Local Phoenix

3 people injured in fiery motorcycle crash in Phoenix

2009-11-05T14:54:00.000-08:00

Three people were injured Wednesday after a car collided with a motorcycle and caught fire in north Phoenix, officials said.

Phoenix fire crews responded to a call at approximately 6 p.m. about an injury accident near 35th Avenue and Union Hills Road, Phoenix police spokesman Det. James Holmes said.

The motorcyclist and a female passenger were going south on 35th Avenue when a passenger car traveling northbound attempted to make a left turn onto Union Hills Road, and turned in front of the motorcycle, Holmes said.

The collision ruptured the gas tank of the car and ignited gas sprayed on the car and the 21-year-old driver, according to police and a friend of the victim.

A citizen used a jacket to extinguish out the fire on the car and the driver.

The driver of the car was taken to the burn center of a local hospital, and the motorcyclist and his passenger were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

Read Article azcentral

Posted By Phoenix Accident Injury Attorneys

Glendale dad accused in 'honor killing' on suicide watch

2009-11-05T14:50:00.000-08:00

A Glendale father accused of slaying his daughter for being too “Westernized” is under suicide watch in a Maricopa County jail, court officials said Thursday.

Faleh Hassan Almaleki, 48, an immigrant from Iraq, is accused of running over his daughter, 20-year-old Noor Almaleki, and another woman in a Peoria parking lot on Oct. 20. His daughter died Nov. 2 of injuries sustained during the attack.

Prosecutors say Almaleki was enraged over his daughter's defiance of Iraqi and Muslim traditions. She reportedly had married a man in Iraq but returned to the United States and was living with her boyfriend and his mother, who was the second victim.

Police said Almaleki fled the country after the attack, driving to Mexico and later taking a plane to London. He was detained by British authorities and extradited to Atlanta last week.

Almaleki's arraignment, which was scheduled for Thursday morning in Superior Court, has been delayed because of the apparent suicide threat.

Read Article azcentral

Posted By Phoenix Accident Injury Attorneys

Mesa voters approve school override

2009-11-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

Mesa Public School district voters approved continuing a budget override by a slim majority.

The property tax will continue on a vote of 23,757 to 17,430, or 58 percent to 42 percent.

The turnout for the override election was 18 percent

"I'm very happy to support the education of our children, and along with it, our future," said Mary Dempsey, who voted for the override Tuesday night at Entz Elementary School in east Mesa.

District officials said the override will cost about $155 in taxes a year for a house valued at $198,000, the average in Mesa.

Since 1995, Mesa residents have approved the override.

A maintenance and operation override allows a school district to exceed its state revenue control limit by 10 percent for seven years.

Voters must approve it every five years to keep it in effect.

The override now amounts to an extra $35.7 million annually for the district.

That money pays for the following: eight technology trainers; 16 school security positions; 136 extra teachers; and 8.8 percent of salaries for the district's 11,000 full- and part-time employees.

Read Article AZcentral

Posted By Phoenix Accident Injury Attorneys

Police seek teen who brought gun to school

2009-11-04T15:37:00.000-08:00

Police are still searching for a 15-year-old boy who took a gun to a Tempe school Monday less than a week after he had an off-campus fight with another student.

Sgt. Steve Carbajal stressed that Larue Johnson has not been charged with any crimes but said police are hoping to locate him so officers can question him about the gun found in his backpack.

Johnson is thought to have gang ties, Carbajal said, adding that he has also had contact with police in the past, but because he is a juvenile, Carbajal would not elaborate. He also declined to give any information about the other male student involved in the off-campus skirmish last Wednesday.

Police said Johnson made threats to the other student last week and again on Monday at McClintock High School, and when security officials escorted him to the office to discuss the incident, Johnson took off running, Carbajal said. He hasn't been seen since.

Read Article The Arizona Republic

Posted By Phoenix Accident Injury Attorneys

Ahwatukee veteran grabs gold in wheelchair games

2009-07-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

He got the gold - again.

And on Friday, John Tuzzolino of Ahwatukee will celebrate his gold medal at a victory celebration.

He won in weightlifting by body weight in his class in the open division at the 29th annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Spokane, Wash., hailed as the world's largest wheelchair sports event.

Tuzzolino, who served in the Army from 1989 to 1991, was one of four Valley athletes competing in the games. Returning athletes Tuzzolino, Dan Koston of Phoenix and Diego Suazo of Surprise as well as newcomer Mark Peterson of Glendale also competed.

Tuzzolino is scheduled to join Koston, who got the gold in billiards, and Suazo, who also won a weightlifting gold medal for his weight class, in a celebration Friday atthe Phoenix VA Health Care System Medical Center. They'll cut a congratulatory cake and be on hand to meet with patients and staff.

Read Article Arizona Republic

Posted By Phoenix Accident Injury Attorneys

Man apparently kills girlfriend, shoots self outside apartment

2009-07-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

A Phoenix woman was killed Wednesday morning when her boyfriend reportedly shot her before turning the gun on himself.

The unidentified woman, around 20 years old, was shot around 3 a.m. outside of an apartment near 27th and Glendale avenues, according to Phoenix police spokesman Luis Samudio.

Police said the couple had been arguing before the shooting, though it is unclear what the argument was about.

The woman was dead when officers arrived on the scene. Her boyfriend was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.

There were two children, ages 1 and 4, inside the apartment when the shooting occurred, Samudio said. Neither one was harmed.

Read Article Arizona Republic

Posted By Phoenix Accident Injury Attorneys

Killer Gets Life In Serial Shootings

2009-07-29T17:42:00.000-07:00

A jury has given Samuel Dieteman life in prison for his role in a series of random nighttime shootings that rattled metropolitan Phoenix in 2005 and 2006.

Dieteman, 33, pleaded guilty to two of the six murders linked to the attacks in 2005 and 2006. He also agreed to testify against former roommate, Dale Hausner.

Hausner was handed six death sentences earlier this year for the random 14-month shooting rampage.The attacks rattled Phoenix as hundreds of investigators tried to crack a case in which prosecutors said Hausner preyed on pedestrians, bicyclists, dogs and horses during the violence that occasionally included Dieteman.

Before Hausner and Dieteman's arrests, police wiretaps recorded conversations between Hausner and Dieteman that suggested they participated in the shootings.

According to one transcript, both men seemed to brag about the death toll, saying they wanted to "kill 500" and how much they "loved shooting people in the back."

Read Article KPHO

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Man arrested in taking child, beating woman

2009-07-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

A 20-year-old man accused of taking his 1-year-old son and assaulting his girlfriend was arrested on Wednesday.

Phoenix police arrested Derek Rivers about 4 p.m. on suspicion of custodial interference and assault, slightly more than 29 hours after he took the child by force from a home in the 1500 block of West El Alba Way in Chandler, according to Detective David Ramer, a department spokesman.

Rivers is accused of taking the child from the home about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday after assaulting his girlfriend, police said.

Rivers did not have any legal rights to the custody of the child, police said.

It wasn’t believed the child was in any danger. The child was found safe, police said.

Read Article East Valley Tribune

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Sen. In Court, Accused Of Stealing Sign

2009-07-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

Republican state Sen. John Huppenthal appeared in court Wednesday to face theft charges after he allegedly tried to take down an opponent's campaign sign on election day in November.

Huppenthal, who represents an area that includes west Chandler and parts of Ahwatukee Foothills and Tempe, claims he had the landlord's permission to remove the sign. He said the sign contained a lie about his involvement in solving air quality issues at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe.

Ruth Levin, 78, accused Huppenthal of driving up to the apartment complex where she was working, jumping out of a car and cutting down a sign that criticized his efforts to improve air quality at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, Ariz.

Read Article KPHO

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Budget Plan Has 2 Ballot Questions

2009-07-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

Arizona legislatures are convening to consider a Republican budget-balancing plan that House Speaker Kirk Adams says would put two questions on a Nov. 3 special election ballot.

One question would combine a modified version of Gov. Jan Brewer's three-year sales tax increase and a spending cap of the same duration, Adams said.

Adams said a second question would relax voter-approved spending mandates, also for three years, to give legislators leeway on balancing the budget.

Both chambers are convening Wednesday afternoon and the House has already scheduled an afternoon committee hearing on a 10-bill package.

The state faces a $3.4 billion shortfall on spending of $10.7 billion after Brewer's and lawmakers' restoration of school funding.

Read Article KPHO

Posted By Phoenix Accident Injury Attorneys

How hot is it? July 2009 may be the hottest ever in Phoenix

2009-07-29T17:32:00.000-07:00

With this month coming to an end, it appears that July of 2009 will be the hottest on record for Phoenix.

Through July 28, the average high temperature is 109.4 degrees making it the 3rd hottest on record behind July of 2005 and 1989.

The average low temperature is at 87.1 degrees, ranking it the warmest on record.

