PHOENIX — Happy Monday! It's going to be hot this week, possibly even hitting 110°! Summer is in the air in Arizona!
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Monday, June 8; here’s what you need to know as you start your day.
From Meteorologist Jorge Torres - Red Flag Warnings across Arizona this week
A hot and breezy Monday is here in the Valley. Expect plenty of sunshine today with a high of 104º. That is right around normal for early June. We then climb to 105º tomorrow!
One person dead, four others hurt after wrong-way crash near Tonopah
One person is dead and four others are injured after a wrong-way crash near Tonopah Saturday evening.
The Department of Public Safety says the crash happened on Interstate 10 near milepost 103 just before 7 p.m.
Officials say the wrong-way driver who was traveling eastbound on westbound lanes, was driving a small SUV and struck another car.
The wrong-way driver died at the scene and four others were injured, two of them suffering serious injuries.
Rideshare driver shares warning after hit-and-run and assault
After a Valley rideshare driver experienced a hit-and-run, she's not as concerned about the damage to her car as she is about what happened after the collision. Rosa Flores was assaulted, and she says she is still feeling the effects of those injuries.
Flores says she’s been driving for Uber for six years, but nothing prepared her for what happened the night of May 22.
“That was horrible. That was a horrible experience,” Flores said.
Glendale Police say Flores was driving near 43rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road around 10 p.m. when a light blue SUV sideswiped her car. Both drivers pulled into a nearby parking lot, before a woman jumped out of the SUV demanding cash for damage.
“She started telling me like a lot of different ways to scare me, so I can pay her cash,” Flores said. “She told me that she will call ICE. She told me that she will take my car away from me. She told me that she would hit me really bad.”
Suspect dies after allegedly firing at vehicle, leading police on chase in Avondale
A man accused of firing shots at another vehicle and leading officers on a chase through Avondale has died following a rollover crash, according to Avondale police.
Avondale police say officers were called to the area of Avondale Boulevard and Van Buren Street around 12:40 p.m. Saturday after reports that a man had shot at another vehicle.
According to Avondale police, officers quickly found the suspect vehicle, but the driver sped away northbound on Avondale Boulevard. During the pursuit, police say the suspect crashed into another vehicle at Thomas Road and Avondale Boulevard before continuing north.
Avondale police said the chase ended when the suspect vehicle rolled over and crashed just south of Bermuda Drive.
When officers arrived, Avondale police said they found the suspect inside the vehicle and rushed him to a hospital in extremely critical condition.
On Sunday, Avondale police identified the suspect as 39-year-old Luis Matsumoto. Police said hospital staff pronounced Matsumoto dead just after 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Arizona’s salty solution for its water future
For years, Arizona has explored the possibility of turning seawater into drinking water as a way to help offset shortages on the Colorado River.
Now, state water leaders say a new partnership with California could move that concept one step closer to reality.
This week, Arizona signed a memorandum of understanding with California water agencies to explore a first-of-its-kind water exchange involving desalinated ocean water from Southern California.
The agreement centers on the Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant in Carlsbad, California, which currently has the capacity to produce about 56,000 acre-feet of drinking water annually. According to the San Diego County Water Authority, the facility could be expanded by an additional 6,000 acre-feet.
Colorado River managers say the need for new water supplies has become increasingly urgent as the river continues to suffer from a decades-long drought.
