Light rail's park-and-ride lots prove popular

The parties are over, the bands are long gone, but passengers were still flocking to the Valley's new Metro light rail Monday to catch a free ride.

The lone Mesa park-and-ride lot on Main Street between Dobson and Alma School roads was nearly full with about 700 cars at midday Monday.

A lot in Tempe at McClintock Road and Apache Boulevard was more than half full at noon, said Nikki Ripley, a city spokeswoman. Two other park-and-ride lots were nearly full or filling up.

But it was a mixed bag in Phoenix, which has four park-and-ride lots. Many of those lots were far from full early in the day, said Marie Chapple Camacho, a spokeswoman for the Phoenix Transit Department

Read full story AZ Central

Posted by Personal Injury Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona

Ninth border tunnel in 3 months found

NOGALES - A clandestine tunnel along the Arizona-Mexican border has been found near downtown Nogales.

That makes nine tunnels found in the U.S. Border Patrol's Tucson Sector since October.

Agents found the newest tunnel Monday night during routine patrol. It was hidden with clumps of grass about 50 yards north of the border and 100 yards northwest of the port of entry

Read full story AZ Central

Posted by Auto Accident Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona

Bush pardons 19, including Sun City woman

WASHINGTON - Before leaving for the holidays, President Bush on Tuesday commuted one prison sentence and granted 19 pardons, including one to a man who helped the Jewish resistance in the 1940s and an Arizona woman, Lydia Lee Ferguson.

With this latest batch, which includes forgiveness for convictions ranging from gun and drug violations to bank and mail fraud, Bush has granted a total of 191 pardons and nine commutations. That's fewer than half as many as Presidents Clinton or Reagan issued during their two terms.

Read full story AZ Central

Posted by Personal Injury Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona

DUI task force arrests more than 150 statewide

Members of a holiday task force targeting drunken driving on Saturday arrested more than 150 drivers across the state.

Of the 162 people busted on suspicion of driving under the influence, 13 were classified as aggravated-DUI drivers, 149 were misdemeanor DUIs and 40 were extreme DUIs.

Drivers with a blood-alcohol content level of 0.15 percent or higher are considered extreme-DUI offenders. The average BAC for Saturday was 0.144, reported the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, which coordinates the statewide task force that began Thanksgiving Day and runs through New Year's Eve

Read full story AZ Central

Posted by DUI/DWI Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona

Sheriff, treasurer fail to offer budget-cut ideas

o elected Maricopa County officials are dragging their feet in helping the county deal with a budget shortfall.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Treasurer Charles "Hos" Hoskins refused to answer a request from the Board of Supervisors for belt-tightening.

Already, the county had to slash building projects, freeze raises and halt hiring to try to balance the budget this year. But it is still $47 million in the hole next year.

Read full story AZ Central

Posted by Auto Accident Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona

13,500 tickets issued by W. Valley speed cameras

More than 13,000 motorists driving in the West Valley have been sent speeding tickets since cameras on Loop 101 and I-10 were activated in October.

More than 40,000 tickets were issued statewide in the first two months of the Arizona Department of Public Safety's speed-enforcement camera program, which started in September. West Valley cameras were turned on at the end of October, and drivers received about 13,500 tickets in six weeks, according to the DPS.

The fastest speed clocked so far by a DPS camera was 130 mph on 1-10 in the West Valley and again on Arizona 51.

Read full sotry AZ Central

Posted by Auto Accident Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona

Plea deal offered to Arizona boy in murder case

The 8-year-old's attorney says he's considering the deal, which would resolve all charges without it being transferred to adult court.

Reporting from Phoenix -- Prosecutors have offered a plea deal to an 8-year-old boy charged with murder in the shooting deaths of his father and another man, court records show.

Complete details of the offer weren't spelled out in a court filing posted Saturday on the Apache County Superior Court's website.

But Apache County Atty. Criss Candelaria wrote that he has "tendered a plea offer to the juvenile's attorneys that would resolve all the charges in the juvenile court contingent on the results of the mental health evaluations."

Candelaria was responding to a defense motion seeking to block him from dropping one of two first-degree murder charges the boy is facing for the shooting deaths of his father, Vincent Romero, 29, and Romero's roommate, Timothy Romans, 39, earlier this month.

Read full story Los Angeles Times

Posted by Auto Accident Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona

Surprise man amongst 10 bicyclists hit in Tucson

search continues for a motorist who hit a group of 10 bicyclists in Tucson during a race, injuring five, and fled from the scene.

Pima County sheriff's Deputy Dawn Barkman said the most seriously injured bicyclist, Gary L. Stuebe, 42, of Surprise. Another bicyclist is in serious condition. Three others had non-life-threatening injuries.

Barkman said 60 bicyclists were riding in the El Tour de Tucson at about 10:20 a.m. Saturday when a car coming from the opposite direction made a left-hand turn in front of them.

Read full story AZ Central

Posted by Auto Accident Lawyers in Phoenix, AZ

Suspect in 9 bank robberies arrested

A man suspected of robbing at least nine banks throughout the Valley, including two in Scottsdale, is in custody after a person recognized his surveillance photo in the media and provided a tip to authorities, police said Tuesday.

