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?Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced the City of Phoenix is one of 15 cities awarded $1 million dollars in the 2021-2022 Global Mayors Challenge. The worldwide innovation competition supports and spreads the most promising ideas that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Phoenix' award-winning innovation is a data-directed Mobile Career Unit (MCU) that helps unemployed residents overcome barriers and obtain employment. The MCU connects hiring employers with jobseekers, right in their neighborhoods, filling job vacancies and providing access to employment services.

“Global talent shortages are at a 15-year high, with one in three employers citing difficulty filling jobs. So, in Phoenix, we got creative and focused on coming up with new ways for employers and job seekers to connect," said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “Pilots of the Mobile Career Unit have successfully demonstrated it provides employers with skilled talent and results in 'on the spot' hires. This innovative approach holds great promise for getting the people of Phoenix into good jobs, and I believe it will serve as a model for communities around the world."

Mayor Gallego added, “I am thrilled that our concept for Mobile Career Units is receiving this tremendous recognition, and am deeply grateful to Bloomberg Philanthropies for their commitment to finding great ideas and sharing them widely."

“As the world works to address the profound public health and economic effects of the ongoing pandemic, cities can implement innovative ideas at a pace that national governments simply can't match," said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg L.P. and 108th Mayor of New York City. “Our fifteen winners offer bold, achievable plans to improve health, reduce unemployment, empower women, and more. Collectively, they have the potential to improve millions of their residents' lives – and the most successful solutions will inspire cities around the world to embrace them."

In addition to the $1 million dollar award, Phoenix' Mobile Career Unit initiative will also receive technical support and coaching over three years. A targeted zip code focus is coupled with quantitative and qualitative data to determine areas in Phoenix that most need assistance. Offering trainings, interview opportunities (virtual and in-person), translation, career counseling, and supplemental supportive services, the goals of the MCU is to decrease unemployment, while boosting confidence. The MCU is the only service in Phoenix acts as this kind of mobile career “hotspot."

The 15 global winners are being recognized for designing the boldest and most ambitious urban innovations to emerge from the global COVID-19 pandemic. The winning ideas address one or more of four current issue areas in cities including economic recovery and inclusive growth; health and wellbeing; climate and environment; and gender and equality. Visit website for more details on the 15 winning Global Mayors Challenge ideas.

“The Mayors Challenge shows that there can be a positive legacy to emerge from all the hardship of the past two years – and that it's happening in our cities," said James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. "Now we turn to help these mayors implement their ideas, evaluate, and spread the ideas that produce big impact."

COVID-19 pushed Aria Shapiro into epileptic seizures that would not stop. Now recovered, she's searching for a special service dog to help watch over her.

PHOENIX — Six-year-old Aria Shapiro is hoping to find a dog that can help keep her safe.

Dogs can do amazing things when it comes to helping people with physical disabilities. Some dogs can even be trained to detect seizures before they happen.

Aria lives as normal a life as a 6-year-old can live. She loves to sing and color. She’s energetic and confident.

“I am quite the smart head,” said Aria on a Zoom interview with 12 News.

At 3 years old, Aria was diagnosed with epilepsy caused by grey matter heterotopia, according to her mother Sarah Shapiro.

“Aria has had some seizures where, unfortunately, she’s had trouble breathing. Her oxygen goes down. Her O-2 levels and this is where you kind of head into a medical emergency,” said Shapiro.

Her health condition deteriorated even more in December when a battle with COVID-19 triggered her seizures and she was rushed to Phoenix Children’s.

“Aria went into status epilepticus and started having seizures that would not stop. She immediately stopped breathing and that’s where it led us to the ventilator where she was intubated,” said Shapiro.

Aria spent 22 days in the hospital.

She’s doing much better now but there are some lingering effects.

“COVID is causing some electrolytes to go low. Things like potassium and sodium,” said Shapiro.

The additional complications can cause more seizures and stop her breathing so Sarah is looking for a specially trained seizure dog that can alert her before the seizures happen so medicine can be administered.

“They smell the mucus or saliva. There are a lot of different things, from what I understand, they can sense. Also, putting their heads under the child’s neck to open airwaves,” said Shapiro. “I think having this seizure service animal would be really vital for our family.”

A seizure dog is expensive – upwards of $20,000 or more - depending on the training involved – which can take a year.

Shapiro is hopeful and the family is raising money through a GoFundMe page.

Aria has already thought of some names. “Precious if it’s a girl,” said Aria.

Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.

A sale of equipment from the theater is set for this weekend at FilmBar, which had shown indie, foreign and classic films for 10 years.

PHOENIX, AZ — Following a month-long closure, FilmBar Phoenix will not reopen, said owner Kelly Aubey in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

Like so many other businesses that have closed in the past two years, Aubey attributed the closure to the pandemic.

"We were already operating on a razor's edge and COVID has reduced the percentage of people who would normally come out to a show anytime in the near future to a point that's no longer supportable," Aubey wrote.

