rim. You don't have to travel far to see a completely different side of Arizona.

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Meet Kenny Dillingham, one of the youngest coaches in college football Aug 26, 2023

Show notes

The Sun Devils, under the direction of then-coach Herm Edwards, had fallen behind in a crucial area for their future: high school recruiting. Smaller schools like Northern Illinois and Western Kentucky were finishing ahead of ASU in the recruiting rankings.

There were a number of reasons for this, most notably the NCAA investigation that ASU is still under for alleged recruiting violations that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, school officials began searching for a new person to lead the program.

A former ASU assistant and Phoenix native was waiting for this exact opportunity. Enter: Kenny Dillingham, the 33-year-old offensive coordinator from the University of Oregon who was hired to be the face of ASU football last November.

This week on Valley 101, a podcast by the Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we sat down with Coach Dillingham and talked about his journey to head coach of the ASU Sun Devils football team.

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Is there a new theory in the Don Bolles case? Aug 21, 2023

Show notes

Remote-controlled bombs consisting of 6 sticks of dynamite erupted underneath the drivers side of the car. The explosion was contained, but destructive. The lower half of his body was blown off, the driver’s door ripped open, and the reporter lay waiting for help.

The story goes that he uttered three things while in the parking lot injured that day: “John Adamson” “Emprise” and “Mafia.”

But stories are never that simple. Almost 50 years later, there is still a debate on why Don Bolles was murdered and who was to blame.

Welcome to Valley 101, a podcast by the Arizona Republic and azcentral.com about metro Phoenix and beyond. I’m producer Amanda Luberto, and today I’m joined by our in-house Don Bolles expert Richard Ruelas to discuss why the case is still interesting to people and to discuss new hypotheses that have arisen.

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Examining the movie theatre industry in Arizona after the pandemic Aug 14, 2023

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Movies used to be the dominating driving force in pop culture.

Hollywood was the center of entertainment. Actors, producers, directors: dreams being made. The Silver Screen was a fantasy come true for many.

But over the past decade, things have changed. That domination lessened as new players entered the game. Streaming apps gained more and more popularity, becoming the go-to spot to see a film.

Numbers have jumped this year, but are still lagging behind pre-COVID levels. The impact has the entire industry thinking about its future and how to move forward.

For this week of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we spoke with Arizona State University film and media professor Kevin Sandler to talk about the movie theatre industry, the current problems and we look ahead to the future.

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Did the "Meg" swim in Arizona's prehistoric waters? Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

Arizona has sharks. No, really. Around 300 million years ago, portions of the 48th state were covered in shallow seas. And prowling these primordial waters were some wild and bizarre sharks. A few might even rival the mighty megalodon. In this episode of Valley 101, we unearth which sharks called Arizona home, whether or not megalodon swam here, and what modern-day sharks you can see in the Valley.

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Think you know Arizona? Think again and consider these 3 things you probably don't know about the Grand Canyon State Jul 31, 2023

Show notes

Think you know Arizona? You might want to think again. The 48th state is filled with weird, unusual, and just downright quirky facts that even long-time residents might not know. We found three Arizona-only oddities that just might surprise you.

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Are monsoons good or bad? Jul 24, 2023

Show notes

Summers in Arizona mean heat, triple-digit temperatures, and desperately trying to stay cool. But summers in Arizona also mean monsoons - big, bright thunderstorms returning rain to the desert.

During the summer monsoon season, Phoenix receives one-third of its annual rainfall, a necessary relief to help combat the drought that 83% of the state is experiencing, according to the National Weather Service.

While monsoons bring reprieve from the extreme heat and aid in the drought, they are sometimes responsible for power outages and extreme flooding.

Flooding in urban areas, such as Phoenix, often causes minor headaches such as traffic congestion on surface streets and highways. However, in parts of the state outside the Valley, floods can be dangerous, and occasionally deadly.

In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we share the good and the bad of monsoon season in Arizona.

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It might be too hot to fly planes: why? Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

This past Saturday, temperatures rose to 118 degrees, breaking a 25 year old record. Excessive heat warnings are planned throughout the week.

It’s that time of year when all your out of state friends ask, “Why do you live there again?” The answer is winters, but this week, they might have a point. It hasn’t been this hot for this long in almost 50 years. Arizona has now had 18 days in a row of temperatures over 110.

Tomorrow will break the record from 1974.

And while we don’t deal with tornadoes, hurricanes or blizzards, our extreme heat does impact the flights in and out of Sky Harbor International Airport.

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The Corbin Carroll Effect: Looking at the 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks' season Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

It's no secret that the Arizona Diamondbacks have struggled a lot. But, right now, they are in first place in the National League West behind budding star outfielder Corbin Carroll. Valley 101 talks baseball.

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