We’ve got a busy Scoop this week, with everything from stormy weather and flood concerns to a community food and toy drive that comes with a side of cornhole. We’re also keeping an eye on what’s happening around the Sun Cities, along with a few stories from across the Valley that are worth knowing about.

In this week’s Scoop:

Have an amazing week out there…🙏

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~ Keep an eye on the skies! Another round of thunderstorms is expected to move through the Northwest Valley this week, with the National Weather Service issuing a Flood Watch for Wednesday. Heavy rain is possible with the stronger storms, so watch those washes and low-lying roads, and remember: turn around, don’t drown.

A new state law now gives homeowners living in HOA communities more freedom to add shade to their backyards.

HB 2342, which took effect September 12, creates a new Arizona law preventing planned-community HOAs from outright prohibiting backyard shade structures. The law specifically covers commercially produced or professionally manufactured umbrellas, awnings, shade sails, gazebos, pergolas and canopies, whether movable or permanent.

Not quite.

HOAs can still have reasonable rules regarding the size, placement and appearance of a shade structure. However, those rules can't prevent installation, interfere with how the structure functions, restrict its use or unreasonably increase its cost. HOA height and setback restrictions also can't be more restrictive than the applicable city or town zoning rules.

That's an important distinction: the new law doesn't eliminate HOA architectural rules, it eliminates the HOA's ability to simply say “no” to backyard shade.

Homeowners may still need architectural approval, and city building codes, permits and zoning requirements continue to apply.

This may be where the law has its biggest impact. The statute applies regardless of what existing community documents say, meaning older HOA rules containing blanket prohibitions may no longer be enforceable as written.

If you've previously been told that you couldn't install a pergola, shade sail, awning or similar structure, it may be worth revisiting the issue with your HOA.

Arizona homeowners haven't been given free rein over their backyards, but the starting point has changed.

You generally have the right to install backyard shade. Your HOA generally has the right to establish reasonable guidelines for how you do it.

Considering an uncovered Arizona backyard in July can feel remarkably similar to the surface of the sun, this is one new HOA law homeowners may actually appreciate.

This information is provided for general informational purposes and isn't legal advice. Homeowners should review their HOA requirements and applicable local building and zoning regulations before beginning a project.

If you've noticed a little more pain at the pump lately, you're not imagining it. As of September 15, regular gasoline is averaging about $4.58 per gallon across Arizona and $4.62 in the Phoenix area. Diesel is the real eye-opener, averaging about $6.23 per gallon, compared with roughly $3.66 in Phoenix a year ago.

So what's going on? Arizona has no oil refineries of its own, meaning most of our fuel arrives by pipeline from California and Texas. That makes us especially sensitive to refinery outages and supply problems elsewhere. Recent refinery disruptions in the U.S. and overseas, combined with relatively low fuel inventories, have pushed prices higher.

Diesel has been hit particularly hard. U.S. distillate inventories remain below their five-year average, while international refinery disruptions and strong demand have tightened supplies.

Is relief coming?

There are some reasons to be optimistic about gasoline. Summer-blend fuel requirements are ending, the busy summer driving season is winding down, and additional supplies could help prices ease this fall. Diesel may take longer to come back down, with supplies expected to remain relatively tight through the end of the year.

Arizona could eventually become less vulnerable to these price swings. A new Western Gateway Pipeline is planned to bring gasoline and diesel directly from the Texas refining region into Phoenix, giving the state another major fuel source. The catch? It's not expected to begin operating until 2029.

For now, we'll probably continue paying a little extra for living at the end of the fuel pipeline.

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Bigfoot may get all the national attention, but Arizona has a legendary hairy creature of its own. For generations, stories have circulated about the Mogollon Monster, a large, human-like creature said to roam the pine forests along the Mogollon Rim.

Stories of mysterious "wild men" in Arizona go back well over a century. In 1881, the Tombstone Daily Nugget published an account of a hairy, human-like creature encountered in the wilderness, and another bizarre story appeared in the Arizona Republican in 1903. Interestingly, the name "Mogollon Monster" doesn't appear to show up in newspapers until much later, including a 1967 article about Boy Scouts camping in the White Mountains.

One of the legend's best-known stories comes from Don Davis, who said he encountered something unusual while attending Boy Scout camp near Payson in the early 1940s. Davis recalled seeing a huge, reddish-brown figure walking upright and later waking during the night to find a massive, human-like creature just a few feet away. He would eventually become a cryptozoologist and continued telling the story throughout his life.

Descriptions vary, but the Arizona legend usually involves a very tall, hairy creature walking on two legs, sometimes accompanied by an awful smell, strange noises or screams in the forest. Sightings and stories have been associated with areas stretching across Arizona's high country, particularly around Payson and the Mogollon Rim.

So, is something really wandering through those ponderosa pines? There's never been convincing physical evidence of the Mogollon Monster, and scientists have suggested that sightings could involve bears, elk, other wildlife or simply good old-fashioned campfire storytelling. But after more than a century of stories, the Mogollon Monster has earned a permanent place in Arizona folklore.

