Phoenix News Blog

​Representative Doug Quelland must give up his seat in the Legislature. Quelland was found to have violated campaign-finance rules earlier this year. Quelland plans to appeal the ruling in Maricopa Superior Court...A fire broke out in the auditorium at Red Mountain High School in Mesa last night. Fire officials believe the fire started when a curtain was pressed against a hot stage light. A teacher quickly grabbed a ladder, cut down the curtain, and extinguished the fire...Patrick Chorpenning, the former director of the Arizona Department of Veterans Services, has been indicted on charges of misusing public money and sidestepping state procurement rules. The Attorney General's Office believes that Chorpenning violated several laws, including creating unadvertised jobs for his son and wife...Opponents of the controversial photo radar cameras are poised to file a lawsuit against the state. Shawn Dow with Arizona's

Representative Doug Quelland.

​Citizens Against Photo Radar claims that Redflex, the company that manages the speed cameras, has been ticketing people illegally for several months...A toddler found walking alone on the streets of Buckeye yesterday has been reunited with his mother. Police say the mother fell asleep and the child sneaked out of the house. The mother claims the child, despite being a toddler, knows how to operate the deadbolt on the front door of the home...About 3,000 Scottsdale residents are without power today. APS officials say they don't know what caused the outage, which killed power in homes and businesses in the area of Pima Road/Loop 101 to the west, Greenway Road to the north, 100th Street to the east and Sweetwater Avenue to the south. Traffic lights are also out, and APS officials are urging motorists to treat dark traffic lights as a four-way stop.

​Two years after the employer sanctions law went on the books, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office has filed its first case against a Valley business. County prosecutors say the Scottsdale Art Factory knowingly hired illegal immigrants. The county attorney has asked that the business fire all of its illegal employees and that its business license be suspended for at least 10 days...Snowbirds, according to the Arizona Republic, are heading back to the Valley. After seeing a decline in snowbirds over the past three years, industry professionals are saying that advance reservations at area RV parks are up, an indication that this winter will be a stronger snowbird season...An unlikely arrest was made as part of the sheriff's most recent crime-suppression sweep. During a traffic stop, Maricopa County sheriff's deputies arrested three soldiers in the U.S. Military after they found about 680 pounds of marijuana in the trunk of their car...Residents in Valley neighborhoods are reporting an increase in coyote attacks. ​Residents in "major" Phoenix neighborhoods say the attacks on their animals have become far more frequent, and the coyotes are becoming more aggressive than they've been in the past...Scottsdale police are looking for a man that held up a credit union Tuesday afternoon. Police say the robber may have been wearing a fake nose, when he held up the Dessert Schools Federal Credit Union...A new judge will hear the case of the 9-year-old St. Johns boy convicted of killing his father's friend last year. The boy's attorney claimed that the original judge was biased after holding discussions with the boy's probation officer, without having lawyers present.

​Department of Public Safety officers arrested three people last night for trying to sell live grenades. The suspects were arrested in the Maryvale neighborhood of west Phoenix. Officers say they are still looking for another suspect in the attempted sales...Last night, two horses were injured after the trailer they were being moved inside detached from a pickup truck. The horses were stranded on Loop 202 after the trailer banged into the guardrail several times, before coming to a stop...The warning sirens at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generation Station will be tested today. The facility's 48 warning sirens surrounding the station will go off once at noon, and then again at 12:30 p.m....Local law enforcement agencies are looking the person who is believed to have sent sexually explicit letters to at least 80 young girls across Arizona. The letters started 10 years ago, when a 12-year-old Tucson girl was the ​first to receive one. Since then, the suspect has branched out and sent letters to girls in Phoenix and Scottsdale, as well...A judge in Apache County will hear arguments today about whether the judge in the case of the St. Johns boy, who shot and killed his father and his father's friend, continues to oversee the case. The boy's defense lawyers say the judge is biased and had no authority to reject a plea agreement that would keep the boy out of jail...Governor Jan Brewer (shown in old or touched-up photo) is scheduled to fly to Austin, Texas, today to take part in the annual conference for the Republican Governor's Association. Brewer's trip comes on the heels of her calling for a special legislative session to work on the state budget.