If we look at the average temperature, which is the average of the high and low, that number is 98.2, making it the hottest on record.

So why has it been so hot? High pressure during the month of July usually likes to sit over the Four Corners area.

Instead, this ridge of high pressure, on average, has been sitting over northern Mexico and southern New Mexico resulting in a more moist air mass at the mid-levels of the atmosphere.

Read Article abc 15

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Fire Erupts in Phoenix Tuesday Morning

2009-07-29T17:30:00.000-07:00

A fire started just before 12:30 this morning, in an empty field near Barnum Drive in Phoenix. The fire burned about three acres. Firefighters say access to the fire was the hardest part in fighting it. The Oregon Department of Forestry's dozer was brought in to help crews reach some of the flames.

There were things working in favor of the firefighters. Crews say if this fire happened during the day, especially with our recent record breaking hot temperatures, it could have been a whole lot worse.

Witnesses say this morning's fire brought back memories of a fire that happen last summer in this exact location. There are several houses in the area and firefighters say their number one goal while fighting this fire was keeping those homes safe.

Spotters were placed around the flames to make sure embers didn't make their way to roofs or lawns. Luckily, the wind did not shift once toward the direction of the homes.

Read Article KDRV.com

Posted By Phoenix Accident Injury Attorneys

Fire destroys famed restaurant Richardson's

2009-07-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

Firefighters declared the popular Phoenix restaurant Richardon's Cuisine of New Mexico a total loss Friday afternoon as they battled a three-alarm fire and tried to save surrounding businesses in the same strip mall.

More than 70 firefighters battled flames, smoke and 115-degree heat more than one hour after they went defensive on Friday afternoon's three-alarm fire.

Phoenix Fire received the call around 2 p.m. By the time firefighters arrived, within five minutes, flames were already shooting through the building's roof, said Phoenix fire spokesman Capt. Dorian Jackson.

“It was really fast-moving,” Jackson said. “It was already venting through (the roof) when we got here.”

The popular restaurant — a central Phoenix staple known to draw politicians, athletes and high-profile businesspeople — was immediately declared a total loss.

Read Article Arizona Republic

Posted By Phoenix Accident Injury Attorneys

PD Institutes Miscarried Fetus Policy

2009-07-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

The Mesa Police Department has revised its procedures regarding miscarried fetuses, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced Thursday.

The policy changes come after the office revealed that five police officers who flushed a stillborn fetus down a toilet will not face charges for their part in the incident.

According to the new policies, if officers come across fetal remains as the result of a miscarriage, they're required to tell the Mesa Fire Department, which has experience with handling such remains.

"The incident reflects the need for additional training and more sensitive procedures," the county attorney's office said in a statement.

The original incident occurred when officers and firefighters discovered a woman had miscarried in a Motel 6.

The 4-inch fetus was photographed, and after discussions about what to do with it, officers decided to flush it down the toilet.

Read Article kpho

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DPS: 4 arrested after 9-month ID theft investigation

2009-07-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

Authorities say four men were arrested when detectives with an Arizona ID fraud task force wrapped up a 9-month investigation into an identity theft group that was making fake IDs through a wide-scale criminal syndicate.

According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the multi-agency Arizona Fraudulent Identification Task Force (AFIT) served search warrants at three Phoenix homes early Thursday morning and arrested the suspects.

Arrested were Omar Balderrama Chalino, 29, Miguel Angel Cucto-Compos, 23, Enrique Valle-Araujo, 22 and Pavino Bahena-Baldez, 22.

DPS said one of the suspects had been previously arrested for drug possession, DUI, false reporting and fraudulent schemes and another had been previously arrested in an unrelated case for manufacturing fraudulent identifications.

Read Article abc15

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Smuggling of children remains a problem

2009-07-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

Four Phoenix residents detained at the border in the past month have highlighted a persistent problem: child smuggling.

Customs and Border Protection officers detained Manuela Para-Herrera, 62, and Malissa Marie Gonzales, 22, on July 4 as they attempted to cross through the Douglas checkpoint with two children but presented birth certificates that belonged to other children, officials said. The children were reunited with family members, and the women began federal-court proceedings.

Five days earlier, officers detained a couple, ages 22 and 21, as they attempted to smuggle two young girls through the same checkpoint. The couple, who claimed they were smuggling the children "for financial gain," were detained and released. In both cases, officers detected the fraud by inspecting documents, questioning witnesses and when possible, talking to the children.

Read Article Arizona Republic

Posted By Phoenix Accident Injury Attorneys

Crews rescue injured man stranded on building

2009-07-17T17:49:00.000-07:00

A man working on an air conditioning system was stranded atop a Phoenix building Friday morning after suffering an injury that left him unable to move.

Firefighters were called to the building, near 24th Street and University Drive, just before 9 a.m., according to Phoenix fire spokesman Capt. Dorian Jackson.

The man, believed to be in his 40s, was reportedly stuck on the roof of the Top-Seal Corp. warehouse, also known as Drug Plastics Closures Inc.

Jackson said the sizzling temperatures likely exacerbated the man's discomfort.

Firefighters used a ladder to reach the roof and performed a "delicate operation" to remove him without injuring him further, Jackson said.

The man was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He was reportedly in stable condition but in a lot of pain.

Read Article Arizona Republic

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Hit-And-Run Injures Officer

2009-07-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

A Scottsdale police officer is injured after a hit-and-run collision Friday afternoon.

Officer Jason Devlin was stopped at Shea Boulevard and Hayden Road when a car came up behind him and failed to stop, according to authorities.

Brandon Warwick drove his car into the rear end of Devlin’s patrol vehicle, forcing Devlin’s car into the car in front of him, driven by a 41-year-old woman, said police.

Police said Warwick fled the scene, but patrol units stopped him a short while later at Miller Road and Shea Boulevard.

Police took him into custody on charges of driving under the influence and hit-and-run.

Read Article KPHO.com

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Teen Gets 20 Years For Killing Dad

2009-07-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

A Mesa teenager who fatally shot his father because he wouldn't let him use the Internet was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Friday.

Hughstan Schlicker had pleaded guilty on May 27 to second-degree murder in the death of his father, Theodore Schlicker, 49.

Schlicker said he was angry his father had taken the teen's computer away. Under state law, Schlicker, now 16, was prosecuted as an adult.

"I'd like to say I'm sorry and I'm scared," the teen told the judge at Friday's sentencing. "I wish my father was still alive and I feel terrible for all this to happen. He didn't deserve this."

Schlicker also told the judge how he would like to rehabilitate himself at the Arizona Department of Corrections. "I want to become a video game designer. So I'm going to do college courses for graphic design and I hope to get my degree."

Read Article KPHO.com

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PVC pipe spurs bomb scare at courts building

2009-07-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

A suspicious object in a man's backpack, which prompted an evacuation at Phoenix Municipal Court on Friday morning, turned out to be a PVC pipe, Phoenix police said.

The unidentified man entered the building, at 300 W. Washington Street, at about 11 a.m. and went through a routine X-ray machine. That's when security officers detected an object with characteristics of an explosive, said Officer Luis Samudio, a spokesman for the Phoenix Police Department.

The object was a PVC pipe containing miscellaneous items, not an explosive device, according to the Phoenix Police Bomb Squad detectives. They also determined that the object was not intended to be part of a planned hoax.
The man, who had been detained, was released and will not face charges.

No one was hurt. Police say the evacuation, which lasted about two hours, was made for precautionary reasons.

Read Article Arizona Republic

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Chavez coach Rattay denies recruiting allegations

2009-07-10T18:28:00.000-07:00

Laveen Cesar Chavez High football coach Jim Rattay on Friday denied allegations that he recruited players to transfer to his program.

Rattay said he was "blindsided" Wednesday when The Republic informed him that the Phoenix Union High School District was investigating recruiting allegations.

The Arizona Interscholastic Association had turned over complaints regarding possible recruiting violations involving three players from North High. Two Phoenix Christian players also said they had contact with Rattay.
"I talked to my AD (athletic director) right away," Rattay said. "It turns out, from what my AD investigated, this guy from the district office, he said he couldn't find the report. What do you mean you couldn't find it? (Our AD) hand delivered the report to the district."

PUHSD spokesman Craig Pletenik said Friday the district has not lost a report on the situation.

The players included former North quarterback Joseph Raya, the starter on North's 6-5 playoff team who transferred to Cesar Chavez during the Christmas break.

"I never talked to the kid until he showed up at the school," said Rattay, who has won state football championships at Mesa, Phoenix Desert Vista and Phoenix Christian during his 24 years coaching in the Valley.

Read Article Arizona Republic

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Suns agree to deal with Hill; Nash next?

2009-07-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

Grant Hill is staying in Phoenix.

The Suns are also "progressing" on a two-year contract extension for point guard Steve Nash, team owner Robert Sarver said.

