Richard Dumas Enters a Plea, and More

Welcome to Courthouse Update, a weekly rundown goings-on at the Maricopa County Superior Court.This week was a bit light due to the holiday, but former Phoenix Suns player Richard Dumas gets a day in court, and more:…

10 Worst Local Political Moments of 2013

Year after year, Arizona’s elected officials continue to amaze us with a never-ending stream of stupidity, hypocrisy, and failure.The year’s been no exception — check out our picks for the 10 worst local political moments of 2013:…

Maricopa County Mugshots of the Year: 2013

At the end of the week, we bring you a roundup of visitors to the desert’s own Fourth Avenue Jail. To be considered for our Maricopa County mugshots of the week, get arrested, strike a pose, and we’ll take care of the rest.This week, we bring you our favorite mugshots…

10 Craziest Phoenix Crimes of 2013

No matter how many police reports we read through on a monthly basis, the criminal creativity, stupidity, and craziness never ceases to amaze us.Just when you think you’ve seen it all, there’s always something worse. From the legendary tale of vagina branding, to a B-list celebrity freak-out, to a torn…

Top 10 Phoenix Protests of 2013

There’s been no shortage of protests around Phoenix this year.Although most notable protests in 2013 were on the immigration front, there were a few others that caught our attention, including the protest of an alleged cat-killer, and a march for the right to go topless. Check out our picks for…

How Santa Claus Escaped Death in Arizona 81 Years Ago

In 1932, scores of people in Mesa watched Santa Claus jump out of an airplane over the East Valley.Children and adults watched Santa as he fell, and fell, and fell some more. Although the local weekly newspaper at the time, the Mesa Journal-Tribune, had hyped up a stunt in which…

Top 20 Photos Captured on Arizona’s Highway Cameras in 2013

In addition to providing the Arizona Department of Transportation with information about traffic conditions, the highway cameras throughout the state also capture some things you might not expect to see on the open road.From weird weather to strange items dumped on the highway, to odd crashes, and more, check out…

Maricopa County Mugshots of the Week: Christmas Edition

At the end of the week, we bring you a roundup of visitors to the desert’s own Fourth Avenue Jail. To be considered for our Maricopa County mugshots of the week, get arrested, strike a pose, and we’ll take care of the rest.This week, the jail’s looking a whole lot…

Joshua Silverman: 49th Arizona Soldier to Die in Afghanistan

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua Silverman, a 35-year-old from Scottsdale, was one of six soldiers who died in a helicopter crash this week in Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department.Silverman is the 49th Arizonan to die in Afghanistan under “Operation Enduring Freedom.”…

Photos: A First Look at MCSO’s New $93 Million Headquarters

Sheriff Joe Arpaio called a press conference yesterday at the new Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office headquarters in Downtown Phoenix for a prostitution bust, but we didn’t get past the lobby.Turns out, the $93 million building, at Fifth Avenue and Jackson Street, isn’t actually done yet, but we did get our…

Top 10 Jan Brewer-isms of 2013

There may be nothing more American than baseball and apple pie, but there’s nothing more Arizonan than guns and Governor Jan Brewer struggling to complete a sentence.Although the peak of Brewer-isms will likely always be her 2010 debate brain-fart, the nonsense and weirdness keep on comin’. Check out our picks…

Arizona Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Higher Campaign-Contribution Limits

New campaign-contribution limits set this year by lawmakers will go into effect.Despite Arizona voters choosing to limit campaign contributions in 1998 by approving the Clean Elections Act, Republican lawmakers passed a bill raising the limits. That drew a lawsuit from the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission and others, who argued…