​Last night the city of Mesa approved plans for a movie studio to go up in the city. Gateway Studios is scheduled to begin building in August. The studio will be Arizona's first movie studio and is slated to be capable of hosting the production of movies, television shows, commercials, and game shows...An 11-month-old girl was severely injured last night when a television fell on her. Police say a 2-year-old girl was trying to change the channel when the television fell on top of the 11-month-old. The girl was taken to the hospital and was in severe condition...The Department of Health Services announced yesterday that it will offer to subsidize licensing fees for childcare facilities. Last month, DHS announced that such facilities would have to pay for the entire cost of regulating themselves but has now found a way to use federal stimulus funds to help lower costs...Another person has died in Pima County from the swine flu. Authorities say the victim is the ninth person to die from H1N1 in the county and ​is the 92nd to die from the disease in Arizona...Phoenix police have arrested a man in connection with three sexual assaults since 2007. Police say Jose Ephrain Gomez-Gomez, 32, is forensically connected to the assault of two girls and admitted to an attempt to assault a 16-year-old girl, who got away and called police...An off-duty Gilbert police officer helped deliver a baby Monday morning. A man driving his wife to the hospital was forced to pull over and call police when the wife's water broke. Detective Jon Halliday was in the area and went to help. The baby was delivered successfully, weighing in at 10 pounds, and is said to be doing well. 

​Vice President Joe Biden will be in the Valley today for the first time since being elected. Biden will attend a fundraiser for Arizona Democrats and then hold a roundtable discussion about how stimulus money is benefiting Arizona at Sky Harbor International Airport... A Chinese solar-panel company announced Sunday that it will be basing its North American headquarters somewhere in the Valley. Suntech Power Holdings Company plans to build a 100,000-square-foot facility that is expected to employ more than 250 people by the time it is complete and fully operational...Phoenix police are searching for a mentally disabled man who climbed out the window of his Phoenix home Sunday afternoon. Juan Jose Carrasco, 34, is said to have disapeared at least twice in the past year and suffers from a

Vice President Joe Biden

​severe form of dimentia caused by a brain injury he received about 10 years ago...Arizona Game and Fish will be restocking Arizona lakes and streams Monday. It will be releasing 12,000 rainbow trout into at least 20 lakes in Phoenix and Tucson as part of its Urban Fishing Program...A new GPS device has been created that could help Valley speeders avoid getting photo-radar tickets. The Cheetah C-50 costs about $100 and will alert drivers if they are approaching a speed-enforcement camera...Unemployed Arizonans may have their unemployment benefits extended. About 57,000 of the state's unemployed may be eligible for extended benefits as a result of a new federal bill signed into law earlier this month.

​John Jay O'Connor III, husband of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, has died. O'Connor, 79, died of complications stemming from Alzheimer's Disease on Wednesday. Memorial services will be private...After a pickup truck went into Tempe Town Lake on Wednesday, divers searched the water for three hours, but found no bodies in the truck. A Tempe fire spokesman says there's still a chance a body could float to the surface...Enrollment at ASU's downtown campus has increased by 42 percent, despite state budget cutbacks. Virgil Renzulli, ASU's vice president for public affairs, credits the reorganization of classes...A Glendale family is now homeless and without their dogs after an electrical fire started in their home near 75th Avenue and Bethany Home Road. Investigators believe the fire possibly started in the clothes dryer in the garage...

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Enrollment has soared at ASU's Downtown Campus.

​A Phoenix man was hit by a  car and then allegedly assaulted by the female driver. Police suspect the incident is a domestic-violence issue, and are searching for the driver, who fled the scene. The man reportedly sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital...The owners of Scottsdale restaurant Salty Dog were arrested and charged with selling drugs and money-laundering. The establishment, now closed, was known for its scantily-clad waitresses, who served food until 4 a.m.

​A female student at Maricopa County High School was arrested yesterday for allegedly making a bomb threat. The girl, whose name has not been released, reportedly told a teacher she "would be sorry, because a bomb would be placed on school grounds." The suspect is being held at Pinal County Juvenile Detention Center and faces a possible felony charge...Chandler police arrested 12 suspects in a string of retail robberies. Undercover officers posed as people buying or selling stolen goods to infiltrate the theft ring. The investigation recovered an estimated $100,000 in property...A hiker died on a Grand Canyon trail late Monday. The 63-year-old man collapsed, and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. His body was airlifted from the canyon yesterday...

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Stephenie Meyer will be on the Oprah Winfrey Show this Friday.

