Peoria

Drive-Thru Tacos and Tapas Come to Peoria (By Way of Las Vegas)

Since drive-thru salads were introduced at Gilbert's health-minded Salad and Go in January, the Valley's pull-up-to-the-window offerings have stayed mostly on the conventional side. Until now. See also: - Chandler's Living Room Wine Café Expanding to Northwest Valley - New Korean Barbecue Spot O ... More >>

Matthew Pape Faces Murder Charge for Allegedly -- and Accidentally -- Killing His Close Friend

The Peoria PD arrested Matthew Pape two days ago after he allegedly -- and from what witnesses say and what's indicated in the police report, accidentally -- killed his friend while play-fighting at a bar, police say.  About 10 p.m. Friday, Pape, 39, and his friend, David Witmer, 45, were at a ... More >>

Peoria Cop Demoted for Shot-Up Obama Shirt Credited With Saving Life of Shot MCSO Deputy

The Peoria Police Department will host a meeting Wednesday between Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Deputy Ruben Garcia -- who was shot in the face in January while responding to a call -- and the two Peoria cops credited with saving his life.One of those Peoria cops is Ryan Bakke, and the other is ... More >>

Arsonist Sets Peoria Beauty School Ablaze

Peoria PD is looking for an arsonist with a grudge against a beauty school.  A fire broke out last night around 11 p.m. in the 11000 block of North 99th Avenue and destroyed the school and several other buildings beside it in the strip mall.

Squid Ink Sushi Opening Second Location at Downtown's CityScape

Downtown Phoenix is about to get a little more sushi-fied. See also: - Owners of Citizen Public House Announce New Restaurant Planned for the Biltmore Area - Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers Coming to Old Town Squid Ink Sushi, the Peoria restaurant from chef-owner Schuyler Estes, is planning on bringing ... More >>

Hikers Find Peoria Woman's Remains; Husband Killed Himself Before Being Charged

Peoria police say skeletal remains found earlier this month in a desert area were identified as Deborah Delaney, a 54-year-old Peoria resident who hadn't been seen since April 2011.Her husband, a retired Sun City firefighter, was about to be charged with her murder last year even though Delaney's bo ... More >>

Runner's Thigh

August Restaurant Openings and Closings in Metro Phoenix

August was a busy month for new restaurants. Peoria got a couple new spots and Matt's Big Breakfast finally moved to news digs with an actual bathroom. At the same time we lost a sushi-go-round and Chandler and bid adieu to Migo's.

Humble Pie in Peoria Now Open, Three More Locations on the Way

See also: Humble Pie Slowly Taking Over the Valley With Four More Locations See also: Humble Pie: Happy Hour Report Card Humble Pie, the locally owned casual pizza chain with four locations, has opened its fifth restaurant at 15703 North 83rd Avenue in Peoria (near the Peoria Sports Complex and at ... More >>

Peoria Kid Plants a Flashlight Near School, Tells Fellow Seventh-Graders It's Probably a Bomb

A Peoria seventh-grader earned a trip to a juvie facility yesterday for telling his classmates the flashlight he planted near the school was probably a bomb, police say.Flashlights, as you may recall, are a hot topic on the west side these days, as someone turned a couple of them into improvised exp ... More >>

The Peoria Farmers Market: Football-Size Squash, Spicy Farm-Fresh Salsa, and Much Spicier Ghost Chile Hot Sauce

The Market: Since the only farmers markets west of Peoria may very well be in California, we were happy to see the Peoria Farmers Market spring up in January -- one shouldn't have to travel too far to have access to organic fruits and vegetables. The Parking: Located at the recently expanded Osuna ... More >>

Peoria Trash Talk: Curbside Recycling Shoved Down Residents' (Trash) Cans Five Years Ago, And It's Worked Out Beautifully

Peoria officials are looking at dropping residents monthly garbage fees by 13 percent -- from $15.06 to $13.10. Hey, every penny counts. But it's likely that wouldn't be the case if they city hadn't forced its residents to embrace curbside recycling a few years back.

Super Pole Sunday: Because There's Nothing Like Warming Up for the Big Game ... on a Pole.

