Recently, I visited a viejecita in an assisted-living home. As I’m getting on in years myself, I wondered how I would fare in such a place. Fortunately I like to eat cottage cheese, but I would like some salsa with it, or better yet, an occasional jalapeño en escabeche. Are…
The Maricopa Alliance for Housing and Shelter, a grassroots organization advocating for the homeless, is demanding conditions improve at the Men’s Overflow Shelter and adjacent East Lot immediately. The group sent a clear and strong message in a formal letter to local, county, and state officials this afternoon. Included in…
Bryan Henry was sitting in a business management class at Burlington County College when a number with an Arizona area code popped up on his phone. It was 2012, and Henry had just arrived home in New Jersey after his second season as a Diamondbacks farm hand. He darted for…
Gerry McCue gets a kick out of describing the moment last fall when he first heard the airplanes over his house. “I thought the city of Phoenix was being evacuated and I didn’t get the memo,” the 85-year-old says, opening his eyes wide for dramatic effect. Like many residents in…
The Phoenix City Council yesterday approved a major plan for expanding public transportation — including huge Light Rail extensions — and upgrading city streets. The transportation plan is estimated to cost $33 billion over the next 35 years, and would be partially funded through a sales tax increase of 0.3…
The Arizona House of Representatives yesterday passed a proposal to significantly cut the price of some speeding tickets. On a 40-20 vote, the House voted to pass House Bill 2662, which would expand one of Arizona’s lesser known laws — a ban on the “waste of finite resources.” Currently, the…
A new poll suggests marijuana legalization has “strong support” in Arizona. The poll from Arizona State University Morrison Institute for Public Policy asked Arizonans what they’d like to see done regarding marijuana in Arizona, and found that 45 percent supported full legalization, while 42 percent support a medical-only program, and…
The family of a murdered 16-year-old Phoenix girl wants to know why people who had a role in the girl’s shooting are still on the streets. Niani Allen was in a car that was stopped at a red light the night of February 23, when an SUV pulled up alongside…
Last weekend, more than 50 people sat on folding chairs in the Andre House dining room to discuss, among other things, the upcoming closure of the Men’s Overflow Shelter March 31. The community event was hosted by the Maricopa Alliance for Shelter, and Housing and began with comments from Bruce…
Despite the rain, demonstrators took to the state capitol today to protest a proposed tax break for certain religious groups. The bill, pushed by the notorious Center for Arizona Policy, was vetoed by Governor Jan Brewer after it was passed by lawmakers last year. The House of Representatives already passed…
If Phoenix has an arch-nemesis, it’s obviously Los Angeles. To that, we can tell you the top 10 reasons why Phoenix is much better than Los Angeles:…
Arizona State University president Michael Crow released a public statement slamming Governor Doug Ducey’s proposed cuts to higher-education funding. Ducey was elected on a promise to get the state in better financial shape, and more than half of the money in budget cuts Ducey is proposing comes from higher education,…
A National Youth Front member, identifying himself as “John Hess,” has admitted to fliering Arizona State University’s Tempe campus with images of ASU English Professor Lee Bebout, labeling the teacher “Anti-White.” During a conversation we had via Facebook, Hess said he is the hooded individual seen in a video on…
Prohibitionists have been creating a mythology around the dreaded “marihuana” since the Harry Anslinger days. But we’ve found that even knowledgeable cannabis connoisseurs may harbor some magical thinking about weed. Here’s our take on the Top 10 myths:…
In the latest effort to foil the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange, activists are asking President Obama to designate Oak Flat a national monument. The area, which is part of Tonto National Forest, is a historically significant and sacred spot for many Native American tribes, as well as a well-known rock-climbing…
At the end of the week, we bring you a roundup of visitors to the desert’s own Fourth Avenue Jail. To be considered for our Maricopa County mugshots of the week, get arrested, strike a pose, and we’ll take care of the rest. This week, we’ve got folks from all…
Arizona lawmakers are looking to close a loophole that prevents police from pulling over drivers with a busted taillight. This loophole was realized a few years ago, when a Tucson man beat a DUI charge after the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that the state law is ambiguous when it…
A shake-up is underway at the newly created Arizona Department of Child Safety two weeks after a new director was appointed by Governor Doug Ducey. The move comes as rumors fly about how and why the new director, Greg McKay, replaced Charles Flanagan, who was fired earlier this month. On…
There was a massive funeral procession over the weekend for Patrick Eberhardt, a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club who was shot and killed earlier this month. Eberhardt was among a group of six bikers wearing Hells Angels insignia on their clothing who were riding on Bell Road toward…
Stacey Jenner has been teaching special education in Peoria for 13 years, but, because of repeated cuts to Arizona’s K-12 education budget, her paycheck has grown just $8 since the day she signed on. When the mother of two learned that Governor Doug Ducey’s Fiscal Year 2015-2016 budget proposal slashes…
As I’ve been doing a lot more business in the city of Santa Ana (one of the most Mexican cities in the United States), I’ve realized that a shitload of Mexicans are Fox News-type conservatives, yakking out the same kind of shit you hear at a Glenn Beck conference except…
The Enchanted Island Amusement Park in Phoenix’s Encanto Park may close on May 31. The owners of the park — which originally was called Kiddieland when it opened in 1948 — posted the news on Facebook today. However, city officials say it’s not closing…