And free agent forward Channing Frye, a Phoenix St. Mary's and University of Arizona product, is close to signing a two-year deal worth approximately $3.8 million with Phoenix.

Hill's contract is worth $3 million this season with a $3.24 million player option for the 2010-2011 season. He opted to remain in Phoenix after considering offers from Boston and New York.

Read Article East Valley Tribune

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Police search for missing woman

2009-06-29T18:51:00.002-07:00

Phoenix police were searching Sunday afternoon for a missing elderly woman after she failed to show up at a friend’s house near Scottsdale Road and Carefree Highway as planned.

Flora Hart, 86, suffers from dementia and drives a 1999 Nissan Maxima with Arizona license plate number 884GNJ, according to a statement released by Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill.

He said Hart has shoulder-length, straight gray hair and was possibly wearing a shirt and pants when last seen around 9 a.m. Sunday morning.

Read Article East Valley Tribune

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2 men sought in connection with Phoenix shooting

2009-06-29T18:51:00.001-07:00

Phoenix police are looking for two men in connection with a shooting possibly sparked by an alleged love triangle that sent two other men to the hospital Sunday night.

Police responded to a call near Seventh and Peoria avenues at about 6:30 p.m., said Sgt. Andy Hill, spokesman for the Phoenix Police Department.

Two men were reportedly in a 1985 Cadillac that was parked in the parking lot of an apartment complex. Two armed men approached the car and fired multiple times, striking the pair in the car, Hill said.
The victims were taken to a local hospital, one in critical condition and the other with non-life-threatening wounds, Hill said.

Police searched for the two men but were not successful in finding them, Hill said.

Hill said that one of the victims knew the man who shot them. Police said that the man may have been in some sort of romantic love triangle, but it is unclear if the shooting was in fact sparked by this.

Read Article Arizona Republic

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Woman, 19, arrested on hit-run charges

2009-06-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

A 19-year-old woman was arrested on hit-and-run charges Monday morning after she reportedly crashed her vehicle first into another vehicle and later into a Phoenix house.

Police were alerted to the situation at around 5:30 a.m., according to Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill.

While driving early Monday morning, the woman bounced off a wall and hit another vehicle, Hill said. She reportedly drove off, crashing into a home near 79th Avenue and Hazelwood Street shortly after, he said. There was one woman inside the home who received minor injuries.

Hill said the woman tried to drive off again, but her vehicle was stuck inside the home. She started running on foot but police were able to catch up to her near 76th Avenue and Camelback, he said.

Read Article Arizona Republic

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6 months after debut, light rail remains busy

2009-06-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

For six months, light-rail trains have run their 20-mile track between Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, picking up millions of passengers.

The $1.4 billion project, which began running Dec. 27, has slowly grown in popularity, with riders citing cleanliness, efficiency and ease as reasons why they ride.

"Everybody across all social boundaries can make use of it," said rider M. Davis of Tempe. "It's very easy, very straightforward. Everything is clearly marked."
As of Saturday, the system had been operating for six months.

Read Article Arizona Republic

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AZ Senate okays ER malpractice bill

2009-06-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

The Arizona Senate has voted to make it harder to successfully sue emergency medical providers for alleged malpractice.

The Senate's 21-8 vote Monday approving a bill to raise the required burden of proof for claims of negligent care sends the measure to the House.

Former Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed similar legislation in 2006 and the House narrowly rejected a 2007 version.

The bill's sponsor, Republican Sen. Carolyn Allen of Scottsdale, has said it should help encourage prospective emergency room doctors to decide to practice in Arizona.

Attorneys for lawsuit plaintiffs contend that the proposed change would deprive Arizonans of the chance to recover damages.

Read Article KTAR

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Mother critically injures daughter after accidental shooting

2009-06-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

A 12-year-old was left with life-threatening injuries after Phoenix police said her mother accidentally shot her Sunday night.

At about 7:15 p.m., the girl's mother told a 911 dispatcher she was cleaning the gun when it accidentally went off while inside a home in the 2200 block of North 50th Lane, near 51st Avenue and Holly Street in Phoenix, Lt. John White said.

When officers arrived, they found the 12-year-old collapsed on a bedroom floor with a large wound in her upper left shoulder and chest area, the lieutenant said.

Though the teen seemed somewhat alert at the scene, police were later informed that her injuries were potentially life-threatening.

Police who remained at the scene interviewed the victim's family members, including the teen's 5-year-old sister who told officers she watched her mother move the gun around.

Read Article Arizona Republic

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Scottsdale resort developer sued for violating deed

2009-06-22T15:02:00.002-07:00

A developer who tore down low-income apartments to make way for a luxury hotel and condominiums in downtown Scottsdale is being sued for leveling the housing.

The Phoenix Revitalization Corp. filed suit this month in U.S. District Court against Scottsdale Canal Development LLC claiming the developer violated deed restrictions requiring Sunny Palms Apartments to be maintained as low-income housing.

Possible remedies include adding low-income housing to the luxury development, or replacing the low-income housing in downtown Scottsdale, said Eva Olivas, Phoenix Revitalization Corp. executive director.

The 12-unit complex was cleared last year to make way for a $600 million project called the Solis Scottsdale Resort and Residences.

The 11-acre development is planned along the Arizona Canal with a 72-foot-high hotel and 156 condos and penthouses.

"They may have removed the housing, but they didn't remove the people who need it," Olivas said.

"We want to meet our goal of providing affordable housing where it is needed."

Read Article Arizona Republic

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'Fecal incident' shuts down pool

2009-06-22T15:02:00.001-07:00

In an incident reminiscent of last year's crypto outbreak, Phoenix officials on Monday shut down the Sunnyslope swimming pool due to fecal contamination.
No other pools were closed.

Pool users received phone calls and voice messages on Sunday saying that a "fecal incident" had occurred over the weekend.
The pool, at 301 W. Dunlap Road, was expected to reopen on Tuesday after being treated with chlorine.

"There are a handful of these incidents each summer," said David Urbinato, a spokesman for the city's Parks and Recreation Department. "It's usually a younger kid."

Last year, the city closed all 29 public pools after dozens of swimmers became ill from cryptosporidium, a parasite that spreads through fecal matter.

Read Article Arizona Republic

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Man arrested in deaths of his mother, nephew

2009-06-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Police on Monday arrested a mentally-ill man suspected of bludgeoning to death his mother and 14-year-old nephew two days earlier.

Phoenix investigators said Erick Lampert, 35, was arrested around 9:50 a.m. after Tempe officers detained him near Warner Road and the Loop 101 following a report of a suspicious person.

Detectives were interviewing Lampert at Phoenix Police headquarters, according to Detective James Holmes, a department spokesman.
Holmes said it was unclear how Lampert ended up at an Arizona State University facility in the 8600 block of South River Parkway. Officers arrived to find him drinking from a sprinkler system. Lampert also told officers he was “Jesus,” Holmes said.

The bodies of Loggan Lampert and his grandmother, Sheila, were discovered Saturday. Police said Erick Lampert had had a violent fight with his teenage nephew that scared Loggan's younger sister and sent her running to her mother's home.

Read Article Arizona Republic

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Police investigate shooting involving motorists, pedestrians

2009-06-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

Phoenix police are investigating a shooting involving a motorist and seven pedestrians - including two infants - near 35th Avenue and Bethany Home Road.

The motorist had a non-life threatening flesh wound to the back of the head. No other injuries were reported.

Phoenix police Detective James Holmes said two women and three men under 23 years old were walking with a 1-year-old and 3-month-old in strollers when the incident occurred.

Holmes said the group had an altercation with a man in a maroon vehicle on 33rd Avenue, and gunshots were fired.

The injured man drove away, and Holmes said a friend took him to a hospital.

Police questioned the pedestrians and later determined all three men had been carrying firearms at the time of the altercation.

Read Article Arizona Republic

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Frolic for free at the Phoenix Zoo this summer

2009-06-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

At the Phoenix Zoo this summer, kids are happy to observe the ocelots or watch the warthogs.And their parents, or grandparents, are happy because the kids got in for free. Through August, the zoo is waiving the normal $7 for children under 13. Admission for adults is $16 and $11 for seniors.

"It helps," said Rose Kelly of Tempe, who was at the zoo with four grandchildren. "We'll still spend the money, I promise you. But now you can spend it on something else."

Zoo attendance typically peaks in the spring and dips in the summer. To draw more people, the zoo is opening at 7 in the morning when it is cooler and the animals may be more active. There is also a new water play area to keep children cool.

And, as always, there are the animals.

Read Article Arizona Republic

Posted By Phoenix Accident Injury Attorneys

State handing out $121 mil in gov't funds to buy foreclosures

2009-06-12T18:02:00.000-07:00

Arizona is ready to spend more than $121 million in federal housing funds to help people buy homes in neighborhoods blighted by foreclosures.