By Sunday, you might be plopped on the couch and ankle-deep in nacho sauce and crappy beer. But if you're looking for a more, um, active approach to the year's biggest football event, Pink Fitness is here to help. The Peoria club hosts its annual Super Pole Sunday "as way to give the ladies a chan ... More >>

Fringe Benefits

Tiny Bubbles

Peoria Police Searching for Men Who Attacked Two Women In Peoria; Bracelet Could Lead Cops to Goons

Peoria Police DepartmentHave you seen this bracelet? It could be worth $6,000.​Have you seen this bracelet?It came off one of two men who attacked a woman and her 18-year-old daughter in the driveway of their Peoria home as they unloaded groceries from their car.Peoria police say that on July 23 a ... More >>

Peoria Perv Goes to Dollar Store for Cheap Thrills; Suspected of Touching Young Girls

Peoria Police Peoria police are looking for this man in connection with aggrevated assault.​A man who walked into a Peoria Dollar Tree on Monday afternoon wasn't interested in bargain shopping. Instead, police say, he inappropriately touched two young girl in two separate incidents.The girl ... More >>

Man Robs Peoria Convenience Store With Rock the "Size of a Human Foot"

Peoria Police DepartmentWanted in connection with rock-armed robbery.​Peoria police detectives are still on the hunt for a man who reportedly robbed a gas station convenience store near 83rd Avenue and Bell Road with a rock last week.The suspect threatened to bash the clerk's head in with the rock ... More >>

Spring Training Eats: West Valley

Peoria Stadium sure holds a lot of hungry restaurant-goers.​Spring training is in full swing, and this food critic is betting that it won't take too many games before you baseball fans will get tired of all the beer and brats -- or at least all the brats. Looking for a place to chow down be ... More >>

Pint Size Social

It’s a Valley beerocracy tonight

"Operation Chug-a-Lug" Cracks Down on Peoria Beer Heists; 67 Underage Kids Arrested in Less Than Two Months

www.cleverdonkey.comIf kids in Peoria had one of these babd boys they probably wouldn't need to steal alcohol in the first place.​Earlier this year the Peoria Police Department began noticing a trend in "beer runs" at area convenience stores by underage kids and decided to fight back.For anyone un ... More >>

Lisa Randall, a Wrongly Charged Former Peoria Daycare Operator, Benefited Greatly From Andrew Thomas' Departure

"Hothead Bandit" Indicted on 25 Counts Following Alleged Bank-Robbery Spree

​A federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a 25-count indictment yesterday against a man dubbed "The Hothead Bandit" by the FBI's over-worked bandit-naming department.Timothy John Kestle, 55, of Litchfield Park, has been charged with 13 counts of armed bank robbery and 12 counts of possessing or us ... More >>

"Hot Head Bandit," Serial Bank Robber, Busted in Peoria

www.hilariousheadlines.com​An alleged serial bank robber, responsible for at least three heists across the Valley, was busted in Peoria last week thanks to the keen eye of a police officer, the Peoria Police Department announced this morning. Peoria police spokesman Mike Tellef tells Ne ... More >>

Chef Beau MacMillan Hosts WestSide Throwdown Cooking Competition

Ever notice how the best culinary events are all in the East Valley or downtown Phoenix? Scottsdale Culinary Festival, Devoured, Taste...I could go on and on. For years, foodies on the forgotten side of town have been wondering when they'll finally get their turn.  www.int ... More >>

Peoria Pill Bandit Busted Just Days After Cops Increase Reward Money

Alleged Peoria Pill Bandit Steven Hochuli, seen here robbing a CVS in Peoria on November 29​They got him! The man police believe is the infamous Peoria Pill Bandit is behind bars today, just days after cops increased the reward money for information leading to his arrest from $2,0 ... More >>

Reward For Peoria Pill Bandit Goes from $2,000 to $5,000

The man in this photo is the infamous Pill Bandit. Anyone with information as to his identity is asked to call police.​The reward for the Peoria Pill Bandit has been upped from $2,000 to $5,000, because despite having a clear-as-day picture of this guy's mug, police still can't track him dow ... More >>

Cops Offering $2,000 Reward for Information on Peoria Pill Bandit

This unknown man is believed to have robbed pills from a Peoria CVS​The Peoria Police Department and Silent Witness are offering a $2,000 reward for information about a man who robbed prescription drugs from a Peoria CVS last week. The man, according to police, went into the drugstore  ... More >>

