Q&AZ - Questions Our Reporters Have Answered
Through our Q&AZ reporting project, a listener asked how the Tonto National Forest got its name. In short, it’s because the Tonto Basin lies at the forest’s core. But, that still leaves the question: Where did Tonto come from?
Dec. 23, 2019
They adorn hills, mountains and buttes across Arizona. But what’s the deal with those big, white letters on peaks in dozens of Arizona cities and towns? Through our Q&AZ reporting project, a listener asked where the custom came from. It dates back more than 100 years, to a hill in Northern California.
Nov. 29, 2019
Arizona is known as the Copper State. One listener wanted to know where all of that copper came from. It turns out it all started with a bang.
Nov. 22, 2019
The city of Phoenix got its name for rising on the ashes of the ancient Hohokam civilization. As part of our Q&Az program, a listener asked how other Valley cities - specifically Tempe - got their names.
Nov. 18, 2019
Through our Q&AZ reporting project, a listener asked KJZZ to explain the story behind Yuma High School’s mascot. As it turns out, despite the connotations associated with their namesake, Yuma’s students, staff and alumni are proud to call themselves criminals.
Nov. 12, 2019
KJZZ listener Enrique reached out to us through our Q&AZ program to ask if Arizona will receive more Electoral College votes after the 2020 census and what impact that will have on our status as a potential swing state.
Nov. 7, 2019
The term "mental illness" covers a wide range of health conditions affecting mood, thinking and behavior. A listener wanted to know: What is "serious mental illness?" How does such a label affect the patient? And who decides?
Oct. 29, 2019
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As part of our Q&AZ reporting project, listener Stacy Ketcham wanted to know who designs the artwork on Phoenix-area freeways. One Arizona landscape architect brought innovation to his field and beauty to our Arizona highways.
Oct. 29, 2019
Phoenix is the largest city in the country without passenger train service. But it wasn’t always that way. Phoenix’s Union Station was a bustling train hub when rail travel peaked around World War II. Today, it sits dormant as Amtrak stopped its service to Phoenix in June 1996.
Oct. 9, 2019
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When most of the country is told to adjust their clocks this weekend, Arizona doesn’t need to re-set anything. A KJZZ listener asked through our Q&AZ reporting project why doesn’t Arizona participate in daylight saving time.
→ More Q&AZ questions answered
→ More Q&AZ questions answered
Oct. 31, 2019
Arizona highways and interstates carry a lot of cars, trucks and motorcycles. What they should never carry, according to Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bart Graves, are hitchhikers. He said it’s considered trespassing but more importantly, it’s a safety issue for pedestrians and drivers.
Sept. 27, 2019
The last time an Amtrak train served Phoenix, Bill Clinton was in his first term in the White House. Since then, Phoenix is the largest American city without Amtrak rail service — and remains the largest city in the country without a railroad mainline.
Sept. 23, 2019
From Bloody Basin to Skull Valley, Arizona is full of towns, roads and landmarks that bear ominous names. A listener asked how one spooky-sounding street in Holbrook got its label.
Sept. 20, 2019
Phoenix has exceeded ozone health standards 32 days since May. A listener wanted to know what ozone is, where it comes from and what harm it can do.
Aug. 23, 2019
The U.S. boasted more than 8,500 state parks totaling more than 29,000 square miles as of 2017, according to the National Association of State Park Directors. One listener wanted to know how Arizona’s state parks stack up against the rest of the country.
Aug. 12, 2019
KJZZ researched the start dates of the state’s 30 largest school districts, by enrollment, and found that about 77,000 students will already be in school by Aug. 1.
July 31, 2019
Today, the private school tax credit has ballooned to $2,213 for married couples and $1,107 for people filing individually. In comparison, the public school tax credit has been largely unchanged since 1997. Married couples can now donate up to $400 through the program. Individuals can give $200.
July 22, 2019
Summer in Phoenix is upon us and despite a relatively mild June, July is off to a hot start. Most Phoenicians try to stay out of the heat, but what about the people who have to work in the heat? How do they cope? That’s what listener Robert asked via our Q&AZ reporting project.
July 8, 2019
In 2014, bright-green caterpillars were swarming Phoenix. One longtime resident witnessed the wrigglers crossing Happy Valley Road and wanted to know what brought them there.
July 1, 2019
Rust is a phenomenon typically associated with damp settings. One listener wanted to know why tools left in a shed in Arizona rust despite the state’s dry conditions.
June 24, 2019
