At just 12 years-old, Jack Ripper has shredded his way to acclaim (literally), formerly playing with local metal band Kraized and opening solo for national acts. Ripper is heavily influenced by old school metal, and he plays the solo for “Crazy Train” better than anybody except, perhaps, the late Randy…
Not only does Shane Ocell play all the instruments in Via Vengeance, but he plays them all at once. With his Gibson guitar on his lap, he sits behind his drum set and feeds fat, gritty guitar sounds through effects pedals and Sunn amps with one hand while drumming with…
Republican state Senator Jack Harper of Surprise really let it rip in a recent commentary for the Arizona Capitol Times, and some of his comments are under fire from the blogosphere.The commentary, published on the Cap Times’ “Capitol Voices” page on March 6, 2009, is about 1,500 words long, and starts…
Yesterday, we reported on a series of dog poisonings at Carriage Lane Park in Mesa. At the time that story was published, we’d been unable to reach a spokesman at the city. Today, we learned that Mesa Animal Control is indeed investigating the poisonings — which have been linked to…
On January 2, a Valley man named Mark Irby disappeared near his family’s vacation home in Forest Lakes, Arizona, after leaving for what was supposed to have been a short ATV ride. Turns out, Irby is the vice chairman of Chandler’s Planning and Zoning Commission. A large-scale search for Irby…
Tempe-based US Airways has already come under criticism for requiring flight attendants who complained about safety issues to handle their own defense in a lawsuit filed by a pilot. Now, they’ve pulled an even stranger stunt, flying a corpse to a pet store in lieu of the fish the business…
The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department is investigating Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the MSCO, looking for evidence of discrimination based on race. Arpaio says “We’ll open our books. We have nothing to hide.” If that’s true, then why has he repeatedly refused to release public…
The Goldwater Institute has submitted a public records request to the City of Glendale, asking for information on lease negotiations between it and the Phoenix Coyotes. Goldwater attorney Clint Bolick told the Phoenix Business Journal that the institute is not ruling out legal action regarding the lease terms between the Coyotes…
Since November, at least four dogs have gotten sick and one has died from poisoning after eating laced meat at Carriage Lane Park in Mesa. The owners of the afflicted canines have had to fight to get a case opened with Mesa’s Animal Control Department, which is short-staffed after a…
Last week, we reported that the $29 million dollar Polly Rosenbaum State Archives and History Building Reading Room closed because of budget cuts. But after an outpouring of requests, Arizona State Library Archives and Public Records director GladysAnn Wells has announced that the reading room will remain open to researchers…
Last month, we reported on Valley business majoreventrentalz.com, a company that’s been successful at renting out homes for sporting events in various cities to visiting sports fans. The company was founded in Phoenix in 2008, and quickly branched out nationally. Now, it’s getting even more attention — but not the…
When it comes to parents trying to teach their children how hard it is for kids in other countries, the old eat-your-dinner adage, “There are children starving in Asia,” could easily be swapped for, “There are children hauling water up hills in third world countries.”Or in this case, there are…
Here’s some news: teenagers party. But Phoenix police say the parties are getting out of hand, with partygoers forming “crews” and taking over abandoned buildings or setting up in the desert. Police say such bashes can lead to vandalism, assaults, and (surprise!) underage drinking…A thoroughbred horse found wandering free in…
Although the ASU men’s basketball team didn’t win the Pac-10 Conference championship this year, Sun Devils guard James Harden was named Pac-10 Player of the Year today by conference coaches.The 6-foot-5 sophomore led the Pac-10 in scoring with 20.8 points per game. He also averaged 1.7 steals, 4.1 assists, and…
Phoenix-based property management company Pro Properties, Inc. must pay a $7,500 fine for failing to provide federally required lead-warning statements to renters of at some of its properties. The company’s failure to disclose violates the U.S. Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, which requires landlords of housing constructed before 1978 to…
The Supreme Court has upheld a decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that overturned an Arizona law regulating how independent candidates can get on Arizona ballots. Presidential hopeful Ralph Nader sued the state after Arizona ballot laws caused him to withdraw his candidacy in the state back in…
Nashville-based Gaylord Entertainment Company has proposed building a mega-resort in Mesa that would include a convention space, retail shops, and an 18-hole golf course. But the company’s dream of turning the East Valley into a major metropolitan hub for conventions and high-profile visitors could be quashed at the polls tomorrow.Gaylord…
You know an energy drink is “extreme” when more than half the label is filled with warnings in .3 font. An eight ounce bottle of Red Line Xtreme gives a litany of cautions: “Do not consume Red Line on an empty stomach,” “Do not exceed recommended serving,” “Do not use…
He didn’t work a runway in pink underwear, but Sheriff Joe Arpaio still calls Charles Barkley a “model inmate” after the former Suns star talked to 200 teenage inmates on Saturday in Tent City, where he served three days for a DUI…Andrew Segal, 19, a student at U of A,…
A toddler missing since yesterday morning has been found and is okay, according to Mesa police. Police have not said whether or not they’ve located the man they believe abducted the boy, Michael Spurgeon…The Valley surgeon who operated on Phoenix Suns player Amar’e Stoudmire’s eye says his recuperation could take…
After budget cuts and a drop in enrollment, the Mesa Unified School District is making plans to possibly cut 310 teacher positions next year…What the puck? Despite being eight months behind in rent to Jobing.com Arena, the Phoenix Coyotes won’t have to pay any fines or penalties and have an…
Former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson is proposing the development of an entertainment complex on 22 acres surrounding Celebrity Theatre, saying it would emulate nightlife hot spots in other cities, such as Sunset Strip in L.A….Among the barrage of boo-hoos Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio laid out in his memos to…
