Photo Illustration: New Times

Smoking marijuana has "remarkable" effect on diabetic problems and may lower risk of getting the disease, a study published on Wednesday states.

This news comes a few days after a presentation at the annual conference of the American Urological Association that links heavy pot use to a much lower risk of bladder cancer.

See also: Marijuana Is Real Medicine for a Long List of Ills

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MCSO

David Trujillo

A volunteer dance teacher who's worked with kids at several Valley high schools and a private dance studio is accused of having sex with a then-underage boy who was a student at Mountain Pointe High School in Ahwatukee.

David Trujillo, 26, is accused of having sex with the boy beginning when the boy was 16, about three years ago.

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CBS 5

Reporter Morgan Loew, telling it like it isn't.

Hopefully you missed CBS 5's "investigation" into the state's medical-marijuana program, in which they claim that "young, healthy" people are getting medical-marijuana cards.

To prove it, reporter Morgan Loew, acting undercover, tells a doctor he's had back pain for months -- pain he said was "distracting." He couldn't tell the doctor whether the pain made it difficult for him to concentrate on things but admitted that it limits his ability to run.

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CBP

The federal government's second cheese seizure this year.

For the second time this year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized hundreds of pounds of cheese from someone trying to drive a cheese-load into the United States from Mexico.

Federal authorities say not only was this cheese undeclared, but it also was unpasteurized.

See also:
-230 Pounds of Cheese Seized at U.S./Mexico Border


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MCSO

Christmas Snow Pringle

Here's the kind of Christmas that nobody celebrates -- an ex-girlfriend named Christmas who shows up to your house with a friend who's pointing a gun at your head and demanding money.

Indeed, police say 21-year-old Christmas Snow Pringle -- a real name, according to several court filings -- did this for a score of 160 whole dollars and lied about the whole thing no less than 10 times, according to court documents obtained by New Times.

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The engrossing saga of convicted slasher Jodi Arias is wrapping up after the jury took about an hour on Wednesday to decide her fatal attack on Travis Alexander was "especially cruel."

Next up in the marathon trial that's gone on since January 2nd: impact statements by Alexander's family and the penalty (or mitigation) phase of the trial. Arias told a reporter after her May 8 conviction for first-degree murder that Kirk Nurmi, the defense attorney who's stated publicly he doesn't like Arias, told her she has no mitigating factors that might help her stave off execution.

Arias stated in the same interview that she prefers a death sentence to life in prison. That's probably feigned bravado. But if she's serious, state officials say she could be executed in as little as four years.

See also: Jodi Arias Could Be Executed in Just Four Years -- if Her Death Wish Isn't Another Lie

See also: Psycho Killer: Jodi Arias' Kinky Death-Penalty Trial

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Warren Stewart

Pastor Warren Stewart's life in Phoenix has been deeply rooted in fighting for civil rights, and he has been a bold voice for immigrants' rights and immigration reform. But his run for District 8 has fallen short of that same glory. 

While he's received support from some of the heavyweights in the Black community, and the endorsement of longtime Latino leaders, which is important in a predominately Latino district, the campaign hasn't been able to pull in the money or momentum worthy of such support. 

Indeed, Stewart's campaign has been the one to watch -- but not necessarily for the reasons that campaign leaders would want it to be watched. 

See also: Black Leaders in Phoenix Struggle to Retain Power in a District They've Historically Controlled

See also: Pastor Warren Stewart Boasts Ex-Mayor Phil Gordon and Mayor's Ex-Girlfriend/Fundraiser, Elissa Mullany, As Part of his Money Team
See also: County Attorney Bill Montgomery's Endorsement Rejected by Pastor Warren Stewart in District 8 Phoenix City Council Race

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The Phoenix Parks Foundation paid tribute to Councilman Tom Simplot and Councilman Michael Johnson, each serving out their final year in office.

