🌱 Two Phoenix Powerball Ticket Winners + Free Gas From Surprise Squad

Hi all. I'm back in your inbox this morning with your new edition of the Phoenix Patch newsletter. Let's get this day started off right, with a quick guide to the most important things happening in town these days.

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny and windy. High: 59 Low: 43.

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Here are the top three stories today in Phoenix:

1. On Monday night, two Powerball tickets — worth $150,000 and $50,000 — matched four numbers and the Powerball number was sold in the Phoenix area, according to the Arizona Lottery. The first ticket was bought at the Smoke Shop and Cigar on 107th Avenue and Grand Avenue. The second ticket was purchased at the Ventura Market Chevron on Copper Mine Road in Queen Creek, where the winner multiplied their prize using PowerPlay. The next Powerball drawing is scheduled for tonight, Feb. 22, with an estimated jackpot of $100 million. (Arizona's Family)
2. Patrick Gruchala, a 55-year-old man, was arrested in nearby Scottsdale after allegedly shooting a victim he thought was someone else outside a residence occupied by the owners of a mortgage business that recently foreclosed on his house. According to Officer Aaron Bolin, the victim, whose name has not yet been released, was shot while parked in his vehicle and was in intensive care at a hospital. Police found a gun matching the caliber of the weapon used in the shooting in a bag dropped by Gruchala in a nearby desert wash, along with other items, including a handwritten note with the address of the mortgage business owners' home. Gruchala is being held on a cash-only bond of $500,000. (KTAR.com)
3. The Arizona's Family Surprise Squad, along with the help of Valley Toyota Dealers, surprised deserving Arizonans by paying for their gas at a Fry's Fuel Center in Tempe. Gibby Parra from 3TV asked drivers filling up their tanks who wanted free gas and went from pump to pump to tell customers they were going to be helped out. Emilio, a man on a fixed income with only $2 to spend on gas, was given a $200 gift card by the Surprise Squad, which moved him to tears as he explained how it would help him drive his daughter to and from school every day. (Arizona's Family)

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Today in and around Phoenix:

• Art On The Avenue At The Avenue Of The Fountains (10:00 AM)
• Fountain Hills Farmers Market At 16729 E. Ave. Of The Fountains In Fountain Hills (10:00 AM)
• Reverend King And Minister X — Lunch Time Theater At Herberger Theater Center (12:10 PM)
• Grounds For Thought Book Discussion At North Valley Regional Library (2:45 PM)

From my notebook:

• Soon, Phoenix neighborhood groups will be able to apply for funds to host park events, thanks to the approval of $500,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act for Phoenix's new park activation grant program. (Subscription: The Arizona Republic)
• The City of Phoenix Graffiti busters removed vandalism from a business near Cherly Drive and Metro Parkway using about five gallons of color-matched paint! If you see graffiti, report it by calling (602) 534-4444 or emailing blight@phoenix.gov. (City of Phoenix, AZ USA via Facebook)
• Guns N’ Roses will be heading to Phoenix during a world tour this fall! The band will perform at Chase Field on Oct. 11. Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 24, at 10 a.m. (Arizona's Family)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll see you around!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she earned degrees in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or practicing film photography.