The money arrived in April under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program put in place last year, before the 2009 economic-stimulus package. The goal is to help people of modest means buy foreclosure homes, fix them up and stop the overall slide in home values.

Two months into the program, no one in Arizona has closed on a home yet. Several have qualified, however, and hundreds more have applied.
The program took shape last fall when Arizona cities submitted applications explaining how and where they would use stabilization money. Phoenix received the largest share: $39.5 million. Other cities with money to offer include Mesa ($9.7 million), Glendale ($6.2 million), Avondale ($2.5 million) and Chandler ($2.4 million).

Read Article Arizona Republic

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I-17 project moves toward 2011 completion

2009-06-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, work on Interstate 17 in north Phoenix is almost in the homestretch.

When the final yellow lane striping is applied between Carefree Highway and Anthem Way in 2011, nearly $230 million will have been spent to upgrade a portion of north Black Canyon Freeway. By then, the four-year-old facelift will have added 15 miles of new freeway lanes, 14 new bridges, four new interchanges and nearly 20 miles of carpool lanes.

Drivers can expect a wider freeway, said Arizona Department of Transportation officials.

The I-17 north of Loop 101 project will convert what was a rural highway with two lanes in each direction into an urban freeway, which will better handlethe area's traffic needs, said Doug Nintzel, ADOT spokesman.

Read Article Arizona Republic

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Scammer Gets 5 Years In Prison

2009-06-05T17:51:00.001-07:00

man who victimized 47 Valley homeowners through a mortgage loan assistance scam will spend five years in prison and pay $80,541 in restitution, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard announced Friday.

Glendale resident Bobby Herrera, 33, was arrested in December 2008, and he pleaded guilty to one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices in April, the attorney general's office said in a news release.

According to investigators, Herrera told homeowners he could modify mortgage terms or provide other assistance to help prevent foreclosure, the attorney general's office said.

In exchange for the services he claimed to provide, he charged upfront fees of $1,245, investigators said. Instead of using the money for foreclosure relief, he spent it on himself.

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El Mirage PD Conducts Warrant Sweep

2009-06-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

Officers in El Mirage, Ariz., are conducting roundup of people with outstanding felony and misdemeanor warrants Friday, authorities said.

According to a news release from the El Mirage Police Department, 50 officers are searching for 250 people with warrants for crimes including criminal traffic offenses, drug charges, burglary, domestic violence, assault, robbery, gang-related crimes and one homicide.

The roundup began at 6 a.m. and will continue throughout the day, police said. Officers will serve warrants at individuals' homes, workplaces and other locations.

"For things like theft assault and shoplifting," said Assistant Chief Bill Louis. "We have felony warrants ranging from armed robbery to some gang-related offenses and one homicide suspect we were looking for."

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Grocery taking shape in downtown Phoenix

2009-06-05T17:48:00.002-07:00

Attention shoppers! The first grocery store to open in downtown Phoenix in nearly 30 years is taking shape.

On a recent afternoon, a crew worked on plumbing and electrical systems for the 2,000-square-foot store, which is expected to open sometime in August. Soon they will bring in refrigerated cases, ovens and other kitchen equipment, said Alan McLaughlin, the store's general manager.

"We will source everything local," he said, including meat, milk and cheese. "This will be a hangout place in the neighborhood."

The $475,000 project is an offshoot of the popular, biweekly Phoenix Public Market, which is run by the non-profit Community Food Connections.

Downtown Phoenix residents hungered for a grocery store for decades.

The last supermarket in the neighborhood south of Interstate 10 closed in 1981.

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Light-rail train, bus collide; 8 sent to hospital

2009-06-05T17:48:00.001-07:00

Metro light rail experienced its most serious crash to date Thursday morning when a train and a Valley Metro bus collided in downtown Phoenix and sent eight people to local hospitals with minor injuries.

The crash was the 22nd of the year and a setback for Metro's improving safety record. After averaging nearly five crashes a month, Metro's last crash was May 15; two collisions involving trains occurred in May.

Thursday's crash happened at 6:38 a.m. at First Avenue and Washington Street. Both the train and the bus were traveling south.

The Route 8 bus made a right turn across the path of the tracks to continue its run down Washington Street when it collided with a two-car train carrying about 30 people.

Metro reported moderate damage to the front left of the train and the rear of the bus.

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American Express wins rezoning

2009-06-05T17:46:00.000-07:00

The Phoenix City Council was scheduled to consider two northeast Phoenix zoning cases on Wednesday, but arrived at a decision on only one.

The credit card and financial services giant received the go-ahead to build on 35 percent of its 95-acre site at 56th Street and Mayo Boulevard, south of Loop 101.

Under the Desert Ridge Specific Plan, which governs a large area between 40th and 64th streets between the Central Arizona Project Canal and Pinnacle Peak Road, the site was restricted to 25 percent coverage. American Express has plans to add several more buildings over the next 10 years, bringing employment up from the current 2,200 to more than 9,000.

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NASCAR at PIR -- fewer fans, spending less

2009-04-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

NASCAR hits Phoenix this weekend, with the Subway Fresh 500 race at Phoenix International Raceway, but there are signs that there will be fewer fans, spending less money, because of the down economy.

The roar of the engines usually draws crowds of more than 200,000 to the Phoenix track.

"I see a lot less people, a lot less people than normal," said Robert Biggs of Phoenix, one of the regulars. "It's normally packed. I'd say there's two-thirds of the people."

Biggs thinks fewer people has translated into cheaper tickets.

"They had them down to $25 for Saturday night's race, which is a good buy... My normal tickets are $97 for Sprint Cup."

Fans have set up their own little city surrounding PIR, and most campers said there seem to be fewer people living in RVs and tents this year.

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Stolen mailbox recovered in Sun City West

2009-04-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service says a mail collection box that was stolen from a roadside in Sun City West has been recovered.

Postal Inspector Patricia Armstrong says the box was damaged but intact and contained mail. She said Friday that she wasn't certain but it appears that all the mail was recovered.

Maricopa County sheriff's deputies working on a lead in another case found the mailbox inside the garage of 41-year-old Brian Keith Smalley on Thursday night. Smalley and 29-year-old Rocky Dean Snyder were arrested in connection with the shoplifting case deputies were investigating.

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2-day festival celebrates Valley's gay community

2009-04-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

Uptown Phoenix takes on a rainbow hue this weekend. More than 30,000 people are expected at the Phoenix Pride parade and festival beginning today.

"We are the first pride event of the year on the West Coast. And it's April in Phoenix, so it's a great time for a vacation," said Brandi Sokolosky, executive director of Phoenix Pride.

The event is in its 29th year and features a parade, a two-day festival with live entertainment, more than 200 vendors, an art expo and a kids play area. Organizers encourage people to use the light rail for the parade and festival to ease parking problems.

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Teacher Pleads Guilty To Molestation

2009-04-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

A former teacher accused of possessing child pornography and inappropriately touching students pleaded guilty Friday to state charges relating to the offenses less than a week after pleading guilty to a federal child pornography charge, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced.

Victor Scott McPeak, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of aggravated assault, the office said in a news release.

The plea agreement calls for 10 years in prison and lifetime probation when he is sentenced in May. This sentence will run consecutively with the federal sentence of 7-14 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release, the county attorney's office said.

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Man's shooting death ruled suicide

2009-04-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

A man accused of firing at Phoenix police officers during a December shootout died of suicide gunshot wounds to his head and torso, according to a report released Thursday by the Maricopa County medical examiner.

Joshua Hoyt, 23, was found dead at an apartment near Interstate 17 and Indian School Road after he shot at Maryvale Precinct officers. Hoyt's .38-caliber revolver was found by his hand at his side after a melee that stemmed from a domestic dispute Dec. 27.

According to police, Hoyt fired first through a window at a patrol officer who responded to the apartment in the 3800 block of North 23rd Drive.

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Departing Ahwatukee Chamber chief reminiscences

2009-04-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

Laura Rivers, Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer will leave her job April 17 to head marketing and special events for the Phoenix Chapter of the national non-profit Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

More than 100 people have applied to be her replacement. The chamber board of directors is expected to choose a new president and CEO soon.

The chamber has 430 members and an annual budget of $350,000.

Rivers, who has held the post for about a year, recently shared her thoughts about the job and her work with Ahwatukee's business community.

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Boy, 11, Killed While Riding Bike

2009-04-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

An 11-year-old boy was killed Thursday evening after he rode his bike in front of an oncoming van, Mesa police said.

Eric, who police only identified by his first name, was riding his bicycle with his grandfather southbound on South Horne Street when he left the sidewalk and rode into the roadway, according to an overnight incident report from the Mesa Police Department.

The boy was struck by a 1995 Chevrolet van driven by Jaime Onesimo Stirk-Veaven, 30, police said.

