Email Author Stephen Lemons

Awards

• 2012 - Education Reporting Awards/National Education Writers Association, published May 12, 2011

  "White Lies"

• 2012 - Maggies: The Magazine Awards of Western Publishing, published November 3, 2011

  "Sourpuss"

• 2012 - AAN AltWeekly Awards, published February 3, 2011

  "Recalling Russell Pearce"

• 2012 - AAN AltWeekly Awards, published April 14, 2011

  "His Own Worst Enemy"

• 2012 - AAN AltWeekly Awards, published November 3, 2011

  "Kissing His Political Career Goodbye"

• 2011 - AAN AltWeekly Awards

  Feathered Bastard

• 2011 - Arizona Press Club Awards

  Feathered Bastard

• 2010 - Maggies: The Magazine Awards of Western Publishing

  "Are Your Papers in Order?"

• 2010 - Best of the West/First Amendment Funding, Inc.

  "Are Your Papers in Order?"

• 2009 - Arizona Press Club Awards

  Feathered Bastard

• 2009 - National Society of Newspaper Columnists

  Feathered Bastard

• 2006 - James Beard Journalism Awards/The James Beard Foundation, published April 7, 2005

  "Behind the Green Door"

More

2011 Stories by Stephen Lemons

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Russell Pearce "Opponent" Olivia Cortes' Campaign Signs: State Law Violationr

  published Aug 25, 2011

  Olivia Cortes, who has filed to run as a candidate in the Legislative District 18 recall election apparently has campaign signs up in Mesa, possibly in violation of state law.This report comes in via ... More >>

• Tom Horne Sues to Overthrow Voting Rights Act: What's Next, the De-Abolition of Slaveryr

  published Aug 25, 2011

  Arizona has earned itself the moniker of "the most racist state in the nation" for a reason. Not a day goes by that its public officials fail to concoct some new, bigoted outrage as manna for Sand Lan... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Russell Pearce Shills Refuse to Remove Illegal Signs, Mesa Gives Them Till Monday

  published Aug 25, 2011

  Amazing. According to Christine Zielonka, the Mesa official in charge of code compliance, the pro-Pearce group Citizens Who Oppose the Pearce Recall, is refusing to remove the illegal signs posted all... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Russell Pearce's Idiot Pal Matt Tolman Doubles Down on Stupid (w/Update)

  published Aug 25, 2011

  Stupid is as stupid does. Not only has Matt Tolman, the real-estate rocket scientist behind the scurrilous pro-Pearce signs all over Mesa (signs the city has ordered him to remove because they ar... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Russell Pearce Shill Matt Tolman's "Illegal" Signs in LD18, Olivia Cortes, and More Recall News

  published Aug 24, 2011

  Though I figured Matt Tolman's dirty tricks eventually would backfire on the Pearce camp, I had no idea the blowback would come so quickly or from such an official source.Tolman is the chairman of Cit... More >>

• Russell Pearce's Fave Scribe Linda Bentley's Wacky E-mails

  published Aug 24, 2011

  In the interest of lambasting a dead horse till it's tender enough to feed to a pigeon, I present the following e-mail string, unedited by me, save to put the electronic missives in order from first t... More >>

• A Kafka-esque Catch 22 Keeps Kini Seawright Off the AHCCCS Rolls, Thanks to Governor Brewer and the State Legislature

  published August 25, 2011

  When it comes to the war on the poor in Sand Land, I have little faith that the cruelty toward the less fortunate evidenced by our ruling... More >>

• Russell Pearce's Fave Paper and Its Lawyer's Letter to Benita Lantigua

  published Aug 23, 2011

  So far, the Sonoran News' editor/publisher Don Sorchych and his flunky scribe Linda "Wrong Way" Bentley continue to stonewall on correcting, retracting or apologizing for their misreporting and sinist... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Joe Arpaio's Boy Rich Burden, YouTube Beer Boaster

  published Aug 23, 2011

  Commander Rich Burden, discussing the merits of drinking, then drivingAs District IV Commander, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Rich Burden oversees areas of Anthem, Cave Creek, Carefree, ... More >>