​Scottsdale war veterans Donald Hossack and Lester Calhoun were awarded the Silver Star for their actions in battle more than 42 years ago.  The men were given the award for continuing to fight at Hill 881 in Vietnam on April 30, 1967, despite their unit suffering heavy casualties, including their platoon leader's. The Silver Star is the third-highest honor given by the military...A woman from Mesa has won the Publisher's Clearinghouse prize. The winner, Mildred Spiegelmire, received a check for $10,000...Phoenix resident and Twilight author Stephenie Meyer will be a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show  Friday. Meyers wrote on her blog, "Since I'm only doing one interview, better make it big."   

​The boy from St. Johns, Arizona who pleaded guilty in  the shooting deaths of his father and another man could be facing prison time. The prospect caused an uproar when Judge Michael Roca announced he would reject probation in favor of incarceration. The boy, 8 at the time of the murders, has even received support for probation and rehabilitation from prosecutor Michael Whiting...Tucson lawmaker Al Melvin has non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The 65 year-old Republican senator announced he had cancer yesterday, and seems optimistic about being cured and making a recovery with chemotherapy...Business Week has ranked Basis Scottsdale as the top school in the state. Opened in 2003, Basis Scottsdale has about 600 students, in the fifth through twelfth grades...

Kumari Fulbright: She once was a beauty queen.

​A judge ruled that a Phoenix church cannot feed the homeless. CrossRoads United Methodist Church has been serving meals to the homeless on their lawn for months, and is in violation of city zoning ordinances because it's operating as a charity dining hall, according to the judge. CrossRoads has until November 24 to appeal the decision, which they say they will do...A former law student and beauty queen at the University of Arizona could be sentenced to 40 years in the alleged assault of her ex-boyfriend. According to the victim, he was held captive for 10 hours, robbed, and tortured. The suspect, Kumari Fulbright, goes to trial in February...Radio station KFNN 1050 a.m. will hold a free "Financial Fest" next weekend at the Phoenix Convention Center. The fest will feature more than 50 exhibitors and seminars by experts in money management, real estate, and stocks.  

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The Capitol Christmas tree is on its way to the nation's capitol, after being cut down in a ceremony in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona. The tree is the first from Arizona to be honored in Washington, D.C. during the holiday season...Queen Creek is taking applications for a seat on the City Council following Gail Barney's resignation to run for mayor. Applicants should submit a letter and resume to the Town Council by November 19, and will be interviewed November 30...Recruiting agencies for Valley police forces say they are flooded with applicants as a result of the economic downturn. In Gilbert, for example, more than 1,100 people have applied to join the police this year, and Peoria and Glendale's police test classes have doubled in size...

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Police agencies are being flooded with applicants.

​Mesa Police arrested a man after he allegedly pistol-whipped a repossession man who was trying to take his car from a local shopping center. The repo man received a cut to the head, and the force of the blow reportedly caused the gun to go off in a shopping center parking lot...Police agencies all over Arizona are looking for a woman using stolen credit and identity cards. Gilbert police say the woman is suspected of making 47 fraudulent charges in June. The woman is described as Caucasian, with blond or light-brown hair...Luci's Healthy Marketplace, a grocer that's been closed for more than three months because of fire damage, celebrated its grand re-opening Sunday. Owner Luci Schnitzer gave Phoenix firefighters a plaque to thank them for their hard work.

​Two people were injured in a medical helicopter crash on the San Carlos Indian reservation last night. The pilot of the Eurocopter AS 350 lost control while trying to land at San Carlos' Cutter airport. It was a training flight, and no patients were on board. Both occupants of the helicopter were taken to the hospital with serious injuries...The PGA Tour Frys.com Open will leave Scottsdale in 2010. The popular golf tournament was held at the Grayhawk Golf Club for the past three years, but officials announced yesterday that the tournament will move to the CordeValle in San Martin, California...

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The first H&M store in Arizona opens today.

​Mesa police confronted speed-camera protesters on West Baseline Road last night. The protesters were wearing masks and posting signs that read "theft" and "fraud." After a debate, officers let the protesters hang the signs, but took them down shortly thereafter...Valley boxing coach Isaac Aragon, who worked at the Phoenix Boys' Club, has reportedly died of the swine flu. A former boxer himself, Aragon spent more than 30 years coaching and boxing at the club...The first H&M clothing store in Arizona opens today in Scottsdale. Located at the Scottsdale Quarter center near Scottsdale Road and Greenway, the store opens its doors at noon. 

