Weekend wrap-up: Here are the biggest Arizona stories from Nov. 20-22
Nov 22, 2020, 6:00 PM
(Arizona Humane Society)
(Arizona Humane Society)
PHOENIX – Puppies are up for adoption, an organization is making it easy to shop local this holiday season and coronavirus cases continue to surge in the state.
Here are some of the biggest stories that headlined the Arizona news cycle over the weekend.
Arizona Humane Society rescue team saves 7 puppies under house
Seven puppies that were rescued from under a house by the Arizona Humane Society rescue team are now up for adoption.
The organization’s emergency dispatch in October responded to a report of free-roaming adult dogs who were entering a hole dug under a house, according to a press release.
After several weeks in the organization’s maternity suites and a foster home, Arizona Humane Society said the puppies have been placed up for adoption online.
As for the brave mother who risked everything to care for her puppies, she has already found her forever family.
Local First Arizona to launch online Shop Arizona Marketplace on Monday
Local First Arizona announced the Shop Arizona Marketplace, a one-of-a-kind e-commerce website showcasing products from the state’s local businesses and entrepreneurs, will launch on Monday.
People will be able to browse more than 50 vendors across the state, with such items as holiday gift sets, rural Arizona-grown wine and handmade mugs up for sale.
“Through our small business recovery work this year, one thing has been made clear: small businesses will need to compete with big-box retailers and Amazon to make it past the new year”, Thomas Barr, executive director of Local First Arizona, said in the release.
Arizona reports 4,331 new coronavirus cases, 7 additional deaths
Arizona health authorities on Sunday reported 4,331 new coronavirus cases with seven additional deaths, bringing the documented totals to 299,665 COVID-19 infections and 6,464 fatalities.
Arizona’s weekly percent positivity for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, an indicator of how much the virus is spreading in the community, has reached its highest level in four months.
The positivity rate was 12% for the 95,289 tests so far this week, the highest since it was 12% for the week starting July 19.
The weekly rate, which was 11% last week, peaked at 20% at the end of June and was down to 4% as recently as early October.
Shooting at empty warehouse party in Phoenix leaves 1 dead, 4 injured
One woman died and four people were injured after a shooting at an empty warehouse party in Phoenix on Saturday morning.
The Phoenix Police Department responded after receiving calls of a shooting at an abandoned building in the industrial area, according to Sergeant Ann Justus.
Upon arrival, officers found a woman with a gunshot wound in an empty warehouse, Justus said.
The victim was later identified as 18-year-old Lalaina Baldison.
Justus said that there are a total of five shooting victims — including the slain woman — that range in age from 17-28.
4 Arizona mayors accuse Gov. Doug Ducey of failed leadership on COVID
Four Democratic mayors called on Republican Gov. Doug Ducey on Friday to institute a statewide requirement for people to wear masks in public.
They accused the governor of failing to provide leadership in the state’s battle against a new surge of the coronavirus.
The mayors included Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, Tolleson Mayor Anna Tovar and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.
“What we need is decisive statewide actions and unfortunately we are not seeing that from Gov. Ducey,” Romero said.
