Weekend wrap: Here are the biggest Arizona news stories from July 24-26

The scorching summer heat across the Valley reached new heights Friday afternoon as Phoenix shattered a daily temperature record.

As of 3:14 p.m., the temperature at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport hit 117 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

That tops the previous daily record of 116 degrees, which was set in 2023.

The record-setting temperature came in the middle of a Valley-wide extreme heat warning, which went into effect Thursday morning and remains active through at least 8 p.m. Monday. Highs across the metro area are expected to remain dangerously elevated through the weekend, ranging between 112 and 117 degrees.

Man arrested for alleged homicide of girlfriend in Mesa after reporting her as unresponsive

A man who reported the girlfriend he lived with in Mesa as unresponsive was later arrested in connection with her death, authorities said Saturday.

The man told a 911 dispatcher on Tuesday that his girlfriend was unresponsive upon his arrival back to his apartment near Main and Hibbert streets and that he was attempting CPR, according to police.

Police responded around 11:15 a.m., and the woman was pronounced dead at 11:23 a.m.

After authorities observed significant injuries on the woman, homicide detectives took over. Police said evidence at the scene, the medical examiner’s observations and interviews during the investigation gave them probable cause to arrest the man who reported the incident.

DUI suspect identified after SUV slams into parked Phoenix police vehicle

Authorities have identified the driver accused of crashing an SUV into a parked police vehicle in Phoenix on Friday night, sending an officer to the hospital.

Johnny Newell Newberry, 58, was booked into jail on charges related to driving under the influence, among others, according to police.

When officers contacted Newberry at the scene, they located a firearm and drug paraphernalia inside his vehicle.

Sen. Mark Kelly proposes 2 bills to support young men and grow public service

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly is working on two bills that would help support young men while they are still in school, encouraging them to become more involved in public service careers like teaching.

Kelly said Friday the issue is that there are not as many male figures in the classrooms as there used to be, and that is impacting how often young boys see themselves in those same roles.

“It’s becoming more rare today to have men in the classroom. When I was younger, it was about 35%. Today, that number is down to about 23%,” he said.

Kelly visited Sandra Day O’Connor High School on Friday to speak with current teachers about their experiences with the young men they teach and to help pack school supplies for the 2026-27 school year.

Dead body found on South Mountain trail in Phoenix identified

Police identified the man who was found dead Saturday on a South Mountain trail in Phoenix.

The 911 caller told a dispatcher that Richard Fletcher, 61, left around 5 a.m. and contact was lost around 2 p.m. when his phone’s battery ran out, according to the Phoenix Police Department.

Officers responded around 5:12 p.m. near National Trail and located Fletcher’s car at the trailhead near Pima Canyon Road.

A cyclist located Fletcher’s unresponsive body and authorities pronounced him dead.