​A traffic stop in Surprise ended in suicide Tuesday when the driver slit his throat. According to police, George Lajeunesse, 43, was stopped because he was wanted for questioning in a domestic-violence call. Lajeunesse reportedly wielded a large knife at the traffic stop, and slit his throat after being Tasered by police...The mayor of Yuma lost his re-election bid Tuesday. Initial voter results show that challenger Al Krieger is winning the mayoral race over incumbent Larry Nelson by more than 1,000 votes....Former Phoenix Suns player Phil Lumpkin has died. Lumpkin, who played for the Suns in1975-1976, had been coaching high school basketball in Seattle since 1991. He was diagnosed with pneumonia last week, and his death was announced Monday. He was 57...A 12 year-old boy was rescued from the top of "A" Mountain, next to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe,Tuesday afternoon. The boy climbed to the top of the mountain about 3:30 p.m. and began to experience difficulty breathing. Officials said the boy was taken to a hospital and is expected to be fine...

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Tempe Butte, a.k.a. "'A' Mountain."

​The owner of Tuffie's Rescue animal shelter in Phoenix was arrested by Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputies Tuesday morning, and may be charged with 77 counts of animal neglect. According to reports, animals at the shelter had no food or water, were living in excrement, and occupied small cages...Five vehicles reportedly crashed in front Boulder Creek High School in Anthem this morning. A fire official said at least seven people were involved in the accident, and that several students were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.  

​A Douglas man was arrested at the U.S. port of entry with almost 700 pounds of marijuana Sunday night. The unnamed man, 20, was driving an F-150 truck loaded with pot, and was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement...An English teacher at Higley and Williams Field high schools has died from the H1N1 virus. The teacher, Gail Stapleton, had been on medical leave from Higley Unified School District since September 30...Valley actor Scott C. Jeffers, who was starring in the Childsplay musical Androcles and the Lion, died Saturday after a performance. His cause of death has not been determined. He was 38...500 people showed up at the new Krispy Kreme store in Glendale Monday, hoping to get jobs. Owner Dan Brinton said candidates ranged in age from 15 to 65, and qualifications varied from no education to PhDs.The store is set to open November 10...

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Krispy Kreme's new Valley location attracted 500 job seekers.

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Two people are in custody after allegedly stealing thousands of bags from Sky Harbor Airport. The couple, Keith King, 62, and Stacy Legg-King, 38, reportedly had the bags in their home and are facing charges of burglary and tampering with evidence...A two-headed baby was rescued in China, after police received reports of an infant crying. The child was apparently abandoned by its mother, whom Chinese authorities are seeking. Doctors say the child is completely healthy except for its two heads.

​Today, 30,000 doses of the swine flu vaccine will be available at 30 elementary schools around the Valley. The shots will be administered by Mollen Immunization Clinics, which will be set up at the schools. Mollen CEO John Roehm said most insurance plans cover the flu shot...The owner of two defunct day spas in the East Valley says he's working on refunding money to hundreds of customers who were unable to receive services they paid for before the businesses closed. Christopher Haws, owner of the short-lived Frespa chain, says the company is liquidating assets and will try to give refunds to around 200 customers...A 17 year-old boy turned himself in to police after the fatal shooting of another teenager over the weekend. Adrian Vasquez turned himself in following the shooting death of 19 year-old Antonio Lugo, who was found dead inside a Phoenix home early Saturday. Vasquez had allegedly fled the scene with a handgun before officers arrived...

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Tovrea Castle got a makeover from UPS workers.

​Firefighters are battling a huge blaze in a rural area outside Cave Creek. According to a spokesman for the fire department, the fire began around 6 a.m. in some debris around a mobile home, before spreading to the home itself. No injuries have been reported...More than 60 local UPS workers contributed their time to finish restoring Phoenix's iconic Tovrea Castle this weekend. As part of their annual Global Volunteer Month, UPS workers cleaned up trash and helped repair fences. The castle is expected to open to the public sometime this month...The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints owns 3,000 acres of land in the West Valley, near loop 303 and Peoria Avenue. A spokeswoman for the LDS Church says the land is being held for "investment purposes," but would not discuss specific plans for the land. Meanwhile, West Valley officials and real estate experts say the church has no plans to develop the land and will probably sell it to developers and home builders. 

