Sedona (Arizona)

Interview with the Busdriver

Can Maynard James Keenan Put Arizona Wine on the Map?

Location, Location, Location

Deadline, deadline, deadline

Belle du Jour

Songstress Michelle Branch enjoys the spoils of success

Into the Mouths of Babes

How graying scribes are turning teen pop ballads into songs of experience

Bob's Hope

After a decade of legal battles, the unsinkable Robert Burns is once again shaping his dream metropolis of Sun Valley

Little House on the Desert

After a decade of legal battles, the unsinkable Robert Burns is once again shaping his dream metropolis of Sun Valley

Sweat Lodge Guru Says He "Struggled to Respond the Right Way" in Days Following Deaths; Plans to Postpone 2009 Events

www.thestoreofinformation.com "Spiritual Warrior" James Arthur Ray​We've been checking the Web site of sweat lodge organizer James Arthur Ray just about every day, and it has proven to contain a never-ending fountain of insensitive comments. That said, even we were a little surprised today ... More >>

Sweat Lodge Survivor Files Lawsuit; Claims Ray Barred Escape Before She Passed Out

www.successisascience.com​A survivor of the "Spiritual Warrior" sweat lodge retreat has filed a lawsuit against the organizer of the event, self-help guru James Arthur Ray.The suit, which was filed on October 30, came a day after the family of one of the three people who died filed a similar suit ... More >>

Hot Links: APS Rates, Joe Shirley, and the Postal Service

​The Arizona Corporation Commission will vote today on a possible rate hike for Arizona Power Systems (APS) customers. The proposed increase would raise customers' rates by an average of more than $6 a month. An administrative-law judge has already recommended approval of the rate hike...A judge i ... More >>

Court Docs: Sedona Sweat Lodge Not the First Time People Have Been Injured at James Ray Event

​Documents released yesterday by a Yavapai County judge indicate that the October deaths of three people at James Arthur Ray's "Spiritual Warrior" sweat tent debacle in Sedona was not the first time someone was injured while following Ray towards, um, spiritual enlightenment. More than t ... More >>

James Ray Speaks Out About Sweat Lodge Tragedy; Let's Just Say it Didn't Go Well

"Spiritual warrior" James Arthur Ray​The Oprah-approved snake-oil salesman who organized the "spiritual warrior" sweat-tent debacle in Sedona that left three people dead and dozens injured, is finally speaking out publicly about the ordeal. James Arthur Ray sat down with Michael J ... More >>

Mago Sculpture Dismantled, Rolling Stone Article Blasts Dahn Yoga as Cult

Even if she's in a cult, at least she's not a redneck...Between a cult and the Cottonwood rednecks, whom do I chose? That's the conundrum I'm left with at the news that the Mago "Mother Earth" statue has been dismantled. That's to the delight of bigots in Cottonwood, Arizona, who decried the 39 foot ... More >>

Sedona Sweat Lodge Tragedy Autopsies Released; Heat Stroke and Organ Failure Were Culprits

​ Autopsy results were released in the cases of the three people who died during a sweat-lodge- ceremony-gone-wrong in Sedona last October, and if you guessed heat stroke or multi-system organ failure as causes of death, you win!The autopsies conclude that two of the three victims died as ... More >>

James Ray Hit With New Lawsuits; This Time For Not Providing "Self-Help"

​The hits just keep coming for "spiritual warrior" James Arthur Ray, the snake oil salesman charged in the deaths of three people at a sweat lodge ceremony in Sedona last October.Lawsuits filed in Maricopa County Superior Court claim that Ray mislead people into paying for "self-help" events in ad ... More >>

Arizona Republic's "Best Music Festival:" Now Accepting Nominations for Festivals that Did Not Actually Happen

​I really should stop beating on the Arizona Republic's "Reader's Choice" poll -- poorly conceived and executed though it may be. However, a reader just pointed out two other real gems in the "best annual music festival or event" category.Go down this list and pick out which two festivals didn't a ... More >>

James Ray Subpoena Requests Quashed by Judge

"Spiritual warrior" James Arthur Ray​Requests made by "spiritual warrior" James Arthur Ray and his lawyers to subpoena emergency workers who responded to the Sedona sweat lodge that left three people dead and dozens injured, was quashed by a Yavapai County judge. Ray and his attorneys ... More >>

Flagstaff's Hullabaloo Will Have Bands, Costumes, Bikes and Hippies. LOTS of Hippies.

