An Ohio man who claims he was stealing to feed his family is accused of holding up 36 Phoenix-area convenience stores and gas stations in the past seven weeks. From December 20 to February 9, federal court records show, Anthony Wayne Hamilton, who’s 25 or 26, threatened victims repeatedly in…
If Arizona voters approve adult-use marijuana legalization this year, it won’t hurt tourism, using Colorado’s experience as an example. Tourism could even improve because of legalization, especially while cannabis freedom still is a novelty in most of the country. Yet the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association, (AzLTA), an influential group…
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office has confirmed that former state Lottery Director Tony Bouie is under investigation, but Mark Brnovich people won’t give out won’t divulge details. Meanwhile, New Times has uncovered more information about Bouie’s use of a state vehicle — which seems to prove that Bouie misrepresented the…
On the heels of Phoenix’s eliminating the opening prayer at City Council meetings rather than cave to Satanists, a member of the Satanic Temple now it scheduled to give the invocation at a Scottsdale City Council meeting in April. “The Satanic Temple requested to deliver an invocation at a City…
A former priest suspected of killing a second-grade school teacher in 1960 has been arrested in Scottsdale and officially charged with murder. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department’s Criminal Apprehension and Surveillance Team, coordinating with two Texas agencies, the Texas Rangers and the Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office, detained John Feit…
Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s favorite deputy, Brian Mackiewicz, has returned to work, dogged by allegations of spiking his overtime and, according to sources, sleeping with a crime victim during an MCSO investigation. Formerly assigned to Arpaio’s threats management unit, the detective was on paid administrative leave for several months last year…
The legislators behind a proposal to allow guns at Arizona universities argue it will make students safer. But the bill has many who live, study, and work on campus feeling fearful. Since state Representative Sonny Borrelli (R-Bullhead City) filed House Bill 2072, which, if passed, would permit anyone who obtains…
Seated in the waiting room of his empty Phoenix office, defense attorney Kirk Nurmi appears beaten and battle weary. Since gaining notoriety defending convicted murderer Jodi Arias, Nurmi has lost 75 pounds, and his clothing drapes loosely on his deflated frame. Yet, at 6-foot-2 and still rotund, he remains an…
A group of Arizona lawmakers are using a new bill to take aim at the educational and leadership qualifications of Greg McKay, director of the Department of Child Safety. House Bill 2662 spells out new minimum requirements for the position — none of which McKay satisfies — that will limit…
Arizona House Majority Leader Steve Montenegro insists that all prayers that begin the day at the Legislature must include a reference to God. In an apparent effort to stop blasphemies, Montenegro issued a proclamation to House membership on January 27 that a prayer, which is the second order of business…
Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, who’s already received the nod from Democratic Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva, has scored more endorsements from Latino leaders here. State Senator Martin Quezada (D-Phoenix) and Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo joined about a dozen other Latinos — most of them members of the Arizona Legislature —…
Talk about a never-ending local controversy: Shortly after the Phoenix City Council voted 5-4 to start its meetings with a moment of silence instead of a religious prayer so that it wouldn’t have to decide whether to allow the Satanic Temple to give the invocation at an upcoming meeting, not only…
A Scottsdale firefighter accused of starting a chaotic fight while off duty, has been docked 24 hours at work but avoided a criminal record following a deferred-prosecution deal. Chad Preslar, 28, was considered a primary instigator in the initial fight after police talked to witnesses and reviewed surveillance video, including…
If Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton gets his way, all police officers in the city will be outfitted with body-worn cameras within the next three years. In a joint statement with Councilwoman Thelma Williams, Stanton said he is officially asking City Manager Ed Zuercher to include the funding for such a…
Geocachers across Arizona are celebrating today after an executive action by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey recognized their activity and made it legal, with certain rules, on state land. Geocaching is an outdoor game that involves placing objects in small containers, marking their exact coordinates with a handheld GPS receiver, and…
What’s in a name? If you’re talking about monikers of the various cities and towns that make up the sprawling Phoenix area, it all depends. Some were named for founders. Others got their monikers from nearby landmarks, historical references, and even a few twists of fate. Here’s how 20 Valley…
New reports show the finances of an anti-marijuana group lag well behind a pro-legalization campaign. Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy (ARDP), led by Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk, collected $90,095 in contributions from November 25, 2014, to December 31, 2015, according to campaign-finance reports released last week. After spending $19,000…
At some Arizona schools, more than 30 percent of children haven’t been vaccinated against such dangerous infectious diseases as whooping cough and measles. Parents, state Representative Juan Mendez says, have a right to know which ones. The Arizona Department of Health lists vaccination rates for kindergarten and sixth-grade children online for…
Advocates for transgender rights set the Internet afire with rage this weekend after Mesa police identified a 24-year-old transgender man who was shot and killed by police as a woman. Kayden Clarke, named by police and, subsequently, the media (Including New Times), as Danielle Jacobs, started asking friends and family to…
Two Mesa police officers who shot and killed a 24-year-old woman with Asperger’s syndrome have been placed on administrative leave while officials investigate, it was announced today. “We don’t know at this point why they made the decision to go lethal,” police spokesman Esteban Flores told reporters. Three officers went…
Two trouble-making teens from a Tempe trailer park stand accused of nearly killing passengers in two cars with rifle fire. Ivan Dominguez, 18, and an unnamed 15-year-old were arrested and booked into jail on Thursday night in connection with the crime. Detective zeroed in on the boys one day after…
About four months too late, Dotty the wild Salt River horse, left to rot headless on a sandy bank by Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s crack team of animal investigators, will finally be buried this weekend by a group of spade-wielding volunteers. Simone Netherlands, president of the non-profit Salt River Wild Horse…