​Citing falling tax revenues, the Regional Council of the Maricopa Association of Governments has voted to cut back on freeway-expansion projects. MAG cut the $16 billion program to $9.4 billion. The South Mountain freeway project, which would relieve congestion on Interstate 10, survived the cuts...Chandler police arrested a student at Chandler-Gilbert Community College after he pulled a gun on another student. According to police, James John Kim, 32, had been in a fight with another student on campus earlier in the day, and pulled a gun when then confrontation escalated...Phoenix's Electric Light Parade, which has been an annual holiday event since 1987, may be canceled this year. A spokesman for APS, which has sponsored the parade in previous years, says the company will not sponsor the event this year...

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The Electric Light Parade may not happen this year.

​Arizona Senator John McCain will host two town hall meetings on a variety of topics. The first is 2 p.m. Friday at Mesa Christian Church; the second is 10 a.m. Saturday at Skyway Church in Goodyear...A 10-year-old boy from Tonopah has died from the H1N1 virus. Lane Schatz was hospitalized for five days before succumbing to a deadly case of pneumonia...Two people were hurt after what authorities call a "suspicious fire" destroyed a north Phoenix home. Fire officials heard reports that there was an argument before the fire, which destroyed the home near 38th street and Thunderbird. The homeowner was taken to the hospital for injuries unrelated to the fire, and a firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation. It was not immediately clear what started the fire.   

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Arizona State Representative Kyrsten Sinema is in Washington, D.C. today to attend a ceremony for the signing of a hate-crimes bill that would add crimes committed against people because of sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity. Sinema has sponsored similar legislation in Arizona...Tempe police believe they may have arrested the person responsible for a string of alley fires. Juan Olgin of Phoenix was booked on three counts of reckless burning and possession of marijuana. Police say Olgin confessed to the crimes...The $215 million Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino on the Gila River reservation opens this Friday. The 10-floor building is the largest casino in Arizona, and is being touted as a slice of Las Vegas...Police say four armed people invaded a home near 15th and Roosevelt streets early this morning. The suspects tried to flee in an SUV, and ran over an officer's foot in the process. Police arrested three of the suspects; the fourth is still on the loose...

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Kyrsten Sinema

​Hundreds of people rallied at the State Capitol yesterday to protest hikes in child-care-licensing fees. Protesters urged Governor Jan Brewer to use stimulus funds to delay the fee increases. A spokesman for Brewer said the suggestion was "worth considering"...Police are trying to identify a body found in a dumpster at the Fountain Place apartments in Glendale. They would not release the age or the sex of the victim.

​Arizona Superintendent of Schools Tom Horne says the state faces teacher layoffs on a large scale next year because of the state's budget woes. Horne said the situation is "much grimmer" than Arizona residents realize...The male graduate student who committed suicide in a professor's office at ASU yesterday has been identified as 59 year-old David Solnick. The professor was identified as Mookesh Patel. Police say they won't release the details of the conversation between the student and the professor until the investigation is complete...Queen Creek Councilman Gail Barney resigned his post Monday to run for mayor of the town. Current Mayor Art Sanders announced he will not seek re-election, saying "I've finally found someone I'd rather vote for than myself."...

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Gail Barney announced he will run for mayor of Queen Creek.

​The Phoenix Suns gained the rights to center Jarron Collins yesterday. The 6-foot-11 veteran played eight seasons with Utah. The Suns' only other true center, Robin Lopez, will be out with a fractured foot for about a month...Illegal immigrant Noe Mendoza-Tapia was sentenced to 27 years in prison for the kidnapping of a man from the parking lot of a Phoenix grocery store. Prosecutors say Mendoza-Tapia and his accomplices held the victim hostage in October 27, demanding $100,000 from his wife...Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes has agreed to sell the team to the National Hockey League for $140 million. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said if the deal goes through, the league will look to sell the team to a new owner who will keep it in Arizona. Former Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky, a part owner, had not agreed to the deal.

​State parks officials have devised a plan to aid Arizona's ailing parks: add $10 to $15 to the cost of car registration. In return, motorists, who could likely opt out of the surcharge, would be able to visit any state park for free. The state has already seen the closure of three parks and reduced hours at 17 others. The proposed surcharge would generate an estimated $32 million in additional funds...The Phoenix Coyotes ice hockey team defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 last night, in overtime. Adrian Aucoin scored the winning goal. His teammate, goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, stopped 25 shots in the game...An F-16 Fighting Falcon jet was forced to make an emergency landing at Wickenburg Municipal Airport yesterday, after losing power. The pilots of the plane, which is assigned to Luke Air Force base, were reportedly uninjured in the hard landing. Air Force officials are investigating the incident...

