Seven people have been hospitalized after a HAZMAT situation at the Brimhall Aquatic Center in Mesa. The Brimhall Aquatic Center is located just southwest of Higley Road and Southern Avenue. Watch video from the scene in the player below: Multiple treated in HAZMAT situation, evacuation of Brimall Aquatic Center in Mesa The Mesa Fire Department says sodium bicarbonate and bleach were mixed, and the mixture is "off-gassing," causing the HAZMAT response. Mesa police say five of the seven people hospitalized are City of Mesa employees. The other two people hospitalized were participants in a swim ..read more

Cielito Rosa Bakery, Latina owned, pink-themed caf & bakery has officially opened its doors in Mesa! The business is owned by Secilia Zamudio, Celia Stewart, and Yvonne Callison who proudly showcase their Mexican roots throughout their shop, with lots of pink. Heres a look inside the Valley business thats starting to create a splash on social media. Guests will find fresh handmade pan dulce [Mexican sweet bread], tres leches cake, cookies, macaroons, cupcakes, and other pastries. And of course, gourmet coffees. Muchsima cultura (lots of culture) [] we're trying to combine both American ..read more

An East Valley hotel that has stood for nearly 40 years is getting a needed facelift and new use. Neighborhood Ventures, a Phoenix real estate crowdfunding company that specializes in value-add investments, received approval on May 20 from Mesa City Council to rezone a 3-acre site home to the former American Inn & Suites on Country Club Drive at Southern Avenue. Neighborhood Ventures will convert the hotel into a 120-unit multifamily building called Venture on Country Club. This has been a vision nearly three years in the works after the firm purchased the hotel in August 2021 and operated ..read more

Sunflower season has officially arrived in Arizona! Vertuccio Farms in Mesa is offering up u-pick sunflowers this weekend along with some other fun attractions around the farm. The farm is beautiful in its of itself, but there is something really special about flowers, said Joseph Vertuccio with Vertuccio Farms. It's four acres and we have about five different varieties of sunflowers. So ranging from branching ones to red to even a few purple scattered around here. From seeds to full bloom, its taken the farm several months to prepare for sunflower season. We have almost half a million sunflo ..read more

A surviving family of teen violence is making a difference amid their grief. A year ago this month, 18-year-old Jeremiah Aviles was shot and killed. His Red Mountain High School teammate is the one charged in connection with manslaughter. In that time, the family has endured reoccurring pain through the legal system but found a way to spread their young sons legacy through a foundation, and even help change a Mesa Public Schools policy. His mother Olga Lopez stayed true to her word. When we first covered her sons shooting death last May, she said she would wear his Red Mountain High School foo ..read more

Do you waste food? Yes, you do! The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 120 billion pounds of food is wasted every year. Oh but get this, Arizonans are the worst at wasting food. To help combat the problem United Food Bank is teaming with 150 Valley grocery stores to stop food waste. WATCH in the video player above as ABC15 tags along with volunteers to collect food from Chandler to Mesa and hand it out to the community ..read more

A 7-year-old girl is dead after being hit by a car near Horne and Broadway Road Thursday evening. On Thursday evening, Mesa police originally stated that the crash was a hit-and-run and they were looking for information on a suspect vehicle. Officials have since clarified to say that the crash was not a hit-and-run and that the car had stayed at the scene. Police say surveillance video showed a truck pulling into the driveway of a multi-family home, drove to the back of the building, and parked. As the man got out, he noticed a little girl and her scooter lying in the driveway with injuries. T ..read more

ABC15 is tracking teen violence cases as they move through the courts. Within the last few days, two more teen suspects agreed to plea deals in assault cases. Cody Kostoryz The 18-year-old was arrested in February, along with 19-year-old Gage Garrison, for an assault at a Gilbert home back in December 2022. Court documents described the attackers as showing up in "ski masks". This month, court records show Kostroyz has agreed to plead guilty to aggravated assault. His sentencing is set for July 9.   Christopher Fantastic The 18-year-old was one of the first arrested as Gilbert investigate ..read more

Its an exciting time for thousands of students across Arizona. For many, theyre celebrating the last week of school. ABC15 sat down with five Mesa students to talk about what the last school year was like for them, what they learned, what they believe the future will hold and any advice they have for other students moving to other grades. Throughout the interviews, there was a common theme among the students in all grades: a bittersweet feeling of moving on to the next chapter of their lives. Heres who ABC15 interviewed: Sander and Silas Blokker, twin kindergartners at Las Sendas Elementary ab ..read more

The City of Mesa has a fun and unique way to get children into reading, exercising, and art, all at the same time! The city's "Bikes to Books" program invites children to design their own art for a chance to have it featured on shared-use paths. The program encourages community members to bike more, read more, and even ride their bikes to their nearest library. An fourth-grader named Holly was one of the 2023 winners and got to design her own art for a bike path. Learn more about the program, and last year's winners, in the player above! To learn more, or to submit an idea for the Bikes to Boo ..read more