Vicki Christiansen Appointed as New State Forester

Vicki Christiansen, former Washington State Forester, has been appointed by Governor Jan Brewer to be the new Arizona State Forester and Director of the Arizona Division of Forestry.Brewer’s office made the announcement today, but a Google search shows Christiansen has been off and running for weeks now. On April 1,…

Light-Rail Ridership on Decline; Daily Boardings Dropped in March

Average daily boardings of the Valley’s light-rail system dropped in March — a bad sign with the heat of summer and a substantial fare hike still weeks away.Stats just released by Metro Light Rail estimate that 972,962 riders boarded the system in March. That’s an average daily boarding of 31,386…

Death Penalty: Judge Outlines Reason Cases Take Years to Complete

Arizona Attorney magazine published an article this month on the complexities of death penalty cases in Maricopa County and why they take so long to resolve. The article, by Superior Court Judge Robert Gottsfield and Marianne Alcorn, a scholar at Arizona State University, is “required reading” on the subject, says the…

Scottsdale Bank Robber Dons Wig and Glasses for Disguise

Meet the Beatle. This funky cat donned a wig to rob the Chase Bank near Indian Bend and Scottsdale Road yesterday afternoon, say Scottsdale police on their Web site. No weapon was seen — the bloke just passed a demand note to the teller, who gave him some cash. He…

Meghan McCain Inks Book Deal; Advance in the “High Six Figures”

  Meghan McCain, the “progressive conservative” daughter of Senator John McCain, has signed a book deal that will net her an advance in the “high six figures.” The New York Observer reports today that the local political princess shopped her idea around to other publishers before taking the offer from Hyperion…