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An F-16 fighter jet

​The H1N1 flu is hitting some Valley school districts particularly hard. Dysart Unified School District reported a 60 percent increase in absences from last year, and Glendale Elementary School District also reported higher numbers of absences. A spokesman for the Maricopa County Department of Public Health says that 700 out of 10,000 students are reporting flu-like symptoms...Roberta McCain, the mother of Arizona Senator John McCain, spent the night in a hospital in Portugal after reportedly taking a fall and hitting her head. Ms. McCain, 97, checked into a Lisbon hotel alone and was scheduled to check out today...Ambulance companies in some American cities are now charging extra to transport obese patients to the hospital. Patients who weigh several hundred pounds require expensive equipment and extra workers, the companies argue, and they're calling for insurance providers to pay the added costs. 

​As many as 20 players from the Mesa High football team might be suspended for violating team rules and miss Friday's game against Phoenix Maryvale. Mesa High principal Jim Souder and football coach Kelley Moore confirmed the suspensions, but neither would discuss what the infraction was...Arizona's unemployment funds are running out. The state will need to borrow $600 million from the federal government if it's to continue paying unemployment benefits through 2010. Twenty-two states so far have had to borrow $19 billion from the federal government to pay benefits, including California...The Navajo Nation might be buying the popular ski resort Arizona Snowbowl outside Flagstaff. The tribal council voted Wednesday to consider legislation that would allow them to secure an appraisal. Part owner Eric Borowsky said the resort is not for sale, but he has an obligation as a general partner in the company to submit valid offers to limited partners for a vote...

The San Francisco Peaks, near Arizona Snowbowl

​A 7 year-old elementary school student in Cave Creek was sent home by school officials because they say he'd gone back to class too soon after having the flu. The boy's parents say they followed all guidelines and believe their son's right to an education is being denied because of the flu scare...The 9-year-old boy from St. Johns accused of shooting his father and his father's friend to death last year could learn his fate today. A judge reportedly planned to have the boy committed to intensive in-patient therapy, but Apache County says it doesn't have the money for the extended treatment...Microsoft will open its very first retail store, in Scottsdale, today. The opening at Fashion Square Mall coincides with the release of Microsoft's new operating system, Windows 7. A second store is planned for California. 

​A massive project is planned for 230 acres of desert near the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. Phoenix-based Kitchell Development Company proposes to build offices, shops, and hotels on the land, ultimately stretching the Gateway 202 Airpark to 3.3 million square feet. Mesa's Planning and Zoning Board will review the project at their meeting today...A British couple who married in Tombstone in 2002 and returned every year to celebrate were killed Monday night, when they were hit by a truck while crossing State Route 80 in the middle of the city. Tombstone Marshal Larry Talvy said Tombstone has no authority to build crosswalks or add lights along the highway because it's state property...Emergency room workers at hospitals are seeing lots of patients with swine flu symptoms. Richard Watts, ER Director at Banner Good Samaritan, says they treat almost 180 people a day, and about three dozen have flu-like symptoms. Watts urges people with flu symptoms to visit their primary-care physician or urgent care before going to the ER...

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Bears go to the store for beer, too, apparently.

​Chandler man Santana Batiz-Aceves, who is accused of raping as many as five girls between the ages of 12 and 14, is due in court today for a pre-trial conference. If convicted at trial, Batiz-Aceves could face more than 250 years in prison...A bear in Wisconsin stunned grocery shoppers when it walked into the store through the automatic front doors and climbed into the beer cooler. Wildlife officials tranquilized the bear and removed it from the store. Store workers say the bear "seemed happy" and didn't drink any beer.   

​More than 13,000 students in the Glendale Elementary School District will receive free seasonal flu vaccinations from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. All shots will be administered by November 6, and parents must sign a permission form for their child to get vaccinated...The Potato Fire that broke out north of Flagstaff early Monday morning is about 20 percent contained, firefighters say. The fire reportedly destroyed two empty cabins, and officials believe it was caused by a campfire...y unit...

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U2 plays at U of P Stadium tonight, and parking costs $20.