Scottsdale police located and arrested Glenn Morrison, 46, of Phoenix, about 4 p.m. Monday near 83rd and Van Buren avenues in Tolleson. He was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery and robbery.

He is suspected of robbing banks in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Glendale during the last two months.

Read full story East Valley Tribune

Posted by Auto Accident Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona

Some races still undecided as votes not counted

With Maricopa County votes remaining to be counted Thursday, the post-election fate of several races and initiatives still need to be determined.

Uncounted ballots leave tight races up in air

In the Chandler City Council race, three seats are being vied for with incumbent Matt Orlando holding about 30,899 votes, Rick Heumann with 25,397, Jack Sellers, 23,976,and Kevin Hartke at 23,645.

In the Scottsdale mayoral race, Jim Lane is still in the lead with 42,486 votes to 41,877 votes for Mary Manross, a continuation of Lane's marginal lead from the day before.

Read full story East Valley Tribune

Posted by Auto Accident Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona

Obama neck and neck with McCain in Arizona

Sen. John McCain's once-comfortable lead in Arizona has all but evaporated, according to a new poll that has the underdog Republican presidential candidate struggling in his own backyard.

With less than a week until Election Day, McCain is leading his Democratic rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, by 2 points, 46 to 44, down from a 7-point lead a month ago and a double-digit lead this summer, according to a poll from Arizona State University.

Factor in the 3-percentage point margin of error, and a race that was once a nearly sure thing for McCain is now a toss-up, pollsters say.

Read full story AZ Central

Posted by Personal Injury Lawyers in Phoenix, AZ

State Republicans to return $105K in donations

Mesa, Arizona - The state Republican Party will return $105,000 in contributions to a mysterious group that has refused to disclose its donors, according to local news reports.

Identified only as "SCA" in the state party's latest campaign finance report, the Sheriff's Command Association is linked to a high-ranking Maricopa County sheriff's deputy.

But the association hasn't responded to the Republican party's repeated requests for information detailing who provided the funds, said Sean McCaffrey, the state Republicans' executive director.

Read full story MSNBC

Posted by Auto Accident Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona

El Mirage home linked to federal drug probe

three-year drug investigation found that large quantities of a controlled substance were being shipped from an El Mirage home to buyers of all ages, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced.

DEA Special Agent in Charge Elizabeth W. Kempshall said Phentermine was being sold through various Web sites, and the investigation identified a home in El Mirage, formerly owned by Gregory Crosby as the shipping hub. Crosby was one of 18 people charged last week by a federal grand jury with violations of federal law relating to the distribution of drugs through Internet pharmacy businesses based in Utah and elsewhere.

Read full story Your West Valley

Posted by Auto Accident Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona

Valley cities face sweeping budget cuts

Roiling world financial markets and the slumping economy are costing Valley cities and towns millions of dollars in lost revenue, forcing many to urgently revamp their budgets.

Two of Arizona's largest cities, Phoenix and Scottsdale, will slash spending on an unprecedented scale, resulting in deep cuts to staffing and services.

The cutbacks threaten quality-of-life items such as extended library hours, new parks and the recreation-center programs that residents increasingly enjoyed during Valley boom years.

Read full story AZ Central

Posted by Auto Accident Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona

Arpaio raids Mesa City Hall; mayor outraged

Mayor outraged by sweep for illegal migrants
Sheriff Joe Arpaio traded angry words and accusations with Mesa officials Thursday after 60 deputies and posse members armed with search warrants stormed City Hall and the public library in the middle of the night in a hunt for illegal workers.

"I believe the safety of our citizens was gravely compromised" when Maricopa County sheriff's deputies in "battle gear" swept into city buildings about 2 a.m. while cleaning crews were at work, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith told reporters. "I believe we had set the scene where bad things could have happened."

Arpaio defended his tactics, claiming the raid came only after a former city employee called the sheriff's illegal-immigration hotline to report that a cleaning company under contract with the city was hiring illegal immigrants.

Read full story AZ Central

Posted by Personal Injury Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona

Budget cuts in Phoenix could be huge

PHOENIX - Phoenix's budget deficit is at least $200 million and will require big cuts to every department, according to city officials.

Budget figures released Tuesday show that the deficit ranges from between $200 million to $250 million, depending on how badly tax collections decline from now to June 30, 2009, when the fiscal year ends.

The figure represents up to 22 percent of the city's $1.2 billion general fund, which pays for most city services.

Read full story East Valley Tribune

Posted by Personal Injury Lawyers in Phoenix, AZ

Store error helps uncover credit-card scam

An honest mistake by Wal-Mart employees over the sale of a computer laptop led to the uncovering of a Valleywide scam that involved stolen credit card information, Chandler police said.

The tip to authorities came about 4 p.m. Sunday when Wal-Mart workers got suspicious about three men who claimed they had purchased a laptop only to get an empty box, according to police spokesman Detective David Ramer.

When police officers arrived at the store on Arizona Avenue near the SanTan Freeway to investigate the suspected fraud, the three men ran and threw a bunch of credit cards to the ground, Ramer said.

