The monsoons have finally arrived in the Valley. After a series of thunderstorms Monday night, the city saw more storms early this morning. Although temperatures in the Valley are expected to be around 108 the next several days, the Weather Service says the chance for thunderstorms will continue into next…
There’s something about old, recycled gas stations we just love. Maybe it’s the quaint feel of days gone by, or the security of being surrounded by hearty brick-and-mortar, but whatever it is, Copper Star Coffee’s got the cute, indie coffee cafe vibe down pat. The place still features gas pumps…
In the latest four-alarm fire at a Valley structure (Richardson’s restaurant was destroyed last week), firefighters are battling a huge blaze at a recycling plant in Glendale. The fire broke out at 8 p.m. last night at the Tempe-Inland Inc. facility, and crews are expected to battle the blaze most of…
The Arizona Department of Economic Security is warning clients in DES’ Early Intervention Program of possible identity theft. After two backup hard drives were stolen from a Phoenix storage facility last October, the department sent out 65,000 letters to warn people of identity theft. Ten thousand of them were returned…
The cash-strapped Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority has made a deal with the Arizona Cardinals to have the NFL team operate concessions at University of Phoenix stadium, beginning in 2010. The Cardinals will market the stadium for sponsorships and non-football events, but officials for the stadium’s other tenant, the Fiesta…
An Arizona court of appeals has upheld the conviction of Roman Catholic priest Paul LeBrun, found guilty of sex crimes while working parishes in Tolleson and Avondale. The judge in the original 2006 trial, Crane McLennen, gave LeBrun the max sentence: 111 years…US Airways will eliminate 600 ground jobs this fall…
A medical doctor in Kingman has been charged with 14 felony counts, after an investigation revealed he regularly wrote up to as many as 100 prescriptions a day at his practice, for painkillers such as Percocet and Oxycontin. The doctor, Albert Szu Sun Yeh, also has a practice in Las…
Anybody who’s ever been to La Grande Orange Grocery in Arcadia knows that parking is pretty tight at this super hip organic grocery/deli/coffee shop, as well as the surrounding high-end hipster restaurants like Il Postino and Radio Milano. There’s sometimes even less room inside La Grande Orange, where multiple lines…
Arizona-based grocery store chain Bashas’ Supermarkets Inc. filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Ten Bashas’ and Food City stores will close July 21 (the company also owns AJ’s Fine Foods, but no closures of those markets have been announced)…Members of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council will go to San Francisco…
Everything seems to be falling in place for Phoenix hip-hop artist Willy Northpole: he’s signed to an imprint on a major label (Island Def Jam’s Disturbing Tha Peace, owned by Ludacris), his first album, Tha Connect, hit stores to favorable feedback on June 23, and his first video from the…
Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard has filed a consumer fraud suit against several Tucson real estate businesses. The suit alleges that the company engaged in a fraudulent system that led to the foreclosure of more than 130 homes. The scheme allegedly involved attracting novice home buyers to purchase properties and…
Arizona has used only three percent of the $12 million in federal stimulus funds the state received for housing, according to a government oversight report released Wednesday. The same report shows the state hasn’t spent any of its educations funds, but has already spent 96 percent of its stimulus Medicaid…
The Scottsdale city council voted to terminate the contract of City Attorney Deborah Robberson, effective Friday. Robberson became City Attorney in 2005, after serving as the city’s deputy attorney for five years…Two wildfires are burning in the Kaibab National Forest in northern Arizona, but firefighters say the fires are good…
A company in Luxembourg is funding research for Valley company T-gen. The research will involve testing and storing blood and tissue samples.T-gen doctor Jeffrey Trent called the Luxembourg contract big news for the Arizona bio-research community…Police are still investigating a possible case of sexual assault aboard a school bus in…
The charming Lola Coffee shop on Central Avenue shares a similar ambiance with hip hangouts like Lola Tapas and Lux — lots of comfortable chairs and couches, magazines laying about, Wi-Fi access, smooth and unobtrusive music (often jazz) in the background, and good-looking people absorbed in laptops or philosophical conversations…
A Biltmore Estates mansion was destroyed by fire over the weekend. Authorities believe the $3 million home caught fire on the first floor. A man was trapped on the second floor, but used scuba gear and a rolling ladder to escape. He was treated for smoke inhalation…DUI task forces across the state…
Sixteen suspected illegal immigrants were arrested Wednesday night at a west Phoenix house. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says the suspects were all found to have entered the U.S. illegally…A Tucson mother of three was arrested after police officers discovered 1100 pounds of pot in her home. Officers were alerted…
A federal judge ruled yesterday that Arizona’s lethal-injection procedure is similar to the method approved by the U.S. Supreme Court. Executions have been on hold in Arizona since November 2007, when the Arizona Supreme Court stalled the execution of inmate Jeffrey Landrigan pending a federal decision about lethal-execution methods in…
Last week, indie movie rental hub Movies On Central suddenly closed. This week, Vintage Fashion owner David Sheflin signed a lease to take over the space, which is located in the Xavier Square retail center on Central, just south of Camelback. The retail center is also home to specialty shop…
The Arizona house has rejected a bill that would have made the presence of illegal immigrants criminal by expanding trespassing laws. Opponents argued passage of the bill would have lead to racial profiling…Phoenix asphalt contractor John D. Stacey was convicted on federal tax-evasion charges yesterday. He was also convicted of fraudulent…
Phoenix City Council will vote this week on three projects: a 12-acre entertainment district on Jackson Street, a $300 million expansion of the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa, and a Latino cultural center on Adams Street. Wednesday is the council’s last meeting before the summer recess…As Mesa Police Chief George…
Locally-owned Jolta Java’s beverage menu reads like a wish list for sugar freaks: caramel espresso blends, fruity tropical teas, Italian sodas, smoothies, and whipped cream on pretty much anything you want. We decided to combine our quest for caffeine with a massive sugar rush by ordering Jolta Java’s Mexican Joltachino…
