Daily Brief
July 30, 2026
Thursday
⛈️ Weather — Tucson
⚠️ EXTREME HEAT WARNING — takes effect at 10 a.m. today and runs until 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2. The National Weather Service in Tucson warns of dangerously hot conditions, with highs of 107 to 113 across the Tucson metro area, Western Pima County, the Tohono O'odham Nation and the Altar and Upper Santa Cruz river valleys, and 101 to 106 in Santa Cruz and Cochise counties. Major to extreme HeatRisk is expected, and NWS says heat-related illnesses increase significantly during events like this.
Today: mostly sunny, high near 109, heat index values as high as 108, northwest wind 1 to 9 mph. Tonight: partly cloudy, low around 83, with heat index values as high as 107 and a west-southwest wind 2 to 8 mph. Friday: sunny, high near 111, south-southwest wind up to 12 mph with gusts to 22 mph.
The heat builds through the weekend, peaking near 112 on Saturday with overnight lows only in the mid-80s — little relief after dark. Sunday cools slightly to around 109 with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. Utilities reported record power demand statewide during the last heat wave, with APS and SRP peak usage running about 5% above last year, according to the Arizona Daily Star.
NWS Tucson Forecast API
🚨 Public Safety
Woman injured in midtown attack dies; TPD opens homicide investigation. A woman who was attacked July 24 near North Alvernon Way and East Speedway Boulevard has died of her injuries, and the Tucson Police Department is now investigating the case as a homicide, according to the department. Family members identified the victim as 61-year-old Susan Gehrke, KOLD reported.
Officer who stopped July 19 mass shooting suspect identified. KOLD reports the Tucson Police Department officer who stopped the suspect in the July 19 mass shooting is Tanner Wolverton, a seven-year veteran of the department.
Pima County addresses back-to-school measles concerns. County health officials are responding to questions about measles risk as students return to classrooms, AZPM reported this week.
🏛️ Government
Pima County supervisors 'condemn' ICE arrest of Tucson mother outside courthouse. The Board of Supervisors condemned the arrest of a longtime Tucson resident by federal immigration agents after she left a Pima County courthouse hearing, with officials saying residents must be able to access county services without fear of detention. The Arizona Daily Star reported the woman, identified as Ana, is a Mexican national who has lived in the U.S. since age 4 and is the mother of three U.S. citizen children; she was arrested after attending a hearing on a noise-related matter.
Arizona Daily Star, Arizona Daily Star
County heat plan logs 60,000 cooling center visits. Pima County officials gave an update on the county heat plan, reporting more than 60,000 visits to cooling centers, according to KOLD. The county is still working to launch a heat hotline and transportation service to cooling centers.
Two Republican-backed measures pulled from November ballot. Separate Maricopa County judges ruled that two GOP ballot referrals violated the Arizona Constitution, removing them from the statewide November ballot. One was a measure to protect private school voucher funding for military families, which Judge Joseph Kreamer found would also unconstitutionally bar any future changes to the voucher system, according to the Arizona Mirror.
Supervisors appoint new county treasurer. The Pima County Board of Supervisors appointed Jorge Soto on Tuesday to finish the term of former treasurer Brian Johnson, who resigned June 15. Green Valley News reports Johnson has filed a six-figure claim against the county.
🎓 Education
U of A revokes fraternity recognition over hazing, expands prevention efforts. The University of Arizona has withdrawn recognition of Sigma Alpha Mu until June 2031 after an investigation found hazing that included pouring boiling butter on new members, causing burns and a hospitalization. The university said Wednesday it is expanding campuswide hazing prevention initiatives; it is the first fraternity to lose recognition at the school since February 2024, according to KVOA.
Arizona Daily Star, KVOA News 4, KOLD News 13, U of A News
TUSD spends $29 million in bond funds on school air conditioning. The Tucson Unified School District used $29 million in voter-approved bond money this summer to upgrade HVAC units at dozens of schools, KOLD reported, as students head back to class during extreme heat.
Pueblo High gets interim principal amid leadership review. The TUSD Governing Board named Alma Mejia-Garcia, a 25-year educator who served as an assistant principal at the school last year, as interim principal of Pueblo High School at its Tuesday night meeting, according to Arizona Luminaria. A review of the school's leadership is continuing.
🏗️ Development & Business
Mosaic Quarter ice plex takes shape. Construction continues at Tucson's Mosaic Quarter development, and KVOA reported a first look inside the project's ice complex, one of its main attractions.
City announces fiber-optic internet agreement with Wyyerd Fiber. The city said in a news release that Mayor and Council approved a Fiber to the Premises program license and right-of-way use agreement with Wyyerd Fiber at the July 21 regular meeting, an arrangement the city describes as backed by more than $200 million in private investment to bring 8-gigabit service to local neighborhoods.
🎉 Community & Events
A-10 Warthogs fly final mission out of Davis-Monthan. Two A-10s made a final pass over Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on Wednesday before landing, marking the end of the aircraft's more than 40-year presence at the base, KOLD reported.