Weekend wrap-up: Here are the biggest Arizona stories from Oct. 13-15
Oct 15, 2023, 6:11 PM | Updated: 6:14 pm
View of the downtown Phoenix, Arizona city skyline as seen from South Mountain Park, August 28, 2018. (Photo by Robyn Beck/Getty Images)
(Photo by Robyn Beck/Getty Images)
PHOENIX — An Arizona man is facing charges after crashing his vehicle into a woman’s camper, food service distribution company Sysco broke ground on its Meas facility and a rare solar eclipse happened on Saturday.
Here are some of the biggest stories that headlined the Arizona news cycle over the weekend.
Arizona man facing charges after crashing vehicle into camper in drug-induced incident
An Arizona man is facing several charges after crashing his vehicle into the camper of a woman who had a protection order against him in a fiery confrontation early Friday morning, authorities said.
The trailer was occupied by a woman who had obtained a court order of protection against James Haynes, 48, who crashed his vehicle through two gates and then into the camper trailer according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.
After stopping, Haynes then lit his vehicle on fire and tried to enter the trailer by crawling under it, according to authorities.
Food service distribution company Sysco begins construction on Mesa facility
International food service distribution company Sysco held an event Thursday to celebrate the groundbreaking of its new massive facility in Mesa, officials announced.
Construction on the new $102 million, 353,000-square-foot Sysco Arizona East facility is expected to be completed in the spring of 2025.
Along with Sysco executives, Mesa Mayor John Giles and a few state representatives were in attendance for the groundbreaking event.
‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse will be visible in Arizona and cut through North and South America
A rare “ring of fire” eclipse of the sun cuts across the Americas on Saturday, stretching from Oregon to Brazil, and huge crowds were on the move before dawn in cities, rural areas and national parks to try to catch a glimpse of it.
For the small towns and cities along its narrow path, there was a mix of excitement, worries about the weather and concerns they’d be overwhelmed by visitors flocking to see the celestial event, also called an annular solar eclipse. Clouds and fog threatened to obscure the view of the eclipse in some western states, including California and Oregon.
Unlike a total solar eclipse, the moon doesn’t completely cover the sun during a ring of fire eclipse. When the moon lines up between Earth and the sun, it leaves a bright, blazing border.
Man arrested crossing border with nearly 1,300 pounds of cocaine
A man is being charged for attempting to bring more than a half-ton of cocaine into the United States through Nogales.
Oswaldo Lopez-Escobar was charged Oct. 5 for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Lopez-Escobar, according to the release, applied for admission to the United States from Mexico while driving a semi-truck on Oct. 4. During an inspection of the vehicle, Customs found 155 packages of cocaine concealed in the floor of the trailer.
Angie’s Lobster owners to open Valley drive-thru concept serving prime steak
After selling their stake in Salad and Go, Tony and Roushan Christofellis went on to open a highly acclaimed drive-thru lobster restaurant in the Valley called Angie’s Lobster in 2022. Now the couple is set to open another drive-thru concept that focuses on serving USDA Prime Top Sirloin Steak at an affordable price.
The Christofellises’ latest concept is called Angie’s Prime Grill – still honoring Tony Christofellis’ late mother – and will feature a menu that will include steak, organic chicken and lobster.
Tony Christofellis told the Business Journal that he thinks he’s found a way to get high quality ingredients out to the masses at a low price point — meals with a drink priced at $9.99 — while also paying his employees well, with wages starting at $18.01 an hour.
