Préstamo VA en Maricopa, AZ

Maricopa County residents can receive up to two free nights of camping at select regional parks this fall as temperatures begin to cool.

The Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department is bringing back its popular camping promotion from Sept. 18 through Oct. 31.

Residents who book two to seven consecutive nights at a participating park will receive one night of equal or lesser value for free. Those who book eight to 14 consecutive nights will receive two free nights.

The promotion is available at:

“We started the program back in 2008, and we’re coming up on almost 20 years of offering this program to the community,” Dawna Taylor, a communications officer with Maricopa County’s Parks and Recreation Department, told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

Why is Maricopa County offering free camping at certain parks?

Taylor said the annual offer is intended to welcome residents back to the parks as the extreme summer heat begins to ease.

“With the hot summer nights, nobody really wants to go outside and do anything nowadays and we’re hoping that the weather will continue to drop since we have some rain in the forecast coming up, and then people can get back out into nature, reconnect with their families, spend nights around the campfires and just enjoy visiting the parks again,” Taylor said.

The offer applies only to developed and semi-developed campsites reserved for stays between Sept. 18 and Oct. 31, 2026. It does not apply to primitive campsites, group campground reservations or unit fees.

To qualify, campers must provide an Arizona-issued ID showing a Maricopa County address. The offer is subject to availability, and rain checks won’t be issued.

Reservations can be made online at maricopacountyparks.org.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Balin Overstolz McNair contributed to this report.

Today, Maricopa County announced the launch of the Eviction Prevention Pilot Program. This pilot, formally approved by the Board of Supervisors in May, will provide needed rental assistance for residents, and in turn, financial stability for property owners. Maricopa County is partnering with the City of Phoenix, which will provide utility assistance and case management to ensure positive outcomes for program participants going forward. HOM, Inc. will administer the program and engage directly with property owners and residents.

The program provides one-time rental assistance to families experiencing a hardship that prevents them from being able to pay that month’s rent. Eligible households could be allocated as much as $3,200 to pay for up to two months of rental arrears. The program is designed to intervene before an eviction case goes through the court system.

“The purpose of this pilot is to identify a potential eviction case early on, thus avoiding late fees and legal fees for both parties. Many Maricopa County residents dedicate most of their monthly income directly towards their rent. When an accident happens, they are forced to redirect their limited funds, leaving them with no way to pay for the roof over their heads,” said Chair Kate Brophy McGee, District 3. “This pilot program will ensure those residents stay out of the courtroom and will have the resources to maintain their housing stability. One hundred percent of the funding goes towards rent.”

Residents and property owners must meet the program’s conditions. Residents must provide proof of lawful presence, along with documentation that supports a financial hardship. The property owner must provide documentation of the rental agreement, a tenant ledger, W9 and other forms; and must agree that payment received fully satisfies the rental arrears. A key condition of receiving financial assistance includes the property owner agreeing that the amounts paid by the program fully satisfy the covered rental arrears and eligible charges.

“Too many households in our hardest hit neighborhoods live one emergency away from losing their home. I am grateful for our partnership with the County to implement a pilot that will direct help where it is needed most and that will pair assistance with follow-up support, so families aren’t left on their own after the rent is paid. Additionally, most property owners want resolution, not eviction. This pilot invites owners to partner with residents and the courts to resolve the issue swiftly and keep households housed. Together, we can reduce costs, reduce eviction filings, and deliver the stability that benefits families, owners, and our neighborhoods alike,” said Phoenix Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington.

The $800,000 program funding will be directed towards City of Phoenix zip codes with elevated eviction rates. Those zip codes, which are in District 3 and predominantly District 5, include:

“District 5 has some of the highest eviction rates in Maricopa County, so for my constituents to be an emphasis for this pilot program ensures meaningful outcomes will occur for families who need it most,” said Supervisor Steve Gallardo, District 5. “For this program to also focus on continued supports like case management after the resident is funded also lets them know they aren’t going to be thrown to the wind once their rent is paid. Maricopa County and its partners will be alongside them during their most trying times.”

The Arizona Multihousing Association (AMA) provided guidance on program structure and will also assist Maricopa County with identifying participating property owners. Once property owners are engaged, residents who would benefit from the program will be notified of possible eligibility. The pilot program is funded from Maricopa County’s FY 2027 budget.

The County will follow up with residents and property owners and develop data to determine the pilot program’s future.

For more information and a full list of required documentation, please visit Maricopa.gov/EvictionPrevention.

PHOENIX—Maricopa County is providing an innovative new option for residents looking for reliable, 24/7 information about county programs and services. In collaboration with IBM technology, Maricopa County has launched an AI-powered virtual assistant designed to guide people directly to the information they need when they need it.

“With this enhancement to Maricopa.gov, we are giving residents a way to find information about county services faster, anytime they want, with fewer steps,” said Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Kate Brophy McGee, District 3. “If you like the traditional search bar or clicking through menus, you can continue to do so. But if you prefer the AI chat experience, now we have that available too. It’s part of a broader county initiative to meet residents where they are with enhanced and personalized service.”

Nicknamed “Mari,” the little orange circle in the bottom-right corner of Maricopa.gov opens into an AI-powered virtual assistant designed to do more than respond to basic keyword searches. It’s technology that uses artificial intelligence to interpret questions and direct residents to relevant information across multiple County websites. In its first few weeks of operation, Mari has provided fast and thorough responses to questions about pet adoption, property ownership, public health, and much more. Residents can ask questions in natural language and include personal preferences. For example, you could say you’re looking to adopt a dog that’s good with other pets (see response below).

