PHOENIX — It's hump day! Even with the extreme heat, there is a chance monsoon storms will cool us off today!
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Wednesday, August 19; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Meteorologist Jorge Torres - Extreme heat continues, then blowing dust possible tonight
Extreme heat is the big weather story again today. Phoenix hits 110º, but monsoon storms may move in tonight with gusty winds and blowing dust for the Valley. Tomorrow brings more of the same.
Two PHX officers under criminal investigation after victims describe violent traffic stop that wasn’t reported
Two Phoenix police officers are under criminal investigation after two people reported being beaten, tased, and held at gunpoint during a traffic stop that victims say was never documented — and that police records show no agency reported conducting.
Phoenix’s criminal investigation was sparked after Tempe Police received a call about a disabled vehicle.
According to a police report released by Tempe police, that city’s officers spoke to the car’s passengers, a man and woman, who reported being assaulted during a violent and chaotic traffic stop in south Phoenix, near 19th Avenue and Broadway Road.
A Tempe cop suspected that the pair was the victim of people posing as police officers after confirming with dispatch twice that no law enforcement agency reported conducting a traffic stop of the victims' car that night, which was found with a window ripped out and overheating.
'Where's my baby?': Family of Isabella Comas push for tips seven months into search
The family of a missing West Valley woman is speaking out again, seven months into the search.
This is the first time Isabella Comas' mom has publicly spoken since the charges against a person of interest were dropped.
ABC15 has covered Comas' case in-depth, even sitting down with Avondale Police and family members of the 21-year-old.
The West Valley woman's family believes someone knows something that could help with their push for answers.
Avondale police said Isabella Comas was last seen leaving a friend's home on January 11.
ESA reform measure Proposition 212 fails to make Arizona ballot
Arizona voters will not see the state's school voucher program on their ballot in November after a pair of Supreme Court rulings.
Voters were set to decide on two ESA-related ballot measures: Proposition 212 would have added reforms to the Empowerment Scholarship Account program, and Proposition 145 would have blocked Prop. 212 and future attempts to reform ESAs.
Prop. 212 does not have enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, the initiative's organizers said Tuesday after justices ruled on a challenge to the measure's signatures.
"Today is obviously very devastating for our team, for volunteers across the state, for parents and educators who just wanted voters to get to have a say on this," said Beth Lewis, one of the co-founders of Save Our Schools Arizona.
The group was part of the coalition that aimed to put the Protect Education Act on the ballot.
Mesa couple's garden exchange stands help community grow through Arizona heat
What began as a small neighborhood book-sharing initiative has bloomed into a thriving community resource helping Mesa residents navigate the challenges of desert gardening.
Ten years ago, DePhane Weaver started what has evolved into the nonprofit Garden Exchange Stands, operating on a simple principle: "You take one, you leave one.”
The stands function like lending libraries for gardeners, offering seeds, plants and growing advice at no cost to community members. When weather permits, Weaver's stands feature live plants popular among residents trying to attract pollinators to their yards.
