PHOENIX — Happy Wednesday! It's a great day in the Valley, especially knowing the area's newest famous cow has a forever home! We have more for you on that below.
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Wednesday, September 17; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Meteorologist Jorge Torres - Storm chances ahead
Dust from overnight storms has left us with a hazy start to Wednesday across the Valley. We'll see partly cloudy skies today with highs in the 100s, and a slight chance for a stray monsoon storm.
Man dead after being shot by Avondale police near 125th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road
A man is dead after being shot by Avondale police officers on Tuesday afternoon.
Around 1:30 p.m., officers were called to the area of 125th Avenue and Elwood Street, near Lower Buckeye Road, for reports of a man with a gun.
When officers arrived, they located the man in question. Officials say he threatened officers with a gun, forcing at least one officer to fire their weapon at him, striking him.
He was taken to a hospital where he died.
Family, community honor Valley man killed after another driver runs red light
A Valley father and husband was killed in Tempe after a driver, suspected of being impaired, ran a red light.
Police said the crash happened just after midnight on Sept. 7 near Rural Road and University Drive, sending three people to the hospital, including 38-year-old Kevin Roe, who did not survive his injuries.
Roe was a husband and a new father to a 6-month-old baby girl. His wife, Adelola Roe, said he was passionate about serving others, both locally and abroad.
"We're really into missions, so we travel all over the world for missions. Him and I,” Adelola said. “He dedicated his life, his free time, to spreading the gospel and loving people.”
Arizona families with disabled children to see 'catastrophic' service cuts
Children with disabilities will see major restrictions to their state services starting next month, cuts that advocates say could be catastrophic for families.
The Division of Developmental Disabilities is revamping its policies on attendant care and habilitation services for those younger than 18, changes required by the funding legislation that saved the program from running out of money last spring.
“This will cause catastrophic damage to the families that serve our most vulnerable individuals in our state,” said Brandi Coon, a mother who founded the advocacy group Raising Voices Coalition. “And if we're going to make changes, we have to do it in a better way.”
Under changes to DDD’s assessment tool, the state will no longer assess the needs of children younger than 10 with disabilities for attendant care, which pays for care workers who help provide safe and healthy living conditions. There are also new, age-based limits on habilitation, or therapies that help those with disabilities gain needed life skills.
That means families now must cover those costs – and parents who were paid for those services as part of a state program will no longer receive that compensation.
Cow escapes slaughterhouse, finds herself at East Valley animal sanctuary
The legen-dairy story of "Mootilda" starts with a breakaway from a local slaughterhouse.
Just weeks ago, social media posts captured the journey of a 4-year-old cow who was seen running for miles in the blistering heat. Her self-guided San Tan Valley tour came to an end when she was rescued and returned to the slaughterhouse hours later.
When Aimee Takaha, the founder and owner of Aimee’s Farm Animal Sanctuary, watched Mootilda and her persistence for freedom, she decided to take action. She contacted the slaughterhouse, and they broke the news that if she did not come up with $2,500 in 24 hours, Mootilda would have to stay.
Aimee quickly turned to social media, and animal lovers stampeded to raise the money.