DID YOU KNOW? The Mogollon Monster legend became so closely associated with the Rim that there's now a Mogollon Monster 100, an ultramarathon that sends runners through the forests and rugged terrain where the creature supposedly roams. And yes, organizers say runners occasionally get a little nervous about what's out there after dark.

[Sun City] Dust off your dancing shoes for Sun City’s Royal Autumn Ball, a festive evening that brings back the fun of senior prom! Enjoy music, dancing and a little friendly royalty as the evening includes the crowning of the Senior Prom King and Queen. Wednesday, September 16th. (link)

[Sun City West] Rockin’ & Roarin, featuring the Tokens. Responsible for some of music’s most well known songs throughout the sixties, including “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” catch The Tokens perform this September at Stardust Theatre!

This show begins at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17th, with doors opening at 1:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 and go on sale Monday, Aug. 3. Members can purchase tickets online at suncitywest.com/tickets or in person at the R.H. Johnson Box office.

[Sun City West] Movie Night at the Stardust Theatre Join them for a matinee showing of CAPTAIN RON, on Thursday, SEPTEMBER 17TH, at 6pm (link)

[Sun City] This week’s movie is ‘ARTHUR THE KING’. Showtimes are Wednesday 9/16 at 2pm & 7pm at the Marinette Rec Center & Saturday 9/19 at 2pm & 7pm at the MOUNTAIN MUSIC ROOM (New location). See the SEPTEMBER movie lineup here.

[Sun City West] Play a Little, Give a Little! Through Sept. 28, bring non-perishable food or toys to Palm Ridge Recreation Center during Monday and Wednesday cornhole sessions. Donors can stick around for a few games and will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win Sun City West branded cornhole bags! Each donor will receive a raffle ticket for the opportunity to win a set of Sun City West branded cornhole bags!

Raffle drawing will take place during the Sept. 30 Pop-Up Party at the R.H. Johnson Great Lawn.

Indoor cornhole is back at Palm Ridge Recreation Center every Monday and Wednesday in September, with games from 9 to 11 a.m. in Summit Hall B for RCSCW members of all skill levels. (link)

[Sun City West] The Sun City West Friday Farmers Market has moved indoors for the summer, at the Sun City West Foundation. The market is open from 9am-1pm each Friday. (link & map)

[Sun City] The Sun City Farmers Market is sticking around for the summer, with new hours designed for early birds. Stop by Bell Recreation Center on Thursday mornings from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. to browse fresh produce, baked goods, and offerings from local vendors. (link)

Have an event you want listed here? Please reach out!

[Sun City West] The Bash is back on Wednesday, September 23rd, with live music from The Audrey Hicks Band! Head on down for an evening of music, dancing, cornhole, cards and games, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and the fun starting at 6. (link)

[Sun City] The Sun City Senior Expo & Resource Fair is coming to the Sundial Recreation Center on Wednesday, September 23rd, from 9 a.m. to noon. This free event brings together local resources covering health and wellness, senior living, home improvement, financial planning, travel and more, plus giveaways and door prizes. (link)

[Sun City West] Desert Garden Plant Sales Return

The Sun City West Desert Garden Club kicks off its first monthly plant sale of the season Saturday, October 3, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Beardsley Rec Center Greenhouse, with cacti, succulents and other desert-friendly plants available. Sales are open to the public, and your purchase supports a good cause too, with the club donating $103,500 to local charities over the past four years while also funding educational programs.

For more details, please visit the SCW Desert Garden Club website at
https://garden.scwclubs.com.

[Sun City] 🎶 Sun City’s Fall Concert Series is almost here! The 2026 Sundial Fall Ticketed Concert Mini-Series kicks off November 4th, and individual tickets will be available for sale beginning on August 28th. (link)

A roof leak. A failed A/C. A plumbing problem. A refrigerator that stopped working weeks ago.

When a home sits vacant for months, a small problem can turn into a big one before you ever know it happened.

Phoenix Home Watch provides regular interior checks of your vacant home, looking for signs of leaks, water damage, A/C problems and other issues while you’re away.

Because the best welcome home is finding your house exactly the way you left it.

Visit PhxHomeWatch.com or call Phoenix Home Watch at (623) 226-8299

🏡 Home of the Week: Golf course home in Sun City West. Live on the 18th fairway of the Desert Springs Golf Course.

See all the pics & details here.

Property listed by Josee Plant with Realty ONE Group

J.D. Manning, the publisher of the Sun City Scoop, is also a local Realtor. If you have questions about the market or your specific real estate situation,
you can reach J.D. at (480) 797-8975

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Some of the images you see in the newsletter are created using modern AI image tools. Whenever possible, I use my own photos from around Sun City and the West Valley, but sometimes it is helpful to generate an image that better illustrates a story or historical topic. These images are used simply to supplement the articles and help tell the story visually, not to mislead or deceive readers.