Robbers Steal the Ashes of a Peoria Family's Dead Son

www.psychologytoday.com​Peoria police are looking for the person or person responsible for robbing the home of a Peoria family. On the list of missing items: The ashes of the family's dead son. Lindsay Grannis, the child's mother, says when she came home yesterday afternoon, her garage door ... More >>

Jonas Brothers to Come to Valley and Play, Yes, Kickball

In what will probably be described sarcastically as a "dream come true," by fathers of 10-year-old girls across the Valley, the Jonas Brothers are scheduled to play in a public kickball game in Peoria in August. The pop-tarts -- who vehemently campaign for chastity, cle ... More >>

Death Valley: Peoria Woman Accused of Killing 3-year-old Girl; Tattooed Man Booked on Suspicion of Murder and Kidnapping

  We're still waiting for info from the Peoria Police Department on this one, but the Arizona Republic has a story on it already: A 27-year-old woman has been arrested for killing her boyfriend's 3-year-old niece. This is yet another truly heinous case of child abuse, whoever did it: The g ... More >>

Peoria Cop Shoots at Rifle-Wielding Suspect; Man was Behaving Erratically, Attempting Carjacks, Police Say

 A 42-year-old Peoria police officer with two years on the job shot at a berserk man who pointed a rifle at him last night, cops say. All police will say about the suspect so far is that he's a 23-year-old Peoria resident. Calls began coming in about him at about 11:45 p.m. in the are ... More >>

Helicopter Crash Victims Worked for Peoria Police Department

Image: Peoria policeMichael Gauchat The two people who died in a helicopter crash in the northwest Valley on Friday worked for the Peoria Police Department.  Michael Gauchat, 41, had been a police officer with the department since 1990. Donna Collum had been with the city of Peoria since 2000, ... More >>

Checkpoint, Task Force and "Click It or Ticket" for Memorial Day Motorists

  Image: Wikimedia CommonsPeoria police will man a DUI checkpoint at the entrance to Lake Pleasant on Castle Hot Springs Road on Monday, and Tempe will host a DUI task force. The enforcement efforts are aimed at reducing vehicle collisions on what is considered "one of the most deadly ho ... More >>

Peoria Donates Command Van to Katrina-Blasted Mississippi Town

City of PeoriaIt's good to have friends like the City of Peoria. The city developed a relationship with Long Beach, Mississippi, after the Gulf Coast town was ravaged in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, (the same storm that wiped out New Orleans). Peoria donated office equipment and vehicles to hel ... More >>

Mobile Phone in Kid's Pocket Calls Police as He Brags of Burglaries; Found With Hot Stereo in Hands

Machines turning on their human masters: It sounds like the plot of science fiction movie, but it actually happened to a Peoria punk who police say likes to burglarize vehicles. The 16-year-old was bragging to his homies about stealing from a car when his mobile phone sponta ... More >>

Peoria Bank Robber Cuts Hole In Wall, Surprises Bank Employees Arriving for Work

Holy bank robbery, Batman! (Or maybe it should be hole-y). Cops and the FBI are looking for a robber with above-average planning skills who forced the employees of a Peoria bank to open a cash vault. On Tuesday morning, the man broke into a Christian bookstore right nex ... More >>

Peoria Cops Seeks Suspected Scammers

Calling all cars: Be on the lookout for a peacoat-wearing mom-type in glasses and a smiley, plump girl.This pair may not be Public Enemy #1 and 2, but they're accused of the type of crime that probably makes their victims want to commit aggravated assault. According to Peoria PD, these two began ... More >>

New in Peoria: WineStyles

A free wine tasting, a champagne toast, a bottle signing by winemaker Robert Pepi Jr., and complementary hors d'oeuvres from Fleming's Steakhouse are four good reasons to hit up tonight's grand opening party for WineStyles in Peoria. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. Located at Park West, the new o ... More >>

Tilted Kilt Grand Opening in Peoria

Peoria's Most Wanted

West Side Pride

A steak in the community

Theater Scene

What's running now

Seven Nights of DJs and Dancing

Who's spinning what, where and when

For the Record

Tracks in Wax branches out

A Change of Pace hits the Clubhouse December 30

Writers on the Storm

Book fair proves the pen is still mightier

'Tis the Season

Let the games begin

Kid Pics for the week