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In case you missed any news action this week, we’ve got you covered.
Here’s our recap of the most-read news stories of the week:
A move by Arizona’s Democratic senators that booted Senator Leah Landrum Taylor from her post as the Senate minority leader on Tuesday has infuriated leaders of the black community.
The decision is causing further strain on the relationship between black and Latino leaders in Phoenix.
4.) Joe Arpaio Slapped Around by Filmmaker Dan DeVivo on Al Jazeera America
Sheriff Joe Arpaio was recently on the Al Jazeera America program “Consider This ” to discuss immigration (what else?) and got b-slapped in the nicest way possible by filmmaker Dan DeVivo, one of the two persons behind the immigration-related documentary Two Americans, the other person being Phoenix-based reporter Valeria Fernandez.
On Sunday evening, the new cable channel broadcast Two Americans, which follows Arpaio’s transformation of his agency into a Hispanic-hunting organization and contrasts Arpaio’s egomania with the life of one of his victims, Katherine Figueroa, whose parents were both arrested during the MCSO’s 2009 raid of the Lindstrom Family Auto Wash in Phoenix.
A couple of days before the doc’s broadcast, DeVivo and Arpaio squared off, and since then, AJA has posted a portion of the segment, which shows DeVivo running rings around the old man, though never in a disrespectful way.
See also: Joe Arpaio Slapped Around by Filmmaker Dan DeVivo on Al Jazeera America
3.) Michael Helms, 16, of Mesa Kills Mom as Friend Watches; Stepdad Escapes Attack
A 16-year-old boy described by a classmate as a “giant teddy” allegedly beat and choked his mom to death on Saturday morning, then attacked his stepdad.
Michael Roy Helms and his accomplice, 17-year-old Christian Lee Blakely, were being held on $1 million bonds and charged as adults by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Blakely’s accused of watching his friend kill Helms’ mother, Tina Helms Spencer, then helping clean up the blood and dispose of her body in a backyard shed.
See also: Michael Helms, 16, of Mesa Kills Mom as Friend Watches; Stepdad Escapes Attack
2.) Adrienne Salinas’ Entire Body Wasn’t Found
After the Tempe Police Department released the autopsy report on Tempe teenager Adrienne Salinas, local media accounts concluded that the report didn’t say much.
However, the autopsy report indicates that Salinas’ entire body was not recovered from the Apache Junction wash where it was found in August, nearly two months after she was last seen.
A DUI can happen to anyone who drinks and has a driver’s license. And it’s happened to a lot of our fellow Arizonans: 656 last Labor Day alone.
That doesn’t stop us from digging stories about politicians, celebrities, pro athletes or other notables who found themselves wasted and in handcuffs on the side of a road. In the case of elected — or wanna-be elected — officials, at least, any accusation of a criminal offense needs to be scrutinized for signs of corruption or just plain bad judgment. It’s also true we’re afflicted with occasional bouts of schadenfreude.
See also: 10 Best Arizona DUIs
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Follow Matthew Hendley on Twitter at @MatthewHendley.
