PHOENIX — Happy Thursday! It's weird to say in March, but enjoy the 90's while they last! We could see triple-digit heat in time for St. Patrick's Day!
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Thursday, March 12; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Meteorologist Ashlee DeMartino - Historic heatwave takes over Arizona for the next week
Our historic March heatwave begins today, as Valley temperatures sit well above normal for this time of year.
Sunny, dry conditions with light winds today. Expect highs in the low 90s with overnight lows in the 60s.
By Friday, Phoenix will be more than 15 degrees above normal with new daily heat records possible heading into the weekend.
Family of Phoenix hit-and-run victim looking for answers more than a year after his death
A new report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows deadly hit-and-run crashes are reaching record highs across the country. In Arizona, more than 7.5% of all crashes between 2017 and 2023 involved a driver who left the scene. For one Valley family, the statistics are personal.
Police said Leandro Antonio, 43, was hit and killed by a driver while he crossed Dunlap Avenue near 16th Avenue in late January 2025. More than a year later, his family still has no answers.
His sister, Sara Antonio, described him as the heart of their large family.
"He was just outgoing, you know, loved his family," Sara Antonio said. "We have a big family. Our family gatherings are not the same because he was like the life of the party."
Antonio said little evidence has surfaced in the case.
Scottsdale parking garage moving forward despite mayor’s opposition and thousands of petition signatures
A controversial plan to build a parking garage in Old Town Scottsdale is pressing ahead, even as the city’s own mayor and thousands of people have called for it to be stopped.
Designs will be unveiled on Thursday for a parking garage in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale.
The site, now a parking lot at 1st Street and Brown Avenue, is home to a weekly farmer’s market and sits directly across from the Old Adobe Mission, Scottsdale’s oldest standing church.
Proposed plans at community meetings last year showed a four-level parking structure, though one of those levels was underground.
Opponents of the project say it will ruin the historic character of Old Town Scottsdale and cause the farmer’s market to move. Supporters say the area badly needs more parking.
Arizona’s infrastructure under pressure: Heat, Floods, and Fires
Extreme heat, heavier monsoon rains, and wildfire risks are putting Arizona’s infrastructure under pressure like never before. A new study from Climate Central warns that many roads, bridges, and transportation systems weren’t built for the climate extremes we are seeing today, changes driven by rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases trap heat, warming the planet. A warmer atmosphere doesn’t just mean hotter days. It also holds more moisture. For every degree Celsius the atmosphere warms, it can hold roughly 7 percent more water vapor. That doesn’t necessarily lead to more storms overall, but when storms do form, they carry more moisture, producing heavier, more intense rainfall. In Arizona, that translates into monsoon downpours that can overload storm drains and trigger flash flooding.
Arizona summers are also getting hotter. Asphalt can reach temperatures from 150 to over 180 degrees, causing roads to buckle and expand. With hotter, drier conditions, it also fuels more dangerous wildfires, creating a perfect storm of infrastructure stress.
“The infrastructure that we have in the United States wasn't built for the extreme weather we're experiencing today,” said Shel Winkley of Climate Central.
Bobby Hurley informed his contract won’t be renewed, ASU issues statement of thanks
Bobby Hurley has been informed he will not be back as Arizona State men’s basketball coach after 11 seasons on the job, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.
ASU issued a statement of thanks and said his contract will not be renewed:
“Bobby Hurley has made incredible contributions to the sport of basketball, and that certainly includes many memorable moments during his time as our head coach,” athletic director Graham Rossini said in a release. “While we will not be extending his contract, we are so grateful for the 11 years that Coach, Leslie, Cameron, Sydney and Bobby Jr. spent with us at ASU.
