Phoenix Blog

ASU is bucking tradition a bit by declining to offer the keynote speaker at its next graduation commencement ceremony an honorary degree, even though that speaker is President Barack Obama. An ASU spokesperson says honorary degrees are conferred upon people with a large body of work, and Obama's "body of work is yet to come"...Waste Management of Arizona starts building a recycling plant in Surprise today. The new facility is expected to create 100 construction jobs and about 35 permanent positions when the plant opens...A woman in Mohave County is being charged with assault with a deadly weapon after swinging a purse full of perfume at a deputy and breaking her nose. And we thought only boxers fought for purses...A Tempe man has been arrested for using a video camera to watch a woman use the bathroom at Bisco Industries. The suspect, Lance Osborne, says he also installed sound equipment in the john. Sounds like somebody desperately needs a video rental membership to an adult store...Maricopa County proposed that Valley law enforcement agencies use some of the $10.5 million in federal stimulus funds they're expected to receive to form a warrant task force, but law enforcement agencies declined the proposal, despite the 40,000 unserved felony warrants in the county...A groom in Romania has an interesting idea on how to pay for his impending wedding: he's selling ad space on his tie. The groom, Tudor Ciora, says he hopes to sell enough ad space to  pay for the ceremony and perhaps a new car (he'll probably need a new tie, too).

No honorary degree for Obama from ASU

Recycling plant on way in W. Valley