Former state lawmaker Daniel Patterson claims in a federal lawsuit that his civil rights were violated when he was served with restraining orders and charged with domestic-violence crimes last year.Patterson, a Democrat, claims the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the Tucson City Attorney ignored his legislative immunity, which he claims…

In case you missed any news action this week, we’ve got you covered.Here’s our recap of the most-read news stories of the week:…

Ben Miranda, an attorney, former Democratic lawmaker and longtime Latino community leader, died at the age of 64.Miranda was serving on the Maricopa Community Colleges Governing Board at the time of his death…

The mother of one of the Granite Mountain Hotshots who died in the Yarnell Hill Fire is seeking millions of dollars from the City of Prescott, Yavapai County, and the state.Marcia McKee, the mother of 21-year-old Grant McKee, filed a notice of claim against the three entities, which could precede…

A Mesa man has been arrested in an alleged plot to kill his family, as a “copycat” of the man who murdered three family members in Phoenix before shooting himself on Tuesday.Mesa Police Detective Steve Berry says a roommate reported 34-year-old Carlos Hillan’s intentions to police, and officers arrested him…

Federal prosecution of immigration crimes is down in Arizona — down enough to dethrone the state as the top spot for such prosecutions.The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse run by Syracuse University found that the judicial districts in south Texas and west Texas are now numbers one and two for most…

Defense contractor Lockheed Martin announced today that it’s cutting 4,000 jobs nationwide, including 600 in Arizona.Those 600 Arizona employees work at a 495,000-square-foot facility in Goodyear, which will close…

Activists keep showing up to Attorney General Tom Horne’s office to protest Horne’s lawsuit to keep DREAMers from being able to pay in-state tuition at community colleges.On Wednesday, a Horne staffer got a bit testy with Citizens for a Better Arizona activist Beto Soto, who’s been leading some of the…

A grand total of 739 Arizonans signed up for health insurance through the federal health insurance exchange set up by Obamacare.Nationwide, 106,185 people have selected healthcare plans through the marketplace, according to statistics released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services…

Hand grenades were found at the New River ranch where a man lost his foot in an explosion last week.A 49-year-old man apparently stepped on something that exploded while he was helping friends move out of a house on the ranch, which used to be owned by a military weapons…

A Phoenix man shot and killed three people Tuesday, including his estranged wife and teenage daughter, before killing himself, police say.Michael Sanders, 53, shot them at the family’s home near 51st Street and Thunderbird Road, according to Phoenix police…

More activists were arrested Tuesday at Attorney General Tom Horne’s office in Phoenix after another protest of Horne’s lawsuit to make DREAMers ineligible to pay in-state tuition at community colleges.This time, activists held a sort of mock funeral for the dreams of the young people being denied in-state tuition, as…

The Canadian teenager accused of threatening to kill Sheriff Joe Arpaio was arrested again for — you guessed it — threatening to kill Arpaio.The youngster, whose name hasn’t been released throughout this whole saga, apparently utilized a “contact us” form on the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office website to leave his…

Two Border Patrol agents received prison sentences for violating the civil rights of men they found trying to smuggle marijuana in southern Arizona five years ago.Agents Dario Castillo, 25, of Yuma, and Ramon Zuniga, age 31, of San Luis, were each sentenced to two years in prison, plus three years…

Phoenix cracked the top 10 in a listing of the best cities for people 35 or younger.The “mostly scientific guide” produced by Vocativ, a news website that relies on data mining, includes all the important stuff — you know, like the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment, the cost of…

This weekend, a charity is hosting a “celebrity roast” of Sheriff Joe Arpaio.Chris Kattan from Saturday Night Live and comedian Joey Medina are supposed to be a couple of the roasters. In case they have trouble coming up with material, we’ve made a list of the top-10 lines to roast…

A 23-year-old man was detained by South Tucson police this summer, and held for more than five hours so he could be questioned about his immigration status, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona.The ACLU is getting involved in the case, as a challenge to section 2(b) of…

Phoenix police arrested two young men suspected of killing 17-year-old boxing champion Alexis Urbina in September.According to court documents obtained by New Times, 22-year-old Robert Chavez and 23-year-old Joseph Corrales are accused of killing Urbina so they could steal his cell phone, laptop computer, and other electronics from him…