We've made it to Friday, and it's going to be a gorgeous day!
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Friday, May 29; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Meteorologist Jorge Torres - Below-normal temperatures in the Valley on Friday
We'll get a taste of spring in the Valley today with highs in the upper 80s in Phoenix. That's more than 10 degrees below normal for late May. Look for sunny skies and a nice afternoon breeze, too. Enjoy it, since the 90s and 100s return this weekend.
See the forecast from Kidcaster Titus:
Buckeye police officer facing charges after two use-of-force incidents
A Buckeye police officer is on unpaid leave after a grand jury brought indictments against her following two separate use-of-force incidents.
Buckeye Police Chief Robert Sanders released a statement Thursday confirming the charges against Officer Carri Carrico.
Carrico is facing aggravated assault charges related to two separate use-of-force incidents involving individuals in custody.
Sanders said he requested the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office conduct an independent investigation into the incidents in January.
Details about the two incidents have not been released at this point.
"I will always stand firm in supporting the men and women of the Buckeye Police Department who honorably serve this community and dedicate their lives to helping people," Sanders said. "When an officer betrays community trust and Department values, I have a duty to pursue the facts and take action that is fair and just."
DVUSD Governing Board member faces backlash after making Nazi salute at public meeting
Outrage is growing after a Governing Board Member for the Deer Valley Unified School District made a Nazi salute during a public meeting. Teachers, parents, and community members are calling the gesture deeply offensive, and they want her to step down.
“When you bring in something like that and try to excuse it away, you're talking about a situation in our history that caused harm to millions of people,” Kelley Fisher, Deer Valley Education Association President, said.
This happened Tuesday at the DVUSD Governing Board meeting, where board member Kim Fisher made a Nazi salute and exclamation, an apparent show of frustration with the Board President.
ABC15 has watched the public video of the meeting and reviewed it. We are choosing not to show it.
“It brings a lot of trauma with it, whether she realizes that or not. And we are now dealing with the repercussions of that with our staff and perhaps with our students and our families,” Kelley Fisher, who has no relation to Kim Fisher, said.
The Deer Valley Education Association is now calling for Kim Fisher to resign.
Phoenix speed cameras mail nearly 8,000 citations in first month as debate continues
Phoenix’s controversial speed enforcement cameras have now been live for more than a month, and the city says they’re already catching thousands of speeding drivers.
According to Phoenix officials, nearly 7,900 citations were mailed out during the first month of enforcement from the city’s 17 speed cameras placed across Phoenix streets.
Before tickets started going out, drivers were given a 30-day warning period while the system was first rolled out. During that time, the city’s streets department says the cameras were triggered more than 70,000 times.
“I have never gotten a ticket in my life,” said Phoenix driver Tige Nagel. “But I did get a warning, it was in the first month when they just implemented the new cameras.”
Nagel said his warning came after he was caught driving 46 miles per hour in a 40-mile-per-hour zone. Along 7th Street, some business owners say they’ve already noticed changes in driver behavior.
Gilbert eighth-grader earns professional racing license on his 14th birthday
A Gilbert eighth grader earned his International Motor Sports Association professional racing license on his 14th birthday, a milestone that now allows him to compete in professional races before even starting high school.
Jensen Mechelke, a student at ASU Prep Digital, is preparing for professional race weekends at tracks across the country while most kids his age are focused on homework and high school.
Jensen's path to professional racing started early.
At 3 years old, he was playing racing games on an Xbox. By age 10, he was competing in national kart competitions.
Now, he balances schoolwork with training sessions, simulator practice, and travel to races in Georgia, Florida, and California.
Watch in the player below as he prepares for Virginia International Raceway in August and his debut with the IMSA MX-5 Cup Series.
