Got sand? Sure, but what good does it do when someone steals your $85,000 dune buggy? Chandler police report today that on July 11, thieves broke into the yard at Automotive Diagnostic Specialties, 6835 West Chandler Boulevard, then loaded up a flashy Black Widow sand rail (the one in the pictures) onto…
The U.S. Department of Education is giving the State of Arizona $14 million to help create highly competitive charter schools across the state.Arizona Department of Education Superintendent Tom Horne says he will take the much-needed funding with open mitts. “This is a win-win for students, parents, and the state. Providing…
South Phoenix’s Roosevelt School District, historically one of the Valley’s worst-performing districts, made an impressive gain in test scores in 2009. The district announced today that students performed 9 percent better in math and 10 percent better in reading on the AIMS test. That puts the district in better…
After Arizona State Univeristy’s fall from grace as one of the top party schools in the country, the Sun Devils have been bestowed a different honor, only it’s not nearly as fun. This time,everyone’s favorite obnoxious little buzz-word’s in play: “green.” And ASU’s one of the “greenest,” according to a survey released by…
Tom Candiotti, a former MLB pitcher who’s now a broadcaster for the Arizona Diamondbacks, is suing former D-Backs pitcher Todd Stottlemyre over a soured investment deal. The lawsuit, filed June 30 and posted online yesterday by courthousenews.com, says that Stottlemyre (brother of current pitching coach Mel Stottlemyer Jr.) worked for…
When we read the headline to the latest news release from the Department of Public Safety, “Officer makes a traffic stop and discovers 97 undocumented aliens inside of a refrigerated commercial trailer,” our first thought was — good thing it was refrigerated, cause it’s dang hot out. Reading further though,…
Following up on our coverage of the SCA campaign finance scandal, some readers have questioned the hiring of Dennis Wilenchik.The attack dog lawyer is the sheriff’s go-to guy — the “special prosecutor” in charge of the aborted investigation that led to the arrests of New Times’ owners Jim Larkin and…
Studies often reveal little more than a “lack of funds” available for whatever, but we bumped into one this morning that knocked off our socks. A collaboration between the National Immigration Law Center, the ACLU of Southern California, and a large law firm resulted in this finding: “There is no question that the…
Give me an — injunction! Three “all-star” cheerleading gyms in the Valley are suing the Arizona Interscholastic Association, claiming the rule-making collaborative of state schools is ruining their business. A lawsuit filed in Maricopa County Superior Court a couple of weeks ago says the AIA passed a rule in March…
Arizona lawmakers are considering “racinos” — maybe they should figure out a way to tax a new video-game-betting Web site that’s already legal in 39 states. The Associated Press reports that BringIt.com, founded by 30-year-old Woody Levin, is preparing to end its months-long “beta” phase sometime in the next few…
Turns out all the Arizona Diamondbacks needed Wednesday night to top the slugging Philadelphia Phillies was Justin Upton’s two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning. The D-Backs, who had dropped the first two games of their three-game series with the defending world champs, proceeded to shut ’em…
The number of illegal immigrants in Arizona has dropped by a third in the past two years, according to a study by the Center for Immigration Studies. Arizona had the largest decline of any state, thanks in part to a tough job market and stricter immigration laws and policies…Dozens of…
RIGHT TO KILL? What’s troublesome about gun nuts in this country isn’t so much that they want to play with firearms and wear them on their hips with almost no restrictions. It’s that many feel they have the God-given right to end every conflict with a bullet, or three. There’s…
Why do Mexicans at construction sites always draw a dick and vagina on the interiors of port-a-potties? They sure are not as poetic as they are artistic. Then you got the white boy reply, “Here I sit flexing a . . .” You should know the rest. Original Schreck in…
This is a story in which something marvelous happens. It’s a story about how, not long ago, a bunch of bright, talented people came together to create a project both beautiful and useful. This is also a story about how that beautiful, useful project, not too long after it was…
MINUTEWOMAN When you lie down with pigs . . .: Your cover story and [The Bird’s] column make it clear what kind of scumbag is attracted to the Minuteman movement. For Minuteman leaders to suddenly say that Shawna Forde wasn’t one of them is pure hogwash. What these “patriots” should…
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: Barack Obama’s Birth Certificate, and Why J.D. Hayworth Should Read National Review Joe Arpaio Beats…
Sheriff Joe Arpaio Twitter Watch: Arpaio tweets today that he received an invitation to dinner from one of his political enemies, former Mesa Police Chief George Gascon. Arpaio includes a picture of the card (above), which has a pre-printed religious message and handwritten note from Gascon inviting the…
Dang — what does it take to get the death penalty in this state, anyway? Shooting people randomly in the street — including one person who died — isn’t enough, it seems. A jury today spared the life of Sam Dieteman (pictured), one of the two “Serial Shooters” who terrorized…
Arizona Republic readers can rest easy: The paper’s astrology column is back to publishing one-to-four-star advance reviews of the type of day they can expect. After the paper canceled one syndicated horoscope and picked up another last month, readers noticed that the one-to-four-star advance reviews of their day had disappeared…
The majority of Arizona voters are completely delusional, according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey.The July 21 poll asked 500 likely voters if “the policies and activities of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio helped or hurt Arizona’s image.” A whopping 57 percent say they’ve helped. Only 27 percent say they’ve…
Valley developer Steve Ellman must feel a bit of deja vu. Years before we broke the story about his big contribution to the SCA, Ellman knew what it was like to be under suspicion of using the Republican Party to funnel money toward a specific political candidate. “The recent revelation is…
