A Bullhead City woman who worked as an undercover informant claims in a federal lawsuit that she was sexually abused repeatedly by a Fort Mohave Tribal Police detective. Erika Solem alleges in her 46-page federal complaint that after she was caught with 14 grams of crystal meth during a traffic stop…
Leroy Smalley was down on his luck in 2003. He’d just been convicted in a child-molestation case, and his release required him to register as a sex offender and check in with a probation officer regularly for the rest of his life. When his wife divorced him while he was…
Governor Jan Brewer recently pissed off her far-right-wing-nut base by vetoing three bills it desperately wanted, and today she’s trying to make amends by bringing up the issue that got her elected: Arizona Senate Bill1070.The bills Brewer vetoed include the ridiculous “Birther Bill,” which could have required presidential candidates to provide…
The Chandler Police Department executed a search warrant at a Valley church yesterday in search of evidence that the church’s minister tried to lure a 14-year-old girl for sex over the Internet.The alleged pederast, 52-year-old Nicholas Minerva, responded by fatally shooting himself…
The Arizona Herpetological Society has some suggestions on how to host the lamest Easter egg hunt ever: don’t “hide” the eggs where kids can’t see them.The problem: rattlesnakes.The AHS is warning Valley residents about the dangers of Easter egg hunts in a region infested with slithering monsters…
The Arizona Diamondbacks will have to settle for two out of three against the Cincinnati Reds this week after falling short yesterday afternoon against alleged shoplifter Mike Leake, 7-4. Leake, a rising star for the Reds out of Arizona State University, was good in his first start since getting out…
On Wednesday, we ran the mugshot of Alan Shepard, who was arrested earlier this week for allegedly selling crystal meth and illegally possessing a gun.Shepard has a lengthy rapsheet, including past arrests for shoplifting, ID theft, burglary, making threats, and hindering prosecution…
In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times’ blogs. Today’s entries:…
Most people approved to use marijuana legally in Arizona complain of chronic pain related to back problems, severe headaches, injuries or arthritis, new stats show. The Department of Health Services is keeping close track of nearly every facet of the program, and will also soon release the number of recommendations…
Delarndrus Nashid Shabazz lives casual, clothing-optional, which gets him into trouble at the Valle Escondido Condominiums as he allegedly walks around his girlfriend’s condominium exposing himself to teenagers and middle aged women alike. According to court records obtained by New Times, Shabazz is an employee of Fox Sports Arizona, the…
There’s only one October in baseball, and it’s followed by November. The month of December comes afterward. No, we’re not re-writing Rebecca Black’s drizzling Friday. We’re talking about the playoffs, and Major League Baseball’s insistence that “October” is the month fans care about, even though the last two seasons…
We don’t know whether Sheriff Joe Arpaio read last week’s New Times article about his lovey-dovey top commanders — but we know he saw it. Demonstrators laid out a couple of dozen copies of the issue during a protest of a Tea Party rally at the State Capitol last week,…
The Statute of Liberty inspires people to think about freedom. That sure seems to be the case with 42-year-old Kevin Theriault, who felt free enough to whip out his johnson in front of a woman who was dressed as Lady Liberty, all while standing in a Tempe parking lot, say Tempe police. Police say Theriault had masturbated in…
Arizona’s official state gun is the Colt .45, but a trendy alcoholic drink that shares the name shouldn’t be on shelves in its current form, says state Attorney General Tom Horne. Horne and 17 other state attorneys general sent a letter to Pabst Brewing Company in Illinois today, asking the famous beermaker…
Arizona Legislature He doesn’t know when to quit. State Senator Steve Yarbrough is praying for Jan Brewer to sign an amended bill benefiting his side business, which she originally rejected last week as “unbalanc[ing] the budget.” SB 1186, the “2011 tax corrections act,” passed the Arizona House and Senate yesterday…
Goldwater Institute representatives are scheduled to meet with Glendale city leaders today at 3 p.m. to hear arguments on why they shouldn’t sue the city over a planned $100 million subsidy for the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team. The right-leaning institute says it will release partial transcripts of the closed…
Phoenix City Councilwoman Peggy Neely has resigned her seat to run for mayor, the Associated Press is reporting.It’s no big surprise, considering she’s been raising money like a fiend through an exploratory committee she stared last year.Because Neely is not in the final year of her City Council term, she…
It’s been a couple of years since disgraced historian and Holocaust-denier David Irving hit town. You may recall the ruckus raised by anti-fascist protesters at Jerry’s Restaurant in Phoenix in 2009, where Irving spoke before a small crowd of neo-Nazis and assorted kooks.The manager at Jerry’s recently informed me that…
This Saturday, April 23 marks the one-year anniversary of Governor Jan Brewer signing Senate Bill 1070 into law. And though there have been a few encouraging cracks in the racist facade of late, the oppression, the raids, and separation of families continues.That’s why it’s important to support the Puente Movement-organized march…
A Scottsdale charter school teacher was arrested on Tuesday and accused of bashing the face of his boyfriend’s 6-year-old daughter because she woke him up from a nap. Chandler police arrested Qikai “Ben” Chen, 27, at Basis Charter School, where he works as a math teacher. Records show that Chen admitted…
Sheriff Joe Arpaio faced 5 1/2 hours of questioning in January as part of an investigation into a memo written by one of his top deputies that alleged corruption by his command staff. The Arizona Republic dug up billing records that provide evidence of what had long been speculated: That the so-called…
The Phoenix Coyotes season is over after a 6-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in game four of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last night. It very well could be the last hockey game played in Glendale, as the team could potentially be whisked away to…