Johnson, who is endorsing Pastor Warren Stewart as District 8 his successor, and Simplot were recognized during the 2013 Dinner in the Park - Moon Over South Mountain. (Simplot is supporting one of Stewart's challengers -- Lawrence Robinson -- in District 8.)

brobible.com

We're sure the frat boys at Arizona State University make poor decisions on an hourly basis, but there have been some extraordinarily poor decisions made recently by the bros.

One might imagine that a fraternity member's accidental death late last year might be a bit of a wake-up call for the frat boys, but police have dealt with several cases of frat boy stupidity in just the last few months.

See also:
-ASU Frat Boy Dumped at Hospital With .47 BAC After Tequila-Drinking Contest
-ASU Frat-Boy Fight in Tempe: The Video
-Frat Boy Andrew Kent Allegedly Tossed Everclear Into Fire that Burned Two Women
-Body Found Near Tempe Marketplace Identified as ASU Freshman Jack Culolias

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Image: http://www.aviastar.org/air/usa/rok_bronco.php

Floyd Stilwell, former president of Marsh Aviation in Mesa, has been sentenced to a $250,000 fine and five years' probation for upgrading military aircraft engines for the Venezuelan Air Force. He gets to keep most of the $1.8 million he made on the deal.

Upgrading airplane engines for Venezuela's air force in violation of an arms embargo has resulted in a $250,000 fine and five years' probation for Phoenix resident Floyd Stilwell.

The 87-year-old former owner of Marsh Aviation in Mesa knew he shouldn't have been doing such work for Venezuela after the 2006 ban, but did it anyway -- and pocketed $1.8 million personally.

He was able to keep the money -- minus the fine -- because the deal was "completely legitimate" and legal when Marsh Aviation and Venezuela entered into it, says Stilwell's Tucson lawyer, Walter Nash. Only specific actions that occurred after the ban resulted in two criminal charges for conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act, he says.

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A four-run fifth inning bailed out Arizona Diamondbacks starter Ian Kennedy as the D-backs beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 5-3 on Wednesday at Chase Field. The D-backs took two out of three from Atlanta in former D-back star Justin Upton's return to Chase, where he'd spent his entire career until being traded to the Braves during the offseason.

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MCSO

Kristen Suggs

Kristen Suggs, a 25-year-old Phoenix resident, ran over and killed a pedestrian and drove away, police say.

According to court documents obtained by New Times, she called 911 an hour later to report that "something was thrown at her vehicle," damaging it, but police thought Suggs may have been lying when they noticed the blood all over the front of her car.

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funnyredneckjokes.com

Phoenix civil-rights leader Reverend Jarrett Maupin is moving forward with a complaint to the Department of Education about Queen Creek High School's "Redneck Day."

Maupin has shared with New Times some of the correspdonance he's had with the Department of Education, and the department's Office of Civil Rights will at least "evaluate" Maupin's complaint of a civil-rights violation, after one student showed up to school wearing the Confederate flag as a cape.

See also:
-"Redneck Day" at Valley School Turns Out to Be a Bad Idea


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brobible.com

A 20-year-old Arizona State University student in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity was dumped at a hospital by his "friends" after a tequila-drinking contest, which nearly killed the student, who had a .47 blood-alcohol level.

Tempe Police Sergeant Michael Pooley tells New Times that the student, who was interviewed the next day, told officers that he had 20 shots of tequila, then "everything after that was a blur."

See also:
-ASU Frat-Boy Fight in Tempe: The Video
-Frat Boy Andrew Kent Allegedly Tossed Everclear Into Fire that Burned Two Women
-Body Found Near Tempe Marketplace Identified as ASU Freshman Jack Culolias


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Image: Ray Stern

Bryan Teague confers with his public defender, Milagros Cisneros, and an unidentified woman following his guilty plea to starting last summer's 5,220-acre Mistake Peak Fire.

Bryan Teague of Peoria pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts related to the 5,220-acre wildfire he caused last August in the Tonto National Forest by putting a propane tank in a campfire.

