Almost $250,000 was found in a spare tire last night, after an Arizona DPS officer stopped a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer for moving violations. Officers found the money in the tire after receiving consent to search the vehicle, and arrested and booked the driver on money-laundering charges…Arizona is making way for…
Stung by criticism from yours truly this past Sunday when I pointed out that Sheriff Arpaio had cited a nonexistent law as the legal justification for his anti-immigrant, down-on-the-brown sweeps, the MCSO has just sent out an e-mail admitting their fumble, and attempting to right it. Problem is, they end…
For the Coast to Coast AM set, British conspiracy theorist David Icke is the equivalent of an international rock star. A former soccer player and sportscaster who in 1991 announced on a British TV talk show that he was the Son of God and that disasters would soon beset the Earth, the…
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: Feathered Bastard: Phoenix Progressive Democrats Plan “Die-In” at United Health Care, Civil Disobedience Anticipated Dennis Gilman’s Latest…
The Arizona Coalition for a State and National Healthcare Plan held a “die-in” this afternoon in front of the United Healthcare offices in Phoenix.The group is protesting the “needless deaths of 123 uninsured and under-insured Americans each day” and brought an army of supporters to the corner of 24th Street…
The two deaths that occurred at a sweat lodge retreat near Sedona last week are now officially being investigated as homicides.Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh confirmed to reporters today that the deaths were not an accident and the leader of the group, “spiritual warrior” James Arthur Ray, is the prime…
Anyone looking for a last-minute Halloween costume? Well, if you don’t mind dressing as a rabid-looking, sadistic clown from hell, the folks at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have got the mask for you.As part of its “McCruelty” campaign, PETA is distributing “Evil Ronald” masks for Halloween, which…
Meghan McCain posted a picture of herself (above) on Twitter last night that is certain to get your average Republican male to go from six to midnight pretty quickly, if ya know what we mean?Normally we’d list the daughter of our “maverick” senator at about a seven –maybe an eight…
Golf is typically considered a game of etiquette, where observers are well-behaved, quiet, and polite. However, anyone who has been to the FBR Open in Scottsdale can tell you that it can also be a game of debauchery.The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale, if not for the manicured grass, could…
[jump] Flake was describing his “Cast Away”-esque trip to the Marshall Islands, when he said something that some people (not us) found offensive. When asked about why he decided to go on this grueling trip, Flake had this to say: “I did it mostly for physical exertion. I love Teddy…
For anyone who has the idiotic urge to fire guns into the air for no apparent reason, don’t do it in Glendale — or at least get the hell out of there after you do. The city of Glendale is monitored 24/7 by a device called “ShotSpotter,” an acoustic monitoring system…
You’d best not mess with the posse, partner!Maricopa County leaders learned that Wild-West lesson this week when they were forced to rescind a demand to the Sheriff’s Office that posse vehicles could no longer sport official markings.In what appears to be another exchange of fire in the feud between county…
The top two leaders at utility company Salt River Project have come under scrutiny after it was revealed they spent nearly $81,000 on travel expenses and dinners, even as the company raises rates and cuts jobs. SRP President John Williams Jr. and Vice President David Rousseau, who make $180,000 and…
The lofty Centerpoint Condominium towers broke ground in 2005 and were supposed to give downtown Tempe its own slice of Manhattan. Four years later, they’ve delivered just that — except the slice resembles something out of the film Escape from New York. Not quite the Chamber of Commerce’s dream. The…
There’s a development on the edge of downtown Phoenix that captivated me even before I moved into the neighborhood: the Chateaux on Central. My interest wasn’t a matter of good design — everyone from Will Bruder on down is on the record mocking the place, and rightly so. (With its…
PSYCHO EVAL Speaking of competency: This doctor not only deserves to lose his license to practice medicine, he should be indicted. Maybe this is a case that Sheriff Joe could sink his teeth into for good reason, for once. John Givens, Phoenix Professional something: Dr. Joseph Franzetti is, indeed, a…
Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio has promised to be a “forceful voice” in the ongoing controversy over the proposed extension of the Loop 202 freeway. But DiCiccio should think twice about opening his mouth on this one. Records obtained by New Times show that DiCiccio appears to have a conflict…
Editor’s note: This is one of a group of individual accounts of racial profiling by Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s forces. Rosa is a thin, elegant woman who works as a legal secretary to a well-known immigration lawyer in the Valley. She hails from an upper-middle-class family in Mexico. Her mother is…
CELIA’S ANGUISH On the surface, a Sunday morning at the home of Celia Alejandra Alvarez Herrera seems bright and joyous. Her four children scamper and play as she sits at the thick, wooden kitchen table. Her 1-year-old, Daniel, and her 6-year-old, Miguel, occasionally cling to her, seeking attention. Her 9-year-old,…
Just in time for Friday’s sweep, Dennis Gilman’s video, “Arpaio’s Reign of Terror” Today, ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice told me that an announcement may come as soon as Thursday on whether or not Sheriff Joe Arpaio will get to keep 287(g) authority in his jails. (See below for update.) I tend to…
The Phoenix Progressive Democrats of America, along with other members of a group calling itself the Arizona Coalition for a State and National Healthcare Plan will be protesting the offices of the insurance company United Healthcare at Camelback and 24th Street with a “die-in” tomorrow, Thursday, October 15. And there may be some…
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: Feathered Bastard: Joe Arpaio Hates on New Times, Blows His Lid in Vid with New York Journos…