Eric was pronounced dead at a local hospital, police said.

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Veterans facilities to get stimulus aid

2009-04-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

Arizona will get more than $20 million in stimulus funds from the Veterans Health Administration to upgrade facilities around the state, officials said Thursday.

About $10 million will help renovate windows, sewer lines and electrical systems and make other repairs at veterans hospital facilities in Phoenix. Prescott is set to receive about $6.4 million and Tucson about $3.1 million for similar improvements.

Additionally, Arizona will get $352,000 to spruce up six veterans cemeteries around the state. That's part of a $50 million nationwide program to fix sunken graves, repair national monuments and improve cemetery access.

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Experts urge safety as enthusiasts hit the trails

2009-03-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

An apparent spurt of foot traffic on the Valley's hiking trails has led to an increase in rescue calls.

So, Valley hiking experts and rescue officials are reminding veteran and rookie hikers alike to be safe.

There were 43 calls for mountain rescues in Phoenix between the start of this year and Monday, up from 30 during the same period last year - a 43 percent increase. The 2008 total of 125 was the highest over the previous 10 years.

It's not clear why there are apparently more hikers this year. But hikers and experts alike speculate that people are looking for inexpensive activities to save money, and hiking fits the bill.

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Youngster's charitable golf tournament a hit

2009-03-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

Michael Young is a 15-year-old sophomore at Phoenix Country Day School, but he's already an old hand at running a golf tournament.

On April 24, Young will stage the fourth edition of his Swing Fore Kids Golf Classic, an event to benefit the Phoenix Children's Hospital Animal Assisted Therapy Program.

In the tournament's first three years, proceeds have increased from $30,000 to $52,000 to $65,000. The money goes to the hospital's program that uses animals to help children cope with the stress of chemotherapy, surgery and long hospital stays.

Young said that even in these difficult economic times, he's determined to make this year's event as successful as in years past. Several sponsors are involved, including Petsmart as the title sponsor.

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1 dies after car slams into wall

2009-03-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

Authorities were on scene of a fatal collision after a car rammed into a wall in South Phoenix, Thursday morning.

The single-vehicle collision occurred about 12:12 a.m. when a vehicle smashed into a wall and a power transformer near Southern Avenue and 27th Street, Luis Samudio, spokesman for Phoenix police, said.

The fatal accident may have gone unnoticed for several hours until a passerby saw the truck off the side of the road and notified authorities.

Police are not releasing the name of the 28-year-old male driver who died in the collision.

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Airport train project could be on fast track

2009-03-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

Phoenix plans to ask for $200 million in federal stimulus money, which could shave seven years off the airport's $1.1 billion automated-train project and fast-track an additional 1,000 jobs.

The train project is an ideal "shovel-ready" candidate for stimulus money, airport officials say.

It may also face heavy competition from rival projects in Arizona and elsewhere in the nation.

Crews are already building sections of the driverless-train system that will take passengers to light rail, airport terminals, parking areas and the rental-car center. The train will help take 20,000 cars off the road and will save the city $30 million a year on airport buses, the city says.

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Business leaders support Gordon's energy plan

2009-03-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

Business leaders are embracing Mayor Phil Gordon's plan to make Phoenix a solar-energy hub and the greenest city in the country, saying it will create new investment opportunities and generate jobs.

Environmental proposals outlined in the mayor's State of the City address this week run the gamut. They include making street lights and traffic signals more energy efficient, tapping into renewable energy sources such as gases from landfills and wastewater-treatment plants, and increasing opportunities for local food growers.

One part of the 17-point plan calls for linking transportation, information and communications systems.

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Economy makes gardening more popular

2009-03-05T16:58:00.000-08:00

High prices for produce in the grocery store have some Phoenix residents taking matters into their own hands.

They're getting down and dirty and closer in touch with Mother Nature. With a few seeds, soil and a careful minding of water, vegetable gardens are taking root around town.

"Especially this year, with the slumping economy, we're seeing many more people wanting to grow their own gardens," said Tom Brodt of Baker International Nursery Inc. in Phoenix. "Sales (of seeds or small fruit and vegetable plants) are doing well."

Northeast Phoenix resident Karie Engstler says it takes some work to get a garden growing, but the result is more than just having something healthy on your dinner plate.

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Sunset Point Rest Area set to open after revamp

2009-03-05T16:56:00.000-08:00

Interstate 17's popular Sunset Point Rest Area is expected to reopen this month, after more than a year of renovations.

Work at the scenic overlook located north of Phoenix focused on utility and infrastructure updates.

"A lot of what we did was underground," said Bill Williams, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Transportation. "You won't necessarily see the improvements."

The rest area will reopen March 20 if a water pump inspection goes as planned, he said.

Motorists will notice new sidewalks, restroom buildings, two additional picnic ramadas, a repaved parking lot with extra spaces and improved traffic flow. The facility also got a new water tank and an improved sewage system.

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Panel kills plan to allow bicyclists rolling stops

2009-03-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

Rep. Doug Quelland, R-Phoenix, rides his bike 17 miles to and from the state Capitol each day, and he pedals across whole states during his time off. That experience gives him a unique perspective on the needs of Arizona's bicycling community, he said.

But neither that perspective nor the cycling garb he wore before a House committee Wednesday could convince lawmakers that bicyclists should be allowed to roll through stop signs if no traffic is coming. Quelland said a similar law in Idaho has created safer roadways for bicyclists.

"Other states have treated their bicyclists much more sanely than we have in Arizona," he told the House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee.

Quelland added that it's harder to control a bicycle and avoid a collision if the rider is starting from a stop.

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Only $1.5 million of stimulus funds targeted for NE Phoenix

2009-03-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

Of the $350 million to be spent on road projects in Arizona from President Barack Obama's stimulus package, only $1.5 million is scheduled as a possible priority in northeast Phoenix.

More money could be spent on other projects nearby.

All of the road projects on an Arizona Department of Transportation list total more than $900 million. Not all of them will be funded with stimulus money.

The department will work with Maricopa Association of Governments and other agencies to come up with a final list.

In northeast Phoenix, the money could be spent on sign replacement on Arizona 51, the Piestewa Freeway, between Northern Avenue and Bell Road. That section of the freeway was opened in segments, from Northern to Shea Boulevard in 1995, and from Shea to Bell in 1999. The freeway finally connected to Loop 101 at its northern end in 2003.

It's possible that the project will not be funded.

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Hard times force cuts at Westcor

2009-02-26T17:05:00.000-08:00

High-profile metro Phoenix mall developer Westcor laid off 40 people Wednesday as it hunkered down to weather the worst economic recession in decades.

Westcor is the largest shopping-center owner in Arizona, with a roster of trophy properties such as Biltmore Fashion Park, Scottsdale Fashion Square, Kierland Commons and the Borgata of Scottsdale.

The cuts at Westcor's Phoenix headquarters and centers around the state impacted senior vice presidents on down and included employees in property management, marketing, leasing and development. The company had about 300 employees in Arizona before the layoffs.

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Mexican official criticizes Sheriff Joe Arpaio

2009-02-26T17:04:00.002-08:00

The Mexican Consulate in Phoenix has joined the chorus of federal lawmakers and advocacy groups coming down on Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his treatment of undocumented immigrants.

Earlier this month, Arpaio segregated undocumented immigrants in the county jails and marched 220 convicted inmates from Durango Jail to Tent City.

The sheriff said it would save money and help facilitate visits by attorneys or the Mexican consulate.

That's a sham, Consul General of Mexico Carlos Flores Vizcarra wrote in a letter sent Monday to the county Board of Supervisors. Vizcarra believes the "highly publicized spectacle of ethnic prisoners is in clear violation" of the United Nation's Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and asks the board to "put a stop to these tactics."

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Ahwatukee bank holdups prompt warning from police

2009-02-26T17:04:00.001-08:00

After two bank robberies in Ahwatukee in less than a week, the FBI and officials at Desert Schools Federal Credit Union are asking Foothills residents to stay alert when patronizing area banks.

Despite Hollywood images of bank heist gun battles, the vast majority of bank robberies are non-violent. Most bank patrons don't even know when a robbery is taking place, said Desert Schools spokesman Jason Meyers.

Still, the FBI wants people to keep their wits about them when they are doing their banking because witness descriptions often are the key to solving such crimes, said FBI Phoenix Office spokesman Manuel Johnson.

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Phoenix FBI seeks help in armored car robbery

2009-02-26T17:02:00.000-08:00

The Phoenix FBI has sought the public's help in identifying two robbers who stole bags filled with cash from an armored vehicle Tuesday afternoon.

Loomis Armored US Inc., the company that owned the armored vehicle, has offered an award of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information to police resulting in the arrest and conviction of the robber, and the recovery of funds stolen during the robbery, according to an FBI press release.

