The pair of robbers entered the credit union suddenly, yelling at employees, waving a gun.Police say the robbery of the Sun West Federal Credit Union yesterday was more like Point Break than the average pass-a-note-and-run kind of bank stick-up.But it was also like America’s Dumbest Criminals: The gang took a…
A free pet spay and neuter program by Maricopa County will become more limited this year because of a deluge of customers.The national Big Fix Program is the main source of funds for the service, which is offered by Maricopa County Animal Care and Control. The county started the program…
In the “must be nice” category, local public relations guru Jason Rose and his wife, local attorney, Jordan, made the paper this morning with their new home purchase.Topping the list of this week’s priciest home sales in the Arizona Republic’s real estate round-up is the Roses’ acquisition of a $3.4…
If you’re in Mesa today and looking for something to eat, why not stop by a fundraiser for a police family suffering a tragedy?Mesa cops and members of the Fraternal Order of Police will be hosting an event from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at the FOP Mesa Lodge…
Hundreds of people are expected to show up on the State Capitol lawn on April 15 to protest taxation, including Republican Congressman John Shadegg (at left), say organizers of the “Tax Day Tea Party.” The shin-dig, which takes place from 5:30-7 p.m., is being led by American for Prosperity and right-wing…
Phoenix police confirmed on Tuesday that a local photographer was questioned in late March for taking pictures at a transit station — and that such questioning is routine. Following a police memo put out last May, Phoenix security officers have been contacting people observed observed taking pictures at Central Station…
Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas is throwing the book at two 18-year-old girls who made bomb threats at their Tempe high school, Corona Del Sol. Laurin Godson (mugshot on the left) and Lauren Tamburrelli (on the right) were charged by Thomas’ office late last month for hoaxing a terrorist attack, a class…
In a sign that TV stations aren’t much better off in this new media world than daily newspapers, Fox and Scripps stations in Phoenix, Detroit and Tampa are now working together to produce news. Locally, the collaboration means that news teams for “My Fox Phoenix,” (KSAZ-TV), the local Fox affiliate…
GM and Segway unveiled a “reinvention of urban transportation” today — the PUMA vehicle. If these things ever see mass production, it’s a safe bet you won’t see too many on Valley streets (see picture below). With a motorcycle, at least you can throttle your way out of trouble. These…
A man named “Eddie” who responded to a Craigslist ad for a car on Monday drove his own vehicle into a toddler at the seller’s Phoenix home, then fled the scene, police say. The would-be buyer, who allegedly carried the injured 16-month-old boy to his parents while saying the kid had fallen down in the driveway,…
Swimming enthusiasts are hoping a lake competition coming to the Valley this summer and fall puts Arizona on the map for open water events. The Arizona Open Water Swim Series will begin on May 2 with 2K and 4K events in Saguaro Lake, then on to Lake Pleasant and back to Saguaro…
Frank Goodyear, the director of the Heard Museum for the last 10 years, will retire at the end of the year. Goodyear’s tenure coincided with a period of expansion and growth at the Valley’s best-known museum, and he was appreciated for his fundraising skills. According to the news release below,…
Okay, we admit it: When we think of the roaring, pedal-to-the-metal high performance of race cars, a picture of Terry Goddard is about the furthest thing from our mind. Now the Phoenix International Raceway have put the two together by making the state Attorney General an honorary race official for the kickoff…
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 spontaneously called the police. Perhaps his phone had a…
Maricopa County leaders had little but cyncism for the surprising announcement by County Attorney Andrew Thomas this morning to hand off the Don Stapley prosecution. Trusting Thomas will be difficult despite his call for peace, says County Manager David Smith, who somehow wound up under criminal investigation during the fight. Smith says…
Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas is waving the white flag. He’s transferring the investigation of Don Stapley and the planned Superior Court building to Yavapai County. And he’s offering to resolve through a mediator his legal dispute about the county’s civil litigation work. The actions seem to bring this county civil war movie to…
The Don Stapley Legal Defense Fund had a “fair amount of return” from a recent fund-raising letter, says one of the fund’s trustees, Betsey Bayless (above).But the support for the Maricopa County Supervisor under indictment hasn’t come without raising some suspicions. Bayless, like other trustees of the fund, tells New…
Today’s approval of gay marriages by the Iowa Supreme Court isn’t likely to impact Arizona, says a local group that helped see a ban on such marriages approved. No legal challenges to the successful Proposition 102 are expected, says Cathi Herrod of the Center for Arizona Policy. The law can…
Right-wing extremist Roy Warden is claiming credit for forcing Ruth McGregor (at left), Arizona’s Chief Justice, into retirement early — but don’t believe him.Warden, known for his violent-sounding rhetoric and penchant for burning Mexican flags, left comments with the claim on several online articles about McGregor’s decision to leave a…
A former sailor and Phoenix UPS driver was sentenced to 10 years in a federal prison today for passing secrets to a Pakistan man who ran an Al-Qaeda recruitment Web site.Paul R. Hall, who has apparently changed his name to Hassan Abu-Jihaad, was arrested in Phoenix in 2007 and charged…
Thirty-two dogs were killed in an East Mesa mobile home fire on Tuesday, the East Valley Tribune reports today, including chows, Chihuahuas, English bulldogs and Labradors. We don’t know about you, but the first question that came to our mind when we saw this was, “What the hell are 32…
A gunman took 41 people hostage at an immigration services center today, killing 13 before committing suicide. Several more were wounded after the man stormed the American Civic Association center in Binghamton.Here are the sites that seem to have had the most details right now as the news began to…