​Ilya Bryzgalov, goalie for the Phoenix Coyotes ice-hockey team, has been named the National Hockey League's top star of the week. Bryzgalov was 3-0 for the week and had a .959 save percentage. He'll try to help the Coyotes land a victory on Thursday when they host the Detroit Red Wings at Jobing.com Arena...A house in Chandler caught fire two times in the past 24 hours. Firefighters put out the first blaze about 1:30 p.m. yesterday, and left the scene. They were called back at 6 p.m., and the home was again engulfed in flames. Officials don't know what caused either fire, but are investigating...Concert-goers heading to Westgate tonight to see U2 perform at University of Phoenix stadium face a $20 per car parking fee. The fee was enacted for Arizona Cardinals home games, and officials decided to extend the fee to the U2 concert. Stadium ticket-holders were reportedly notified of the charge via e-mail.

​An inmate escaped from the State Prison Complex in Florence Sunday morning, after cutting a hole in a fence. Police are still searching for the escapee, Yelson Moreno, 20, a Mexican national who was serving a 30-month sentence for theft...Transportation officials at the Maricopa Association of Governments will vote Wednesday on whether to approve the complete route for South Mountain Freeway. The route has been planned since the early 1980s, but final approval has been stalled several times. If the MAG Regional Council gives the final approval next week, construction could begin in 2013...Arizona Department of Health Officials are looking for a sex offender who escaped from the Arizona State Hospital on Saturday. Jorge Murillo, 40, escaped before an evaluation could determine if he was no longer a threat to society...

Yelson Moreno, Arizona State Prison Escapee

​A 2-year-old Mesa girl nearly drowned after falling in a pool while she was chasing a cat. She was found by a man who called 911 and started CPR. Rescue personnel were able to revive her, and she was taken to a hospital...Will Humble, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, will meet with officials in Washington, DC to push for restrictions on food-stamp spending. Humble says too many people are buying junk food with food stamps...Phoenix teen Jazmine Finley, 17, was sentenced to three years in prison for running a child-prostitution ring. Prosecutors say Finley was pandering girls as young as 14.

​Almost $250,000 was found in a spare tire last night, after an Arizona DPS officer stopped a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer for moving violations. Officers found the money in the tire after receiving consent to search the vehicle, and arrested and booked the driver on money-laundering charges...Arizona is making way for private toll roads. Planners say the state needs new highways, but can't afford the multimillion-dollar price-tag. In July, Governor Jan Brewer signed a law allowing public-private partnerships, and now would-be developers are poised to capitalize...A mercury spill caused firefighters to shut down and evacuate the Tempe city library yesterday, after workers reported a small amount of the substance on a keyboard. When emergency crews arrived, they found mercury spills in other places. Fire investigators say the spills have not created a serious health hazard, but authorities are looking for the children they believe spilled the mercury...

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US Airways is selling ten of its jets.

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A horse was rescued in Queen Creek yesterday, after falling into a narrow hole. The mare was stuck for two hours before rescue crews could pull her to safety...Northern Arizona University has offered early retirement incentives to tenured faculty who are 62 years and older. There are 125 employees who are eligible; the offer is voluntary. If every faculty member accepts, the move would cost $10 million, but would save money in the long haul...US Airways plans to sell 10 jets to Republic Airways Holdings Inc. Republic says it will apply the full balance of the $35 million loan from US Airways toward the aircraft purchase. 

​The top two leaders at utility company Salt River Project have come under scrutiny after it was revealed they spent nearly $81,000 on travel expenses and dinners, even as the company raises rates and cuts jobs. SRP President John Williams Jr. and Vice President David Rousseau, who make $180,000 and $150,000 a year, respectively, overshot SRP's budget by 23 percent...Willard Oliver, a Navajo Code Talker who served in World War II, died Wednesday. He was 88. Oliver is the fifth Code Talker to die since May...Crews at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff have started demolishing Lumberjack Stadium as part of a renovation project. The $106 million project calls for a revamped stadium with a press box and new track turf, slated to open in August 2011...

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A monument to Navajo Code Talkers in Window Rock, AZ

​Officials in Pima County have toughened sick-leave policies for county employees. Under the new policy, employees can be fired for failing to go home if they are sick...Randall J. Bowden, 21, was arrested in Tempe after ASU Police stopped him in the parking lot after his girlfriend "flew out" of the car. Bowden blew 0.317 on a breathalyzer test, and was booked on four counts of DUI-related charges...The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is planning to open a medical clinic in Surprise next year. The 26,000-square-foot clinic will be near The Pain Center, and is scheduled to open in summer 2010. 

