Phil Latzman
KJZZ 91.5
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Past articles by Phil:
Maricopa Community Colleges has a new chancellor
One of the nation’s largest community college systems has a new permanent chancellor.The board of the Maricopa County Community College District voted to appoint Steven Gonzales to the post on Tuesday night. He has served as the district’s interim chancellor since January 2020.Under Gonzales’ leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, the system’s 10 colleges which serve more → Read More
Ukrainian Arizonans celebrate a solemn Easter Sunday in Phoenix
This year in the Orthodox Church, Easter was observed a week later than most other Christians and it was a solemn celebration at St. Mary’s Protectress Orthodox Church of Ukraine in downtown Phoenix where parishioners of the small church overflowed onto the sidewalks. Outside is Larisa Szwez, chasing around her toddler son.“This Easter Sunday feels wonderful because we are → Read More
A Phoenix smash room helps people get out their anger and stress. For the owners, it's personal
Inside a north Phoenix storefront in a nondescript strip mall, next to pizza parlor, is the Breakthrough Smash Room.And when you enter, make sure your ears and your nerves are prepared for the banging, clanging and shattering that is going on all around you. → Read More
These were the 3 most-viewed Fronteras Desk stories in 2021
KJZZ's Fronteras Desk is committed to telling the stories of the the Southwest, from northern Arizona to Hermosillo, Mexico. Here are KJZZ's top three Fronteras Desk stories from the past year.1. Report: Hundreds of immigration court notices missingIn January, the investigative arm of Congress wanted to know what happened to hundreds of immigration court cases for people who → Read More
Chris Paul Returns To Form As Suns Top Nuggets In Game 1
In the opening minutes of Monday night's game, Chris Paul was bumped on his ailing right shoulder and grimaced for a second. His movements were a little tentative, his shots didn't look quite right.Then — seemingly almost out of nowhere — the “Point God” was back. → Read More
Broadcasting Legend Hugh Downs Dies At 99
The world has lost a broadcasting legend. Longtime Valley resident Hugh Downs has passed away at age 99. Downs was born in Ohio in 1921 and had already begun his career in radio when he was called off by the Army in 1943 to fight in World War II. When he returned, he became one of Chicago’s early television pioneers. He later had a decade-long stint hosting the popular game → Read More
Arizona Coyotes Name NHL's First Latino CEO
The Arizona Coyotes have made hockey history by naming the NHL’s first Latino team president and CEO.Coyotes chairman Alex Meruelo, himself the league’s first Latino owner, named Xavier Gutierrez as the team’s top executive on Monday, replacing Ahron Cohen, who mutually agreed to part ways with the franchise last month.Gutierrez was managing director of the California-based → Read More
Phoenix Rising Soccer Returns To Practice
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has cleared the way for sports to return by allowing stay-at-home orders to expire starting on Friday.But while most professional and college sports have remained on hold during the coronavirus pandemic, the United Soccer League’s Phoenix Rising returned to the field this week for limited practices.The club is conducting non-contact drills, with no more → Read More
78 Years Later, Arizona Pearl Harbor Survivors Live To Tell Their Tale
The population of people who even remember Dec. 7, 1941, is dwindling fast, and we’re down to only a precious few left who actually survived that day in Hawaii and lived long enough to tell their stories. As it turns out, at least two of them are here in Arizona.Earlier this year, we introduced you to former Navy machinist Jack Holder, 98, of Sun Lakes. → Read More
Phoenix Soccer Fans Rising Up For Playoffs
It isn’t just a soccer match. A Friday night at Casino Arizona Field is also an all-out party. The stands are filled with 7,000 cheering and, at times, rowdy fans, many of them students from nearby ASU. It’s dollar beer night, and some are balancing beer cans while cheering and carousingAnd the cacophony has served the Rising well. The club won a United Soccer League record 20 → Read More
Arizonans Play Prominent Role In Mueller Hearings
Arizona was well-represented in former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony to the House Judiciary Committee. Three members of the state’s congressional delegation were given time to speak and ask questions during hearings on Capitol Hill Wednesday. → Read More
What Did The Phoenix Suns Do On Draft Night?
Trying to figure out what the Phoenix Suns did on draft night? Well, so is everyone else.The Suns drafted Texas Tech shooting guard Jarrett Culver with the sixth overall pick last night, and he wore their cap as he was introduced.But the team already had agreed on a deal to trade him to the Timberwolves for the 11th pick and forward Dario Saric. With the 11th pick, Minnesota, → Read More
Phoenix Suns Introduce New Coach Monty Williams
The Phoenix Suns introduced their fifth head coach in as many seasons Tuesday, officially welcoming Monty Williams to the NBA team.The 47-year-old Williams has spent the last quarter-century as a player and coach in the league. He’s grateful for the opportunity to be a head coach again — even with a Suns team that has missed the playoffs for 9 straight years and won just 19 → Read More
Arizona Cardinals Have First Pick In NFL Draft
The Arizona Cardinals have the first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, which starts Thursday night.Barring a last-minute trade, the Cardinals are expected to choose Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman Trophy-winner Kyler Murray, despite the fact that they drafted quarterback Josh Rosen in the first round last year.New Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury scouted Murray to play for him at → Read More
ASU Hockey Makes NCAA Tournament Debut To Relative Anonymity
While the desert air outside hits the mid 80s, it’s 40 degrees cooler inside The Oceanside Ice arena, a small rink on the outskirts of Tempe. That's where Arizona State University's hockey team is practicing with an extra skip in their skates.In only their third full year playing on the Division 1 level, the Sun Devils won a bid to play in the hockey equivalent of the Big → Read More
Spring Training Brings In A Lot Of Fans — And Money
Baseball fans from all over have invaded the Valley for spring training games.Fifteen Major League teams playing at 10 different stadiums from Surprise to Mesa attract nearly 2 million fans a year and generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the Arizona economy. America’s Pastime remains as popular — and as expensive — as ever. → Read More
Hotshots Take The Field As Arizona's Hope For Spring Pro Football
First, there’s no avoiding the team’s nickname.The Hotshots is the moniker of 20 elite firefighters that battle the most dangerous blazes in the country. 19 of them from the Granite Mountain unit in Prescott, lost their lives fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013.The team initially received some criticism for exploiting that sacred name. → Read More
Lawmaker Proposes Sports Betting Throughout Arizona
After the U.S. Supreme Court gave states the green light to legalize sports betting last year, an Arizona lawmaker has introduced legislation to expand such wagering throughout the state.State Sen. Sonny Borrelli, a Republican from Lake Havasu, has introduced legislation that would allow federally recognized tribes — with existing gaming compacts — to run their own sports books.Not only that,… → Read More
McCain Tribute Mural In Scottsdale Sparks Debate Over Art And Property Rights
A battle over the proper way to pay an artistic tribute to an Arizona icon is brewing in Old Town Scottsdale.Last week, a privately-funded public mural honoring John McCain was put on hold by city leaders. The project is being reconsidered after complaints from a local business owner who insists his opposition has more to do with property rights than it does politics.The so-called “Maverick… → Read More
Garagiola Jr. Returns to Diamondbacks In Front Office Role
The Arizona Diamondbacks are bringing back one of the team’s early architects to the front office.Joe Garagiola Jr. previously served as the D-backs original vice president and general manager. The team recently announced he’ll rejoin them as a special advisor to team president and CEO Derrick Hall. → Read More