Phoenix police officers responded to an armed robbery call at a Wells Fargo bank near 51st Avenue and Baseline Road about 1:38 p.m. Tuesday.

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Valley housing decline clings to ray of hope

2009-02-19T17:18:00.000-08:00

Housing prices are continuing to decline, and any gains in value made since 2004 have been wiped out, an Arizona State University report says.

The Repeat Sales Index Report for January paints an ever-darkening picture of what is going on with housing values. Only one slim beam of light - that rates of decline have slowed to single digits from double digits - is evident, the report says.

"It appears the annual rate (of decline in prices) will bottom out between minus 30 and minus 35 percent," it says in the report. "It will be much later in 2009 before the decline in the index reaches zero, which would mean that prices have stopped falling."

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Motorcycle gang fight cited in deaths of 2 men

2009-02-19T17:17:00.000-08:00

A motorcycle gang fight outside a Phoenix QuikTrip may have led to the deaths of two men Tuesday night.

John Lindenman, 43, and Bradley Lutzo, 45, were both shot and killed during a fight between two biker gangs that escalated into a shooting outside a QuikTrip convenience store near 19th and Peoria avenues, Phoenix spokeswoman Cindy Scott said. Police have not released information regarding the cause of the fight.

Lindenman was found wounded on the ground in front of the QuikTrip, according to a Phoenix police press release. He was transported to a local hospital where he was later declared dead.

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Girl, 2, hit by truck, killed in Phoenix neighborhood

2009-02-19T17:16:00.000-08:00

2-year-old girl died after she was hit by a truck in a Phoenix neighborhood Thursday morning.

A 29-year-old family friend ran over the girl with her truck while backing out of the home's driveway around 11 a.m., Detective Cindy Scott with the Phoenix Police Department said.

The woman was watching the young girl and her two siblings, an infant and 3-year-old, at the family's home near 43rd Ave. and the Papago Freeway when the incident occurred, Scott said. Scott added that the woman was trying to take the three children out to get pizza.

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Valley housing officials support Obama plan

2009-02-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

Players in the Phoenix-area housing economy generally said they support President Barack Obama's $75 billion effort to reduce home foreclosures, although many expressed doubts about the plan's likely impact.

Michael Ripson, chief executive officer of Scottsdale-based Ripson Homes, said Obama's speech Wednesday in Mesa by itself accomplished an important goal: boosting consumers' damaged mojo. "We believe that the foreclosure crisis has fueled a crisis in confidence," Ripson said. "It's critical for a lot of this positive news to start permeating the marketplace."

Kevin Murphy, executive director of Labor's Community Service Agency, said he doesn't believe the measure will have a positive psychological effect on consumers unless it proves effective in reducing foreclosures.

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Sheriff's deputies suspect 60 employees of identity theft

2009-02-11T11:17:00.000-08:00

Deputies from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office carried out a search warrant for suspected illegal immigrants at a Phoenix business Wednesday morning.

Dozens of sheriff's deputies arrived shortly after 6 a.m. and began questioning employees at Handyman Maintenance Incorporated, located at 2646 S. 19th Ave. Over 60 employees were suspected of identity theft, according to a press release from the Sheriff's office.

Traffic on 19th Avenue was backed up for hours during the raid after officers cut the section of road next to the business to one lane. Sheriff's office vehicles were crammed into the closed-off lane as well as the business' lot.

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Basketball just one part of All-Star weekend

2009-02-11T11:16:00.000-08:00

Sunday's NBA All-Star Game is about the NBA lifestyle as much as it is about basketball.

Starting Thursday, the superstar exhibition game brings the Valley a long weekend of hip-hop concerts, block parties, celebrity parties and athlete dinners. The NBA has invited 15,000 to 20,000 guests to Phoenix and expects about 2,000 media members.

And although the NBA-run events in the US Airways Center and the Phoenix Convention Center are geared toward families and basketball fans, the rest of the long weekend is where hip-hop, fashion and celebrity intersect. It's a giant marketing opportunity, similar to the hype that came as part of last year's Super Bowl. The people behind the events are more likely to talk about the "international media platform" and "our brand means exclusivity" than discuss the finer points of the fast break or the triple-double.

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Man jumps out of window to avoid officers

2009-02-11T11:15:00.000-08:00

Authorities arrested a man who jumped out of a window and tried to flee from officers on Wednesday in Phoenix.

Violent Criminal Apprehension Team officers went to an apartment at 19645 N. 31st Avenue to serve a felony warrant. The man jumped from a third floor window and fled to avoid the officers, according to DPS spokesman Bart Graves.

VCAT was formed by DPS last year to go after the 49,000 unserved warrants in Maricopa County.

The officers caught and arrested the man within the apartment complex.

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Phoenix toddler killed in driveway by truck

2009-02-11T11:13:00.000-08:00

A Phoenix toddler was killed Tuesday after being hit by a truck while playing on the sidewalk, police said.

The two-year-old was playing near his home in the 6000 block of West Catalina Drive at about 2:30 p.m. The Dodge pickup truck backed out of a driveway and did not see the boy.

Phoenix Police arrived and performed CPR on the boy until Phoenix Fire Department arrived and took him to an area hospital, Phoenix Fire Capt. Shelly Jameson said.

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NBA going green for All-Star events

2009-02-09T17:06:00.000-08:00

Phoenix may be hosting the greenest NBA All-Star Game to date.

For the first time, the NBA is buying green-energy credits to offset the power that it expects to use at US Airways Center and at the Phoenix Convention Center while All-Star fans and organizers are in town.

The league makes an effort to be more eco-friendly each year, but officials say the credits and other new strategies will make the Phoenix event unique. Among other things, the NBA plans to ratchet up recycling, to use Suns stars for a green public-service announcement and to use post-consumer products to build a playground as a community-service project on Friday.

The news comes as many major-league sports teams take steps to get greener. They range from the Washington Nationals' $611 million baseball stadium, which has been certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, to the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, which reimburses employees who use alternative energy at home.

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Phoenix school gets green makeover

2009-02-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

In the computer lab at William R. Sullivan Elementary School, Joy Louis reached under a bank of computers to turn on a "smart" power strip that will shut off electricity when the desktops aren't in use.

In another classroom, Doug Northway installed fluorescent tubes designed to use up to 30 percent less energy than those he was replacing.

The roof sports new solar panels, intended to save the school thousands of dollars and reduce carbon emissions.

In the courtyard below, students used crayons and markers to create drawings with their visions of energy sustainability.

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Body found in Phoenix park; homicide suspected

2009-02-09T17:02:00.000-08:00

Police are investigating a possible murder after a man's body was found in a Phoenix city park Sunday morning.

A park worker came upon the man lying in the grass in Solano Park at North 17th Avenue at around 6:15 a.m., according to Phoenix police Lt. Kim Haller.

After telling the man to "get up and leave" and finding him unresponsive, the worker called the police, Haller said. Police who responded to the call suspected homicide because of the extent of the trauma to the man's body.

Homicide detectives were called to the scene and found weapons a short distance from the body, Haller said. She was not sure of the type of weapons found.

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Nearly 100 roosters seized in fighting ring

2009-02-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

Police say they seized nearly 100 roosters Wednesday from a south Phoenix property where gamblers bred the birds for illegal cockfights, which helped fund what investigators described as an active crime syndicate.

Officers found the birds while serving a search warrant during a raid in the 4000 block of South Ninth Street, near Broadway Road and Seventh Street.

The fighting roosters, beaten and bred to be aggressive, were later taken to be euthanized, marking the third group of fighting birds seized by police in Phoenix in recent weeks. An Arizona Humane Society spokeswoman said 92 roosters would be put to sleep.

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Teacher offers motive in teen sex case, officials say

2009-02-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

A 49-year-old Phoenix schoolteacher told investigators she lured a 14-year-old student into a Tempe hotel room and had sex with him to keep the boy from sleeping with her goddaughter, according to Maricopa County authorities.

Criminal charges filed Tuesday against Rosanna Encinas Brown accuse the Pastor Elementary School teacher of three Class 2 felony counts of sexual conduct with a minor, a dangerous crime against children.

"Brown admitted to having sex with the victim to prevent the boy from having sex with his girlfriend, whom Brown claims is her goddaughter," County Attorney Andrew Thomas said.

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USC-bound Kennard headlines state's class

2009-02-05T10:26:00.000-08:00

Before he could get into the buffet line Wednesday, television cameras quickly cornered Devon Kennard as he entered Majerle's Sports Grill in Chandler.

The Phoenix Desert Vista defensive end was the main man during a get-together of about 40 Valley football players who signed national letters of intent with four-year colleges.

Scottsdale Saguaro had eight players signing with four-year colleges, with three of those - defensive tackle Corey Adams, tight end Max Smith and offensive lineman Kody Koebensky - opting to attend Arizona State.