​Bad news, Phoenix: It will be 104 degrees today. If the heat is already starting to bother you, it's time to start planning weekend trips to the high country. July 10 is looking like a good day to drive up to Flagstaff for the Hullabaloo music festival. The name Hullabaloo makes it sound vaguely ... More >>

James Arthur Ray Sweat Lodge Trial Vacated -- No New Date Set

​The trial for James Arthur Ray, the Oprah-approved "self-help" guru who organized a deadly sweat-lodge retreat in Sedona last year, won't begin on August 31, as originally scheduled.Court docs released yesterday show Ray's trial has been vacated and no new date has yet been set.The reason for the ... More >>

James Arthur Ray's Lawyers Want Trial Moved to Maricopa County

​Lawyers for James Arthur Ray, the Oprah-approved "self-help" guru, who organized a deadly sweat lodge event near Sedona last year, want the motivational speaker's trial moved from Yavapai County to Maricopa County.Prosecutors, however, do not.Ray's been charged with three counts of manslaughter s ... More >>

James Arthur Ray's Death-Lodge Trial Will Stay in Yavapai County, Judge Rules

Ray Stern​The manslaughter trial for James Arthur Ray, the Oprah-approved "self-help" guru charged with killing three people in a deadly sweat lodge retreat near Sedona last year, will remain in Yavapai County, a judge ruled yesterday.Ray's lawyers had pushed to have the trial moved to the Phoenix ... More >>

La Luz del Mundo: God May Not Live in a Material Church, But He's Building a Sweet Pad

Ray Stern​The manslaughter trial for James Arthur Ray, the Oprah-approved "self-help" guru charged with killing three people in a deadly sweat lodge retreat near Sedona last year, will remain in Yavapai County, a judge ruled yesterday.Ray's lawyers had pushed to have the trial moved to the Phoenix ... More >>

Jake Dean at Sushi Roku

Zach Fowle Jake Dean ​At the front of the swanky W Hotel, sits Sushi Roku (7277 E. Camelback Rd., 480-970-2121). Soft jazz plays over the speakers while fishing net-style ceiling pieces, wood floors and walls decorated with rope combine to make the place look like an ultra-modern Japan ... More >>

James Arthur Ray's Financial Status Not to Be Discussed at Sweat Lodge Trial, Judge Rules

​The Yavapai County Superior Court judge overseeing the manslaughter trial of snake-oil salesman James Arthur Ray ruled today that some important pieces of evidence may not be used by prosecutors during trial -- most notably, information about Ray's financial situation.Ray's probably lovin' Judge ... More >>

James Ray Trial: "Spiritual Warrior's" Attorneys Try to Keep Cult Expert From Testifying at Trial

Ray Stern​"Spiritual Warrior"/snake-oil salesman James Arthur Ray -- accused of manslaughter in the deaths of three participants in a 2009 sweat-lodge ceremony in Sedona -- doesn't want the jury in his upcoming trial to hear what two experts on cult behavior have to say about his "self- ... More >>

James Ray's Lawyers Want Trial Moved to Phoenix

​Lawyers for snake-oil salesman/"spiritual warrior" James Arthur Ray want the Oprah-approved "self-help" guru's manslaughter trial moved from Yavapai County to a court in the Phoenix area.Ray's attorneys don't believe it's possible for their client to get a fair trial in Yavapai County because of ... More >>

Chocolate Festival at Chakra 4 Cafe

Carol Blonder Calio Confections​ We popped into Chakra 4 Café and Tea House Saturday to start off our Valentine weekend with a Chocolate Festival. Chocolate vendors Lisa Reinhardt, Wei of Chocolate, and Michelle Calio, Calio Confections were there to entice customers with their lines of or ... More >>

