Never trust a guy who’s got a swastika tattooed on his forehead: Phoenix cops arrest four suspected white supremacists after two hate crime attacks. Steve Nash says he’s “emotionally drained” following the Suns’ trade of Raja Bell and Boris Diaw for Jason Richardson of the Charlotte Bobcats. This is news you…
Here’s one way to get people to pay their photo enforcement tickets or waive their right to proper service: Lie. That’s what the Scottsdale City Court does in tickets generated from its municipal system, which operates speed and red light cameras. As savvy readers know, especially if they’ve read our work…
Barrett Marson, spokesman for outgoing Arizona House Speaker Jim Weiers, says in an e-mailed farewell that he’ll look back fondly on his four years dealing with the “jackals” in the media, some of whom he may have even enjoyed getting to know. Friends and acquaintances of Marson’s know he’s just joshing…
How’s this for ironic: Just days after Health magazine reports that Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is America’s “Healthiest” airport, local Channel 15 (KNXV) broadcasts a report on how the airport’s restaurants have been cited for numerous health code violations since 2006. We’re big fans of these Maricopa County health inspector…
Sheriff Joe Arpaio couldn’t make a misdemeanor case against Jarrett Maupin II stick, but Arpaio says another agency’s considering more serious charges against the Phoenix Union High School Board District member and former mayoral candidate. This according to a Arizona Republic story today. We couldn’t get Arpaio on the phone, but really,…
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio gave perhaps his shortest comment on record in his 16 years in office in response to a reporter’s question about the massive fine levied against one of his employee’s for a campaign violation: “No knowledge. No comment.” Arpaio seems so unconcerned that the “Sheriff’s Command…
County news doesn’t get more interesting: Maricopa County Sheriff’s Captain Joel Fox is fined $315,000 for a dirty donation made to the Republican Party. Maricopa County Supervisor Don Stapley is booked and released on suspicion of failing to disclose some real estate transactions on his campaign forms. In a form…
Accused animal abuser Earl Simmons, a.k.a. rapper DMX, was arrested in Florida today following yesterday’s news that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was offering $5,000 for information on his whereabouts. The rapper, who was arrested at his Cave Creek home in May on animal cruelty charges, was found at the mansion of record producer Scott Storch,…
Seal skin makes great coats and waterproof shoes, but first you have to catch a cute little marine mammal and make some red snow. “Save the seals” isn’t just a cliche — the Humane Society of the United States continues the call first sounded in the 1970s with a three-year-old…
“Synchronizing” is a tough word to spell, even if you aren’t high from the ton of marijuana you’re trying to smuggle. But you’d think after going to all the trouble of creating this UPS lookalike, the smugglers would invest some of their profit in a dictionary. The truck, which was…
David Modeer, director of the Phoenix water department, has been tapped to become the next general manager of the Central Arizona Project. The 336-mile long system of pipelines and canals helps bring water to 80 percent of the state’s population. In a Tucson Citizen article, Modeer explains that the Central Arizona Water…
Big catch: Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is arrested by the FBI on corruption charges. Gay rights supporters urge people to call in sick to work on Wednesday to protest the California (and don’t forget Arizona) ban on same-sex marriages — despite massive job layoffs around the country. Lots of news…
Jill McCutcheon, executive director of Sedona Recycles, says the current state of recycling is the biggest Catch-22 she’s ever seen. The non-profit northern Arizona company’s education division did a stellar job convincing state residents to drop off cardboard goods at 13 sites around the Verde Valley. Now, literally tons of…
Arizonans and local companies have donated nearly $2.5 million for a long-awaited restoration of the USS Arizona Memorial’s visitor center in Honolulu, Hawaii, the tourist attraction that showcases the sunken tomb for the sailors trapped inside the 93-year-old battleship. Yet the fundraising has fallen short of the $3 million goal set three years ago, even as the cost…
Two local doctors will be named in the Guiness Book of World Records for the biggest uterus removal ever. The November 30, 2007 procedure at Tempe St. Luke’s is a big deal in the world of minimally invasive surgical techniques, which are far easier on patients than surgeries that involve large incisions. Using…
The case of an Arizona police officer who found a gun after she patted down the passenger of vehicle who had committed no crime goes before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. The state, as represented by the Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, will argue that such pat-downs — and using evidence found…
The headline on azcentral.com today sure got our attention: “Light-rail riders who don’t pay will be fined $500.” That’s a whole lot more for the same offense than people pay in other cities. For example, New York City charges scofflaws who “jump the turnstile” only $100, bumping up the fine…
Stealing a free ride on the light-rail train can cost you a lot more than the price of ticket. However, see today’s Valley Fever blog about the supposed “$500 fine” the Light rail freeloaders to face $500 fine Local oposition grows to photo enforcement …
In documents filed with the Securites and Exchange Commission, Taser claims it negotiated a deal with the Arizona Republic and USA Today for review of Taser articles prior to publication, according to an article by the Center for Investigative Reporting. Journalistic ethics forbid such prior review. The newspapers deny the allegation, and the…
People ask us all the time: What can I do about that nasty photo radar ticket I got in the mail? The answer: Nothing. Literally. Chuck it in the trash. It’s perfectly ethical — just look at the ticket’s fine print. You see, for photo enforcement citations to be valid, the state Supreme Court…
We couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow when we saw the Economist’s headline “City of the Future” and realized it referred to Mesa, the rather bland, ultra-suburban neighbor of Phoenix. But the international weekly seems to really dig Mesa’s attempt to mold a new city center out of nothing. In any case, it’s quite a coup for Mesa to get this…
She’s not wasting any time: Jan Brewer, the conservative Republican Arizona secretary of state, is gathering a transition team to begin her serendipitous coup of the State Capitol’s 9th Floor. Tasers shock at higher powers than expected, according to a new study. Murders in Phoenix are decreasing, but keep your head down…
