🌱 Animal Shelter Closes Amid Distemper Outbreak + SpaceX Rocket

Welcome back, Scottsdale. I'm here in your inbox today to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on around town.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and pleasant. High: 81 Low: 54.

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Here are the top three stories today in Scottsdale:

1. A Maricopa County animal shelter has temporarily closed over concerns about distemper, a highly contagious viral disease found in dogs. Officials at the shelter, located at 2630 Rio Salado Parkway, said it will be closed “for the foreseeable future” while around 300 dogs are tested for the disease. The shelter is looking for support in the form of adopters and volunteers during this time. Visit the Daily Independent to learn more about how you can help support the shelter and animals in need. (Daily Independent)
2. If you were home on Thursday night, you may have seen a strange streak of light and an oddly-shaped cloud pass through the sky. SpaceX officials say the phenomenon, spotted by viewers from Queen Creek to Tucson, was the result of a rocket launch. The Falcon 9 rocket launched a total of 53 Starlink satellites from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California before landing in the Pacific Ocean on a drone ship. (FOX 10 News Phoenix)
3. A Scottsdale man has received two life sentences for the death of a cab driver on Aug. 21, 2019. 39-year-old Gabriel Milford Kavoka pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree murder and carjacking after he allegedly shot the driver and drove off with his vehicle just over three years ago. Kavoka was arrested in Mesa after leading police on a high-speed chase that ended when he crashed the cab into a patrol vehicle. (KTAR.com)

Today in Scottsdale:

• Open Arts Studio At Scottsdale Neighborhood Arts Place (12:00 PM)
• Fall Festival At Eldorado Park & Community Center (1:00 PM)
• Spooktacular Hot Air Balloon Festival At Salt River Fields At Talking Stick (5:00 PM)
• Scottsdale Zombie Crawl At Social Tap (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• North and Westbound lanes of the Loop 101 from Pima Road to the 51 will be closed this weekend for the installation of contrast striping. Closures will be in effect until 5:00 a.m. Monday. (City of Scottsdale - Government via Facebook)
• Don't forget to join the City of Scottsdale for its 2022 Veterans Day commemoration at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. This event is free and open to the public. (City of Scottsdale - Government via Facebook)
• You won't want to miss the Scottsdale Dia de Los Muertos experience, running now through Nov. 2 in Old Town Scottsdale! There will be a free celebration today, Oct. 29, at the Old Adobe Mission, and tickets are also on sale for the art installation at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. (Office of Diversity, City of Scottsdale via Facebook)

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That's it for today. See you all Monday morning for another update!

— Helen Eckhard

About me: Helen Eckhard is a marketing associate at Lightning Media Partners. Outside of work, she enjoys constructing crossword puzzles, knitting, or devising increasingly crafty ways to kill off characters in her mystery novels.