It’s on.After nearly 24 years on death row, convicted murderer Daniel Wayne Cook finally has been assigned a date with death.The Arizona Department of Corrections announced today that Cook will be executed on April 5, at 10 a.m.Cook was convicted of the 1987 murders of two men in Lake Havasu City, during…
Public Safety Manager Jack Harris retains some of his duties as police chief, but Executive Assistant Police Chief Joe Yahner becomes Acting Police Chief in the wake of a scandal over inflated border-related kidnapping statistics reported to the federal government, it was announced today. Phoenix City Manager David Cavazos’ office said Harris will have…
After a young girl told her teacher Tuesday that her step-grandfather had been molesting her for the past two years, police discovered the old man has allegedly molested several branches on the family tree. Rafael Montenegro Calderon, a 51-year-old Phoenix resident, was arrested Tuesday evening after family members over two…
If a day that includes getting charged with the murder of one of your buddies after he was shot by police during a botched home invasion, getting attacked by a police dog, and getting shot by cops, isn’t the absolute worst day of your life, we’d love to know what…
You may remember the name Rachel Alexander, a former “special assistant”deputy county attorney under Andrew Peyton Thomas, her kindred ideological spirit Alexander now finds her law license in serious jeopardy with the State Bar of Arizona, which recently filed a complaint against her, Thomas, and that ubiquitous loser of a…
What is it about some Republicrazies and conservatards that makes them think God is on their side? I mean, they really believe all liberals are godless atheists who worship Satan and hate religion, and that Jesus is their Confederate-license-plate-rockin’ homeboy.Take this e-mail I just got from some dude in Kennesaw,…
Democratic Congressman Raul Grijalva made himself a target for Republicans when he called for a boycott of all things Arizona last year, but he held on to his seat by a much narrower margin than he’s used to. GOPers, it seems, still see him as vulnerable, and now, less than…
A press conference regarding the flawed kidnapping statistics published by the Phoenix Police Department has been bumped from Friday to 2:30 p.m. today at City Hall.(Read the in-depth analysis published on February 7 by New Times of 264 of the 358 kidnapping reports from 2008.) The city’s notice doesn’t give…
PCP and hallucinogenic mushrooms seem to be to blame for the rescue of Eugene Gimzelberg, whose “trip” took him to the depths of the Gilbert sewer system in search of his kids. The children, of course, weren’t actually in the sewer — where he got stuck for 36 hours. Last…
The judge handling the case of Tucson shooting suspect Jared Loughner denied requests from both prosecutors and Loughner’s defense attorney to block the release of autopsy reports of the victims of the shooting to the public.Prosecutors filed a motion voicing concern that media coverage could taint the jury pool, and…
Of all the reasons Republicans think they’ve got to impeach President Barack Obama, doing it because he doesn’t necessarily view gay people getting married as the end of the world is one of the stupidest (the “birthers” still take the cake in terms of impeachment idiocy).Enter Arizona Congressman Trent Franks.As…
Let’s be clear about a few things regarding Phoenix’s kidnapping statistics snafu.Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris tells the Arizona Republic that he is outraged at what is happening in the community regarding kidnappings and other crimes, and he adds:”If anyone doubts we have a home-invasion problem in this community . . …
It’s been three months since 90-year-old Semoure Sendrow was murdered after withdrawing $20,000 from a bank to give to charities as his annual Christmas donation, and last night, police arrested the man they say killed him.Apprehended was 22-year-old Eduardo Pimentel for Sendrow’s murder. A second suspect is still loose…
The Phoenix Suns could not keep their momentum going last night against the Boston Celtics, taking a spectacular 115-103 beating in a game that was never really close.It was a major comedown from Monday night’s wild overtime win against the New Jersey Nets. That contest climaxed with a last-second three…
The United States Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the anti-gay-rights cretins from the Westboro Baptist Church — as despicable as they may be — are guaranteed the same First Amendment rights as those of us who don’t abuse them just to draw attention to some absurd interpretation of the Bible.As…
I am a mocha-skinned woman with long, curly hair and dark-brown eyes. Puerto Ricans always ask if I am Puerto Rican, Dominicans just come and start speaking Spanish, Cubans ask if my abuelita made good arroz con leche, but Mexicans know I’m black. What gives? La Morena The countries you…
TEMPLE TEMPEST Therapy doesn’t include sex: This isn’t sex therapy (“Sexual Healing,” Niki D’Andrea, February 17). Sex therapy is practiced by licensed practitioners of clinical mental health, each of whom must — by law — have a copy of HIPAA guidelines, as well as a pamphlet titled “Professional Therapy Never…
BUNDGAARD’S BROMANCE Well, at least you can say Republican state Senate Majority Leader Scott Bundgaard knows how to take a punch. From his girlfriend. Perusing the photos of Bundgaard’s injuries, sent out by the senator’s sleazy publicist pal Jason Rose, it looks like the Peoria GOPer forgot to keep his…
This story is about firefighters who morphed into arsonists, an insurance company that wasn’t a “good neighbor,” and a Peoria couple whose dream house was reduced to rubble. It is an ongoing saga in which just about everyone involved, even arson victims Betty and Mike Johnson, have something to answer…
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:…
If you’re awaiting sentencing after being convicted of ripping off a large-scale cranberry juice manufacturer for more than a million dollars, lost at sea isn’t a bad place to be. Assuming you don’t want to actually be lost at sea, but you want people to think you are, don’t go…
The Phoenix Police Department has released the report on the recent domestic violence incident involving Republican state Senate Majority Leader Scott Bundgaard and his ex-paramour Aubry Ballard.Perhaps the most contentious issue it addresses is Bungaard’s insistence to the media that he did not ask for the legislative immunity granted by…
