Two new lawsuits against Maricopa County seem to emphasize why medical treatment for jail inmates needs improving. In one case, a diabetic man died of gangrene in 2007 after six weeks in the clink. The family of David McClurg alleges that even though McClurg himself didn’t know he was diabetic, he exhibited symptoms that should have…
Now more than two weeks after the Arizona State Legislature passed a budget deemed satisfactory by Governor Jan Brewer, the absentee chief executive has cleared her schedule to hold discussions with legislators on how to pay for it. Brewer’s schedule, usually full of press conferences, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, and baby-kissing, this…
Scottsdale-based Taser International recently demonstrated a new product for police that can shock three people at a time. Now, we agree that Taser has benefited law enforcement and even some crime suspects who might have otherwise ended up shot or injured in a scuffle with cops…
A 17-year-old kid got separated from his buddies on Saturday after a day at the Salt River and accepted a ride home from four dudes. Bad move. The guys drove the teen to an apartment complex at 1803 North Country Club Drive and ordered him to get out of the…
About 3,600 speed-camera cases are on the West McDowell Justice Court docket this morning at 8:30 a.m., and officials are bracing for hundreds of citizens — at the least — to appear in person. “What we don’t know is how many will show up,” says Terry Stewart, justice courts administrator…
There’s always a lot of news coverage about so-called “teen issues” — in the paper, on-line, on TV and on the radio. From teen pregnancies and homelessness to video-game violence and, of course, teen shopping habits, it’s an endless topic of debate and discussion…among adults. That’s about to change. KJZZ…
Just when we thought we didn’t have to watch commercials anymore, with TiVo ending the corporate enslavement of our subconscious, advertisers snuck back in. And we didn’t even notice. A study released by the Department of Research and Economic Affairs at Arizona State University found that subliminal advertising through product placement in movies…
Max Scherzer might as well start calling himself Jack Sparrow, since the Diamondbacks pitcher was cutting down Pirates left and right during yesterday’s 9-0 shutout over Pittsburgh at Chase Field. Instead of using ye olde cutlass, however, he was doing it with his 94-mile-per-hour four-seamers and sliders, dispatching Bucs batters…
Police are investigating a home invasion in Peoria early this morning, in which as many as nine people were taken hostage. Police received a call about a burglary in progress just before 3 a.m., and arrived as four suspects were leaving in a truck. One suspect escaped on foot…Three employees of…
by David Shankbone Bill bowed down to Nappy on Real Time tonight… Ya think Bill was worried about Janet putting him on the no-fly list? I’ve long been a fan of Bill Maher, and, to be honest, I still am. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed with Maher’s…
In the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times’ blogs. Today’s entries: Feathered Bastard: Joe Arpaio Whines About Three Illegals Released on Orders of ICE (Or Were They?) Up…
Visitors to the Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Garden may have a few detours to make with road construction on Galvin Parkway expected to last through September. The city of Phoenix is building a roundabout intersection near the Garden. A city of Phoenix worker from the street transportation department…
courtesy of Dennis Gilman Why does this man still have federal power? Ask Janet Napolitano…Is ICE finally yanking on Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s leash? And is it too gentle of a tug to stop the sweeps? Check out the press release below sent out by Arpaio announcing a 4 p.m. press conference…
Budget cuts may be the norm in the city of Phoenix, but the police department is buying a new, $4.2 million airplane for extraditions and surveillance work. The prop-driven Pilatus PC-12 Spectre is gorgeous (to aircraft geeks like us) and comes loaded with sophisticated cameras for spying on crime suspects. The Swiss-made plane also includes a pressurized…
The reported shunning of an 8-year-old rape victim by her Liberian parents is “not a manifestation of our culture,” the Liberian ambassador to the United States tells New Times. Some media coverage of the July 16 rape quotes experts saying this kind of thing is the norm in Liberia, a country…
When writing an article about the country’s most famous newsman (not to mention the namesake of ASU’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication) you’d think a New York Times reporter would double-check all of the facts, if for nothing other than a bit of post-mortem respect. Guess not. Take a…
The Department of Public Safety reports this afternoon that Interstate 10 is closed to traffic in both directions after the crash of a hazardous materials truck sparked an intense fire. The wreck happened just after 9 a.m. this morning when a semi-truck pulling two trailers cruised off the roadway, overturned…
In what will probably be described sarcastically as a “dream come true,” by fathers of 10-year-old girls across the Valley, the Jonas Brothers are scheduled to play in a public kickball game in Peoria in August. The pop-tarts — who vehemently campaign for chastity, clean living, and just about everything else the rest of us…
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano plans to give a major public speech about terrorism and other security issues next week in New York City, a tipster told Foreign Policy magazine. According to an article on the magazine’s Web site, Napolitano give the speech at the corporation-rich, pro-amnesty-for-illegal-immigrants Council on Foreign…
Looks like our recent criticism of Terry Goddard’s boring, old Twitter account made an impact, (though we’re pretty sure we weren’t the only ones suggesting he liven things up). The state Attorney General began a new, more personalized Twitter account this week, to the accolades of some of his followers. Instead…
A local group’s taking its plea for the Arizona Republic’s survival to the same “new media” that’s taking a huge toll on the daily’s business. The group on Facebook has set sights on bringing new business to the publication that recently suffered another round of layoffs. “Rescue the Republic” is comprised of about 1,200 ex-reporters, journalism…
“Pork” fighters Jon Kyl, John McCain and Jeff Flake don’t bring home the bacon for Arizona, and they aren’t very successful at bumping other senators or congressmen from the trough, either. Flake, a Republican, just lost a battle to stop $250,000 in an appropriations bill from going to a planned…
