PHOENIX — Happy MLK Day! If you have the day off, we hope you can get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather!
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Monday, January 19; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Meteorologist Ashlee DeMartino - Could winter make a return to the Valley?
There will be a few clouds across the skies today, but no rain is in the forecast for now.
Afternoon temperatures are cooling down a bit — expect a high of 76º today in Phoenix with an overnight low of 49º.
Large fight breaks out at youth sports tournament at Arizona Athletic Grounds
A youth sports tournament being held at the Arizona Athletic Grounds was cancelled on Sunday after a large fight broke out at the tournament.
Mesa police say they received a report of a fight at the sports complex just after 1 p.m.
Off-duty officers at the tournament reported that about 100 people were fighting on a soccer field, and they requested multiple units to respond.
Police believe that during one of the games, about 10 players from each team began to fight.
Parents and spectators also got involved, escalating the fight further.
About 70 officers from Mesa, Gilbert, Queen Creek, and MCSO responded to break up the fight.
Maricopa County Sheriff's detention officer arrested on child sex crime charges in Buckeye
A Maricopa County Sheriff's Office employee was arrested Friday on multiple felony charges related to alleged child sex crimes in Buckeye.
Police say they received a report on Thursday, January 15, that 36-year-old Isidro Caro, a detention officer and Buckeye resident, had been sexually abusing an 11-year-old.
With assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Buckeye police arrested Caro on Friday, January 16.
Caro was booked into jail and is facing multiple charges, including child molestation, sexual abuse, and sexual conduct with a minor, according to Buckeye police.
Family: 7-year-old boy fights for his life, faces paralysis after apparent DUI crash
Those who know 7-year-old Jaxx know he has the best sense of humor.
His mom, Gabrielle Dunlap, says his love of soccer, karate, and climbing trees makes him full of life and happiness.
On Friday night, however, Jaxx's life changed forever.
“If he makes it out of this, he’s losing so much already at seven, and I just feel like there’s nothing I can do to make him feel better," said Dunlap.
Phoenix police say that at around seven that night, a driver, who was later processed for DUI, was heading northbound on 19th Avenue and tried to make a left-hand turn onto Southern Avenue.
Police say he ended up colliding with another vehicle heading southbound on 19th. That vehicle was carrying two men and two boys, including Jaxx, according to friends and family.
At the hospital, doctors gave Dunlap devastating news: If Jaxx survives, it will be a long road to recovery, but he will never likely walk again.
Major Maricopa County road projects move from planning to pavement
New road projects across Maricopa County are officially moving forward in the new year, turning long-discussed plans into active construction zones.
Back in 2024, voters approved Proposition 479, a half-cent sales tax designed to fund transportation improvements and keep the Valley moving. Those dollars are now being put to use, starting with the interchange at Loop 303 and Interstate 17.
Maricopa Association of Governments says major changes are coming to the area as traffic and development continue to surge.
“It is a traffic signalized intersection. So you can imagine that is not great for all the traffic and growth that area has seen,” Arminta Syed with MAG said.
That growth has accelerated in recent years, fueled by large-scale development tied to TSMC and thousands of new homes and apartments nearby. For longtime Sonoran Foothills resident Terri Ziehlke, the boom has created daily driving headaches.