FilmBar operated in Phoenix for almost 11 years with the mission of bringing "the diverse people of Phoenix together through the power of film & community."

FilmBar, at 815 N. 2nd St., showed movies that might not have otherwise been available on the big screen for Phoenix viewers, like foreign, classic, indie, cult and local films. It also hosted comedy shows and held special one-night events like audience singalongs to movies like "Rent" and "Moulin Rouge."

Aubey said that he would not rule out FilmBar reopening in some form in the future, but as a non-profit instead of a for-profit business. But Aubey added that after the stresses of trying to keep FilmBar afloat during the pandemic, he needed to take some time to rest and focus on his mental health.

Andrea Canales, FilmBar's film programmer who has helped Aubey run the business for the past 10 years, is joining the team at Majestic Theatres, which runs cinema grills across the Valley, he said.

Aubey thanked FilmBar customers over the years who he said helped him and his team bring "unusual, thought-provoking" shows to Phoenix. He also thanked Canales and his family for their support.

"Finally, I want to thank all the staff over the years, but especially the staff who worked with me to try to get us through COVID," Aubey wrote. "You never quit on it and I'm proud of you all."

FilmBar is set to be open noon-7 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday for a sale of all its audio-visual equipment, furniture, restaurant equipment, bottles of wine and FilmBar memorabilia.

You can check to see if you have any unclaimed money right now online.

PHOENIX — You may have some money coming your way.

The Arizona Department of Revenue is opening its vault this week to put an assortment of unclaimed property up for auction.

Sierra Auction will conduct the online auction, which lasts until Wednesday through Sunday, with an in-person viewing allowed on Friday.

The property includes sports memorabilia, Silver bars, rare coins, family heirlooms, and more.

“Anything people may want to keep in a safety deposit box,” Rebecca Wilder, spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Revenue, said.

Almost all of this property is from abandoned safety deposit boxes. Wilder said banks usually hand over the contents of these boxes to the state.

The property then goes in a vault inside the Department of Revenue for safekeeping. The department usually searches for property owners for about three years before putting the property up for auction to make room for more items.

Some items are personal. Photos provided to 12 News show the vault contains a World Series ring, a prehistoric shark's tooth, and even a Purple Heart.

“Those items do pull at your heartstrings,” Wilder said.

Some items, especially those that are more personal, may be kept in the vault for longer than three years.

Once the items get sold, the money goes into a bank account for safekeeping.

“The owners still have 35 years to claim the financial aspect of that,” Wilder said.

The state has more unclaimed money than unclaimed property.

“We have approximately $1.8 billion sitting there unclaimed,” Wilder said.

Wilder said most of the money is from tax returns or rebates that never got cashed out or went to the wrong address. How much someone may have unclaimed can vary significantly from person to person.

“Right now, we are looking for someone who may be owed $1.5 million dollars,” Wilder said.

Checking is easy. Just go to the department's website and type in your name.

If you have any unclaimed property, you will have to fill out a form to see what you have.

Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.

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PHOENIX — Our warm-up continues today, with gorgeous conditions across Arizona.

Valley highs will top out in the low 70s this afternoon, putting us a few degrees above the normal for this time of year.

Winds will stay light here in the Phoenix metro area, but we are tracking windy conditions along the Colorado River Valley throughout the day.

Wind Advisories are in effect for places like Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City until 5 p.m. Watch out for wind gusts near 35 mph.

Winds are cranking up in those areas as high pressure sets up off the coast of California, but we're also tracking another storm system that's headed our way in time for the weekend.

That storm will start moving in Friday night, bringing cooler air, stronger winds and a chance for more rain and snow.

For the high country, snow begins falling along the Mogollon Rim Friday night and continues throughout the day Saturday. Accumulations look light with this storm, with most spots picking up around an inch of snow. Travel conditions could be difficult in some spots though, so use caution.

Rain chances here in the Valley are looking pretty low, but a few isolated showers are possible Saturday into early Sunday. Rainfall amounts look to end up at around a tenth of an inch or less.

Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer.

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2022 Rainfall totals:

Sky Harbor Official Rainfall: 0.08" (-0.49" from average)

Valley Average (Phoenix Rainfall Index): 0.11"__________________________________________

Daily rainfall reports from all across the Valley can be found here.__________________________________________

PHOENIX IS GETTING DRIER - LOWER RAINFALL AVERAGES NOW

Average Monsoon Rainfall in Phoenix (1981-2010): 2.71" of rain

NEW Average Monsoon Rainfall in Phoenix (1991-2020): 2.43" of rain

Average Yearly Rainfall in Phoenix (1981-2010): 8:03" of rain

NEW Average Yearly Rainfall in Phoenix (1991-2020): 7.22" of rain__________________________________________

Share your weather photos and videos with us anytime.Email [email protected]______________________________________