Kennard broke the hearts of loyal ASU fans by signing with Pac-10 rival Southern California.

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Man robbed, stabbed by Craigslist 'escort'

2009-02-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

A Phoenix man seeking female escorts on Craigslist apparently got more than he bargained for when he was stabbed and robbed by the strangers who showed up at his apartment Wednesday morning.

Police said the 24-year-old man living in an apartment near 51st Avenue and Thunderbird Road was expecting a female escort he found on Craigslist to arrive at his apartment about 10 a.m. Wednesday, said Lt. Emilien Sapon, of Phoenix police.

The woman arrived with two men and the trio forced their way into the victim's apartment, stabbed him, took a laptop and fled the scene in a maroon pick-up truck.

Neighbors who heard the commotion called police and the victim was taken to a hospital. The victim was stabbed once and is expected to make a full recovery, Sapon said.

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7 arrested, 3 officers hurt in brawl outside campus

2009-02-05T10:23:00.000-08:00

A brawl involving students at South Mountain High School led to three injured police officers and at least seven people in custody on Wednesday afternoon.

Phoenix police received a call about an off-campus fight in the parking lot of a grocery store at Seventh Street and East Roeser Road around 3 p.m. Officers arrived a short time later and tried to break up the fight.

One student tried to leave the scene in his vehicle but police stopped him, which led to students assaulting the officers, police said. The school's student-resource officer was at the scene and tried to help the other officers.

One officer suffered a twisted ankle, another hurt his knee, and a third officer suffered from the effects of pepper spray, according to a Phoenix police spokesman.

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Gordon deserts plan that would have extended term

2009-01-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon has pulled the plug on a ballot proposal that would have extended his term and those of four fellow City Council members by two years, to January 2014.

A group of Gordon supporters filed paperwork Jan. 20 allowing them to begin collecting signatures to qualify the initiative for the city's September ballot.

But the mayor asked the group to abandon its efforts after critics suggested the plan was designed to buy time for Gordon as he considers his next political move.

He will be termed out of office in January 2012.

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DiCiccio moves to front of line to succeed Stanton

2009-01-28T17:41:00.000-08:00

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon's former chief of staff, Deb Gullett, has quietly dropped out of the running for the soon-to-be-vacant District 6 City Council seat, which includes Ahwatukee Foothills, likely clearing the way for former Councilman Sal DiCiccio to receive the appointment.

Gullett, a former state lawmaker who now works as a top administrator at Arizona State University's downtown campus, said she plans to run for public office in the future. But she said she will not be seeking the council seat now or in the September election as she focuses her attention on her teenage children and work.

"I have a fabulous job at ASU and have every intention of staying right where I am," Gullett said Monday. "While I have been flattered by the number of people who have encouraged me to look at the City Council seat, it is not something I intend to pursue now."

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Girl suffers burns, was trapped in apartment fire

2009-01-28T17:40:00.000-08:00

A 14-year-old girl was trapped in her room Wednesday morning when a fire broke out in her Phoenix apartment.

The girl called in the fire from the Missouri Crossing apartment complex on 17th Avenue around 10:30 a.m. and remained on the phone with the operator as firefighters set out for the scene, Phoenix Fire Department Division Chief Mark Faulkner said.

The first two firefighters to respond were able to find the apartment quickly, Faulkner said. One firefighter got into the girl's room while the other contained the fire long enough to get her out. After the girl was safely outside, firefighters put out the fire.

Faulkner said the fire was limited to the girl's apartment, although there was some secondary damage to the apartment next door.

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School bus crashes in west Phoenix, 2 in critical condition

2009-01-28T17:38:00.000-08:00

A school bus carrying more than 40 children crashed near 67th Avenue and McDowell Road on Wednesday afternoon.

A total of 26 people were being evaluated and at least two are in critical condition, according to Phoenix Fire officials. Two children were reported to have minor injuries. Others had minor to moderate injuries.

The bus was heading north on 67th Avenue when the driver became unconscious about 3:30 p.m. The bus kept going, slamming into several other cars. The accident appeared to be in two parts, one part north of Interstate 10 and the other south of I-10 on 67th Avenue.

Officials are unable to account for all of the children because some got out of the bus and ran after it came to a stop.

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Report: News pilots distracted in Phoenix midair crash

2009-01-28T17:37:00.000-08:00

Federal investigators have concluded the probable cause of the crash of two news helicopters in Phoenix 18 months ago was that the pilots involved, who were also broadcasting live coverage of a police chase, lost track of each other.

Before the helicopters collided and crashed, the pilots were trying to do too much at once - fly, report and monitor multiple radio channels - officials said.

The National Transportation Safety Board, hashing through its final report on the crash, made official its conclusion on the cause of the crash Wednesday afternoon.

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Knicks hand Suns another loss

2009-01-22T16:24:00.000-08:00

The Suns recently thought they turned a corner after a 9-4 stretch dotted with close losses. Turns out, there was a dead end waiting there.

The Suns lost Wednesday night for the fourth time in five games. The 114-109 loss to New York at Madison Square Garden was the week's second loss to a losing team and came against a team run by Mike D'Antoni, the ex-Suns coach who never had Phoenix with this many losses (17) at the 40-game mark of the past four seasons.

"It's strange because before this five-game stretch, I was feeling pretty good about our team," Suns guard Steve Nash said. "To take two steps back here is frustrating.

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Library cuts are a call to action

2009-01-22T16:22:00.000-08:00

Dan Cook has fond memories of his first experience at a library.

Actually, it was a bookmobile. He was in the first or second grade back in Akron, Ohio, when he stepped up and into a magical world.

"I was thoroughly convinced that the driver owned the books and was being nice to let us read them," the 75-year-old Phoenix resident said and chuckled.

Finding out that the books really belonged to the residents was a surprise.

Reading became a favorite pastime, not just for homework. His teacher made sure the students didn't miss out, shooing them out even in cold weather to hop aboard the bookmobile.

"Once a week, she would bundle us up, rain or snow or sleet, and haul us out to get the books," he said.

The routine became a habit that he has enjoyed all these years.

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Man shot, killed in case of mistaken identity was committed to community

2009-01-22T16:13:00.000-08:00

Bilal Russell loved children. He spent his days helping emotionally disturbed youngsters, and planned to someday build a residence for foster children.

He died Jan. 14 in an attack that police believe wasn't intended for him.

Russell, 25, lived alone in what was once the family owned home in south Phoenix near Central and Euclid avenues.

According to police and family on Jan. 14 about 10:40 p.m., he answered the door to strangers asking for an unknown person who did not live at the house.

The strangers refused to leave and opened fire, wounding Bilal. According to Larry Russell, Bilal's father, his son ran through the house and crashed through a bedroom window to escape his attackers. He escaped into the backyard where he was found moments later by his younger brother.

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DPS increasing speeds a driver can go before cams "flash"

2009-01-19T10:13:00.002-08:00

No need to look far to find one of the 6,400 people upset by the rising amount of speed enforcement cameras around the Valley.

DPS has announced it was increasing the speed a driver can reach before being "flashed" by one of the photo radar cameras.

The increase is one mile per hour: from 10 to eleven.

If that new cutoff had been in place from mid-October through November, 6,400 people would have been spared the $165 fine.

Collectively, those fines amounted to more than a million dollars.

Although the speed allowed has increased, DPS is still installing more and more cameras through out the Valley.

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MLK march today in downtown Phoenix

2009-01-19T10:13:00.001-08:00

About 1,000 people marched in downtown Phoenix to honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday morning.

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard marched, both taking turns carrying a flame.

Tomorrow's inauguration of Barack Obama was a big topic of conversation for marchers like John Flowers.

"Inauguration Day is going to be a great historical day. I'm going to be right there watching it. I wished I could be there. I think that now, that the world, America can see we can be together as one."

Valley resident Michael battle says the Obama inauguration is a big moment for America. "Time has come. The dream is here. There's still a lot of work left to be done, but it's a start."

Job Long marched in the parade. "It's going to be a very joyous day for all the American people. And when I speak America, I mean all races and everything because he stood for everybody in the world."

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Fires burn at retail center, Phoenix home

2009-01-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

Phoenix firefighters responded to two major fires Sunday night.

At about 6 p.m., crews responded to a fire at the Indoor Swapmart at 5115 N. 27th Avenue, finding rolls of carpet on fire inside the retail center, Phoenix fire Capt. Courtney Jenkins said.

After evacuating the building just north of Camelback Road, firefighters extinguished the fire and attempted to clear thick smoke.

At about 6:15 p.m., other crews were called to a fire at a home on East Calle Del Norte, located near 54th Street and Camelback Road.

After the home owner left to go to the store, neighbors reported seeing flames engulfing the one-story house and escaping from the roof and windows, Jenkins said.

