Email Author Ray Stern

Awards

• 2011 - Arizona Press Club Awards, published July 8, 2010

  "Gold Rush"

• 2011 - Arizona Press Club Awards, published November 25, 2010

  "Chronic Future"

• 2010 - Arizona Press Club Awards

  Valley Fever

• 2010 - Arizona Press Club Awards, published October 15, 2009

  "Concrete Bungle"

• 2010 - Arizona Press Club Awards

  SCA Scandal

• 2008 - Maggies: The Magazine Awards of Western Publishing, published July 19, 2007

  "Money for Nothing"

• 2008 - Maggies: The Magazine Awards of Western Publishing, published May 31, 2007

  "What Happened in Vegas..."

• 2008 - Arizona Press Club Awards, published May 31, 2007

  "What Happened in Vegas..."

• 2008 - Arizona Press Club Awards, published February 8, 2007

  "Gotcha!"

• 2007 - Arizona Press Club Awards, published November 16, 2006

  "ICE Meltdown"

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2010 Stories by Ray Stern

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  FEATURED STORY

  No-Burn Days in 2010 Generated 559 Complaints, but Little Action by Maricopa County

  published Dec 29, 2010

    rHundreds of people called Maricopa County this year to complain about people violating restrictions on wood-burning. Despite the Valley's ongoing problem with bad air, though, t... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Free Pot Offered at California Clinic in Exchange for Food Brings Huge, Charitable Response

  published Dec 29, 2010

  One potential benefit of Proposition 203 could be a boost in local food banks, if Arizona pot dispensaries follow the lead of one California clinic. The Granny Purps marijuana dispensary in... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Steven LaMar, Cave Creek Town Councilman, Among Lawyers Defending County Vs. County Officials

  published Dec 28, 2010

    rThe unprecedented claims filed against Maricopa County by its own top officials have raised fascinating and difficult questions about potential conflicts of interest. We're not sure ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Lawsuits by County Officials Vs. County Move to Federal Court

  published Dec 28, 2010

    rA $10 million lawsuit filed by Maricopa County Supervisor Don Stapley last Thursday against the county will likely end up in federal court. Lawsuits alleging abuse of power, de... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Cedric Ceballos Arrested for Driving on Suspended License and Other Charges

  published Dec 27, 2010

    rCedric Ceballos, former player and in-arena emcee for the Phoenix Suns, was arrested and cited for a slew of driving violations on December 19 in Scottsdale. The former star player an... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  No-Burn Days Go Unenforced in Maricopa County for Christmas; Zero Warnings and Citations Issued

  published Dec 27, 2010

    rNobody can label the folks over at Maricopa County's Air Quality Department a bunch of Scrooges. After a warning last week that no-burn days on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day&nb... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Army vs. Navy: Fight Between Servicemen Over Which Military Branch's "Better" Leads to Shooting

  published Dec 27, 2010

    rWhich is better, the Army or the Navyr Two Florence men argued bitterly over the question on Christmas Day, leading to a fight that ended with a shooting, authorities say. The ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Scottsdale Man Robbed Bank in Hopes of Moving Out of Parents' Home

  published Dec 27, 2010

    rAdam Ramsower isn't the only 30-year-old who's had to move back in with his folks during this ultra-marathon of a recession. But he's the only one we've heard of who wanted to ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Frank Pratt's Stolen Vehicle Not "State-Issued;" Casa Grande Lawmaker Recovering After Beating, Theft of Vehicle and Rolex

  published Dec 27, 2010

  One of the weirdest details in news coverage of the weekend beating of State Legislator Frank Pratt, a Republican from Casa Grande, was that his stolen SUV was "state issued." Several media outlets r... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Phoenix Strip Clubs Targeted by Shooters in Two Separate Attacks; Three Dead, Including One Suspect

  published Dec 27, 2010

    rA couple of Phoenix strip clubs turned into war zones over the Christmas weekend as homicidal gunmen shot up the joints in two separate attacks.   A bouncer and club patron at Gre... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Arizona Boycott Fail: Resorts See Big Increase This Year; Phoenix a Top Domestic Destination, Survey Says

