Weekend wrap-up: Here are the biggest Arizona stories from Aug. 20-22
Aug 22, 2021, 6:00 PM
(Phoenix Fire Department photo)
(Phoenix Fire Department photo)
PHOENIX — A second-alarm fire Sunday destroyed four homes under construction in Phoenix, police are investigating the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy, and British Airways will resume flights from Phoenix Sky Harbor to London Heathrow Airport on Aug. 31.
Here are some of the biggest stories that headlined the Arizona news cycle over the weekend.
Second-alarm fire destroys 4 homes under construction at lot in Phoenix
Four homes that were under construction in Phoenix were destroyed by a second-alarm fire on Sunday morning, authorities said.
Firefighters responded to reports of a house fire near Tatum Boulevard and Bell Road just after 9:30 a.m. and found multiple houses under construction on fire, the Phoenix Fire Department said in a press release.
The potential of the fire and the number of homes on the lot resulted in the blaze being quickly upgraded to a second-alarm fire.
Four houses on the construction lot had significant damage and were considered a total loss, authorities said, while five additional houses had significant smoke damage.
Phoenix police investigating fatal shooting of 16-year-old boy
Police are investigating the death of a 16-year-old boy who died from a gunshot wound Sunday morning after leaving a party, authorities said.
Phoenix police officers responded to a welfare check call near Cave Creek Road and Greenway Parkway around 1:40 a.m. and found the teen with what appeared to be a gunshot wound, Sgt. Andy Williams said in a press release.
The boy was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died, according to the release.
Officers said they were told the teen had recently left a party that was being broken up.
British Airways resumes flights from London to Phoenix after COVID hiatus
The City of Phoenix announced the resumption of British Airways flights from Phoenix Sky Harbor to London Heathrow Airport will begin on Aug. 31.
The service will take place three times a week, according to a press release.
British Airways stopped the service for a year and a half due to COVID-19.
The flights will be operated by Boeing 777-200 planes that seat 272 passengers.
Van Buren multi-use path in Avondale now open to the public
Residents and visitors of Avondale can now walk or jog along a new multi-use path in the city that was completed on Monday, officials announced.
The project, part of the overall multimodal trail system Avondale is developing, runs about 1.75 miles in length between 113th and 127th avenues on the north side of Van Buren Street.
Constructed by the Arizona Department of Transportation, the trail includes sidewalks, lighting, irrigations systems, landscaping and artistic elements.
About $2.4 million from federal funds was used to finish the $4.2 million project that is part of a long-term project intended to further the Maricopa County multimodal trail system.
Give-A-Thon for Phoenix Children’s raises more than $1.8 million
Arizonans once again generously emptied their pockets for a good cause, this time in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The 13th annual Give-A-Thon for Phoenix Children’s raised more than $1.8 million throughout the week through efforts with KTAR News 92.3 FM and 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.
The Give-A-Thon for Phoenix Children’s also maintained its position as the top children’s hospital radio fundraiser in the country.
Since 2009, the event has raised more than $18.3 million.
All donations made during the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Give-A-Thon go towards funding cutting-edge research, clinical programs, state-of-the-art equipment and family-friendly services that help ensure that the hospital can provide world-class care to each and every child that needs it.
Phoenix Children’s is one of the largest children’s hospitals in the nation with 433 beds.
