Return of the Joker: Shaq-Less Suns at L.A. Lakers Tonight

98-119. 115-122. 106-98. 124-130. 92-105. Alas, these are not Steve Kerr’s winning lottery numbers. They’re actually grim statistics reflecting an alarming trend: the full-on revival of the Los Angeles Lakers as a major pain in the Phoenix Suns’ butt. And they may be an even bigger pain in the posterior…

Rapper DMX Caught in Florida; Lawyer Says Sheriff Arpaio Pushed to Involve FBI

Accused animal abuser Earl Simmons, a.k.a. rapper DMX, was arrested in Florida today following yesterday’s news that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was offering  $5,000 for information on his whereabouts. The rapper, who was arrested at his Cave Creek home in May on animal cruelty charges, was found at the mansion of record producer Scott Storch,…

Canadian Seal Hunt Ban Pushed by Arizona Restaurants

Seal skin makes great coats and waterproof shoes, but first you have to catch a cute little marine mammal and make some red snow. “Save the seals” isn’t just a cliche — the Humane Society of the United States continues the call first sounded in the 1970s with a three-year-old…

Cloned UPS Truck Caught Smuggling Ton of Pot

“Synchronizing” is a tough word to spell, even if you aren’t high from the ton of marijuana you’re trying to smuggle. But you’d think after going to all the trouble of creating this UPS lookalike, the smugglers would invest some of their profit in a dictionary. The truck, which was…

David Modeer, Phoenix Water Director, to head Central Arizona Project

David Modeer, director of the Phoenix water department, has been tapped to become the next general manager of the Central Arizona Project. The 336-mile long system of pipelines and canals helps bring water to 80 percent of the state’s population.  In a Tucson Citizen article, Modeer explains that the Central Arizona Water…

Jan Brewer’s Transition Team Includes a Photo Enforcement Bigshot

  For all you Republicans out there hoping that a new governor means the end of Janet Napolitano’s highly irritating plot to balance the state budget by putting photo enforcement cameras everywhere, we have a little warning for you: Don’t get your hopes up. We couldn’t help but notice that, like…

State Recycling Programs in Trouble as Economic Slowdown Hits China

Jill McCutcheon, executive director of Sedona Recycles, says the current state of recycling is the biggest Catch-22 she’s ever seen. The non-profit northern Arizona company’s education division did a stellar job convincing state residents to drop off cardboard goods at 13 sites around the Verde Valley. Now, literally tons of…

Arizonans Give Generously to Pearl Harbor Memorial, But Goals Still Unmet

Arizonans and local companies have donated nearly $2.5 million for a long-awaited restoration of the USS Arizona  Memorial’s visitor center in Honolulu, Hawaii, the tourist attraction that showcases the sunken tomb for the sailors trapped inside the 93-year-old battleship. Yet the fundraising has fallen short of the $3 million goal set three years ago, even as the cost…

Local Docs Enter Record Books With Largest Uterus Ever Removed

Two local doctors will be named in the Guiness Book of World Records for the biggest uterus removal ever. The November 30, 2007 procedure at Tempe St. Luke’s is a big deal in the world of minimally invasive surgical techniques, which are far easier on patients than surgeries that involve large incisions. Using…

When Can Cops Pat You Down? State Takes Case to U.S. Supreme Court Today

The case of an Arizona police officer who found a gun after she patted down the passenger of vehicle who had committed no crime goes before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. The state, as represented by the Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, will argue that such pat-downs — and using evidence found…