Each response includes a link to a trusted, official county source for residents who want to dig deeper. With Mari handling FAQs, staff can spend more time on the complex needs that matter most.

“I’m proud to see Maricopa County exploring new ways to make government services more accessible and responsive,” said Elliott Aten, General Manager, U.S. West Region. “By applying IBM’s technology to trusted County information, Mari can help connect people to answers more quickly while supporting the governance, transparency, and human oversight residents expect.”

Maricopa County understands artificial intelligence is insufficient without human oversight and built-in technological guardrails. With Mari, Maricopa County is using IBM watsonx Orchestrate technology grounded in publicly available County information and configured with controls designed to support responsible and appropriate use. There’s a human involved at nearly every step in the process. Among the protections built into Mari:

“Today’s residents expect government to be as accessible and responsive as the services they use every day,” said Maricopa County Chief Information Officer Richard McHattie. “Mari is another step in our commitment to modernizing how residents interact with County government by providing trusted information instantly, 24 hours a day. This launch reflects what's possible when County leadership invests in innovation and talented teams across our organization collaborate to improve the resident experience.”

MARICOPA, AZ (AZFamily) — People in Pinal County spent the day dealing with damage left behind by Sunday’s storm, which flooded roads and damaged several homes and businesses, including the Gud Ark Animal Sanctuary.

Animal sanctuary left in shambles

The Gud Ark Animal Sanctuary was left in shambles. Pastures are flooded, enclosures are destroyed and large trees were uprooted.

“It’s been a little crazy. I’ve been here for four years, and this is the worst we’ve had it,” said Amy Petris, vice president of the sanctuary.

Volunteers have been working since 5 a.m., but the damage keeps mounting. Along with shredded shelters, the storm wiped out the sanctuary’s entire supply of animal feed.

“Our hay all got ruined last night. It got soaked, so it’s no longer safe to feed. “We lost about $2,000 worth of food for the animals,” said Mary Vercande, a volunteer.

Front patio destroyed

Down the road, a twisted pile of metal and scrap had been Sheldon Neumyer’s front patio 24 hours earlier.

“We were expecting a storm, but I don’t think we were expecting a storm quite that powerful,” Sheldon said.

Neighbor Brianna Waltman described the moment the patio gave way.

“Terrifying. It completely lifted up and folded in half. I’ve never seen that besides in movies,” Brianna said.

The Neumyers say the storm roared through their Hidden Valley neighborhood with the force of a freight train, tearing their home apart in an instant.

“We were just lying in bed and heard what we thought was lightning strike the house. Just the loudest boom ever. It scared all of us,” Sheldon said.

Long recovery ahead

As Maricopa picks up the pieces, neighbors and volunteers face a long and expensive recovery.

“It’ll take some time for sure. We’re just going to have to make some sacrifices and do what we can,” Brianna said.

The cleanup is only beginning. Neighbors and volunteers trying to rebuild say they are watching the sky, concerned about what the next monsoon storm might bring.

The Gud Ark Animal Sanctuary is in need of volunteers to help clean up the storm damage. If you’d like to get involved or donate, click here.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? .

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send with a brief description.

Today, we are pleased to announce that mediated negotiations led by Judge Christopher Coury have resulted in an agreement between the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office governing how elections are administered. This agreement clearly delineates election duties to be carried out by the Board’s Elections Department and the Recorder’s Office during the 2026 General Election and future elections administered by this Board and Recorder Heap. All parties have signed the agreement, and the Board formally approved the settlement in a public meeting.

Under the terms of the , election duties will be divided cleanly between the early voting period, which will be administered by the Recorder’s Office, and Emergency and Election Day voting, which will be run by the Board of Supervisors and its Elections Department. The Board will fund additional early voting and IT staff to support the Recorder’s Office in carrying out its additional duties. This arrangement ensures a consistent, smooth, and secure experience for voters, avoids significant changes in the middle of the 2026 election cycle, and aligns with State law.

“I’m grateful we have reached an agreement that concludes the litigation and will help ensure smooth, secure and lawful elections for Maricopa County voters. The Board extends its sincere appreciation to Judge Coury for mediating this complex negotiation, and I thank Vice Chair Lesko for her invaluable assistance throughout this process. Most of all, I thank our dedicated Elections Department staff and poll workers for their patience as we worked toward a lasting agreement. The Board’s focus remains on administering lawful, secure and accurate elections so that Maricopa County residents may vote confidently.”

"From the beginning, my objective has been simple: to ensure the Maricopa County Recorder's statutory responsibilities are carried out in accordance with Arizona law. I am pleased we have reached an agreement that, when implemented, will restore those responsibilities and establish a clear framework for administering elections moving forward.

I want to thank Judge Scott Blaney and the Justices of the Arizona Supreme Court, whose rulings provided the legal clarity necessary to resolve this dispute and ensure this agreement reflects Arizona law. I also appreciate Judge Christopher Coury for his professionalism and dedication throughout the mediation process.

I am grateful to the employees of the Recorder's Office, who served the public with professionalism and integrity throughout this litigation. Despite months of uncertainty, they remained focused on delivering secure, accurate, and transparent elections for the voters of Maricopa County.

Today's agreement concludes the current litigation, but its success will ultimately be measured by its faithful implementation. My office is ready to carry out every responsibility entrusted to us under Arizona law, and we remain committed to delivering elections that are lawful, secure, transparent, and worthy of the public's trust."

Settlement Overview (2026 General Election & Beyond)

*Operations for the 2026 Primary Election, currently underway, will be governed by the 12-point plan detailed in the Arizona Supreme Court order in Heap v. Galvin, et al.