ABC15 is taking a look back at some of the top stories of 2025.
These stories were among the highest for page views online, highlighting the local breaking news, major national news, and uplifting community stories you were following this year:
Phoenix and other major cities are sinking, study finds, over a million residents affected
Millimeter by millimeter, Phoenix is sinking lower. It joins nearly every other major city in the nation in experiencing a phenomenon called land subsidence, where the earth's surface moves downward, according to a study published in the online journal Nature Cities.
The drop, though gradual, could lead to widespread infrastructure damage and flooding, the study warns. The signs of land subsidence are familiar: uneven sidewalks, damage to a building's foundation, cracked pavement, floors slanting, and doors and windows that don't close as easily as they once did.
Leonard Ohenhen, a researcher with the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) at Columbia University's Climate School, led the study. He says it found that 1.4 million people in Phoenix are already impacted, with 113,000 buildings labeled medium to high risk and another 172 buildings seen as high risk.
Emergency declared after storm, microburst leaves devastation in Tempe
Tempe Mayor Corey Woods signed an emergency declaration for the city, which is a step toward securing funding after a severe storm and microburst wreaked havoc in October.
Many businesses, homes, vehicles, and other properties across Tempe were damaged during severe storms, with more than 130 people forced to find somewhere else to stay.
According to the National Weather Service, a microburst was confirmed to have hit the area. There is no evidence of a tornado.
Deadly plane crash in Scottsdale involving aircraft owned by Mötley Crüe member
One person was killed and four others were injured in an aircraft crash on a runway in February at the Scottsdale Airport.
One of the planes was registered to Chromed in Hollywood, LLC, based out of Franklin, Tennessee. The president of Chromed in Hollywood, LLC, is Vince Neil, according to incorporation papers from the Wyoming Secretary of State.
Vince Neil is a singer and frontman of the rock band Mötley Crüe. A representative for Neil shared a statement with ABC15, confirming that the frontman was not on the plane at the time of the crash.
In October, the National Transportation Safety Board said it wants the owners of nearly 2,000 Learjets — which have long been associated with the rich and famous — to urgently inspect their landing gear to make sure they won’t collapse as happened in the fatal crash.
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'I thought people knew about this': Gov. Katie Hobbs on halt to November SNAP payments
The federal government told Arizona to pause food assistance for November because of the government shutdown – but Arizona didn’t tell the public until later.
When asked why the public wasn’t told sooner, Gov. Katie Hobbs told ABC15: “I don't have information about that. I thought people knew about this.”
Arizona’s Department of Economic Security, which administers SNAP, also known as food stamps, told ABC15 that payments for November would not go out, citing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s October 10 memo.
Teen killed in stabbing attack at Maryvale High School
A student died after being stabbed by another student in August in a Phoenix high school classroom.
According to Phoenix police officials, the victim, identified as a 16-year-old, was attacked and stabbed multiple times in a classroom.
A second student, identified as the suspect, was taken to a hospital after receiving cuts to his hand during the attack.
During a preliminary investigation, detectives learned the victim was attacked by the suspect student with a folding pocketknife, believed to have been brought onto campus.
The suspect was indicted on first-degree murder charges.
Widow of Charlie Kirk provides first remarks since Wednesday's deadly shooting
The body of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was flown back to the Valley, where he and his family lived.
Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at a rally in Utah in September.
Vice President JD Vance flew to Utah to meet Kirk's family and escort them back to Phoenix on Air Force Two.
Kirk was the co-founder of Turning Point USA, which has its headquarters in Phoenix.
More than 16 billion passwords exposed to cybercriminals to use at their discretion
Hundreds of data breaches happen every month, cybersecurity experts say technology has evolved, making it harder for you to avoid becoming a data breach victim.
Ken Colburn, of Data Doctors, said every month, hundreds of companies are added to a massive list of data breaches, exposing the sensitive information of millions of customers.
“So that just shows you how much information is being hacked and breached all over the place on a constant basis,” said Colburn.
Man arrested for 'intentionally' setting destructive wildfire that killed 12 in the Palisades
Authorities said they have arrested a 29-year-old man in Florida in connection with the deadly January wildfire that destroyed the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades.
Jonathan Rinderknecht is accused of lighting a fire on New Year’s Day that burned down much of the Palisades a week later.
Border Patrol shuts down scouting bases used for smuggling
Shutting down scouting sites in Arizona is an effort the Tucson Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol is putting at the forefront to thwart smuggling in the state. During a big mission this month, agents worked to curb that illegal activity.
On a mountaintop roughly 60 miles north of the border, Special Operations Border Patrol agents dropped from a helicopter into rough terrain. On the ground, they found a scouting base.
“It's a big win for us, taking away the operational advantage from the cartel and giving it back to ourselves,” Sean McGoffin, Chief Patrol Agent for the Tucson Sector, said.
Chief McGoffin says perches like these are used by cartel operatives to keep track of law enforcement movements and run drug and human smuggling operations.
Multiple children rescued from South Mountain hiking trail amid extreme heat
In June, fire crews were called to South Mountain for reports of multiple hikers in distress.
Fire officials say five adults and six children started a hike on Holbert Trail around 10 a.m. About two hours into their hike, multiple children started to complain of heat and exhaustion and were unable to continue.
Mountain rescue crews responded to their location and used “rapid cooling” techniques to help the hikers before using a “big wheel basket” to get a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old down the trail.
Stories in the main video player highlight other ABC15 stories that were among the most popular in 2025.
