Community Corner

🌱 Ready for three days of horror fun at Mesa’s DoubleTree?

And check out Beth Hart on the Mesa Patch calendar

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Thursday October 1st Patch AM
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Cheers Mesa! We're back, helping you stay up to date with what's happening. Let's take on the day together! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Ready for three days of horror fun at Mesa's DoubleTree?
  • Mesa man jailed after toddler's death near Brown and Mesa Drive
  • How a fentanyl deal ended in tragedy for a Mesa family

Also on today's calendar: Sunset Market and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What do you call a belt that is made of watches? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Thursday: Plenty of sunshine, with a high of 94 and low of 73 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Friday: Warm with plenty of sunshine, temps: high: 97, low: 76.
  • Saturday: Warm with plenty of sunshine, with a high of 98 and low of 75 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. AZ Horror Fest 2026 (signalsaz.com) — Horror fans in Mesa can jump-start Halloween this weekend at AZ Horror Fest 2026, running October 2–4 at the DoubleTree Hilton on West Holmes Avenue with free parking. Expect celebrity signings from ALIENS, Buffy, Predator and more, plus artists, photo-ops, karaoke, costume contests, and a free kids' trick-or-treat event, with children 12 and under admitted free with a paid adult.
   

2. Dead toddler's bruised body alarmed doctors. Mesa man now jailed (sacbee.com) — Mesa residents should know that a 23-year-old local man has been jailed on suspicion of first-degree murder and felony child abuse after a 2-year-old boy died following a 4 a.m. emergency call near Brown Road and Mesa Drive. Doctors alerted police to suspicious bruising, and after an autopsy, detectives secured homicide charges, with the suspect now held on a $1.5 million bond in Phoenix.
   

3. Man sentenced for dealing fentanyl that led to Mesa father's death: MCAO (fox10phoenix.com) — A Mesa family is seeing some closure after a dealer received a 20-year prison sentence for a fentanyl sale that led to a local father's death. Prosecutors say the man admitted manslaughter, and a co-defendant tied to the transaction is scheduled for trial in October.
   

4. Rival gang dispute led to Mesa shooting that injured 4, police say (sacbee.com) — Mesa residents are learning more about a gang-related shooting near McKellips Road and Center Street that wounded three men and a 14-year-old girl. Police say two 19-year-old Mesa men targeted a rival gang member for allegedly contacting authorities, and both now face high bonds and multiple felony charges in Maricopa County court.
   

5. Maricopa County's Heat Relief Network closes as Valley records alarming rise in heat deaths (abc15.com) — From a Mesa dateline, county officials confirm the Heat Relief Network is shutting down for the season even as heat-related deaths across Maricopa County surge. With hundreds of cases under investigation and many deaths happening indoors, the closure and uncertain funding raise concerns about how well future summers will protect vulnerable Valley residents.
   

📸 Around Mesa

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Mesa

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

    Thursday October 1
  • Beth Hart →
    Mesa Arts Center, 1 E Main St., Mesa
    7:30 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Mesa Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Mesa PatchAM possible:

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • STILL ON THE LOOKOUT FOR OREO‼️My family misses her so much.
    We are so devastated! My baby girl misses her so much, they would play together everyday. It's been almost a week. Please be on the lookout for Oreo… (Nextdoor Golden Crest Terrace)
  • Just want to remind everyone: DO NOT GIVE OUT BANK INFO TO ANYONE ON THE PHONE.
    I'm a senior, and I get 10 to 12 nuisance calls a day.... I'm blocking a lot. One of today's calls was about home health care, and I decided to… (Nextdoor Dobson Ranch East)
  • Dollar Tree posted a job opening for Assistant Manager I in Mesa. Apply here.
  • Olive Garden Italian Kitchen posted a job opening for Server in Mesa. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Mesa here.

Ok Mesa! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A waist of time. (Thank you Martin L. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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