It appeared as if it would be more of the same Wednesday as the weak-hitting Arizona Diamondbacks failed to help out their de facto ace, Dan “Hard Luck” Haren. The righty (whose 1.89 ERA entering the game was ninth-best in baseball among starters) was dealing for six innings, keeping the…
The owner of a California construction company that worked on cabins and campgrounds at the Grand Canyon and Lake Mead must pay a hefty $2.3 million fine after losing a fraud case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Phoenix announced today. Ernest Robert McFarland, Jr., 68, conned the government out of…
A bipartisan group of state lawmakers want to make it a crime to sell salvia to anyone under age 21.The little-known herb for sale at some local head shops reportedly produces hallucinations and out-of-body experiences when smoked or eaten. YouTube videos of users under the influence of the “drug” have…
You’d think that when a scrappy, underdog newspaper publishes a series exposing a local politician’s campaign as not merely ineffective, but dangerous, readers would clamor for more.Not in conservative Mesa. And not when the politician is as popular as Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was elected to a fifth…
Arizona Diamondbacks fans, meet your newest scapegoats: Bobby Korecky, Doug Slaten, Juan Gutierrez, and Jon Rauch. What’s their crime? The quartet of relief pitchers collectively screwed the D-Backs out of a two-game win streak (not to mention their first series clinch of the season) by blowing a three-run lead and…
The Arizona Auditor General’s Office says the Maricopa County Community College District illegally put 26 non-employees on its payroll. The move created taxpayer-funded pension accounts and money for nonprofit organizations, which officials say violates the state’s ban on giving public funds to corporations…NASCAR drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rick Mears…
I want to thank Minuteman Civil Defense Corps founder Chris Simcox from the bottom of my little black heart for his decision to run against Arizona Senator John McCain in the 2010 Republican primary. In doing so, Simcox is giving me a year-plus of material to blog and comment on. Talk…
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: Speed Camera Killer: Evidence Doesn’t Match Suspect’s Statement That He…
Transfer of Jail Inmates in Maricopa County @ Yahoo! Video Eduardo Barraza scores with this video of Joe at the latest prisoner parade Sheriff Joe’s ready to rumble with the Rev. Al Sharpton. At least that’s the smack the sheriff was talking the other day to journalist and editor Eduardo…
Yesterday, the big journalism buzz in town focused on how the East Valley Tribune won a Pulitzer Prize for its reporting on Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Today, the second-day story was all about sour grapes at the Arizona Republic. Unbelievably, the state’s largest daily doesn’t appear to have even mentioned the Trib’s…
Jarrett Maupin II announced he will resign from his post on the Phoenix Union High School Governing Board two days after a judge set a date for him to plead guilty to a federal felony. The young community activist and former Phoenix mayoral candidate was indicted in February for making a false report to…
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer asked Vice President Joe Biden for an advance on federal stimulus money in a conference call this morning with other governors. Brewer told a “gracious” Biden that $350 million in federally funded transportation projects will “absolutely” move forward. However, the law requires states to provide money up…
More than one source we know and trust has told us that all signs are pointing to longtime Democatic politico Dennis Burke as the next United States Attorney for Arizona. Burke previously served as chief of staff to former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano and worked closely with Napolitano when she was Attorney…
We got to know Mike Polk a little during our year hanging out with a Phoenix Police Department homicide squad for our “Murder City” series. Mike was in another squad up on the third floor at 620 West Washington, but he was an approachable, kind of goofy guy with a sense…
Sex sells — and it does a bang-up job at raising funds for charity, too. The Silent Witness police hotline is having charity auction this week, and the top item for bid is a tour for four of the legendary Playboy Mansion…
Thomas “Paydirt” Destories, accused of killing a photo radar van operator, told police after being arrested that he was “sorry” and that he “didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt.” Evidence at the scene, though, appears to say otherwise. According to court paperwork, (see below), five shots “of a large…
Just heard from a reliable source who got a phone call at home this morning from a pollster who wanted to get feedback about Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The caller wanted to know how our Phoenix-area source felt about the possibility of Arpaio running against Senator John McCain in 2010. After that, the…
Six runs in a single baseball game isn’t exactly an offensive blitzkrieg, but when you’re the Arizona Diamondbacks, a half-dozen revolutions around the base path is huge. Especially considering that the team had only managed to cough up two stinking runs in the past 31 frames. It’s also huge when…
Five teenagers were arrested Monday after stealing a motorcycle at gunpoint. Police suspect the teens are tied to a car theft ring…About two dozen protesters gathered outside the studios of The Colbert Report to protest Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was a guest on the show last night…Eight people…
Monday night, faux right-winger Stephen Colbert showed how long it takes to make pastry out of Maricopa County’s corrupt top constable: exactly six and a-half minutes. The whole Colbert Report segment was predictably goofy. Sheriff Joe didn’t even lead. Instead, he followed the second mate from the Maersk Alabama, Ken…
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: ACLU Says School District Agreed to Permit Student to Wear…
His name is Thomas Destories, but he also goes by “Paydirt.” He ran a local adventure business.And he doesn’t appear to have gotten a single photo enforcement ticket.Police released details this afternoon about the man they say gunned down a speed camera worker in cold blood as he worked in…