The home had already sustained extensive damage by the time firefighters arrived.

Some nearby bushes and trees were also affected, Jenkins said.

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Phoenix, DPS officers to aid security at inauguration

2009-01-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

Phoenix police and Arizona Department of Public Safety personnel will join nearly 4,000 U.S. officers to provide crowd control at next Tuesday's presidential-inauguration ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The 75 Phoenix officers and 60 DPS staff will help the U.S. Secret Service ensure overall safety at the event that could draw more than 2 million spectators to see President-elect Barack Obama sworn in as the 44th president of the United States.

The Phoenix officers were pulled from the department's tactical-training academy, downtown unit, gang-enforcement detail and other units so resources could be spared at home during the group's brief trip to the East Coast. DPS staff includes explosives technicians.

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Phoenix murders plummeted 24% in 2008

2009-01-14T11:08:00.000-08:00

In the middle of an open field in Buckeye, young men wearing baggy jeans and cocked baseball caps mourned their friend 30 miles from the Maryvale apartment where he was shot to death.

Some wept. Others remained silent, staring through black sunglasses as a tractor churned the earth and kicked up the scent of fertilizer from a neighboring field.

Salvador Tarango Ramirez was laid to rest in Buckeye, where he attended high school, one week after he was murdered Dec. 30 outside his mother's apartment near McDowell Road and 47th Avenue.

Police identified the 19-year-old as the final Phoenix murder victim of 2008 - one of 169 homicide reports which, according to police, marked a 24 percent drop from the 222 city murders in 2007.

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Maricopa County opens employee health clinic

2009-01-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

When Rose Iannaccone needed a prescription filled Tuesday morning, she popped over to the Maricopa County administration building in downtown Phoenix.

She walked right up to a Walgreens counter, refilled her prescription and made plans to make an appointment to have a nurse treat an infected fingernail. No lines, no wait, no fuss.

In an attempt to battle rising health-care costs, Maricopa County on Tuesday opened a health clinic and Walgreens pharmacy for its employees. About 12,500 county employees and their dependents are eligible to use the services

The government clinic/pharmacy is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, county officials and health-care experts said, and it could save Maricopa County about $575,000 yearly in health-care and prescription costs.

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City prepared to weather downturn in recycling industry

2009-01-07T17:05:00.000-08:00

The nation's recycling industry has taken a sharp downturn, but Phoenix officials say the city and its residents are somewhat insulated from the worst effects.

Behind the downturn are lower prices worldwide for the main commodities that come out of recycling plants: paper, glass, metal and plastic.

City ownership of two sorting plants, where paper, glass, plastic and metals are separated, helps. So do ongoing contracts with companies that manage the plants and sell the materials.

On top of that are savings from extending the life of the city's landfill in Buckeye.

"Prices are a global issue," said Carl Smith, who focuses on recycling for the city's Public Works Department. "Some of us are much better off than others."

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Woman arrested in embezzlement from charity

2009-01-07T17:03:00.000-08:00

An employee of a south Phoenix social-services agency was arrested Monday on charges of embezzling nearly $200,000 in government checks intended to fund parenting programs.

Rosalie Magana was indicted on three counts of theft and one count of fraud after authorities say she stole the checks from Friendly House in December 2006 and January 2007.

Two other women were arrested and sentenced in 2007 for depositing the checks in a credit union, but investigators were unable to link the thefts to Magana until last week.

Friendly House is a 90-year-old social-services agency in south Phoenix. It offers a range of programs, including job training, adult education, family counseling, immigration-law assistance, elder care, a charter school and a food bank.

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Former Republic columnist Bob Hurt dies at 84

2009-01-05T10:37:00.000-08:00

Bob Hurt, a former sports columnist at The Arizona Republic, passed away from complications of Alzheimer's disease Saturday in Phoenix. He was 84.

Hurt came to The Republic in 1976 after having served as sports columnist and managing editor of the Topeka Daily Capital - now Capital-Journal -- in Kansas and sports columnist at the Daily Oklahoman in Oklahoma City.

"Bob was just an old-time professional newspaper guy," said Bob Jacobsen, former sports editor at The Republic. "He was a terrific columnist and a good guy. He had been around forever and knew everybody."

Jacobsen said one of Hurt's biggest scoops was in 1984 when Hurt learned that Leonard Tose, then owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, was preparing to move that NFL franchise to the Valley.

When Hurt reported the story, however, there was an uproar in Philadelphia and Tose kept the Eagles there. Tose sold the team in 1985 to cover casino gambling debts.

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Light Rail Geared For 1st Real Test

2009-01-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

Today will be the first real test of the Valley's newly operating light rail service now that most commuters will head back to work or school after the long holiday break.

The system launched Dec. 27 when thousands of people packed themselves tightly into train cars to be among the first to give the trains a try.

Lines to board the trains on the inaugural runs ran more than 1 1/2 hours at times, with some people hopping on shuttle buses to return to their cars rather than wait for a train heading back down the line.

The $1.4 billion startup line, which took nearly four years to build, runs from north-central Phoenix through downtown and then east through suburban Tempe and Mesa. More than 30 miles are planned to open in Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa and Glendale by 2025.

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2008 was Valley's 14th wettest year

2009-01-05T10:34:00.000-08:00

The Phoenix metropolitan area had its 14th wettest year on record in 2008 with the most rainfall since 1998.

The National Weather Service said the Phoenix area had an official precipitation total of 9.58 inches last year - 25 percent more than the average of 7.66 inches.

Most of the rain could be credited to a soaking monsoon season.

From mid-June through the end of September, the Phoenix area's official gauge took in 5.7 inches. That made last summer the wettest since 1984 and the 10th-wettest overall.

Arizona has been in a drought since the mid-1990s with nine of the last 13 years seeing below-average rainfall.

The total for 2008 wasn't much lower than the combined amount for the previous two years (10.5 inches).

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Light rail's first 2 days attracted 150,000

2008-12-29T16:56:00.000-08:00

More than 150,000 people rode the new light-rail trains that rolled out this weekend in the Valley.

On Sunday, riders waited in long lines at both ends of the boarding stations in Phoenix and Mesa, but the wait wasn't as bad as Saturday, when the trains debuted. Admission is free through Wednesday.

Many people boarded near Christown Spectrum Mall in Phoenix or near Main Street and Sycamore in Mesa and went round trip.

Mesa resident Russell McManaman, who stood in line at Apache Boulevard and Main Street for nearly a half hour, likened the wait to rides at Disneyland.

"Hey, do they have FASTPASS here?" he quipped.

McManaman said he came out with his family to "see how efficient light rail would be." He said it was a great mode of transportation to attend events or shopping, but was not reliable enough for commuting to work.

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Infant nearly drowns in hotel bathtub

2008-12-29T16:55:00.000-08:00

An 11-month-old infant is fighting for his life after nearly drowning in a Phoenix hotel bathtub Sunday morning.

The baby boy was in the bathtub with his 3-year-old sister around 9 a.m. Sunday, when the children's father briefly left the room to get coffee. When he returned, the infant was submerged under the bathwater, Phoenix fire Capt. Courtney Jenkins said.

The father called for help and began giving the infant CPR. The baby was taken to a local hospital for immediate treatment and was later airlifted to Phoenix Children's Hospital. Jenkins said the infant had stable vital signs but was using a ventilator. It was still unclear if the baby would have permanent brain damage.

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3 arrested in robbery at dollar store

2008-12-29T16:52:00.000-08:00

Phoenix police arrested three people in connection with the armed robbery of a dollar store Sunday afternoon.

Cesar Vasquez, 26, Cindy Rico, 21, and Ann Cherie Higbee, 38, are suspected of robbing Dollar Dayz, 1602 W. Buckeye Road, Phoenix police spokesman Jon Howard said.

Witnesses told police Vasquez and Rico were in the store with a sawed-off shotgun, Howard said. They took a necklace from a victim, which they discarded during a subsequent chase with police, he said.

A female employee "frantically" waved down officers driving in the area at about 2:30 p.m., Howard said.

The officers reported seeing Vasquez and Rico run out of the store holding a shotgun and a handgun, he said. Rico jumped in a gray Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck waiting nearby, he said.

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Bar crowd has tip for light rail: Later runs

2008-12-22T14:03:00.000-08:00

Unless happy hour is your idea of a late night, the trains of Metro light rail will not help you get home from the bars.

While many Valley residents approved light-rail plans assuming the trains would run after last call, restaurant, club and bar patrons will have to find alternate ways to get home safely.

The $1.4 billion, 20-mile light-rail line launches Saturday. Starting Monday, the last trains on most nights will leave their stations in Phoenix and Mesa at 11 p.m., finishing their journeys around 11:45 - long before last call at 2 a.m. Trains begin service again at 4:40 a.m.
The timing has some bar owners apoplectic.

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