It was a given that Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas was going to be miffed by the recent ruling on Don Stapley’s case by Superior Court Judge Kenneth Fields. Thomas has been saying for months that Fields is biased against him and he tried to get the judge kicked off…
A Phoenix man has been arrested in connection with the sexual assault of a woman last Friday at Mill Avenue and 4th Street in Tempe. The man, Akram Abdul-Hameed, is on trial currently for criminal damage, trespassing and assault in a separate Tempe incident that occurred in June. The…
A decision expected today in the case of an alleged theft of a campaign sign by longtime Chandler politician John Huppenthal has been put off until Thursday. Huppenthal’s case is another leftover of the messy 2008 election season. If you’ll recall, Chandler police recommended charges of theft and tampering with…
Hot off the cyber-presses of the Business Journal: Erin Kalin, a country singer from Scottsdale whose body must be the envy of every other woman on the planet with four kids, has become the latest “Go Daddy Girl.” The Scottsdale-based godaddy.com, run by CEO/playboy-type Bob Parson, has managed to make…
A breakfast that makes you go “mmm?” Not in Chandler, reportedly, where a teacher said his McDonald’s bag contained a special ingredient: A live scorpion. Jeff Tallman, according to Channel 15 (KNXV-TV), found the critter along with his meal last Friday morning after stopping at the Mickey D’s on Arizona Avenue and Ray Road. Channel 15 says…
It’s 51 down, 67 criminal counts to go for Maricopa County Supervisor Don Stapley. The county leader under investigation and indictment for failure to follow campaign finance disclosure laws convinced Superior Court Judge Kenneth Fields to dismiss nearly half the counts on a technicality. Stapley’s being strung up on a…
There was so much attention paid to anarcho-libertarian AR-15 bearer Christopher Broughton in the wake of President Barack Obama’s visit to Phoenix last Monday that some of the other nuts are, I’m certain, feeling a bit neglected. So take a gander at this seriously deranged video from a nativist wackjob who…
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office promoted Paul Chagolla last year, even touting him as the agency’s first Hispanic deputy chief, but Chagolla never got the raise that was supposed to come with the new title. That’s because the county is discriminating against him for being Hispanic, Chagolla alleges in a complaint filed with the U.S. Equal Employment…
A judge in Utah has ordered the sale of Arizona land belonging to a property trust established by followers of polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs. The trust has about $3 million in debt. The 400-acre parcel of land in northern Arizona will be sold to the highest bidder, but the…
In the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times’ blogs. Today’s entries: Feathered Bastard:Joe Arpaio, Soldier of Fortune Cover Boy, Channels His Inner Mr. Magoo Pro-Shawna Forde Site Pimped…
Steven Anderson, the right-wing pastor from Tempe who said he was abused by authorities at an Arizona checkpoint in April, caught the attention of MSNBC for his hate-filled, anti-Obama extremist. “Arizona, what is your deal?” wonders “Pareene” of the NYC-based Gawker.com, who also references the recent gun parade that took place during Obama’s…
Actor Bill Murray could be turning up at some U of A basketball games this season. His son, Luke Murray, has joined the UA basketball staff as a graduate assistant. Before his new gig in Arizona, Luke Murray served as an assistant coach at Post University in Connecticut.Luke says he’s…
The arson fire of June 14 at the Young Champions of America headquarters burned up every scrap of administrative records and melted scores of awards and trophies amassed over the years. Rory Hood, the company’s owner, considered quitting the business “for about an hour.” Then he heard the voice of his deceased…
Just when you think the nativists have sunk to a new low, they limbo right down into the gutter a little lower. In this case, it’s our old pal, Wiccan wackjob Laine Lawless (real name, Roberta Dill), known for her love of the bullwhip, her lesbian fanfiction featuring Lucy Lawless,…
Terry Goddard is one of 10 attorney generals across the country to take part in a task force with federal authorities against mortgage fraud. Rob McKenna, Washington’s AG, is co-chair with Iowa’s AG, Tom Miller, in the “unprecedented partnership” of federal and state authorities to target fraudsters in an…
Maricopa County Treasurer Charles “Hos” Hoskins has finally carried through on a threat he made back in December to sue the county again. Hoskins already has a lawsuit pending against the county regarding the alleged swiping of his office’s IT equipment. Hoskins believes drastic budget cuts imposed by the county…
The Arizona Republic seems to be taking a more aggressive stance lately against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Case in point: Its big Sunday story about the sheriff by Dan Nowicki entitled, (in the print edition) “Show of Force,” with a headline on the jump page reading, “Foes say…
The crime is sophisticated and devious: You’re tricked into swiping your card in a thieving cardreader planted over the real one. Meanwhile, the would-be Lex Luthors are watching you punch in your PIN with binoculars or cameras. Phoenix cops say the movie-like scenario actually happens — they call it “skimming”…
The Arizona Diamondbacks have taken a real beating on their current road trip; they lost seven in a row before snapping that streak on Sunday with a 7-5 win over the Houston Astros. During the streak, the offensive achieved levels of futility — an average of two runs scored a…
Scottsdale-based company Redflex Traffic Solutions Inc. is developing a solar-powered photo enforcement camera. The company has an agreement with Tempe-based Arizona Solar Concepts to design the cameras, but both companies refuse to elaborate until the project is further along. A Redflex spokesperson says the cameras are “not roadworthy” yet…A Mesa…
It should be no surprise that a cheesy, old-man’s magazine like Soldier of Fortune would stick our septuagenarian sheriff’s mug on the cover and proceed to pucker up to him in a puff piece written by some dude with the improbable name of “Dr. Martin Brass.” But couldn’t they find a better photo of…
Pedro Ultreras’ brutal, uncompromising film 7 Soles (7 Suns), which depicts the plight of a group of migrants crossing the Sonoran desert is a must-see for all Americans if they want to understand the sheer horror some immigrants are willing to endure to come to this country. In it, director Ultreras,…
