News

By Paul Rubin Alex Femenia, the Phoenix police detective whose exploits were a big part of this paper’s “Murder City” series in 2006, retired last Friday after three decades on the force. Movie star Meg Ryan once played with Detective Alex Femenia’s (basket)balls. Femenia is going to work as an…

By Ray Stern The Washington Post reports a big lead for Obama as candidates swing punches at each other in the home stretch. Baseball legend Joe Garagiola opens a learning center in Bapchule. The bad economy is driving electronic store chain Circuit City from the Valley. Speaking of bad economy,…

Look for the latest election coverage here in Valley Fever on Tuesday night. We’ll be updating blog articles throughout the night, so whether you’re stuck at home or out on the town with a beer in one hand and your Internet-ready mobile phone in the other, we hope you’ll check…

The charge by Nelson’s camp isn’t that surprising, considering that Thomas apparently spends many a sleepless night futzing around with his Wikipedia page…

By Jonathan McNamara Before you engage in October’s major holiday, take a look back at this month’s top stories and photos in this month in photos slideshow…

By Paul Rubin Passersby were diverted for hours this morning as Phoenix firefighters sought in vain to extinguish an intense building fire at 105 East Roosevelt, the onetime office of storied late attorney Tom Thinnes and his con man sidekick, Robert Shawn Owens (pictured below as a part of the…

By Ray Stern Blair Parker was sentenced to nearly 15 years in prison today for starving his three young children nearly to the brink of death under a low-calorie, vegan diet. While stiff in some respects, the sentence is less than half of what his wife, Kimu Parker, received last…

By Stephen Lemons Thomas behind nasty attack Web site, claims Nelson. Thomas doing something sleazy? Naaaaah. Guadalupe a ghost town thanks to Joe’s April anti-Mexican sweep. Maricopa County Republicans ahead of Dems in early ballots cast. “Cookie bandit” collared by Phoenix po-po. Seems they followed the crumbs. Hornets surpass Suns…

By Ray Stern This Tuesday’s election is a big one, and no one who participates would want their vote to end up on the cutting room floor. Yet Arizona’s 2004 voter identification law can make the process somewhat confusing for people who have recently moved. To help those folks out,…

By John Dickerson Tim Nelson, the Democratic candidate for Maricopa County attorney who’s running neck-and-neck with County Attorney Andrew Thomas in the race, today reasserted his claim that Thomas played a key role in the arrests of two New Times executives last year. Nelson added at a press conderence that,…

The cheeky list offers dozens of zingers, many of them fairly humorous, about local journalists, TV anchors and radio personalities.

By John Dickerson Michelle Iafrate — who bills taxpayers $150 an hour to represent Sheriff Joe Arpaio — is taking her time in New Times lawsuit to secure video of a jail inmate’s suspicious death. Iafrate’s reply to the suit on Tuesday came on the eve of a 20-day deadline…

By Paul Rubin The Phoenix City Council voted unanimously during a meeting this week to dramatically cut back bus service. We learned about this from a buddy who has been riding the bus from his home in northwest Phoenix to his job at the post office in downtown Phoenix for…

By Stephen Lemons McCain’s people swear he’ll take Sand Land. (Anyone else hear that — the sound of a ship sinking?) Vigil held for fallen Phoenix cop. MCSA protests peacefully at Supervisor Kunasek’s office. Photo radar on Valley freeways ready to go. Don’t all holler your approval at once. Suns…

I know you’ve been asked variations of this before, but I’m going to ask you again anyway. I’m a gay white guy and I’ve had three relationships with Mexican men in the past seven years. Each lasted from three to six months. This past relationship actually lasted a year and…

VETTING McCAIN I’m a longtime reader of New Times, and I read the article about Senator John McCain and his treatment of veterans (“Love the War, Neglect the Warrior,” Amy Silverman, October 23). Being a veteran myself (eight years in the Marine Corps from 1997-2005), I find it very shameful…