Weekend wrap-up: Here are the biggest Arizona stories from Feb. 7-9
Feb 9, 2020, 6:00 PM
(Facebook photo/@StreetsOfNY)
(Facebook photo/@StreetsOfNY)
PHOENIX — National Pizza Day, the dimming red supergiant star Betelgeuse some 650 light years away and a future visit to the Valley from President Donald Trump.
Here are some stories that headlined the news cycle, both locally and nationally, over the weekend.
Here’s where to grab the best slices in Phoenix on National Pizza Day
National Pizza Day is Sunday, so where will you be enjoying your favorite slice?
According to Yelp‘s list of Phoenix’s best pizza spots, Pizzeria Bianco is the best place to spend National Pizza Day.
Other Valley favorites to make Yelp’s list include Venezia’s, Streets of New York and Lou Malnati’s.
According to Pizza.com, 61% of Americans prefer regular thin crust, while 14% chose deep-dish, followed by extra thin crust at 11%.
President Trump thanks 2 Arizona members of Congress by name
During a triumphant speech one day after his impeachment acquittal, President Donald Trump gave shout-outs to a pair of Arizona congressional loyalists Thursday.
Trump attacked the Democrats for their failed attempt to remove him from office and thanked a long laundry list of his staunchest supporters by name, including Rep. Debbie Lesko and Rep. Andy Biggs, while speaking from the White House.
First, Trump addressed Biggs, who stood briefly after the president acknowledged him.
Trump later heaped praise upon Lesko, whose district is mainly in the West Valley, and asked her to stand for applause.
Early morning fire completely guts Mexican restaurant in Mesa
Fire swept through and destroyed a Mesa restaurant early Friday but no one was injured.
La Patrona Mexican Cuisine near Main Street and Stapley Drive was already in flames when firefighters arrived around 2 a.m., after a caller alerted them to the blaze.
The fire was so intense that crews could not get inside the standalone building.
The restaurant, which opened in May 2019, was unoccupied.
An update on dimming supergiant star Betelgeuse
The red supergiant star Betelgeuse has been in the news and continues to perplex the astronomical world with its rapid dimming.
At the present time, Betelgeuse, which is some 650 light years from us, is the faintest that it has been in 125 years.
The star is a semivariable, with a period of variability that varies with two or three different cycles. One that is around 450 days and another that lasts for around 5.9 years.
Along with that, there may be an additional period of variability.
President Donald Trump to visit Phoenix for rally in mid-February
President Donald Trump is headed back to the Valley for a rally as the 2020 election season speeds up.
Trump will visit the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.
People can register online for up to two tickets with each mobile number. The tickets are subject to a first come, first served basis.
Feb. 19 is also the first day of early voting in the Arizona presidential preference election.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