  published Dec 22, 2010

  Despite the efforts of anti-Arizonans like Congressman Raul Grivalva, a boycott against the state this year appears to have failed miserably. Grivalva was among the critics of Arizona'... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Victims Sought in Sherman Unkefer's $7.5 Million Restitution Case From 1980s

  published Dec 21, 2010

  About 1,000 victims who lost money back in the 1980s to Sherman Unkefer, the former head of a major precious metals firm in Phoenix, will be sought for possible restitution of $7.5 million. The case... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Catholic Church's Informant Didn't Violate Privacy Laws in Blabbing Patient Info to Diocese, St. Joseph's Hospital Says

  published Dec 21, 2010

  r If you've been following the news today, you already know that the Catholic Church stripped St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix of its religious affilation because of a surgery last y... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Office Cooperating (Finally) With Justice Department in Civil-Rights Probe

  published Dec 20, 2010

    rMaricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio finally is cooperating with the U.S. Justice Department in its civil-rights probe, thanks to an "unprecedented" lawsuit filed agai... More >>

• Maricopa County Attorney and Board of Supervisors: Together At Last

  published Dec 20, 2010

  rThe Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has agreed to return control of its civil litigation unit to the County Attorney's Office, now that they've got a county attorney they like.The Arizona ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Proposed Rules on Medical Marijuana Tougher Than Voter-Approved Law; Estimate of Potential Patients Lowered

  published Dec 17, 2010

  Before the release of draft rules on Proposition 203, Will Humble, the director of the state Department of Health Services, estimated 100,000 people a year might qualify for medical marijuana.Now, und... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Walter McCarthy Found Guilty but Insane of Killing Girlfriend's Dad in North Scottsdale

  published Dec 17, 2010

  Laurinda Cumming is terrified.She says her ex-boyfriend has pulled a fast one on the legal system, and now there's a chance he'll be released from custody even though he stabbed her father to death.Wa... More >>

• Lester Pearce, Presiding Judge of County Justice Courts, "Appreciates" Our Snarkiness

  published Dec 17, 2010

  rThe new presiding judge of the county justice courts, Lester Pearce, "appreciates" the blog post we wrote about him last month, a spokeswoman for the courts tells us today.That's the blog post,... More >>

• FEATURED STORY

  Former Teacher Tamara Hofmann Made Deal With High School Officials to Keep Affair With Boy Quiet; He Later Killed Rival for Hofmann's Love

  published Dec 17, 2010

  Documents in a lawsuit against the Arizona State Board of Education show that Marco de Niza High School officials made a deal with a former teacher to keep quiet about her student lover.Tamara Hofma... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  David William Curtis Jr., Local Lawyer, Found Guilty of Molesting 2-Year-Old and Possessing Child Porn

  published Dec 17, 2010

  A local lawyer arrested last year on suspicion of possessing child pornography was found guilty on all counts yesterday.But here's the sick part: A juror in the case tells us this morning that the law... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Draft Rules for Medical Marijuana Released by State

  published Dec 17, 2010

  The Arizona Department of Health Services released a draft of rules today for the launch of a medical-marijuana program authorized by the voter-approved Proposition 203.Let the debate begin.The draft ... More >>

• Mexico Drug Violence Increasing, Officials Says; 30,196 Killed in Past Four Years

  published Dec 16, 2010

  Violence in Mexico seems to be increasing, with wars between drug gangs claiming a record 12,456 lives from January to November of this year, a top Mexican official said today. All told, said Mexica... More >>

• FEATURED STORY

  Atlanta Customs Agent, Devon Samuels, Thought He was Shipping Illegal Firearms to Arizona, Feds Say

  published Dec 16, 2010

  An airport-based agent with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Atlanta, Georgia, believed he was shipping drug money and illegal guns to Mexican cartel members in Arizona, offic... More >>

• Louis Araneta, Retired Judge, Quits Volunteer Post Over Religion Flap

  published Dec 15, 2010

  A retired judge has resigned his volunteer post from an Appellate Court panel charged with reviewing applications for the state's latest Indepedent Redistricting Commission. Louis Araneta, ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Drought Might Go Medieval on Southwest, Researchers Say; 60-Year Dry Period Possible

  published Dec 15, 2010

    rA 60-year drought, the likes of which hasn't been seen since medieval times, may be in store for the Southwest this century, University of Arizona researchers report. A summary of sci... More >>