Good Friday morning! It's a soggy morning across parts of Arizona, including right here in the Valley!
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Friday, July 17; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Meteorologist Ashlee DeMartino - Below-normal temperatures
A slight chance for isolated showers and thunderstorms this afternoon, but most monsoon activity will stay over the foothills north and east of the Valley.
Expect much cooler weather the next few days — temperatures will be well below normal with a high of 94º today.
Volunteers help Kyrene de la Mirada Leadership Academy teachers move after campus flooding
Kyrene de la Mirada Leadership Academy flooded in June, and now, weeks later, the community is preparing to start the new school year in a brand-new building.
The school is temporarily relocating to the former Kyrene de las Manitas campus, a school within the district that closed at the end of last year.
Despite a last-minute change so close to the start of the school year, the community is coming together to make sure every student, teacher, and staff member has the best possible start.
Volunteers, including students, have been on the campus helping teachers move and set up their classrooms before school starts on July 22.
Peoria Unified names new principal of Centennial High School
The Peoria Unified School District promoted Centennial High School’s former athletic director and assistant principal Thursday night while the school sits at the center of police investigations involving former teachers.
After back-and-forth among board members, Darien Schoolcraft was named principal of the high school in a 3-2 vote.
Schoolcraft has served as the assistant principal and athletic director at Centennial for the past two years
“I stand here tonight excited to continue helping students dream and achieve,” Schoolcraft said.
The high school has been under the spotlight after allegations surfaced of sexual misconduct involving two former teachers in separate incidents with the same student at the school.
Last week, police served a search warrant at district offices related to the misconduct investigations.
Scottsdale residents ramp up recall effort against councilwoman Jan Dubauskas
A group called Conservatives of Greater Scottsdale has opened an office in a recall effort against Scottsdale City Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas.
She was the highest vote-getter in the last election.
Scottsdale resident Dan Ishac is leading the recall effort.
"Scottsdale is a beautiful, vibrant city with world-class services, amenities, low taxes, and a thriving economy. And we want to keep it that way," Ishac said. "We're very concerned about some of the actions taken by the current city council in just 16 months, which are jeopardizing the future of Scottsdale.”
The group said Dubauskas has betrayed voter trust as part of the council’s current four-member majority. They claim she voted to waste taxpayer money on a new parking garage in Old Town Scottsdale. They also point to her vote to eliminate the city's diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Organizers launched a website called recalljan.com.
They need nearly 13,000 signatures from Scottsdale registered voters, though Ishac said they will aim for 15,000.
The clock is ticking with a September 2 deadline.
Man facing murder charges after decomposed body discovered in El Mirage
A man is facing multiple charges, including second-degree murder, after police say he killed his father and hid the body in a pit in El Mirage.
According to a probable cause statement provided by El Mirage police, a trooper from the Arizona Department of Public Safety and El Mirage officers responded to reports of a suspicious death near El Mirage Road and Grand Avenue on Wednesday morning.
Authorities say a person called police and said they were asked to retrieve items from the residence by 35-year-old Michael Lee Rodriguez the day before, and discovered the body at that time.
When police went to the residence, officers noticed a strong odor that led them to a "heavily decomposed body in a pit in a carport", according to the paperwork.
