Phoenix Blog

Arizona has used only three percent of the $12 million in federal stimulus funds the state received for housing, according to a government oversight report released Wednesday. The same report shows the state hasn't spent any of its educations funds, but has already spent 96 percent of its stimulus Medicaid money...There's a controversy in Camp Verde over a cross at a community center. After a woman complained about the cross being displayed in a public building, city council members removed it. Now, protesters have been gathering to demand the religious icon be put back...According to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, a riot that broke out over the weekend at the Lower Buckeye Jail in Phoenix was racially motivated. The inmates had been on lockdown, allegedly because of threats between Hispanic and African-American inmates. Once the lockdown was lifted, a fight broke out...The Goldwater Institute's request for records regarding Jerry Reinsdorf's possible purchase of the Phoenix Coyotes was rejected by Glendale, but a Maricopa County Superior Court judge will likely decide on July 20 whether or not the Institute can look at the negotiations. The libertarian think tank group wants to see if there are any special incentives or lease changes in the discussions...A teenager in Nogales, Arizona was arrested after a gun he was handling went off and hit a 16-year-old girl. According to authorities, several teenagers were gathered at a home when one of the boys found a semi-automatic gun in the house and began playing with the weapon. The teen girl who was shot died of her injuries...In a flub not overlooked by political bloggers, a recent White House press release misspelled President Barack Obama's name. The release, which touts the president's agreement with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev on an arms treaty, spelled the U.S. president's name as "Barak Obama." 

Arizona's stimulus funds going mostly unused

Controversy over cross at community center