Despite criticism of the Valley’s educational system and its students, a girl from a Metro Phoenix school landed a pretty cerebral gig. Andrea Salt, 12, of Gilbert was one of 15 kids chosen by the producers of quiz show Jeopardy! to compete on the program’s “Kids Week” — scheduled to be aired Monday, July 5,…
A 15-year-old Liberian boy pleaded guilty in a juvenile court to his role in the July, 2009 gang-rape of an 8-year-old girl. The teenager pleaded to charges of kidnapping, sexual assault, three counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, and one count of attempted sexual misconduct with a minor. His…
Maricopa County officials voted yesterday to give their lawyers permission to file a lawsuit over a $456,000 bus the Sheriff’s Office bought to transport inmates. County officials question the legality of the purchase, because it wasn’t put out for competitive bidding. Sheriff Joe Arpaio defended the purchase, saying he has…
There are so many energy drinks on the market these days, and so few that truly stand out — even visually. A walk down the energy drink aisle at the store becomes a monotonous montage of black and silver aluminum, decorated with various logos in bright orange and florescent green…
A huge fire early this morning at a Salt River Project substation sent a big smoke plume several miles to the west. The burning transformer, at the SRP substation near 121st Avenue and Broadway Road, hasn’t caused any reported power outages so far. A dozen firefighters battled the blaze through…
The former mining boomtown of Tombstone, Arizona could see a resurgence in mining soon. Local company Tombstone Exploration Corporation announced that it’s scheduled to begin an extensive drilling program in April. The company, which owns 11,500 acres of historical mining land in the desert around Tombstone, will drill at multiple…
Three people were killed yesterday when a dump truck hit a group of motorcyclists in north Phoenix. Eight motorcycles were stopped at a red light near 27th drive and Carefree Highway when the dump truck hit them from behind, pinning three people under the truck. Six more people were taken…
In the next month, student groups at all four ASU campuses will vote on a proposed smoking ban. The ban would prohibit smoking anywhere on the campuses, and university administration says it probably will accept the votes. If the ban passes, ASU would join about 381 colleges in the United…
A gas leak has prompted the evacuation of about 20 homes in the area of Doubletree Ranch and Scottsdale Roads. No injuries were reported, and Southwest Gas has been notified, but Scottsdale Road is closed at Doubletree Ranch in both directions. Traffic is being diverted southbound at Mountain View and…
The Environmental Protection Agency released its second annual list of U.S. cities with the most energy-efficient buildings. Phoenix ranked number 20, just ahead of Ogden, Utah, and Charlotte, North Carolina.The EPA’s list is determined by the number of energy-efficient buildings in each city. Phoenix has 52 buildings with “Energy Star”…
The Fiesta Bowl wants a refund from the city of Glendale for at least $600,000 for overpayment of taxes on ticket sales. Fiesta Bowl officials say, for the past three years, they’ve overpaid for taxes at University of Phoenix Stadium. Glendale would not confirm or deny the request, but city…
If their pre-season moves are any indication, the Phoenix Mercury are ready to come out of the gates shooting when their season opens May 15.In addition to announcing the formation of an all-male training squad to challenge the WNBA champion Mercury, General Manager Ann Meyers Drysdale recently signed two potentially key…
What a sugar rush! Usually, we shy away from super-sweet coffees, choosing instead to add sugar and cream on our own to often bitter house blends. But in the case of Urban Beans’ caramel toffee nut mocha, we didn’t need to add a thing.Urban Beans serves a variety of coffees,…
Some counties in Arizona have turned to cremating the indigent. Citing budget woes, lack of space, and the high cost of burials, Yavapai, Navajo, and Yuma counties have begun cremating the indigent rather than burying them in paupers’ graves. Indigents are still buried in Maricopa County, but officials say budget…
The Arizona Legislature advanced an abortion bill yesterday, while delaying a concealed-weapons bill. The abortion measure, which requires final passage before moving to the Senate, would require healthcare personnel who treat women with complications from abortions to submit a report to the state. The House delayed consideration of another bill,…
A controversial bill that would allow faculty to carry guns on campuses has advanced in Arizona. According to Senator Jack Harper, who introduced the bill, his proposal would deter gunmen from opening fire on Arizona campuses. A preliminary committee voted 5-2 to approve the bill, and it now goes to…
Acclaimed blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa has been blazing a path in music since B.B. King first discovered the six-string slinger when he was 12 and took him on the road as his opening act. He’s been featured on the cover of Guitar World, Guitar Player, and Guitarist; he continues to…
Federal immigration officials are opening a processing center in Mesa to handle an influx of Central-American immigrants. The center, which will operate at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, will serve as the final stop before the illegal immigrants are put on planes for home. The facility will open in about two weeks…The…
According to a recent count, more than 2,700 homeless people live on the streets of metropolitan Phoenix. The Maricopa Association of Governments says this is a 6 percent decrease from the year before. Of the 2,729 people living on Valley streets, 236 are younger than 18…Lockheed Martin’s Arizona Support Center in…
We know what you’re thinking: Wait, isn’t Bookmans a used book store? That it is, but as we’ve previously reported, the Bookmans location in Mesa recently opened a cafe. We’ve long been fans of the store’s book, music, and video game selection, but we were skeptical about the coffee. On…
Home Bible studies have been banned in Gilbert. An ordinance that forbids Gilbert churches from having potlucks or home Bible studies was enforced on the Oasis of the Truth Church, which received a cease-and-desist order after holding Bible studies at several different homes. The church has filed an appeal, calling…
A Chandler man died in a plane crash at Chandler air park yesterday. Nazzi Hirani was flying his World War II plane when it cartwheeled and crashed into a building at Stellar Airpark. Officials have not yet determined the cause of the crash…The Catholic Diocese of Phoenix has laid off…
