Inmate Killed at Florence Prison, Investigation Ongoing

Arizona Department of Corrections Eyman Complex By Ray Stern A 51-year-old Arizona prison inmate who was assaulted a week ago died of his injuries on Sunday, a prison spokesman confirmed this morning. The man’s name and more information about the assault will be released later today, said Nolberto Machiche, spokesman…

Mesa Mayor Scott Smith Goes to Arpaio’s Office

By Ray Stern All outrage apparently gone, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith went to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office today in a move that reeked of capitulation. On October 16, the day Arpaio’s troops raided Mesa City Hall and the city’s public library, Smith talked tough, saying the city had…

GoRenter Gets Cease and Desist Notice on Alleged Illegal Ads

Mark Bosworth, GoRenter founder By Ray Stern The rental company founded by fallen (self-described) real estate “guru” Mark Bosworth, (whose story was told in the May 13 edition of New Times), has been ordered to stop ads the state real estate commissioner says are illegal. A statement issued today by…

Killer Cookies

Many East Valley Tribune readers must have done double-takes after viewing this front-page teaser about a cookie story in today’s paper. “Grandma’s kills wanted…” Do they mean human or road kills? And for a cookie recipe, possibly? Are those dark bumps in the pictured cookies chocolate chips — or something…

Federal Judge Found a Litany of Inhumane Problems in Joe Arpaio’s Jails

By John Dickerson In his ruling Thursday against Sheriff Joe Arpaio, U.S. District Judge Neil Wake cited a litany of unconstitutional problems in county jails: inadequate medical care, poor food, chronic overcrowding, and indifference to inmate health concerns. Jail medical personnel’s prescribing of a Soviet-era drug that causes tremors, spasms…

Lute Olson Retires as Wildcat’s Men’s Basketball Coach

By Ray Stern It seems everybody thinks Lute Olson is retiring except for University of Arizona officials. Rumors began swirling early in the day after ESPN analyst Dick Vitale reported that a source told him Olson was leaving and that associate coach Mike Dunlap would take his place in the…

Jack Rose and His Longtime Attorney Out at West Valley National Bank

By Sarah Fenske For anyone who’s been watching the collapse of Jack Rose’s West Valley empire, here’s an interesting piece of news: The notorious entrepreneur has resigned from the bank he helped to charter. Candace Wiest, the president/CEO of West Valley National Bank, confirmed in a phone call today that…

It’s Joe the Plumber — Quick, Call a Cop

We snapped this shot of “Joe the Plumber” while driving around town the other day. Well, it’s possible this was just an enthusiastic supporter of Average Joes everywhere, and probably not the now-famous Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher. If it was Wurzelbacher, back in his old Valley ‘hood for a few days…

To Eat Chicken or Human Excrement? David Sedaris on “The Undecideds”

By Paul Rubin New Yorker humorist David Sedaris (pictured) spoke at ASU’s Gammage Auditorium last night, and captivated an adoring audience for almost two hours of non-stop laughs. Loved the references to “dropping the deuce” and “crop-dusting,” You might be able to figure out the first one (think scatalogically). We’ll…

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, October 23, 2008

THE DEAD WIFE Which is to say it is goofy: What a yarn! This one has everything: murder (or was it?), sex, money, Mormons, a dogged cop, victim’s diaries (“Death Wish,” October 9, and “Cracked Case,” October 16, both by Paul Rubin). And the most interesting thing about what was…

On Appreciating Clamato and Parking Tickets

One of our Arizona politicians once said on the local PBS affiliate’s show Horizonte that the “crime” of being undocumented in this country is equivalent legally to that of a parking ticket. Do you know where I can verify this statement? So often in the argument over immigration the bottom…

New Downtown Phoenix Logo: Ugly or Just Stupid?

By Ray Stern The Downtown Phoenix Partnership on Monday decided to dump its “Copper Square” branding of the downtown area and go with a new moniker: Downtown Phoenix. Practical, yes. Thrilling, interesting or creative — not. And neither is the so-called logo (pictured above) that comes with it. Although it…