How about just saying “oops?” The Social Security Administration today defended its decision to hold a “training conference” at the lavish Arizona Biltmore last week that cost taxpayers roughly $750,000. Mark Lassiter, spokesman for the SSA, tells Federal Times.com that the three-day retreat was just your average training…
Our Republican Gov. Jan Brewer has effectively banned abortion for 24 hours with the stroke of her pen. Where are the Arizona Democrats? Asleep somewhere, dreaming of Janet Napolitano and Barack Obama gamboling in a field of poppies. And I don’t see any sign that they’ll be waking up any time…
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Dave Hendershott (pictured) asked for e-mails of Superior Court staff in a fresh public-records request this month and was promptly told to bug off.A similar records request went nowhere earlier this year, spurring a lawsuit from the Sheriff’s Office that was shot down in June…
Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas’ lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Spanish-language DUI courts was rejected today by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.Thomas already lost this one once at the U.S. District Court level, though he once vowed to take it to the Supreme Court, if necessary. Thomas believes the…
It was one of the weirdest mysteries in yesterday’s revelatory SCA filing, which revealed the donors behind the money that financed an attack ad on Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s opponent.Why the heck would a bunch of out-of-town businessmen be willing to write massive checks to a secret committee started by a…
In 2004, Arizona State University geologist Phil Christensen put out a request via Internet: Send rocks.In five years, children and adults worldwide have answered the call — big-time. Last week, ASU reported the Rock Around the World program was sent its 10,000th rock, the piece of quartz from Nepal in…
Arizona State University assistant professor Jay Golden will assist a major project by Wal-Mart to rate the ecological impact of the products it sells.Here’s how the New York Times describes the three steps of the project: The first will involve Wal-Mart’s gathering information from its suppliers about the sustainable practices…
The Arizona Republic posted an online article from the Associated Press today about how its parent company, Gannett, recorded a profit in a recent earnings statement.We couldn’t help but notice — especially after someone pointed it out to us — that the article doesn’t mention the “L” word.As the Wall…
A 71-year-old posse member with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office had to be airlifted to a hospital after he was struck by a minivan while helping with an anti-smuggling operation.A news release by the sheriff’s office states that James Van Allen was treated for broken ribs and a concussion after…
We’re not saying Captain Joel Fox is wrong about everything. Turns out he’s right on the issue of whether the SCA contributions were, in fact, “payroll deductions.” Although the reports filed by Fox say “payroll deductions,” Fox says in comments to this blog that they were actually nothing more than…
Captain Joel Fox hasn’t been honest with us. Here’s what Fox posted to our blog in February about the $105,000 contribution to the Arizona Republican Party that came from the SCA: None of the money came from Arpaio,or Hendershott or Arpaio’s campaign, or anyone associated with Arpaio’s campaign, nor did…
Nearly half (48 percent) of 675 physicians polled by a research group believe the H1N1 virus poses some risk for a “catastrophic” global Swine Flu pandemic. The study, done by HCD Research, tracked physicians’ opinions weekly since April and found doctors’ concerns at an all-time high. “Our recent study revealed…
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…
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: David Irving’s Holocaust Denial Wing-Ding YouTubed by Dennis Gilman Up on the Sun: Geek Beat:…
Just hung up from one of our trusty “Deep Throat” sources who tells us the FBI is highly interested in the Sheriff’s Command Association case. Our source says New Times articles this morning about the men behind the SCA donations were forwarded to the local FBI office. An FBI agent soon…
In case you missed any of the action on the SCA scandal as reported through several blog posts today here is a review: Dan Saban: SCA Donors had “Vested Interest” in Election Outcome; Hendershott Nixed Payroll Deductions for Union DuesJoe Arpaio’s Office Denies Involvement in SCA Despite Donations From Office’s…
The revelation today that top deputies at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office were behind the shadowy SCA shows Sheriff Arpaio and his minions “aren’t willing to come out and have a fair fight,” says Arpaio’s longtime political opponent, Dan Saban. Saban (pictured) ran against Arpaio in 2008 as a Democrat and was slammed with one of the…
Mystery writer J.A. Jance, whose best-selling novels are often set in Arizona, will host a free reading at the Burton Barr Central Library on August 1. We read one Jance book a few years back, Desert Heat, which is part of a series of novels about a female sheriff in…
In right turn for Arizona on the issue of abortion rights, Governor Jan Brewer signed legislation Monday that places new regulations on abortion, including restrictions that her predecessor, former-Governor Janet Napolitano, vetoed each time they landed on her desk. Among other stipulations, the new law says that mothers must wait 24 hours between their initial visit…
We sent Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio a question on Twitter about the newly uncovered SCA donors that include his top brass. No response yet. We left messages for Arpaio and his chief deputy, Dave Hendershott — one of the SCA’s top donors — but they didn’t return calls. Instead,…
Now we know: Chief Deputy David Hendershott and other top Sheriff’s Office brass were, in fact, regular donors to the fund that financed a scurrilous ad attacking Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s last election opponent. That’s big news.But the biggest news in today’s long-awaited campaign-finance filing from the secretive SCA committee is…
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has enacted a temporary solution to the economic crisis in the state: Try and make everyone forget it exists via — beer. On Monday, Brewer signed a bill that allows Arizona microbreweries to brew twice as much beer as they are currently permitted. At the…
