The unions that represent Phoenix police officers are ready to get rid of Phoenix Police Chief Daniel Garcia. The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA) and the Phoenix Police Sergeants and Lieutenants Association (PPSLA) announced today that they’re going to hold votes of no confidence against Garcia. The unions have had…
A study released this week argues that the legalization of same-sex marriage–and through it, the increased number of same-sex weddings–will bring an additional $54 million to Arizona’s economy each year. The study, conducted by the personal finance group NerdWallet, also found that same-sex marriage would bring more than $2.5 billion…
During a November 4 settlement conference before Judge Joseph Welty, presiding criminal judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court, Welty described in stark terms the situation faced by former minuteman leader Chris Simcox. Charged with multiple counts of child molestation involving two little girls, one his own daughter, he can…
Maricopa County Bill Montgomery was dealt another loss yesterday in his bid to keep alive Arizona’s Proposition 100, the 2006 law that denies bail to undocumented immigrants accused of many crimes in the state. Last month, a panel of judges from the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found the…
Talk about a small world: In this 2006 C-SPAN clip, Kyl heralds the indictment of Doug Ducey’s money-laundering uncle, William “Billy” Scott Governor-elect Doug Ducey’s recent announcement that former U.S. Senator Jon Kyl will chair his transition committee offers a delicious mix of irony and hypocrisy. See, while he was…
The penultimate race in this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season was held Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway, where Kevin Harvick took the checkered flag. New Times was there to get the fans’ reactions on the important issues, like how to have a proper tailgate party, and who was in…
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’re certain our inmates have…
Reports that President Obama soon will announce drastic changes to the country’s immigration policies won’t stop a protest against the administration’s current policies. Obama’s plan, as reported by the New York Times, potentially could shield several million people from deportation, but an organizer with the Puente Human Rights Movement tells…
In southern Arizona’s Second Congressional District, Republican Martha McSally has claimed victory over Democratic Congressman Ron Barber, as a count of all the ballots has put McSally up 161 votes on Barber. “All ballots are now counted and the voters have made their choice,” McSally said in a statement. “We…
I’m interested in a job that says it is a plus to have an understanding of Latin, Spanish, and Mexican music. I found out some names of musical styles such as tejano, norteño, mariachi, banda, cumbia, merengue, flamenco, and so on. I’m wondering if there is a way to form…
A judge has allowed two private lawyers to quit representing child-abuse suspect Shanesha Taylor, and has assigned a public defender to her renewed felony case. One of the lawyers says Taylor stiffed him on his fees. The development is the latest in the failed deferred-prosecution deal for Taylor, who raised…
The Arizona State University Police Department is investigating a strange, vaguely threatening note left on a student’s car. The university confirmed the investigation but didn’t release details about the note. However, a photo of a note said to have been left on an ASU sorority girl’s car has been circulating…
Phoenix, Tempe, and Tucson “lead the way in LGBT equality” in Arizona, according to the Human Rights Campaign. The HRC, an LGBT civil-rights organization, released its annual scorecards for American cities on LGBT equality issues, and the three aforementioned Arizona cities each received perfect scores of 100. “In Arizona, while…
Last night, the Red Mountain Tea Party hosted its second speaker in a row who heads an organization found on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s list of hate groups. Bradlee Dean, called an activist, author, and radio show host in fliers publicizing the event–and called “rabidly anti-gay” by the SPLC–presented…
The Arizona State Forestry Division has released 20 video clips shot by crews fighting the Yarnell Fire last year on the day 19 firefighters were killed. Footage of the discovery of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshot crew members’ bodies was redacted, but the audio was left intact. Other video shows…
A new defense motion in the Jodi Arias penalty-phase trial claims that pornography files had been deleted from victim Travis Alexander’s computer while it was in police custody. Arias, who was convicted of first-degree murder last year, wants all charges dropped. But even if the allegations in the new motion…
Nearly a week after polls closed, Democrat David Garcia has finally conceded to Republican Diane Douglas in the race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Garcia spent the week holding tight for a final ballot count, but conceded late yesterday night. The Associated Press declared Douglas the winner on Sunday…
One of the biggest culture shocks experienced by people who moved to the Phoenix metro area from a cold climate can be the completely unexpected arrival of winter. With daytime temperatures reaching into the high 80s in early November — a situation that’s by no means unusual — Valley residents…
Hopes that the Arizona Cardinals would be playing Super Bowl 49 on its home turf were dampened on Monday with news that quarterback Carson Palmer would was sidelined for the rest of the season. Head Coach Bruce Arians, in a news conference today, said that Palmer’s ACL tear from Sunday’s…
Republican Martha McSally has lost her bid to stop certain provisional ballots from being counted in her race against Ron Barber for Arizona’s Congressional District Two seat. With all precincts accounted for but some ballots remaining to be counted, McSally, an Air Force veteran, is winning by fewer than 400…
PACH and videographer Dennis Gilman join forces to help save Maria’s arm. With Republicans in command of both houses of U.S. Congress determined to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and with the U.S. Supreme Court’s recently taking a case that could send “participating insurers into an actuarial death-spiral,” according to…
Diane Douglas, the self-taught constitutionalist, former Peoria school-board member and one-issue Republican candidate, is the official winner of the race for state schools chief. Besides the fact that her victory solidifies GOP dominance in state government, it remains unclear how much damage Douglas could do. But if the political novice…
