From a business perspective, having your company mentioned in a news article with a headline that contains the words “Michael Jackson” and “kids” is something companies probably try to avoid. Although the latest Jacko news story doesn’t involve any allegations of sexual abuse, Taser International seems eager to distance itself…

A Payson couple is in some hot water today after being arrested for swindling more than $25,000 from 35 Little League umpires the pair employed.William Werner, 44, and wife, Bonnie Huffman, 40, owners of Arizona Desert Umpires, were contracted to provide east Valley Little League games with umpires.The couple succeeded…

This weekend, the Colon Cancer Alliance is calling on bikers to help spread the word about the dangers of colon cancer as part of the group’s “Colon All Angels” motorcycle ride through Arizona.Believe it or not, despite their tough-guy reputation, even the Hells Angels can’t scare off colon cancer…

The Brophy College Preparatory teen, who was hit by a car over the weekend and died yesterday from his injuries, has Olympic family roots dating back to 1960 and what is now known as “The Forgotten Miracle.”Robert Mayasich, 18, a budding young athlete and from all media accounts a stand-up…

A local TV station is taking the word of a “renowned” psychic — a Valley native, whose work is the basis for the fictional TV show Medium — that baby Gabriel Johnson will be found.Psychic Allison DuBois, whose psychic ability was the subject of a 2008 New Times feature, sat…

Last night, a 17-year-old Tempe girl was taken from the Arizona Mills Mall and driven to a convenience store in Mesa by a man police described as a 30-year-old Hispanic.The girl claimed she was walking outside the mall looking for her bike, when the man approached her and offered her a…

The Arizona Attorney General has launched a probe of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office over bank accounts kept separate from normal county accounts and over the money from these accounts getting spent without approval from an outside agency, a television station reports.The money in question: the Sheriff’s Office’s RICO fund, which includes confiscated…

Valley radio listeners today were spared the weeping lunacy that is Glenn Beck’s radio show, as KTAR is hosting a radiothon to raise money for autism in Beck’s timeslot.Sorry, Teabaggers, you’ll have to get your sobbing, conspiracy theories elsewhere…

As the New York Times aptly points out, sooner or later the headline “Lil Wayne Goes to Jail” will be correct. Today, however, is not that day.Since our earlier post about Wayne, known to the government as Dwayne Carter, we learned that Wayne has evaded the clink for yet again,…

It’s a sad day for somewhat-literate Lil Wayne fans, who often comment on our blogs: Weezie is finally going to jail to begin a year-long jail sentence for gun charges in New York.Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, was initially supposed to turn himself into authorities on February 10, but…

The free ride may be coming to an end for light-rail freeloaders in Tempe — the Tempe Police Department is planning “focused fare enforcement stops” at light-rail stops to catch people who don’t pay. Tempe police say they are putting an end to the “education period” for light-rail cheats and …

A little sunshine and some cacti wasn’t enough to patch things up between sex star Tiger Woods and his wife. Reports claim that after a week in Arizona, Tiger’s wife, Elin, won’t be moving back in to the couple’s Florida home.As was feverishly reported by local media, after his very…

Since our earlier post about Alcor and its legal battle with the family of a woman whose head the company is trying to freeze, a lawyer representing Alcor got back to us and claims the company just wants to see the woman’s wishes carried out.From the sounds of the initial…

President Obama went to the doctor yesterday for his first checkup since taking office. The appointment revealed that the hope-and-change hero takes anti-inflammatory medication to relieve chronic tendinitis in his left knee, and that he should eat better to lower his cholesterol. It also revealed that he’s still smoking cigarettes.The…

After a brief legal hiccup, the 71-year-old head of a dead Colorado woman can be cryogenically frozen by Scottsdale-based Alcor Life Extensions, a Colorado judge ruled this morning.Mary Robbins of Colorado Springs kicked the bucket a few weeks ago but not before signing documents giving Alcor the right to cryogenically…

“Spiritual Warrior” James Arthur Ray was released from a Yavapai County Jail on Friday and has taken to his Twitter page to offer his followers some insight into Buddha, Jesus, “the darkness,” and the laws of the universe.  At this point, he should probably be more interested in the laws…

Jimmy Wayne, the Tennessee twang star who’s in the process of walking from Nashville to Phoenix to raise awareness of homeless teens, got a tough lesson in hobo 101, when someone stole his clothes and some personal items out of the RV he has following him on his trip.Hate to…

Since our earlier post about a presentation the animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals plans on hosting at ASU — the group plans to discuss the inhumane ways the university is killing animals in its classrooms — ASU representatives got back to us to disavow the event as…

Rather than, um, sweatin’ it out in a Yavapai County jail, Arizona’s most infamous “spiritual warrior” is a free man this afternoon after posting bond in Yavapai County Court.James Ray was released from jail at 11:10 a.m. today, less than 24 hours after his lawyers successfully had his bail amount reduced…