Mmmm… the aroma of Election Day is in the air. Candidates were wiping the political mud-stains from their faces, putting on their Sunday best, and making appearances at local polls in hopes that flashing last-minute smiles will tilt the scales in their favor. Mary Rose Wilcox, candidate for Arizona’s 7th…
A police task force in Tempe focused on alcohol-related crimes made 392 arrests over the weekend, which was the first weekend since the fall semester started at Arizona State University. This is the second year that the Tempe Police Department has organized its “Safe and Sober” campaign at the start…
Today is Arizona’s primary election, and there are plenty of races to keep an eye on. Below, check out our picks of the top 10 races to watch as the results roll in tonight:…
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton showed up this weekend at a central Phoenix union hall to help Ruben Gallego make a last-minute push in his race for U.S. Congress. Stanton hadn’t declared support for any candidate until this weekend — and he selected Gallego over the other Democratic candidates in the…
A Phoenix police officer’s fatal shooting of Phoenix resident Michelle Cusseaux will be investigated by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Cusseaux, 50, was fatally shot August 14 by Phoenix Police Officer Percy Dupra after, police say, she threatened officers with a hammer when they went to serve a court…
There are certain phrases people from Phoenix always use (“It’s a dry heat!”) but there are also some things people from Phoenix never say. Check out 10 things no one from Phoenix ever says:…
Jerry Sheridan, chief deputy for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, is said to be contemplating his legal options following the release of an ex-deputy chief’s gossip-filled book. Sheridan didn’t call New Times back after we called him for comment before printing Friday’s article about the newly released book by former…
The body of a mentally ill black woman who was shot and killed by police was brought to Phoenix City Hall today by community activists and the slain woman’s family, who demanded an external investigation into her death. Michelle Cusseaux, 50, was fatally shot by Phoenix Police Officer Percy Dupra…
Brian Sands, a former top-ranking deputy under Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, describes Arpaio’s current chief deputy as a bigot in a new, dirt-dishing book. Our colleague Stephen Lemons first brought you news of Sands’ book on Saturday. We ordered a copy for ourselves, and the typo-ridden, apparently self-published, 177-page…
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 a bit of…
The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised millions of dollars for the ALS Association, but some people question whether it’s safe. One local teacher/business owner has banned her employees from participating after one of her students experienced adverse health effects following the challenge…
Robert Ramirez carried a sign that said: “Hands Up Don’t Shoot.” He was among a throng of protesters gathered in Eastlake Park in Phoenix as part of the Nationwide Day of Rage, a nationally coordinated effort to protest the shooting death of Michael Brown and subsequent turmoil between police and…
Ruben Gallego’s campaign is touting an endorsement from Jayme Valenzuela, mayor of Superior — and making sure to note that that’s Mary Rose Wilcox’s hometown. Gallego and Wilcox both are running for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District seat. Valenzuela says Gallego “has a record of honest and true public service we…
A Maricopa County judge has ordered the state to fund public school districts to the levels mandated by voters, meaning Arizona has to pay up about $300 million this year. The courts have sided with school districts that argued the Legislature was under-funding schools, based on a 2000 voter-approved law…
Arizona schools chief John Huppenthal is asking the federal government to pay the costs associated with educating unaccompanied immigrant minors here in what Latino activists say is brazen political posturing. At a press conference, Huppenthal released a letter he penned to Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, asking for the…
Phoenix officials are considering a new plan that would make hikers move faster up and down the trails: Parking meters. Paid parking for mountain preserves and parks was authorized by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department in 2010, but so far the city has never charged users. That could be…
Campaign signs are the absolute worst — any claims made on them are typically irrelevant or false to a certain extent, and nobody wants the signs littering their neighborhood. Even worse, the signs seem to turn politicians and their staffers into juvenile delinquents every single election cycle, with sign theft…
The Mexican just got married to a chica caliente, so he’s taken her on a honeymoon to the motherland so she can learn the proper art of tortilla-making. In the meanwhile, I offer this Best Of edition, because I plan to do all of my work this week en la…
It’s “Candidates Day” at North Scottsdale Christian, a conservative, non-denominational place of worship just north of Pima Road and Dynamite Boulevard, where about 60 Democratic, Libertarian, and Republican candidates have assembled on a recent Sunday to introduce themselves. The politicians are allowed to set up tables with campaign literature in…
In response to a letter-writing campaign promoted by an anti-abortion organization, Democratic congressional candidate James Woods is mailing back condoms — campaign condoms. The form-letters sent to Woods, who’s running for the Congressional District 5 seat currently occupied by Republican Congressman Matt Salmon, asked him to sign a pledge to…
The three-way race for a District 5 seat on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is winding down, but the candidates are not. Campaign activity is bustling with volunteers making phone calls, knocking on doors and picking up early ballots. Steve Gallardo, a former state senator who left his post…
A Glendale man has been arrested after yelling racial slurs and hitting a man over the head with a beer bottle. Joseph David Burgoyne, 28, was at Denim and Diamonds Bar in Mesa when he allegedly yelled “white power” and “nigger” at the victim. When the victim confronted Burgoyne, Burgoyne…
