Play ball! It's Opening Day at Chase Field!
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for March 27, 2025; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Amelia Fabiano - Relief from this March heatwave is on the way!
It's still going to be hot today! Phoenix is looking to top out at 92º later this afternoon. That's about 10 degrees above normal for this time of year.
Breezier conditions start today through the weekend, and a drop back into the 80s for highs tomorrow as a dry cold front moves through. If you're headed to Chase Field tonight, first pitch is at 7:10 p.m., and we're looking at temperatures in the 80s.
See Kidcaster Adison's forecast:
San Carlos Apache Chairman speaks on Emily Pike murder
Thursday marks two months since 14-year-old Emily Pike was first reported missing from a Mesa group home. Weeks later, she was found killed off the U.S. 60 northeast of Globe, nearly 100 miles away from the Valley.
ABC15 was invited back to San Carlos Apache tribal land to talk with the tribal council and members of Emily Pike's family.
ABC15 spoke with Chairman Rambler in his first on-camera interview about the case and the tribe's calls for an investigation into group homes off reservation land.
This week the San Carlos Apache Tribal Council sent a resolution to state lawmakers urging tighter regulations on group homes, like the one Pike was living in. They also urged the Arizona Attorney General's Office to investigate the details around the circumstances of Pike running away from the Mesa home.
Hear from Chairman Rambler in an exclusive ABC15 interview in the player above.
State superintendent, MCSO urging more legal involvement in students missing school
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne and Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan are teaming up, urging districts to take more action to ensure students are not missing school.
Recent data shows that chronic absenteeism - missing 10% or more of the school year while enrolled, which is usually 18 missed days in a typical 180-day school year - rose to 30% across the state during the 2022-2023 school year, according to a report from the Helios Education Foundation.
Under Arizona law in A.R.S. 15-802, all children between the ages of 6 and 16 years are mandated to attend an academic school where they learn, at a minimum, reading, grammar, math, social studies, and science.
“Under Arizona law, if parents knowingly and willingly allow their children to miss school they are in violation of a Class 3 misdemeanor. Any certified law enforcement officer in Arizona is empowered to cite parents under this law,” the Arizona Department of Education said in a news release.
Road closures, parking tips, and more things Diamondbacks fans should know before going downtown for Opening Day
Whether you drive, take the light rail, or ride a scooter to Chase Field, it’s going to be busy on downtown streets.
“It’s quiet now, but it is the calm before the storm," Amilyn Pierce with the Arizona Diamondbacks said. "We are expecting a sold-out crowd of nearly 50,000 people cheering on the Diamondbacks.”
First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. on Thursday. To avoid the worst traffic, it’s best to arrive early; the gates to the ballpark open at 5.
Down Payment Assistance programs to help you make your home-buying dreams a reality
Valley resident Kyle Howard was looking to buy a home, but he didn't think he had enough money for a down payment.
"I only had like $2,000," he said.
The condo he wanted to buy in Apache Junction required more money than that. But with some help from his mortgage loan officer, Traci Gratzek, he learned it was still possible to purchase.
See the full story from Jamie Warren today on ABC15 Mornings.