​State employees in Arizona will retain domestic-partner benefits for the next 12 months, even though the Legislature's decided to eliminate those benefits in their last budget. The Department of Administration says cutting the benefits before October 2010 could put the state in violation of contract laws...Next week, the Metro light-rail board will vote on whether or not to approve a study that evaluates how light-rail trains could run to Glendale. The study would examine a handful of public transit options for the West side, including those that would run from downtown Phoenix to downtown Glendale, and perhaps continue through downtown Glendale to Westgate...About a thousand fans gathered at US Airways Center last night at a championship rally for the Phoenix Mercury, who won their second WNBA championship in three years last Friday. Mercury and Suns owner Robert Sarver commended the team for their commitment, mental toughness, and teamwork...

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Westgate, where light rails may soon run.

​A colleague of "spiritual warrior" James Ray, who organized the deadly sweat lodge in Sedona where two people died last week, says that he believes Ray had "the intention of loving and caring," and believes he'll take responsibility for the tragedy...Desert Schools Federal Credit Union is asking for the public's help in finding a man who they say is scamming tellers. The man, described as African-American, 35 to 45 years old, has gone into various bank branches and asked to exchange $20 bills for larger denominations in multiple transactions. He then claims the tellers short-changed him and asks for that money...Mercy Gilbert Medical Center is partnering with Chandler Regional Medical Center and St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix to create a new pediatric and women's center on the Mercy Gilbert campus. Grand opening is October 14.

​Phoenix will get its first railroad quiet zone at the end of this month. The zone, on the southern end of downtown along Harrison Street between Third and Fourth avenues, has to be re-certified each year, and has cost an estimated $100,000 in privately raised money so far...Crews rescued a hiker early this morning who had gotten stuck on Camelback Mountain. The hiker, Kevin Andrews, reportedly went to the peak to take photos, but lost his footing and fell to a ledge. He was not seriously injured...Tennis legend Andre Agassi won his first competitive match in more than three years in Surprise Friday night. Agassi defeated Michael Pernfors 6-2, 7-5 in the Cancer Treatment Centers of America event, which is part of the Outback Champions Series...

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Andre Agassi, who won a weekend match in Surprise.

​An inmate at the state prison in Phoenix who attempted suicide last month died after being taken off life support. Hernan Cuevas, 18, was serving a 2 1/2 year sentence for a Maricopa County burglary...The Race for the Cure in downtown Phoenix yesterday drew more than 30,000 participants. The event, which raises money for breast cancer research, brought in more than $2 million...The two victims who died at a Sedona sweat lodge last week have been identified: Kirby Brown, a 38-year-old New York woman, and James Shore, 34, of Milwaukee. Nineteen other people from the lodge were taken to the hospital and treated for a variety of injuries and symptoms.

​Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies say they are investigating after someone painted "Kill Obama" in purple spray paint across a pair of political signs in Cave Creek. Sheriff Joe Arpaio says the Secret Service has been contacted, and asks anyone with information to contact his office...Arizona State University baseball coach Pat Murphy says he lost almost $100,000 to a condo rehab scheme during the state's housing boom. He has filed a complaint in U.S. District Bankruptcy Court, in hopes of recovering his losses...The Mesa paintball facility Ballers Arena has closed. Owner Steve Fitch says the arena couldn't generate enough revenue to expand and attract more customers. The $2.5 million complex opened in December 2007...Rescuers had to pull at least 10 people from a sweat lodge in Sedona, after receiving reports of people getting sick after leaving the lodge. Four patients were flown to Flagstaff by helicopter for treatment, and investigators said at least two of the victims had stopped breathing. There's no word yet on the condition of those rescued...

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The Arizona Daily Wildcat disappeared from stands in a possible prank.

​Police are looking for a gray or silver sports car, in connection with a string of early-morning robberies in the Valley on Friday. Police say two men approached several random victims, demanding their wallets and cell phones. One suspect is described as an Hispanic male. The other suspect, believed to be the driver of the sports car, is described as a white male between 25 and 35 years old, wearing jeans and a red shirt...University of Arizona officials are probing the disappearance of 10,000 copies of the campus newspaper, the Arizona Daily Wildcat. The papers had been delivered to news stands on campus yesterday morning, and disappeared within hours. The Wildcat is reporting that it's received several tips that a fraternity is responsible.