The Ford Shelby GT Mustang that helped cause the arrest of the Arizona Republican Party director Brett Mecum was made for people who love a good thrill.Though the DPS news release on Mecum’s alleged April 10 speed-camera violation states his car is a GT 500, the body style — judging…
I’ve been so busy chasing Sand Land neo-Nazis that I haven’t had a chance to blog about this April 30 piece on the border fence by Channel 3 reporter Carey Pena. The segment would’ve been a rather pedestrian report on the 700 miles of border fencing being built because of the…
A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments by the state Attorney General’s office this morning as to why the Tucson Citizen should stay closed, says one of the newspaper’s would-be buyers. Stephen Hadland, CEO of the Santa Monica Media Group, publisher of the Culver City Observer, sent the following…
For a slide show from Saturday’s rally, click here.Chants of “Let’s go Coy-otes!” and “Stay away Canada!” filled the air as about 200 Valley ice hockey fans in white rallied to show their support for keeping the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale. The surprise wasn’t so much that the much-vaunted “Destroy your…
The judge was just playin’.Amazing at it sounds, Maricopa County Criminal Presiding Judge Gary Donahoe told the East Valley Tribune that his e-mailed threats to release jail inmates early should not be taken seriously by the Sheriff’s Office. “I guess maybe it was frustration and maybe trying to get their…
For Max Scherzer, it was about time. The second-year pitcher had pitched well enough to win several games this season, but the Arizona Diamondbacks’ anemic offense let him down each time. On Saturday, in a 12-0 laugher against the Atlanta Braves in Hotlanta, Scherzer finally got his first “W,” shutting…
Mesa resident Brad Benson is peeved about a local church that sits in a strip mall, 10 feet from his backyard. Benson claims that the church, Ministerios La Gran Comision, plays “rock music at weird hours” and over-amplified sermons. Police are currently working to clarify the noise ordinance in that…
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:Joe Arpaio’s Chain Gang Visits New Times Property, Gets Trespassed by Security Joe Arpaio, Andrew Thomas…
Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard filed a special action in federal court today to block Gannett Inc. and Lee Enterprises from stopping publication of the Tucson Citizen.An Associated Press article on azcentral.com tonight says Goddard filed the motion for a restraining order just before the court closed. The two companies,…
The Arizona Republic’s JJ Hensley has just reported that the hunger strike in the MCSO’s oppressive gulags, which I blogged about on May 5, and later on May 6, is continuing and involves upwards of 1,500 inmates in four of Joe’s jails. Hensley’s piece states that, “The sporadic hunger strikes began…
After being embarrassed for not giving Barack Obama an honorary degree, Arizona State University expanded a financial aid program that gives qualifying students a full ride for four years. Now you don’t even have to be “poor” to qualify. As we’ve previously covered, it’s not like ASU is paying…
Some years ago, we were enjoying a glass of wine with a buddy outside at the Biltmore Fashion Park when Wayman Tisdale came walking our way…
A candidate for the job of San Francisco police chief has dropped out of the competition following reports by the news media that Mesa’s police chief applied for the job. The development has San Franciscio’s Police Commission president fretting that more leaks could hamper the city’s ability to find the…
BlackBerry CEO Jim Balsillie’s bid to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes and move them to Canada is far from a done deal, but that hasn’t stopped Valley hockey fans from organizing a “Save the Coyotes” rally for tomorrow, or requesting that attendees bring their BlackBerry phones to be destroyed in protest…
Legendary supermodel Cindy Crawford will be at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa next week to help celebrate a $10 million donation to a children’s hospital. The donation was made by local real estate company CEO Wil Cardon, and will help support the Banner Children’s Hospital at the medical center, 1400…
The Tucson Citizen is reporting today that it will publish its last print edition tomorrow. The newspaper, nearly 139 years old, is being closed by its parent company, Gannett, which has suffered severe drops in stock prices. The paper had been scheduled to close in March, but Gannett left it…
State Representative Doug Quelland, accused of infusing his campaign with extra funds despite agreeing to Clean Elections limits, has been ordered to leave office.The Citizens Clean Elections Commission made the decision to remove Quelland at its meeting this morning, two weeks after tabling the issue.You can read more Quelland’s skullduggery…
Doug Grant, the onetime nutritionist for the Phoenix Suns convicted of manslaughter in the death of wife Faylene, was sentenced to five years in prison a few minutes ago, He will have serve a little more than four years before being eligible for parole. The 43-year-old Grant (pictured with Faylene) could have…
Employees of Phoenix New Times were greeted about 9:20 this morning by one of Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s infamous female chain gangs working on the paper’s property. Specifically, the nine-inmate crew was hoeing a vacant lot on the southeast corner of 1201 E. Jefferson Street, where New Times’ offices are located. The visit comes a day after…
Maricopa County Superior Court Presiding Judge Barbara Mundell accuses Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office of spying on her, a claim the MCSO says is “ludicrous.” In an exclusive interview Mundell gave to Channel 12 (KPNX-TV), the judge says workers at her home have noticed marked sheriff’s vehicles driving by, and…
Julie Amparano knows something about creative writing. The former Arizona Republic writer was fired in 1999 after her bosses accused her of inventing people to quote in her columns. Now her byline’s back — this time on a play featured Sunday at the Arizona Women’s Theater’s Pandora Festival this Sunday…
Yo, Josh Byrnes. How’s that manager switch lookin’ a week in? Now, we’re no fan of Bob Melvin and his watching-paint-dry coaching style, but the biggest crime in the Arizona general manager’s installation of glorified farm hand A.J. Hinch wasn’t Hinch’s four-year, no-questions-asked contract or Byrnes’ transparent power grab in…
