Good Thursday morning, Arizona!
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Thursday, April 23; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Meteorologist Jorge Torres - Cooler air moving into Arizona
Cooler air is moving in! Phoenix will drop into the mid-80s today, which is right near normal for this time of year. Expect some late afternoon breezes, too, with gusts near 20 mph.
See the forecast from Kidcaster Ariadne:
Man saved after days in Arizona wilderness describes journey, thanks rescuers
After a harrowing rescue from deep in the Yavapai County mountains, a 76-year-old Vietnam veteran and his family want to thank the many men and women who helped save his life.
Mark Eric Young said he went camping in the Verde Valley area on Thursday. After his GPS lost signal and he took some wrong turns, his one-day excursion turned into five.
He said he lit a fire at night to stay warm, killed a rattlesnake when it tried to bite him, fought dehydration, and kept his faith to stay strong.
“Each mountain that I climbed, there was another one,” Young said. “I said, 'God, I need your help' ...I recited scriptures that I remembered. 'Don’t be discouraged, be of good cheer. Consider it pure joy when you’re facing trials of many times.'”
Monday afternoon, Young’s sons heard his cries, and rescue crews were able to airlift him from the mountains.
"My gratitude is inexpressible. I could never pay them back,” Young said. "Thank you. Your love, your faith, your hard work will be remembered as long as I live.”
Woman accused of murder, setting car on fire along Loop 101 late Tuesday
A woman is facing murder and arson charges after a burning car was found along Loop 101 in the West Valley late Tuesday night.
Arizona Department of Public Safety officials say emergency crews first responded to a car fire along the freeway near Union Hills Drive around 10:35 p.m. on Tuesday.
When they arrived, troopers found a woman standing outside of the vehicle, which was engulfed in flames. After the fire was extinguished, officials located the body of a person with a gunshot wound in the passenger seat.
The woman, identified as Tana'Sa Marae Chambers, was taken to a hospital for evaluation, and she will be booked into jail on homicide charges, according to officials.
DPS says the woman is believed to have been the driver of the vehicle, as well as the suspect in this case. A gun was also located in the car.
In her initial court appearance on Wednesday, prosecutors allege that Chambers shot the victim at close range and set the car on fire.
Tempe shirt company faces backlash for offensive design during Autism Acceptance Month
A Northern California father says a Tempe shirt company’s latest design felt like “a slap in the face” to families living with mental disabilities. Ben Berman, whose 21-year-old daughter Jenna is profoundly autistic and requires round-the-clock care, claims the shirt sold by Retro Rifle uses a slur offensive to people with mental disabilities and their families.
Berman, a longtime Retro Rifle customer who says he has purchased more than 200 shirts from the company, voiced his concerns directly to Retro Rifle owners in a group chat.
“I don’t know if it was just an oversight. I don’t see how it could be,” Berman told ABC15.
Previously, Berman managed a Facebook group for fans of Retro Rifle’s shirts. But the newest design struck a deeply personal chord.
“This is extremely offensive. My family lives this reality every day, 24 hours a day, and people treat it like it’s a joke,” Berman said.
On April 13, ABC15 approached Retro Rifle managers three times for comment. One manager at the company’s Tempe storefront said the shirt was featured in a special section of the website where items are temporarily highlighted. The company is still selling the controversial shirt.
APS restores power to Flagstaff area customers as wildfire risk eases
Power has been restored to parts of the Flagstaff area and thousands of customers after it was shut off most of the day Wednesday due to the risk of wildfires.
Meteorologists and fire mitigation specialists were tracking extreme and rapidly changing weather and fire conditions and have determined that extreme winds, with gusts nearing 70 miles per hour, coupled with dry terrain and other factors, pose elevated wildfire risk.
On Tuesday, Arizona Public Service (APS) announced it may need to temporarily shut off power in high fire-risk communities to help prevent electrical equipment from starting or contributing to a wildfire.
They confirmed the shut-off on Wednesday morning, saying the shut-off impacted about 6,000 customers in the area.