Teague, 56, faces the possibility of up to six months in prison, a $5,000 fine, and five years of probation on each of the two misdemeanor counts, according to the plea agreement read in court by U.S. Magistrate Judge Bridget Bade.

Still unclear is whether he kicked the 16-ounce can into the fire with the intention of watching it explode, which it did, or whether he kicked it in by accident and failed to get it out in time.

See also: Bryan Teague of Peoria Accused of Starting 5,220-Acre "Mistake Peak Fire" With Propane Tank in Tonto National Forest

See also: Bryan Teague Got Off Easy in 2011 Firearms Case, Started 5,220-Acre Fire in Tonto Forest Months Later

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Finally, Justin Upton sucking is a good thing.

Upton went 0-for-2 last night for the Atlanta Braves, although he did draw two walks, as Patrick Corbin and the Diamondbacks bullpen shutout the Braves for a 2-0 victory last night at Chase Field.

See also:
-Justin Upton Returns to Chase Field to Punish the Diamondbacks During 10-1 Rout


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Phoenix police and Mayor Greg Stanton have announced that another $100,000 from an anonymous donor will keep the gun-buyback program going.

The funds for the program ran dry in the middle of the second of three scheduled dates for the buyback, which started with an initial $100,000 donation. An additional 72 guns were given to police in exchange for nothing after the grocery-store gift cards ran dry on Saturday.

See also:
-Phoenix Gun-Buyback Funds Run Dry, but People Still Turn in 72 More Guns
-Pricey Colt AR-15 Assault Rifle Among Guns Turned in at Phoenix Police Buyback Event
-Phoenix Police Took in 803 Guns in Latest Buyback, but Just One Assault Rifle
-City of Phoenix Gun-Buyback Program Not Affected by New Law, for Now
-Jan Brewer Signs Bill for Gun Rights (As in Giving the Rights to the Guns)


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midcolumbiainsurance.com

Yesterday, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that a blood-alcohol level of .05 should be the new threshold for DUIs, instead of the .08 level in current state laws.

It's just a recommendation, but you'll note that thanks to grant money, all 50 since have implemented limits of .08 for drunk-driving, which was the previous NTSB recommendation.

See also:
-Feds Want Blood-Alcohol Level for DUIs to Drop From .08 to .05


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An angry lover tried to kidnap and kill his ex-boyfriend from a local Jamba Juice, and later shot himself at a hospital. 

The 28-year-old suspect (police have not released any names) had been arrested last month and was in court earlier that day, Phoenix PD spokesman Trent Crump says. Cops picked the man up on charges of domestic violence, stalking, criminal damage, threatening and intimidating after he had allegedly damaged the suspect's car and filled it with pool cleaning chemicals, among other things. All of this, and a restraining order, landed the suspect earlier that day in court.

See also:

Chandler Cop Shoots Suicidal Gunman -- After Gunman Shot Himself in the Head

Phoenix Police Shoot Cop-Threatening Suicidal Man Off Freeway Overpass

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Image: Court pool photograph

Jodi Arias claims she prefers the death penalty to life in prison. If that's true, says the state AG's Office, she could be executed in as little as four years if she decides not to appeal.

In an exclusive post-conviction interview, boyfriend-killer Jodi Arias insisted that she didn't plan to kill 30-year-old Travis Alexander in 2008.

But now that she's been convicted of premeditated murder, she'd "prefer to die sooner than later."

Arias went on to say to Channel 10's Troy Hayden, "Longevity runs in my family, and I don't want to spend the rest of my natural life in one place. I believe death is the ultimate freedom, and I'd rather have my freedom as soon as I can get it."

If the jury gives the world-famous murderess the death penalty, and she keeps her word, she could be dead in as little as four years. But when has Arias told the truth since Alexander's bloody demise?

See also:
- Judge Bans Sheriff's Office From Setting Up Media Interviews With Jodi Arias

- Psycho Killer: Jodi Arias' Kinky Death-Penalty Trial

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