PHOENIX — It's hump day! If you forgot your umbrella yesterday, hope you learned your lesson! You'll need it again today!
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Wednesday, November 19; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Meteorologist Jorge Torres - ABC15 Weather Action Days continue
Showers and thunderstorms will pass through the Valley throughout the day, delivering anywhere from a quarter-inch to around an inch of rain in the wetter pockets. Outside of the storms, expect mostly cloudy skies and a cool afternoon with highs in the mid-60s.
Heavy rains on Tuesday lead to flooding, water rescues
Heavy rains on Tuesday led to flooding and water rescues, especially in the West Valley.
Some places in the West Valley received up to an inch and a half of rain, with locations west of the Valley receiving multiple inches of rainfall!
First responders were dispatched to multiple water rescues throughout the day on Tuesday, including incidents near Wickenburg and Tonopah.
In Wickenburg, a community nonprofit closet is cleaning up after its building partially flooded because of the heavy rains.
More rain and thunderstorms are expected across Arizona on Wednesday. You can see the forecast from Meteorologist Jorge Torres in the section above.
Family's call for help leads to 6-year legal nightmare costing taxpayers $3 million
An Arizona family's desperate call to the Department of Child Services for help with their autistic son in crisis turned into a six-year legal battle that cost Arizona taxpayers nearly $3 million.
And it’s a case the family’s attorney said they would have settled for less than $200,000.
The case began in October 2019.
The Stein family’s 9-year-old son Corran, who has severe autism, had become increasingly violent and erratic. During one incident, the boy attacked his father while driving, choking him from behind and nearly causing a crash.
The family had exhausted other options before calling DCS, court records show.
Senate unanimously passes bill to compel release of the Epstein files
The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill by unanimous consent to require the Department of Justice to release the so-called Epstein files. The vote came just hours after the House overwhelmingly approved the measure.
The legislation now heads to President Donald Trump, who has signaled he will sign it.
Earlier in the day, the House voted 427–1 to force the release of the files.
Tempe restaurant leads community-wide effort to feed neighbors in need
When SNAP benefits were delayed across Arizona, one Tempe restaurant stepped up in a big way to put food on the tables of those who needed it.
Rigatony’s Authentic Italian opened its doors and its kitchen, offering free hot family meals to anyone impacted by benefit lapses.
They expected to help maybe 20 people a day, but word spread, compassion multiplied, and they ended up serving more than 500 meals, averaging about 80 a day.
And it wasn’t just Rigatony’s.
Customers started adding $10 “kindness plates” to their own bills so the restaurant could prepare additional meals in their name, raising over $19,000. Even food vendors jumped in, donating ingredients so the giving could continue.
