News

  For all you eggheads who like to stay on top of the latest/greatest in campaign finance law, this just in: Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard says he’ll no longer enforce the state law that requires self-funded candidates to make special funding reports. Those so-called “millionaire candidates,” whose campaign funding…

A local naturopathic doctor, taking advice from Rahm “Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste” Emanuel, announced today she’ll give swine flu patients a 10 percent discount.In an e-mail to news media around the Valley, including New Times, Heather Wdowin of Ambrosia Medical in Scottsdale writes that she’s “offering…

Like a king-sized overdraft protection program, Treasury Warrant Notes helped cover Arizona’s daily living expenses for 12 days starting April 15. But now the state is “back in black,” reports state treasurer Dean Martin.Martin announced today that the state had spent about $38,000 in interest for the notes, used to…

Health officials closed a Phoenix elementary school today following a confirmed case of swine flu, but experts say they’re not “overly worried” because United States illnesses have been mild.A child from Moon Mountain Elementary School in Northwest Phoenix showed flu symptoms before news of the virus broke, and tests later…

The latest Internet news on the swine flu:* The first case in Arizona has been confirmed, and three other cases are suspected. None of the victims were “gravely ill or hospitalized,” health officials say.* The state schools chief says schools reporting a case of swine flu should close the campus…

An employee at Dick’s Cabaret, an all-male strip club in Phoenix, accidentally shot another worker dead while he was unloading a handgun, police say.At about 7:30 p.m. last night, Gordon Bryan, 32, had been working on a camera fixture when the bullet flew toward him — just a random, tragic,…

Jill Johnson found writing her latest press release “hard, awkward, proud yet healing.”The marketing director for the Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix was trying to help the business advertise a May 8 fundraiser for the 100 Club, an organization to help the families of fallen police officers. But it’s impossible to…

“Alien in possession of a firearm” sounds a tad like science-fiction poetry, but it’s also the title of a federal statute – and one that’s putting a Mexican national behind bars for about five years. While gun ownership is an Arizonan’s birthright, (the state constitution goes well beyond the Second…

Most Arizona voters hate the idea of cutting education to help balance the state’s budget, says a new poll by KAET-TV and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. Sixty-nine percent of respondents answered “education” to the question, “The one area in which I think cuts should NOT be made in is…” The second runner-up was public…

Following the NFL draft, the Arizona Cardinals have released three players: running back Edgerrin James, cornerback Rod Hood, and linebacker Travis LaBoy…Arizona Representative Robert Meza has resigned from the board of Chicanos por la Causa to focus on creating a nonprofit organization for educational assistance. Meza had been a financial…

We understand that in the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. Worry not! We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times’ blogs. Today’s entries: Valley Fever: Scottsdale Community College Journalism Director Declares Victory in Student Newspaper…

Another day, another diss. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors can’t seem to communicate with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. In a letter to County Attorney Andrew Thomas (see below), Max Wilson, the chairman of the board, repeats his earlier offer to have Thomas call him to discuss mediation of…

  Souring relations between Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris (pictured at right) and members of the department’s union were the source of a squabble at a City Council committee meeting today. As KTAR news (92.3 FM) reports, union president Mark Spencer and other union members wanted to tell a council sub-committee…

Jarrett Maupin II pleaded guilty today to a felony count of making a false statement to a federal law enforcement agent. Prosecutors are recommending probation for the former candidate for Phoenix mayor; his sentencing is scheduled for late July. U.S. District Court Judge David Campbell has the final word on…

A story today in the Arizona Republic touts the fact that the paper’s Sunday circulation rose a tiny .2 percent, but leaves out a significant drop in daily circulation: Sunday circulation for The Arizona Republic increased slightly for the most recent six-month period, helping the newspaper join the ranks of…

A Glendale man will serve more than four years in a federal prison for his role scamming investors in Valley medical facilities, while one of his associates from Surprise will serve a year and a half. The scheme also involved several other men, two of whom are scheduled to be…

Teachers who excel among their peers ought to be rewarded with high pay, says a new report by the Goldwater Institute.The paper sets the tone by kicking off with a quote from New York Times columnist Bob Herbert. After praising “diligent” teachers, Herbert notes:But there are many, many others who…

The swine flu situation in Arizona hasn’t changed much since yesterday’s post, except for a stockpiling of antiviral medications.Officials are telling Tucson media that Arizona still hasn’t reported any cases, and neither has the Mexican state that borders us, Sonora. Nobody’s been detained at the international border. Governor Jan Brewer…

The Maricopa Community College District Governing Board seems to have backed down on plans to research how to take control of student newspapers. The board, which oversees the county’s popular community colleges, makes no mention of the newspaper issue on the agenda for this evening’s meeting. Julie Knapp, director of…