PHOENIX — Happy Thursday! Do you have your costumes ready for Halloween? The big day is tomorrow!
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Thursday, October 30; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Meteorologist Jorge Torres - Slight cool-down across Arizona heading into the weekend
We're turning up the heat one more time before temperatures start to slide just in time for Halloween. Expect a sunny and warm Thursday with highs around 90º in the Valley and overnight lows in the low to mid-60s.
See the forecast from Kidcaster Isa:
ICE officials involved in shooting during traffic stop on I-17 near Dove Valley
A large police presence and investigation involving federal officials caused a traffic slowdown along Interstate 17 in north Phoenix early Wednesday morning.
Before 4:30 a.m., first responders started gathering on the freeway near the Dove Valley Road exit.
Video from the scene showed a large traffic backup amid the police presence on the off-ramp.
According to Department of Homeland Security officials, ICE officers attempted a traffic stop in the area on a vehicle around 4 a.m.
The driver, identified as Jose Garcia-Sorto of Honduras, initially stopped but then started to drive away.
Officials say an officer was in the path of the vehicle and fired his weapon twice, hitting the vehicle.
Gov. Hobbs allocates funds to help Arizona Food Banks, new fresh food program
Governor Katie Hobbs is allocating funds to help Arizona's food banks as the federal government withholds funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
On Wednesday, Hobbs announced $1.8 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will go toward food banks to fill gaps for SNAP households seeking food.
The state is also partnering with the Arizona Food Bank Network to encourage Arizonans to donate to the banks. To find places to donate or volunteer, click here.
Additionally, Hobbs announced $300,000 in funds will go toward Food Bucks Now, a new emergency fresh food program launched through the Double Up Arizona Network to help families who participate in SNAP.
The program will offer $30 vouchers to SNAP households so they can purchase fresh produce at participating farmers' markets, mobile markets, and community grocery stores.
NTSB says FAA was wrong not to require inspections of Learjet landing gear after Arizona crash
The National Transportation Safety Board wants the owners of nearly 2,000 Learjets — which have long been associated with the rich and famous — to urgently inspect their landing gear to make sure they won’t collapse as happened in a fatal crash at Scottsdale Airport in February involving a private jet owned by Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil.
The NTSB issued a report Wednesday saying the Federal Aviation Administration made a mistake in July when it decided not to require the inspections of the iconic private jets that were produced for roughly six decades. Many private companies and celebrities, starting with Frank Sinatra and continuing up to Beyonce and Jay-Z have flown Learjets over the years although the plane has been eclipsed by Gulfstreams and other newer models since the last Learjet delivery in 2022. Bombardier ended production of Learjets so it could focus on more profitable models.
The crash investigators are particularly concerned because only about 12% of the 1,883 planes that might be affected have been inspected so far, even though their maker, Bombardier, recommended it in March — not long after the crash in Scottsdale.
Valley grocery stores celebrate Día de los Muertos with festive displays and budget-friendly deals
Marigolds, sugar skulls, and candles are popping up across the Valley this week as the community celebrates Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. With nearly 39% of Phoenix’s population identifying as Hispanic, according to the latest DATOS survey, the holiday has become a vibrant part of local life. So grocery stores are helping families celebrate while saving money.
In Fry’s Mercado, there is not quite an altar, but it’s close. Many stores are setting up displays featuring limited-edition Día de los Muertos sales, like two-for-$4 sodas and tortilla chips for $1.79.
“Dia de los Muertos is not meant to be a sad holiday,” Viola Lucero, an ABC15 Smart Shopper, said. “It's meant to celebrate life and to create an altar to where your loved ones that have passed away can come back into the living world.”
Growing up in New Mexico, Lucero remembers the joyous festivities.
“There was a parade,” she said. “They would dress up like a sugar skull and decorate their cars and throw candy to all the kids. And it was just like a day of celebration, a day of remembrance.”
That energy is alive in grocery stores across the Valley, filled with Day of the Dead displays and discounts.
