Looking at the quaint, historic home that houses Inside the Bungalow off Robson and Main Streets in Mesa, one would never suspect the danger that lurks inside, in the form of a coffee drink known as “Instant Karma.” This drink is a “red eye” (coffee mixed with two shots of…
Maricopa County elections officials are launching a new program to track ballot boxes with GPS. The goal is to be able to track all 17,000 pieces of voting equipment in the Valley. The program will be tested in March during school district elections, and is expected to be fully ready…
Last week, we reported on a synthetic Cannabinoid compound called JWH-018, which is sold in herbal-incense blends at head shops around the Valley. Smoking this compound is said to have the same effect as smoking marijuana, which has led lawmakers in Kansas to seek a ban on the substance (check out…
Health officials at children’s hospitals around the Valley say hundreds of Arizona kids have been diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening respiratory virus. Known as RSV, the virus is a common cause of inflammation in the airways of the lungs and pneumonia, and its symptoms are similar to the common cold. A total…
The Arizona State Parks Board voted to close 13 parks last month, but cost estimates show that closing the parks might be more expensive than keeping them open. Closing Fort Verde Historic State Park, for example, will cost taxpayers $141,000 — about $46,000 more than it would cost to keep…
Dean Martin’s new Website opens Arizona’s checkbook for all to see. Arizona State Treasurer Dean Martin has launched a new, free Web site where people can go online and see every dime the state government’s spending. The site, azcheckbook.com, touts “Government transparency at your fingertips,” and includes an enormous wealth…
Children sang, citizens spoke, and protesters railed at the most recent community hearing on the newly approved Phoenix food tax. The hearing at Burton Barr Central Library on Tuesday night was the seventh of 15 scheduled hearings around the Valley for citizens to voice their opinions on the food tax…
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted yesterday to require that a copy of the Ten Commandments be placed in front of the old state capitol. The bill calls for the Legislative Council to seek donations for erection of the monument, and will now go to the full Senate for final approval…A…
An Arizona Senate committee has approved recommended passage of Senate Bill 1334, which would ban drivers from sending text-messages while driving. If it passes, the law will go into effect January 1, and motorists caught texting will have to pay a $50 fine. If the driver is involved in an…
In a street-front strip mall on 16th street just south of Thomas Road sits the unassuming Barrio Cafe, a place known for its tasty authentic Mexican cuisine and the slogan, “Conserve water — drink Tequila.” But one of the best drinks on the cafe’s menu is their sole coffee, Cafe…
Phoenix City Council members have approved a $6 million proposal to expand Arizona State University’s downtown campus. The city plans to purchase the old Ramada Inn at 401 N. 1st Street with surplus bond money and spend roughly $1.3 million for renovations. The $6 million ASU expansion plan was approved…
A Mesa police officer is accused of shoplifting at Sportsman’s Warehouse in east Mesa. Officer Mark Cormier was cited this week for stealing an item from the store and has been placed on administrative reassignment while an internal investigation is conducted. A security manager for the store says he will…
An Arizona ATF agent who infiltrated the Hells Angels has won a civil complaint against the ATF. The agent, Jay Dobyns, says his bosses failed to protect him after he received death threats from the notorious motorcycle club. But federal lawyers have filed a counterclaim against Dobyns, alleging that he “harmed…
Otep Shamaya says, “Art is war.” The singer for her namesake L.A.-based metal-fusion band, Otep, considers herself a revolutionary, and makes art catharsis via visceral screams and songs that sear the ears like hot grease. Her lyrics are laden with apocryphal poetics about religion, politics, love, and loathing; she’s a…
Ron Sterr, the principal of Litchfield Elementary School who sent a “joke” letter to teachers berating students’ intelligence, has been demoted. The school board voted 4-1 to have Sterr demoted to assistant principal at another school. The majority of parents who spoke at the board meeting Tuesday reportedly expressed support for Sterr,…
Today, numerous local news outlets reported that convicted child rapist Adrian Cruz, who escaped from the less-than-competent MSCO at the Maricopa County Courthouse last year, had been arrested in Mexico. But before officials could even hold a press conference celebrating this supposed arrest, it turned out that officials in Mexico…
Adrian Cruz, the convicted child rapist who escaped from the Maricopa County Courthouse last year, was captured yesterday afternoon in Mexico. The U.S. Marshals Service says Mexican authorities contacted it yesterday to say they had Cruz in custody. Now, a Mexican judge must decide whether to deport Cruz back to Arizona…
The Tru Blood carbonated drink was introduced last year, one of many merchandise extensions of HBO’s popular show, True Blood. While viewers eagerly anticipate the third season of that show (currently in production), we decided to try the drink, which is modeled after the bottled “blood” that vampires swig on…
Police say a phony 911 call on Sunday led to a police chase on Interstate 10 near Casa Grande. A Mesa man named John Michael Cook called the cops and said he was held hostage by immigrant smugglers and forced to transport illegals in a U-Haul truck. Police caught the truck, but…
Mesa officials are considering allowing off-track betting on horse races at Phoenix track Turf Paradise. Mesa Mayor Scott Smith says it would bring in more tax money, but expressed concerns about other problems wagering might bring. Several sports bars in Phoenix, Chandler, Tempe, and Scottsdale currently offer off-track betting…The Chandler…
Robert Halliday, the newly-appointed director of the Department of Public Safety, criticized the photo enforcement cameras on Arizona streets and highways, saying the system needs to be restructured or scrapped altogether. Halliday says he’d rather see more officers on the highways instead of the cameras, and a restructuring would mean…
Nick Mathison leans over the glass display cases at Trader’s Smoke Shop in Peoria and spreads a pile of flaky green herbs across the counter. “I smoked some of this one night when I was watching a movie,” he says, tucking tufts of his red hair under a black baseball…
