By Stephen Lemons Mesa GOPers grant victory to neo-Nazi-hugger Russell Pearce. Maybe J.T. Ready should run for something. Tim Nelson gets Dem nod for County Attorney contest against Candy Thomas. (Go get him, Tim.) Hay and Kirkpatrick will duke it out for Rick Renzi’s Congressional seat. Mayor Gordon breaks his…
By Ray Stern What happened to hang glider pilot Kunio Yoshimura on Saturday was the sort of fatal blunder that reads like fodder for a Darwin award. As local news reports like this one detailed yesterday, Yoshimura forgot to connect himself to his hang glider before jumping off a windy…
The racist sticker is in the middle of the “o” in “Tony.” Campaign signs for Tony Bouie, an African-American candidate in the LD6 GOP primary for state House, were hit primary day with a crude, racist sticker showing a nude black man in silhouette with target sights around his body…
Tomorrow another issue of your favorite alternative weekly will hit the stands and the Web. Take this opportunity to pick Phoenix’s collective brain on last week’s stories. On: Joe Arpaio’s men fail to justify criminally charging New Times reporter Ray Stern in a public records dispute “I want the 15…
Letters to the editor don’t get into print for a whole lot of different reasons, but you’d think that one from the Arizona Anti-Defamation League weighing-in on the J.T. Ready flap in the local Republican Party would be a shoe-in for our paper of record’s editorial page. ADL associate director…
By Stephen Lemons Sarah Palin’s kid is preggers, and the GOP’s in a tizzy. On the hypocrisy beat, Grampa McCain fought dolo for pregnant teens. Reps replace Rudy Giuliani with snooze-inducers Joe Lieberman and Fred Thompson. PoliticoMafioso blog reports on racist, anti-Tony Bouie vandalism. Gannett slashes Republic newsroom, again. Matt…
Beginning Tuesday, Sal Reza will be giving Wells Fargo the Pruitt’s treatment over mean ol’ Sheriff Joe. If you haven’t heard yet, you will soon. Beginning September 2, and continuing on a daily basis Monday though Friday, 11am to 1pm, protesters will begin to converge on the Well Fargo building…
By Ray Stern Quirky is the word that comes to mind to describe the cast of characters surrounding the arrest of a man on Wednesday during a protest of a photo radar van in Scottsdale. Several news articles today covered Jason Shelton, (pictured above), who was among three people who…
By John Dickerson The smiling face of Susan Bitter-Smith is popping up on campaign signs across Tempe and Scottsdale. Only problem is that the campaign photo of Bitter-Smith doesn’t resemble other photos of her, critics say. Bitter-Smith’s campaign photo (top) doesn’t resemble this 2006 photo (bottom) or other recent photos…
Brendan Joel Kelley By Ray Stern Darrell Ankarlo, right-wing talk show host for KTAR radio (92.3 FM), treated his listeners this morning to a rundown on Sarah Palin by former Phoenix New Times music writer Brendan Joel Kelley. Kelley moved up to the Great White North last year and now…
I love this side of Sproul’s anti-Pearce MVD flier wherein Pearce gets bitch-slapped by Mary Peters. A tip of the chapeau to the Republican bloggers over at PolitcoMafioso, which bills itself as the “#1 John McCain blog in Arizona.” They’re the first I’ve seen to post this Nathan Sproul mailer…
By Stephen Lemons Wife racially profiled, says Cave Creek Mayor. NTSB releases crash report on Phoenix copter collision. Old Man McCain picks a (relatively) young hottie as Veep. According to Tucson preacher, bumpin’ uglies is part of God’s design. God or the Devil, we’ll take it. Sun Devils looking forward…
Another month and another “Month in Photos.” Take a look back at the stories that made August 2008 a hot, sweaty, Phoenix month to remember by checking out this slideshow…
Recall leader and crazy Hobbit lady Anna Gaines: Her effort against Mayor Phil failed today. As no doubt some of you are hearing on the radio and elsewhere, the recall effort by the nativist group American Citizens United of Mayor Phil Gordon has failed. Phoenix City Clerk Mario Paniagua told…
By Ray Stern Racial discrimination and retaliation is rampant at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, according to an anonymous letter received this week by New Times. A local lawyer for one of the alleged victims tells New Times that, in one case, the office began an internal investigation into alleged…
Authorities say they’ll investigate why an inspector with the Federal Protective Service reportedly ran a red light last night at the intersection of 3rd Avenue and McDowell Road, causing a collision that put him in the hospital. The inspector was on duty when the collision occurred at about 6 p.m.,…
By Ray Stern Local media shops jumped all over Lush Cosmetics’ national campaign in which cute, young store employees strip naked except for an apron that leaves their butts bare. The Arizona Republic, East Valley Tribune and several TV stations promoted the lunchtime promotion for Lush’s Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall…
By Stephen Lemons Recall sigs against Mayor Phil due in today. Expect that recall to go down like a Van Buren hooker. Arpaio arrests everyone at Valley landscaping biz, including citizen, legal workers. Hey, who needs civil rights, it’s only America? Lush girls get nekkid in Scottsdale to get us…
John Thomas Graham Interview Jeff Gentry Interview Scott Freeman Interview Beverly Goodman Interview Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Supplemental Report Motion for Dismissal of Prosecution State’s Response to Defendant’s Motion for Dismissal of Prosecution…
Why do Mexicans paint stripes on their donkeys in Tijuana? Avenida Revolución Reveller Same reason we put worms in tequila bottles, celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and star in Beverly Hills Chihuahua: to cheat gabachos out of cash. To paraphrase the classic dictum: a gabacho and his money in front of…
When I read our lawyer’s interviews with the deputies in Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s most notorious division, I had one question: Who staged this piece of theater? You too can read, for the first time, excerpts of deposition statements from Arpaio’s leaders and foot soldiers. The chiefs and deputies…
HEAVENS TO BETSY It ain’t porn: Betsy Schneider is a distinguished faculty member of the Herberger College of the Arts at Arizona State University. She has been acclaimed around the world for the beauty and power of her images. As is true of all art, Betsy’s work evokes powerful responses…
