If you’ve been to the Ro Ho En Japanese Friendship Garden lately you may have noticed how green it is. No, we’re not talking about the vegetation. We’re referring to the water in the koi pond. Japanese gardens, even those in Japan, are man-made spaces dependent on delicate water filtration…
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted today to decline $1.6 million in state funding designed to help Sheriff Joe Arpaio target illegal immigrants.Of all the tit-for-tat power plays going on in recent weeks, this one is a real shot through the hull. Suddenly, Arpaio’s immigration enforcement tactics are being…
Three people have signed up to run for governor in next year’s election, including two conservatives who say they’re in the race specifically to counter Jan Brewer’s tax-increase proposal. Brewer, who fell into the governor’s chair when Janet Napolitano eloped with President Obama, has yet to file paperwork for the…
Local radio station KTAR (92.3 FM) is giving New Times some competition in the joke article department, telling its audience today that Phoenix is getting 350 federally funded speed cameras. The online article ran with this hilarious map — which alone should have been a dead giveaway for readers. The…
I just received the witness list for Thursday’s 287(g) hearing from New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler’s office. At this point, it’s highly unlikely that the Republicans will try to call Sheriff Joe Arpaio because the Dems are running the show, and Arpaio would be walking into a hostile environment.As previously…
Chuck Coughlin, the Republican heavyweight lobbyist of the HighGround PR firm, is a liberal-leaning, tax-supporting, poll-twisting propagandist — says the anonymous “Chewie” today on the right-wing blog Sonoran Alliance.The pachyderm rumble we’ve been covering is still rolling along, to our amusement, with the unnamed writer or group of writers at…
Cable’s Nickelodeon Channel suddenly turned political before last year’s election, and its spin-off channel for pre-schoolers, Noggin, featured Obama spots for Black History Month.But now it’s April, and blatant Obama propaganda is still being run on Noggin, as we saw this morning. Here are the words to the short cartoon…
On paper, the loss of Amar’e Stoudemire to eye surgery ripped the heart out of the Phoenix Suns — or at least their playoff chances. When the Houston Rockets’ perennial All-Star shooting guard Tracy McGrady voluntarily opted for microfracture knee surgery (the same procedure that knocked Amar’e out in 2005,…
After already cutting budgets by $32.6 million, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted to cut the county budget by another $28.7 million. Programs that will be eliminated include night courts and a youth intervention program…Mesa Mayor Scott Smith says the Chicago Cubs’ demand for better spring training facilities will…
We understand that in the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. Worry not! We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times’ blogs. Today’s entries: Valley Fever: Child Predator Alert was Paranoia; Police Called After Man Asks…
In trying to escape a $315,000 fine at an appeal hearing today, Captain Joel Fox (pictured) denied just about everything related to the political donation he made on behalf of the mysterious “SCA.” Fox even denied that “SCA” stands for “Sheriff’s Command Association,” even though the abbreviation had been spelled out that way numerous times in…
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Captain Joel Fox, still the only person to date who’s been linked to a mysterious $105,000 donation to the Arizona Republican Party, took the stand today in front of Administrative Law Judge Thomas Shedden — but instead of resolving the issue, Fox’s testimony only added further confusion to the already…
A conflict of interest between Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and the county Board of Supervisors over the investigation of a planned court tower creates the “appearance of evil,” a judge has ruled. Judge Gary Donahoe The background: In the midst of a feud with the County Supervisors, Thomas and Sheriff…
Congress and President Obama have given “National Scenic Trail” Designation to the 807-mile Arizona Trail, bestowing extra protection and attention on the 21-year-old route. For local residents, this is just one more reminder that the trail awaits your bootprints. On cool spring days, few things sound better than an…
Arizona pistachio farmers are hoping the government soon lifts a blanket warning against eating the nuts, which was issued after a California batch tested positive for salmonella. So far, there’s no indication the illness-causing bacteria infects any Arizona products, but the FDA wants people to avoid anything containing pistachios until further notice…
Espresso Pundit and Sonoran Alliance blogs kept up their slugfest today, with SA’s multiple-personality “Chewie” looking the worse for wear. The underlying subject remains the one New Times has been harping on for a few months: When good bloggers go bad — anonymously. Greg Patterson, a former Republican state legislator, argues…
Kids aren’t supposed to talk to strangers. And, these days, apparently, strangers aren’t supposed to talk to kids. According to media reports today, a guy who asked a few kids some questions about tree swings — prompting police involvement — was actually interested in tree swings. Go figure. Initial coverage of…
Legal scholar, activist, prosecutor and private prison official Mark Brnovich has been appointed director of the Arizona Department of Gaming. Scammers pay heed: This over-achieving barrister is just coming off a stint in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona as a specialist in prosecuting gambling-related crimes. Followers of private-property-rights issues may…
Eight students were treated for chemical burns after a teenager blew up a bottle filled with cleaning chemicals at J.O. Combs Middle School in Queen Creek. The ninth-grade offender was arrested on charges including aggravated assault and disorderly conduct…The William E. Morris Institute for Justice has filed a class-action lawsuit…
What a difference a few hours make. I just received confirmation from Mesa Police Department PIO Edward Wessing that Police Chief George Gascon has been contacted by the House Judiciary Committee, and that he will testify Thursday, April 2 during the committee’s 287(g) hearing.In other words, it’s on like Donkey…
We understand that in the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. Worry not! We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times’ blogs. Today’s entries: Valley Fever: Anonymous Bloggers at Sonoran Alliance Take Heat From “Peers” Immigration…
Several credible sources in the pro-immigrant activist community have informed me that they believe the House Judiciary Committee is afraid of taking on Sheriff Joe Arpaio directly, and is wary of having him become the centerpiece of the hearing.These sources, who do not wish to be identified, say they’ve been…