James Ray Death Lodge Trial: Jury Selection Under Way

​The manslaughter trial for "spiritual warrior"/snakeoil salesman James Arthur Ray, the Oprah-approved "self-help guru" charged with the deaths of three people in Sedona in 2009, is underway in a Yavapai County Courtroom, where prosecutors and Ray's attorneys are in the midst of jury selection ... More >>

Phoenix Goddess Temple's "Sacred Sexuality" Is More Like New Age Prostitution

​The manslaughter trial for "spiritual warrior"/snakeoil salesman James Arthur Ray, the Oprah-approved "self-help guru" charged with the deaths of three people in Sedona in 2009, is underway in a Yavapai County Courtroom, where prosecutors and Ray's attorneys are in the midst of jury selection ... More >>

Busdriver on LA's Hip-Hop Scene, Giving Music Away for Free and Why European Audiences Rule

​It's been a good couple weeks for fans of indie hip-hop. Last weekend, Nocando and Open Mike Eagle stopped by the Hidden House, and this weekend, fellow LA underground rapper Busdriver is performing at the Red Owl in Tempe. (Tickets available here or at the door.) In a recent e-mail Q&A, Bu ... More >>

James Ray to Death Lodge Participants: "You Have Faced Your Own Death"

​Prior to allegedly being responsible for the deaths of three people in a make-shift death tent, snakeoil salesman James Arthur Ray reportedly told participants of his "Spiritual Warrior" self-help retreat near Sedona in 2009 that when they emerged from the sweat lodge, they will have "faced [thei ... More >>

James Ray Death Lodge Trial: Mistrial Considered by Judge

​Attorneys for snake-oil salesman James Arthur Ray have requested a mistrial in the "self-help guru's" manslaughter trial because they say prosecutors in the case failed for over a year to turn over an email that could help exonerate their client.Ray's pleaded not guilty to three counts of manslau ... More >>

Five National Music Videos Shot in Arizona

Believe it or not, Arizona's a hot spot for shooting music videos -- and we don't just mean literally hot, but conceptually, too. I mean, where else could a pre-slutty Britney Spears pontificate on her virginity from a cliff top overlooking green waters or Paul McCartney pretend to be an unknown clu ... More >>

Crystals and Fossils Worth Millions (and Sold for $1) Moved From Phoenix After Lawsuit Settlement; May be Auctioned

Image: The Panorama Prospector Richard Berger, shown here with a 500-pound pyrite cluster, sued Paradise Valley resident Gary Midzor last year after his mineral collection was moved to Phoenix. The lawsuit has been settled -- sort of. ​ An extraordinary collection of crystals and minerals a ... More >>

Former Format Singer Nate Ruess Wants to Have fun. in Arizona

Image: The Panorama Prospector Richard Berger, shown here with a 500-pound pyrite cluster, sued Paradise Valley resident Gary Midzor last year after his mineral collection was moved to Phoenix. The lawsuit has been settled -- sort of. ​ An extraordinary collection of crystals and minerals a ... More >>

Rhonni Moffitt's Perfect Food Day

Rhonni Moffitt​Rhonni Moffitt describes her food philosophy in three words: It's all about fresh, local and creativity. She publishes Arizona Vines & Wines Magazine, an online and print mag about wine in Arizona with a special emphasis on the Arizona wine industry. She sits on Northern A ... More >>

James Ray Guilty of Negligent Homicide; Manslaughter Charges Didn't Stick

James Ray was found guilty of negligent homicide. Manslaughter charges didn't stick.​"Spiritual warrior" James Ray was found guilty today of three counts of negligent homicide in the deaths of three people at a 2009 "self-help" retreat near Sedona, during which he guided dozens of people int ... More >>

PETA Compares James Ray's Sweat Lodge Victims to Dogs Left in Hot Cars

PETA​As Oprah-approved "self-help" guru James Arthur Ray prepares for sentencing after getting convicted of negligent homicide for the deaths of three people at a sweat lodge ceremony, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are trying to capitalize on the publicity his case received -- by com ... More >>

