By John Dickerson Here in Maricopa County, we’re all too familiar with politicians who punish media outlets they don’t like. New Times readers know that right-wing Sheriff Joe Arpaio retaliates against media outlets he despises, refusing to give them interviews or even press releases. His pal and colleague County Attorney…
By Ray Stern The East Valley Tribune’s editor Jim Ripley will reportedly be retiring in early January, (at the same time nearly half the newspaper’s staff is being laid off). But in the meantime, it seems he’s more than happy to keep the pressure on oddball Gilbert Mayor Steve Berman…
Arizona Department of Corrections Eyman Complex By Ray Stern A 51-year-old Arizona prison inmate who was assaulted a week ago died of his injuries on Sunday, a prison spokesman confirmed this morning. The man’s name and more information about the assault will be released later today, said Nolberto Machiche, spokesman…
By Stephen Lemons Anyway they spin it, Joe lost in that jails suit, no matter what Supervisor Kunasek says. Period. Since September, AZ gains 188,000 new voters. Par for the course: County Attorney Thomas retaliates against Tom Lovejoy. That’s what happens when you take on Candy’s pal Sheriff Joe. Cards…
By Ray Stern All outrage apparently gone, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith went to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office today in a move that reeked of capitulation. On October 16, the day Arpaio’s troops raided Mesa City Hall and the city’s public library, Smith talked tough, saying the city had…
Mark Bosworth, GoRenter founder By Ray Stern The rental company founded by fallen (self-described) real estate “guru” Mark Bosworth, (whose story was told in the May 13 edition of New Times), has been ordered to stop ads the state real estate commissioner says are illegal. A statement issued today by…
Many East Valley Tribune readers must have done double-takes after viewing this front-page teaser about a cookie story in today’s paper. “Grandma’s kills wanted…” Do they mean human or road kills? And for a cookie recipe, possibly? Are those dark bumps in the pictured cookies chocolate chips — or something…
By Ray Stern One look at Ashley Todd’s picture (above), and you know she’s the kind of campaign volunteer who goes the extra mile for her candidate, John McCain. That black eye and the “B” carved on her face — her own handiwork, police say. Todd, a Texas college student…
By Stephen Lemons McCain says Palin will donate the $150K in new duds the GOP bought her. Palin fans look forward to her wearing nothing. Er, nothing that the GOP paid for. Thomas and Arpaio blow cash as election day nears. World stocks dive, dive, dive. Nogales, Sonora shootout kills…
Pamela Overton of the law firm Greenberg Traurig, as pictured in a recent edition of Arizona Woman By Ray Stern The Maricopa County Elections Department handed off an investigation into a mysterious $105,000 Republican Party donation to an outside law firm last week, rather than assign it to County Attorney…
By John Dickerson In his ruling Thursday against Sheriff Joe Arpaio, U.S. District Judge Neil Wake cited a litany of unconstitutional problems in county jails: inadequate medical care, poor food, chronic overcrowding, and indifference to inmate health concerns. Jail medical personnel’s prescribing of a Soviet-era drug that causes tremors, spasms…
By Ray Stern It seems everybody thinks Lute Olson is retiring except for University of Arizona officials. Rumors began swirling early in the day after ESPN analyst Dick Vitale reported that a source told him Olson was leaving and that associate coach Mike Dunlap would take his place in the…
By Sarah Fenske For anyone who’s been watching the collapse of Jack Rose’s West Valley empire, here’s an interesting piece of news: The notorious entrepreneur has resigned from the bank he helped to charter. Candace Wiest, the president/CEO of West Valley National Bank, confirmed in a phone call today that…
We snapped this shot of “Joe the Plumber” while driving around town the other day. Well, it’s possible this was just an enthusiastic supporter of Average Joes everywhere, and probably not the now-famous Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher. If it was Wurzelbacher, back in his old Valley ‘hood for a few days…
By Paul Rubin New Yorker humorist David Sedaris (pictured) spoke at ASU’s Gammage Auditorium last night, and captivated an adoring audience for almost two hours of non-stop laughs. Loved the references to “dropping the deuce” and “crop-dusting,” You might be able to figure out the first one (think scatalogically). We’ll…
By Stephen Lemons Federal judge finds Arpaio’s gulags violate constitution. No surprise there. Letters containing white powder sent to Valley banks. Mayor Gordon lays off 1,000 city workers. Sand Land Secretary of State demands SCA names by Halloween. Obama-McCain race too close to call, says AP poll. Government to require…
THE DEAD WIFE Which is to say it is goofy: What a yarn! This one has everything: murder (or was it?), sex, money, Mormons, a dogged cop, victim’s diaries (“Death Wish,” October 9, and “Cracked Case,” October 16, both by Paul Rubin). And the most interesting thing about what was…
I never really thought my marriage would last, not even when I was standing there in a frumpy white dress saying, “I do.” But I never thought I would leave the Republican Party. That, for me, was a constant. That was sacred. But in the past three weeks, the Arizona…
In any other place, the publicity Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has received recently would be seen as, well, horrendous: • His supporters launched one of the sleaziest TV political ads ever against his political opponent in the November 4 election, Dan Saban, resulting in a backlash that drove the…
One of our Arizona politicians once said on the local PBS affiliate’s show Horizonte that the “crime” of being undocumented in this country is equivalent legally to that of a parking ticket. Do you know where I can verify this statement? So often in the argument over immigration the bottom…
By Ray Stern A search warrant affidavit released by the Maricopa County Superior Court concerning last Thursday’s raid by deputies on Mesa government buildings alleges: *Two years prior to the raid, a former Mesa employee and his supervisors suspected undocumented workers on the city’s cleaning staff were committing identity fraud…
By John Dickerson In a major blow to Sheriff Joe Arpaio, U.S. District Judge Neil Wake ruled just minutes ago in a landmark class-action lawsuit that Maricopa County jails do not meet constitutional standards. The order from the federal judge comes on the heels of the revocation of Arpaio’s jail…
