PHOENIX — Happy Friday! We're about to start another weekend! With monsoon storm chances again today, make sure you don't forget your umbrella.
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Friday, September 5; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Meteorologist Jorge Torres - Lingering monsoon storm chances continue across Arizona
Spotty monsoon storms are still possible across the Valley this evening. Beyond that, Friday is looking a little more comfortable with a high of 97º and overnight lows around 80º.
Driver in deadly 2023 Goodyear cycling crash sentenced to 1 year in jail
The driver involved in a deadly cycling crash in Goodyear in February 2023 has been sentenced after pleading guilty to a dozen misdemeanor counts.
More than two years after the crash happened, Pedro Quintana Lujan pleaded guilty to 12 misdemeanor counts for either causing death or injury by a moving violation through a plea deal.
During a court hearing on Thursday, Quintana Lujan was sentenced to one year in jail and three years of probation. The judge sentenced him to six months for one count and six months for a second count, to run consecutively.
Additionally, Lujan will have his driving privileges suspended for 180 days and will pay a fine of at least $2,500, as well as restitution and would need to do drug tests quarterly for a year after he gets out of jail.
“This is not a scenario where there is any evidence to support that anything here was intentional. I understand that everybody has their opinion,” Jason Karpel, Quintana Lujan’s attorney, said before the sentencing. “This is an accident. It’s a tragic accident. There’s nothing I'm going to say that makes anyone feel better."
Scottsdale police searching for man they believe killed a man in his home Monday
Scottsdale police are searching for a man they believe killed a man in his home on Labor Day.
Police say they were called to a home near 68th Street and McDowell Road around 1:30 p.m. Monday for a welfare check on a man who had not reported to work that day.
When officers arrived, they were not able to contact the man in any way other than by forced entry into the home.
Officers found the man, 67-year-old Frank Quaranta, dead inside the home.
They say the suspect is Matthew Dieringer. A photo of Dieringer can be found below.
DCS director questions agency’s response to Rebekah Baptiste case
Under mounting scrutiny, Arizona Department of Child Safety Director Kathryn Ptak answered tough questions about the high-profile deaths of Emily Pike, Zariah Dodd, and Rebekah Baptiste.
“We are taking this very seriously. We are responding,” Ptak said.
In an exclusive interview with ABC15, Ptak said her agency has launched internal reviews to find out what went wrong and potential areas for improvement in two of the cases.
“No one is more motivated to reduce the recurrence of this happening than the department,” she said.
Puppy partners are boosting reading skills in Phoenix school
Some furry friends are helping students practice reading.
Goldwater High School is pairing up students falling behind in reading with therapy dogs, and it's helping boost scores by offering a calm, non-judgmental listener.
The dogs are provided by Arizona Therapy Dogs, an organization that provides service dogs to those with disabilities, therapy dogs for those in hospitals, schools, and nursing homes, and emotional support animals for those in need.
The students read out loud to the pups for 15 minutes a day, once a week, for eight weeks and school officials say the results speak for themselves.
