PHOENIX — Happy Thursday! Temperatures will be slightly cooler today as rain chances increase! Stay weather aware these next few days!
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Thursday, October 9; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Meteorologist Jorge Torres - Flood watches in effect as remnants of Priscilla move in
Big weather changes are on the way as the remnants of Priscilla move in.
Scattered showers are possible around the Valley today, with mostly cloudy skies and highs in the mid-90s.
Two men dead after separate Valley shootings involving police
Two men are dead after separate shootings involving Valley police officers on Wednesday.
The first took place near Chandler Heights and Ellsworth roads in Queen Creek.
The second happened near El Mirage and Cactus Roads in El Mirage.
No officers were hurt in either incident.
Both shootings remain under investigation.
Mercury fall to Aces in Game 3 on last-second jumper
A'ja Wilson made a turnaround jumper with 0.3 seconds left, capping a stellar 34-point night and lifting the Las Vegas Aces over the Phoenix Mercury 90-88 on Wednesday night for a 3-0 lead in the WNBA Finals.
The Aces are one victory away from winning their third title in four seasons. Game 4 is Friday in Phoenix.
Las Vegas had what looked like a comfortable 76-59 lead entering the fourth quarter, but the Mercury closed the gap to 84-83 with 3:06 left on Kahleah Copper’s 3-pointer. DeWanna Bonner tied the game at 86-all on a 3-pointer with 1:33 left and made two free throws with 1:01 left to tie it at 88.
That set up Wilson's heroics in the final seconds. The four-time MVP made her turnaround jumper over Alyssa Thomas and Bonner as the Mercury's home crowd groaned.
Tolleson superintendent pushes back against audit after misconduct allegations
A contentious battle is unfolding in the Tolleson Union School District after lawmakers approved an audit in response to allegations against Superintendent Jeremy Calles from a former employee.
Tuesday, the bipartisan Joint Legislative Audit Committee ordered what Representative Matt Gress called a "full nose-to-toes audit" after hearing what he described as "stunning testimony" from a longtime principal in the district.
Felipe Mandurraga, the former principal of Tolleson Union High School, accused Calles of multiple instances of misconduct, including allegedly allowing a teacher accused of inappropriately messaging a student to resign without filing a law enforcement report.
"The explicit message was this teacher with his shirt off saying, 'Hey, what are you watching tonight?' somewhere to that effect," Mandurraga testified.
Valley teen competes in wake surfing world championship at Lake Pleasant
The World Wake Surfing Championships have arrived in an unexpected location, the Arizona desert. At Lake Pleasant, nearly 100 athletes from countries including China, Japan, Canada and Russia are competing for championships in their respective divisions.
Among the international field is local 14-year-old Bentlee Shafer from Peoria, who is making waves in her first appearance at the world championships.
“I go to Mountain Ridge High School, right now I'm 10th in the whole world, and I just made it to finals," Shafer said.
Shafer competes in the women's 14-35 division, facing athletes twice her age. Despite the age gap, she has her sights set on advancing her skills at the championship level.
