Janet Napolitano, our former governor and current Homeland Security secretary, is taking heat from a think-tank that accuses her of making the federal government’s crackdown of illegal immigrants even more efficient.In an article that clearly takes issue with Napolitano’s directives in her first weeks as boss of Homeland Security, Americas…
A fight turned into a “small-scale riot” involving 200 to 300 people just outside South Mountain High School on Wednesday, police say.Though a spokesman quoted in the Arizona Republic today says only about 40 or 50 people were involved and that it “probably looked even worse than it was,” a…
It looks like Round Two of the lawsuit between Maricopa County and the Maricopa County Attorney’s office begins today.An “order to show cause” has been issued in the case, and we understand it’s likely Andrew Thomas has been ordered to appear for a hearing at 1:30 p.m. (Thomas could send…
Size matters: Arizona’s Republican senators are both pushing for an alternative to Obama’s stimulus package. Napolitano called him “Chicken Little” when he made the prediction that the state was going to run out of money, but now State Treasurer Dean Martin is sounding an optimistic note, declaring Arizona’s economy will…
Yvonne Wingett, who writes the Political Insider column for the Arizona Republic, reports this afternoon that the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is requesting e-mails and other public records from all five county supervisors and 31 county employees under the state’s public records law. The meaning of the records request isn’t clear,…
As one way to deal with a huge revenue shortfall, the City of Phoenix will shorten hours beginning March 2 at all of its library branches. About half of the 15 branch libraries will no longer be open on Sundays. Victoria Welch, city spokeswoman for the library system, tells us the reduced schedule comes at…
Captain Joel Fox of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office continued to play martyr during an administrative hearing on Wednesday, still unwilling to give up the names of the people behind a $105,000 campaign donation to the Republican Party that has been deemed illegal. Today’s hearing, which we told you about…
Sheriff’s investigators search a Gilbert business for evidence that County Supervisor Don Stapley made an improper deal to create a special tax district for land his buddy owned. At least copper theft will be on the decline: The metal scrap industry expects a miserable year as export demands from China and…
The Arizona Supreme Court today ruled that the state cannot collect an additional $30 million from cities and towns to help balance the budget. Back in November, it appeared the lawsuit against the state by the League of Arizona Towns and Cities was on firm footing when we wrote about…
[jump] The hearing takes place at 10 a.m., while the forced march is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sure, it’s interesting that Arpaio wants to keep a few illegal immigrants behind an electrified fence in canvas tents. But the campaign finance story — with its wisps of corruption and cover-up — has much greater implications…
Dreams of sex with a young cheerleader became a nightmare for a 14-year-old boy when the lights went on and he realized he had just boffed his 49-year-old teacher. It sounds like it could have been in The Onion newspaper, but the scene really did occur on Saturday at a Best Western Hotel…
We finally quit laughing over a January 29 news release from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and are now able to write about it. The release involves a request for public records Sheriff Arpaio’s minions made in late 2007 to the county’s Superior Court — a blatant fishing expedition for the e-mails of judges…
So-called “date rape” cases will be handled differently at the state’s three universities because of a lawsuit settlement — no more sweeping cases under the rug. State lawmakers are considering a change to tax code — critics say that’s code for tax hike. Drink up on Indian land: The Salt River Pima-Maricopa…
“Crawl, punk!” the man known as “Mississippi” yelled, reloading his 20-gauge after blasting a man in the right foot. Then, according to a news release by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas’ office, the 62-year-old man fired again, striking his victim in the left leg. The scene went down in a south…
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…
An anti-illegal-immigration political group is calling on Barack Obama today to deport his aunt, Zeituni Onyango, who apparently remains an illegal immigrant fugitive from justice in Cleveland.Americans for Legal Immigration posted its “public demand” on its Web site, basically telling Obama he’s a hypocrite if he won’t have his aunt…
[jump] Tovar beat out Hispanic activist Lydia Hernandez, who was also recommended to county supervisros by a panel of citizens despite legal problems that included a suspected 1999 human smuggling case. In an Arizona Republic article, Tovar says she’s ready for her new challenge and ready to get down the “nitty-gritty”…
[jump] We’ll leave it to our readers to decide whether some Christians who wanted to hold a Bible Study were lying, or whether it was the DOR employees who would get in trouble if they admitted denying them. What “DOR employees?” These Bible-hating state workers exist only in Chewie’s imagination, it seems. …
They came, they saw — they choked. Or maybe they were robbed of a Super Bowl victory by a bad call. But the Arizona Cardinals put up a helluva fight against the Steelers and they’ll be coming home at 3:30 today to a cheering crowd at Sky Harbor. Daddy, what…
Earl Simmons, better known as the rapper DMX, was sentenced to 90 days in jail for abusing his dogs and theft-related charges. He’s scheduled to be released on April 30.DMX also received 18 months of supervised probation, during which time he can’t own firearms or animals, according to a news release from…
Seems the anonymous “Chewie” over at Sonoran Alliance blog doesn’t know his DES from his DOR.As we reported yesterday, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Economic Security told us that, despite what Chewie had reported, her cafeteria was Bible-thumper accessible. (She didn’t use that exact phrase, of course).Today, Sonoran…
When Interstate 17 speed cameras flashed a couple of Gilbert cops last November, the officers were rewarded with more than a ticket — they became the subjects of a department investigation and, as of yesterday, an Arizona Republic news story.The question of what cops do with the automatic tickets is a…