Kid-Killing Child Molester Richard Bible to be Executed Today

Arizona Department of CorrectionsKid-killing child molester Richard Bible is scheduled to die at 11 a.m.​Tick-tock...Kid-killing child molester Richard Bible is set to be put to death in just hours for the 1988 murder of a 9-year-old girl.Richard Bible is set to die at 11 a.m. after losing all of ... More >>

Double Visions

Arizona Department of CorrectionsKid-killing child molester Richard Bible is scheduled to die at 11 a.m.​Tick-tock...Kid-killing child molester Richard Bible is set to be put to death in just hours for the 1988 murder of a 9-year-old girl.Richard Bible is set to die at 11 a.m. after losing all of ... More >>

The Elote Cafe Cookbook

​ Although he describes himself as an introvert, Jeff Smedstad has always been at ease when sharing his garnered wisdom of Mexican cuisine. At the original strip mall location of Los Sombreros in Scottsdale, a diner's question about ingredients could easily coax him out of the kitchen, and if a cu ... More >>

Northern Arizona Brewery Tour; Escape the Heat with a Cold One

DesertDog @ Roadfood.com ​And now we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of August. There is no amount of ice cream, skinny cocktails, or boozy popsicles that will make the tail end of the Arizona summer bearable. Your best bet - grab a cooler and hit the road. Take a drive up to the ... More >>

James Reich of Sedona Hiking Adventures Sentenced to Jail and Probation for Illegal Guide Service

Image: www.sedonahikingadventures.comJames Reich, owner of Sedona Hiking Adventures, has been sentenced to two days in jail for running an illegal guide service on national forest lands.​ A Sedona-based hiking guide has been sentenced to two days in jail and is banned from national forests for ... More >>

Carl Seacat Forages for Lobster Mushrooms

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/​We saw on Carl Seacat's Twitter feed (@SeacatGardens) that he was foraging for highly-prized, bright orange lobster mushrooms in Northern Arizona. We were so curious about his experience that we had to find out more. Seacat doesn't give away all his s ... More >>

James Ray Death Lodge Trial Nearing an End; Faces Nine Years in Prison For Sweat Lodge Deaths

New Times​The sentencing phase of the trial for convicted snake-oil salesman James Arthur Ray is coming to an end as prosecutors urge the judge in the case to sentence the Oprah-approved "self-help" guru to the maximum: nine years in prison.Ray was convicted in September on three counts of neglige ... More >>

James Ray: Prison or Probation?

James Ray is scheduled to be sentenced today after being found guilty of three counts of negligent homicide.​Oprah-approved "self-help" guru James Arthur Ray will be sentenced today after a jury found him responsible for the deaths of three people during a 2009 sweat lodge ceremony near Sedona.Ray ... More >>

Season Two of Check, Please! Premieres January 5

Photo by: Eight, Arizona PBS​Season two of Check, Please! Arizona on KPBS premieres at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 5 with Chef/Host Robert McGrath at the head of the table, once again. Read on for a sneak preview of some of the restaurants featured this season...

Bill and Susan Heywood's Sad Deaths Yesterday Trigger Ancient Memory

Many moons ago, we did a piece (turned into a "series") on a dirty big-time Mesa probate lawyer named Wayne Legg. Bill Heywood: Loved animals (and the rich and famous).​Called "As Helpless As Children," the 1993 story led to Mr. Legg's grand-jury indictment and imprisonment for more than a de ... More >>

Chow Bella Chills Out in the Fridge at Papago Brewing Company

Who hasn't wanted to spend a few minutes chatting up the guys who make their favorite brews? The Chow Bella team, lucky dogs that we are, recently got the opportunity to do just that. The catch? We only got about three minutes with each one. These guys are busy! Watch the short video below for an ... More >>

Chow Bella Prepares for the Coming Achocalypse with Prescott Brewing Company

Who hasn't wanted to spend a few minutes chatting up the guys who make their favorite brews? The Chow Bella team, lucky dogs that we are, recently got the opportunity to do just that. Thing is, we only got a few minutes with each one. These guys are busy! Watch the short video below for an insight ... More >>