Longtime Channel 3 (KTVK-TV) reporter Mike Watkiss has a bit piece in the locally made movie, “Blood Guardian.”As in, blown to bits. (Or stabbed, rather — see Watkiss’ comment below).”They dispatch me promptly and effectively,” says Watkiss. He’s been in a few other small-time flicks, he says, enjoying the energy…
The Department of Public Safety released details on the arrests of who the agency calls “super speeders” — motorists caught by photo enforcement cameras on Valley freeways.Coincidentally, New Times called DPS last night about the issue, and wrote about it this morning.But get this — it turns out one of…
Just in time for our blog post today about the role of the FBI in the Phoenix kidnapping crisis comes a major announcement that the FBI will focus more on the problem as part of a strategy to combat cartel violence. In a statement made today during his trip in Cuernavaca, Mexico,…
A local photographer claims a Phoenix police officer detained him for a short time and interrogated him for taking pictures of potential terrorist attack sites. In an online article on the Downtown Phoenix Journal Web site, author Chad Swaney relates the tale of William Nash-McAdam, who had taken the…
The FBI is the nation’s premier agency when it comes to kidnappings, right? Well, not in Phoenix, the so-called kidnapping capital of the country. The FBI decided years ago that it would try not to get involved when the kidnappings involve immigrants and human smugglers. Both the FBI and…
Only three people have signed up so far to run for governor, but plenty of people are thinking about it. One of those people just might be Fife Symington, says a post today by blogger Greg Patterson. Symington, if you’ll recall, is the Republican ex-governor who was sentenced to two years in prison…
Phoenix police recently arrested two kidnapping “victims” in a case that shows the challenges of investigating immigration-related crime. The incident occurred a few days ago, when police received a call about a suspected kidnapping involving a migrant, says. Lt. Lauri Burgett of the Phoenix police, who helps oversee a task force on home invasions and…
Standoffs, suspected kidnappers, burning bodies, high-speed chases, animal abusers — the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office sure has a lot going on. But you’ll see none of those cases on Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s taxpayer-funded Web site. You can, however, read a column by Arizona Republic writer E.J. Montini. As of today, all…
Maricopa County motorists caught doing more than 100 mph by freeway speed cameras continue to be tracked down and arrested, even though it’s a certainty they won’t be prosecuted. County Attorney Andrew Thomas (pictured) announced late last month that he believes the law doesn’t support prosecuting such cases, and he’s…
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted today to decline $1.6 million in state funding designed to help Sheriff Joe Arpaio target illegal immigrants.Of all the tit-for-tat power plays going on in recent weeks, this one is a real shot through the hull. Suddenly, Arpaio’s immigration enforcement tactics are being…
Three people have signed up to run for governor in next year’s election, including two conservatives who say they’re in the race specifically to counter Jan Brewer’s tax-increase proposal. Brewer, who fell into the governor’s chair when Janet Napolitano eloped with President Obama, has yet to file paperwork for the…
Local radio station KTAR (92.3 FM) is giving New Times some competition in the joke article department, telling its audience today that Phoenix is getting 350 federally funded speed cameras. The online article ran with this hilarious map — which alone should have been a dead giveaway for readers. The…
Chuck Coughlin, the Republican heavyweight lobbyist of the HighGround PR firm, is a liberal-leaning, tax-supporting, poll-twisting propagandist — says the anonymous “Chewie” today on the right-wing blog Sonoran Alliance.The pachyderm rumble we’ve been covering is still rolling along, to our amusement, with the unnamed writer or group of writers at…
Cable’s Nickelodeon Channel suddenly turned political before last year’s election, and its spin-off channel for pre-schoolers, Noggin, featured Obama spots for Black History Month.But now it’s April, and blatant Obama propaganda is still being run on Noggin, as we saw this morning. Here are the words to the short cartoon…
In trying to escape a $315,000 fine at an appeal hearing today, Captain Joel Fox (pictured) denied just about everything related to the political donation he made on behalf of the mysterious “SCA.” Fox even denied that “SCA” stands for “Sheriff’s Command Association,” even though the abbreviation had been spelled out that way numerous times in…
A conflict of interest between Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and the county Board of Supervisors over the investigation of a planned court tower creates the “appearance of evil,” a judge has ruled. Judge Gary Donahoe The background: In the midst of a feud with the County Supervisors, Thomas and Sheriff…
Congress and President Obama have given “National Scenic Trail” Designation to the 807-mile Arizona Trail, bestowing extra protection and attention on the 21-year-old route. For local residents, this is just one more reminder that the trail awaits your bootprints. On cool spring days, few things sound better than an…
Arizona pistachio farmers are hoping the government soon lifts a blanket warning against eating the nuts, which was issued after a California batch tested positive for salmonella. So far, there’s no indication the illness-causing bacteria infects any Arizona products, but the FDA wants people to avoid anything containing pistachios until further notice…
Espresso Pundit and Sonoran Alliance blogs kept up their slugfest today, with SA’s multiple-personality “Chewie” looking the worse for wear. The underlying subject remains the one New Times has been harping on for a few months: When good bloggers go bad — anonymously. Greg Patterson, a former Republican state legislator, argues…
Kids aren’t supposed to talk to strangers. And, these days, apparently, strangers aren’t supposed to talk to kids. According to media reports today, a guy who asked a few kids some questions about tree swings — prompting police involvement — was actually interested in tree swings. Go figure. Initial coverage of…
Legal scholar, activist, prosecutor and private prison official Mark Brnovich has been appointed director of the Arizona Department of Gaming. Scammers pay heed: This over-achieving barrister is just coming off a stint in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona as a specialist in prosecuting gambling-related crimes. Followers of private-property-rights issues may…
The Arizona Republican Party last year returned the dirty $105,000 donated by the mysterious “Sheriff’s Command Association.” But in doing so, it left the party with a massive negative balance. That’s because it had already spent a good chunk of the money, apparently, on a pair of smear ads against the opponents of Maricopa County Sheriff…