Read full story AZ Central

Posted by Phoenix Personal Injury Attorneys

Group in county meeting flap to discuss Arpaio

Mesa, Arizona - The citizens group that has tried unsuccessfully to be placed on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors' official agenda plans to conduct its second "public hearing" on Sheriff Joe Arpaio this evening. The hearing will be staged at Cesar Chávez  Memorial Plaza in downtown Phoenix, across the street from where the supervisors will meet Wednesday.

Members of the group that calls itself Maricopa Citizens for Safety and Accountability also plan to conduct a "public action" at the supervisors meeting, said the organization's director, Raquel Terán.

Terán declined to describe Wednesday's planned public action, but members of the group have disrupted the past two supervisors meetings by speaking out of turn to criticize Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Read full story East Valley Tribune

Posted by DUI Lawyers In Phoenix, AZ

3 suspects arrested in stabbing at Arrowhead Towne Center

Three suspects were arrested in connection with the stabbing of a 27-year-old man at a Glendale mall after he tried to intervene in a fight between two theft suspects and three security guards, police said.

Glendale police arrested 36-year-old Shaun Geeslin about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, after a Phoenix police officer found him in north Phoenix.

Read full story AZ Central

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Board: GOP group endangers county health system

The campaign for a little-known, unpaid job overseeing Maricopa County's public health system has become a bitter partisan battle over the five-member board that could threaten the county hospital's future.

The Pachyderm Coalition, a local conservative Republican group, recently endorsed five newcomers over two GOP incumbents and several moderate Republicans.

"This county hospital venture is one of the costliest single entities the taxpayers are saddled with and needs close oversight," coalition chairman Don Goldwater said in a statement announcing the endorsements.

Read full story East Valley Tribune

Posted by Personal Injury Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona

Legalizing undocumented immigrants pushed

Mesa, Arizona - Local and national business groups are funding a media campaign launched Wednesday in Arizona to convince voters the United States has done enough to secure the border and now needs to legalize the 12 million or more undocumented immigrants and consider allowing more foreigners into this country.

The group, Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together, is going to spend "several hundred thousand dollars" on TV advertising in four states. Jim Pignatelli, president and chief executive officer of UniSource Energy Corp., the parent of Tucson Electric Power, said the time has come to move the debate along and find ways to help business get the workers they need.

And Pignatelli said the best place to start is with those already here.

Read full story MSNBC

Posted by Phoenix Arizona Construction Site Accident Lawyers

Hundreds of changes to state law take effect today

As of today, it's illegal to sell puppies and other animals along Arizona roads. The state mine inspector can now fill deadly abandoned mines with cement, glass and other donated debris. And fight rules have been relaxed in cage-fighting events, guaranteeing fans more gore.

They are among hundreds of changes to state law that take effect today, the 90th day after the end of the legislative session, referred to by policy wonks as the "general effective date."

The state now will begin enforcing most of the 315 bills Gov. Janet Napolitano signed into law this year. But others, including a bill requiring new fees for off-road vehicles and another that increases penalties for driving a vehicle or boat under the influence, won't become effective until Jan. 1.

Read full story AZ Central

Posted by Phoenix Arizona Personal Injury Attorneys and Lawyers

Democrats focus on other races to curb sheriff

By East Valley Tribune
East Valley Tribune
updated 3:17 a.m. MT, Mon., Sept. 22, 2008

Mesa, Arizona - Democrats acknowledge the chances of toppling Sheriff Joe Arpaio are slim this year.

But Arpaio is at the core of a strategy Democrats have devised to target other Maricopa County offices to neutralize the popular lawman, whose tactics on issues like combating illegal immigration have polarized the public.

Rather than trying to unseat Arpaio directly, Democrats are trying to keep him in check by claiming victory in other county races, which they have targeted with stronger-than-usual candidates who are raising higher-than-usual amounts of money. And with Democrats vastly outnumbered by Republicans in the county, the party is selectively choosing which GOP candidates to go after.

Read Full Story: MSNBC

Posted By: Phoenix Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

GOOGLE EXITS THE VALLEY

Google, the Silicon Valley-based search engine company, said Friday that it would close its Tempe office, affecting about fifty jobs. The closure is viewed as a setback to Phoenix's efforts to diversify an economy heavily dependent on low-wage retail jobs.

Read full story on AZ Central Google Exits The Valley

Posted by Phoenix Personal Injury and Accidnet Attorneys

More Hispanics expected at polls this year

If there ever was a year in which Hispanics are going to make their presence felt on Election Day, it would seem to be this year.

The 2008 presidential race offers the right mix of candidates and issues to inspire a historically elusive subset of potential voters to mobilize in unprecedented numbers, according to political strategists familiar with the Hispanic market.

Traditionally, Hispanics have lagged behind both non-Hispanic whites and blacks in voting. About 47 percent of all eligible Hispanics voted in the past two presidential elections - the George Bush vs. Al Gore contest in 2000 and the Bush vs. John Kerry election in 2004.

Read full story Eastvalley Tribune More Hispanics expected at polls this year

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