• Russell Pearce Recall Committee Holds Fundraiser August 25

  published Aug 22, 2011

  Citizens for a Better Arizona, the committee that has forced a recall of state Senate President Russell Pearce, has announced a fundraiser for this Thursday, August 25, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Russell Pearce's DPS "Baby-Sitters"

  published Aug 22, 2011

  State Senate President Russell Pearce has always adopted the role of a John Wayne-esque tough guy who can handle himself.Indeed, in a June 2010 piece by Gary Nelson for the Arizona Republic entitled,... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  West Memphis Three's Freedom Means Hope to Innocents in Prison Everywhere

  published Aug 19, 2011

  Today's news that the West Memphis Three -- Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, and Jason Baldwin -- have been freed from prison in Arkansas after agreeing to an extraordinary plea deal, should give hop... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Russell Pearce Lobbyist Shindig Crashed by Citizens for a Better Arizona

  published Aug 18, 2011

  Four hundred clams. That's what some lobbyists may have paid to attend a fundraiser held for embattled state Senate President Russell Pearce Wednesday night at Alexi's Grill in Phoenix.By my estimatio... More >>

• Russell Pearce Opponent Jerry Lewis To File Signatures Tomorrow (w/Update)

  published Aug 17, 2011

  Though he has until September 9 to do so, Mesa Republican Jerry Lewis will file signatures with the Arizona Secretary of State tomorrow to place his name on the November 8 recall ballot in Legislative... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Russell Pearce Operative Matt Tolman's Bag of Dirty Tricks

  published Aug 17, 2011

  If you need a sign of state Senate President Russell Pearce's desperation, look no further than above: one of the placards sprouting up around Mesa, smearing the recall effort, Citizens for a Better A... More >>

• Russell Pearce's Legal Challenge on Recall Kicked to Arizona Court of Appeals

  published Aug 16, 2011

  There's been yet another development in the saga of loserdom being perpetuated by state Senate President Russell Pearce's attorney Lisa Hauser in the legal challenge to the recall.Today the Arizona Su... More >>

• Sheriff Joe Arpaio and His Fiesta Bowl Freebie

  published August 18, 2011

  There's one thing Sheriff Joe Arpaio never lacks for: money. Certainly in the political realm, the sheriff is well heeled. His last... More >>

• Russell Pearce's Newest Challenger: Libertarian Michael Kielsky (w/Update)

  published Aug 16, 2011

  I've not known the local Libertarian crowd to be overly fond of state Senate President Russell Pearce, which makes me wonder why one of their tribe appears to be jumping into the recall campaign in Le... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Russell Pearce Blasted by Somos Republicans, SB 1070 Likened to Missouri "Extermination Order" for Mormons

  published Aug 15, 2011

  DeeDee Blase, founder of Somos Republicans and the driving force behind the Tequila Party, takes political flak from both the right and the left. Democrats suspect her, and extremist Republicans loath... More >>

• Russell Pearce's Lawyer Files Notice of Appeal to Arizona Supreme Court

  published Aug 15, 2011

  At this point, I'm really beginning to wonder if state Senate President Russell Pearce is a sadomasochist. The sadist part is easy to see. But the masochism becomes more evident with each new leg... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Russell Pearce's Challenge to Recall Shot Down, Dismissed by Judge Hugh Hegyi

  published Aug 12, 2011

  Superior Court Judge Hugh Hegyi just issued a ruling in state Senate President Russell Pearce's legal challenge to his recall, dismissing the complaint brought by the legal beagle working on his behal... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Russell Pearce Recall Opponent Tommy Cattey Drops Out, Endorses Jerry Lewis

  published Aug 12, 2011

  Tommy Cattey, the Mesa resident who had filed paperwork to campaign against state Senate President Russell Pearce in the upcoming Legislative District 18 recall election, has dropped out of the race ... More >>

• Russell Pearce, Scott Bundgaard Score Meaningless "Friend of the Family Awards" (w/Update/Correction)

  published Aug 11, 2011

  Funny thing about the ruling Republican caste here in Sand Land: they like to give themselves meaningless awards that look legitimate to the unskeptical eye, in a bald attempt to trick the electorate ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Joe Arpaio's Latest Hysterical Appeal for Cash, and His Non-Existent Recall

  published Aug 10, 2011

  If I didn't know that his fundraising appeals are written by the usual political hacks, Sheriff Joe Arpaio's latest e-mail blast would make me doubt the man's sanity.Not that there isn't plenty of rea... More >>

• Phoenix Should Have a Democratic Mayor

  published August 11, 2011

  For all the jibber-jabber about the Phoenix mayoral and City Council races remaining "non-partisan," here's a thought: Why not go... More >>