Free Republic

Phoenix mayor plans to rename a street that is named after Robert E. Lee. Residents do not want to see the name of their street changed. 75 percent of people living on a Phoenix street need to approve of a name change before it's made. But the council will vote on changing that, giving the elected officials the power to make changes without residential approval.

GOP Rep. Martha McSally (Ariz.) recently voiced concerns about Republicans losing the House to Democrats due to controversy surrounding President Trump's administration, according to a report from Tuscon Weekly. In a private speech to the Arizona Bankers Association last week, McSally fretted that Trump's tweets are creating "distractions" that "it's basically being taken out on me." "Any Republican member of Congress, you are going down with the ship," McSally said, according to the report. "And we're going to hand the gavel to Pelosi in 2018, they only need 23 seats and the path to that gavel being handed over is...

Sen. John McCain startled onlookers on Thursday as he appeared to conflate the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the campaign with the closed probe into Hillary Clinton’s private email server. McCain said he was troubled that Comey had closed the Clinton investigation while the probe into Russia and possible ties to the Trump campaign remained open. “You reached that conclusion as far as Secretary Clinton was concerned, but you’re not reaching a conclusion as far as this administration is concerned,” McCain said.

There were not many open seats at a pair of meetings last week over proposed routes that would send Interstate 11 through the Tucson area. Many of those in attendance were there to speak against two of the alternatives, which run west of Saguaro National Park West in the Avra Valley.“I understand the need to provide ways for people to move around," said Kimberly Baeza, "But it doesn't have to come at the expense of our open landscapes and beautiful Sonoran Desert.”The meeting is part of the second step in selecting the route I-11 could take through Arizona. The freeway...

An Arizona man is fighting for his right to wear his religious headwear - a spaghetti colander - in his drivers license photo. Sean Corbett is part of the "Pastafarian" religion, a belief that a flying spaghetti monster created the universe. According to the website of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the religion became more mainstream in 2005 after an open letter concerning the teaching of Creationism in schools. The site states that all religions are welcome to join their community, which believes their heaven consists of a beer volcano and stripper factory. The church recommends wearing colanders...

Tommy Sotomayor Catches 2 Bad Built Messicans Stealing From His Home & Others In His AZ Neighborhood

Phoenix police say there are indications an armed man arrested at Phoenix Comicon is mentally disturbed and that he told detectives he's a crime-fighting comic book character and planned to shoot bad police officers. Police also say in a probable-cause statement released Friday that officers took Mathew Enrique Nava Sterling into custody at the Phoenix Convention Center after somebody contacted Hawthorne, California, police to report that Sterling was posting threats on Facebook about killing police officers at the Comicon event. Court documents indicate Sterling lives in suburban Mesa and is 29. Sterling didn't have an attorney present during an initial...

International Cruise & Excursions has moved its headquarters to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the latest in a long line of activity in the area. ICE moved to Riverwalk Arizona, 7720 N. Dobson Road, in a 155,000-square-foot facility, approximately 25 percent larger than the company's previous corporate headquarters at 15501 N. Dial Blvd. “We are excited that this opportunity aligns with our 20 year company anniversary, making 2017 an exciting year of new beginnings for the entire organization,” said Marcia Rowley, company co-founder and chief operating officer. “The new space allows us to better serve our partners and expanding...

FULL TITLE: There's a new sheriff in town! Joe Arpaio's controversial 'Tent City Jail' in the middle of the Arizona desert is taken down by the new top cop who replaced him Controversial former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's outdoor prison tent complex is starting to be dismantled. Workers have been seen at the site in recent days, and already one of the five yards within 'Tent City' in Phoenix has been taken down. Work crews on Wednesday started dismantling the second yard. Sheriff Paul Penzone, who ousted Arpaio last year and announced plans seven weeks ago to tear down the complex,...

Administrators at the University of Arizona are now accepting applications for “social justice advocates,” whose job it is to snitch on other students accused of bias. They’re also expected to hold educational programs about “the mosaic of diversity, multiculturalism and inclusivity” and maintain “social justice bulletin boards” in student residence halls. The job, which officially calls (archived link) for the advocates to “report any bias incidents or claims to appropriate Residence Life staff,” pays the student workers $10 an hour. They’re expected to work 15 hours a week, which means they could be making as much as $600 a month...

The University of Arizona is paying students to be social justice advocates and report on what they perceive to be ‘bias incidents’ and ‘socially insensitive behavior.’ According to The Washington Times, the students are being paid $10 per hour, for about 15 hours per week, to be social justice advocates. The students are focusing mainly on residence halls, and are also creating social justice posters to hang in the dorms and ‘partnering’ with other groups to hold social justice events on campus.

PHOENIX — A six-week nationwide gang operation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) concluded this weekend with 1,378 arrests across the U.S., 55 in Arizona – the largest gang surge conducted by HSI to date. The operation targeted gang members and associates involved in transnational criminal activity including drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, human smuggling, sex trafficking, murder and racketeering. Arizona arrests included 48 U.S. citizens, seven foreign nationals, 16 confirmed gang members, and seven gang associates. Numerous state, local and federal law enforcement partners, including ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), participated in the...

FORT HUACHUCA - Ted Forte, Ken Duncan, and Bob Gent met at Colonel Smith Middle School recently and young astronomers observed the planet Venus, the moon, and the sun through their telescopes. The trio also brought the Planetary Science Institute's meteorite kit, and student scientists studied pieces of Mars and a rare and beautiful Pallasite meteorite. Later that evening, they drove to Faras Elementary School near Douglas, and Rick Burke joined Forte, Duncan, and Gent. “The seeing was good, and we observed the moon, Jupiter and other wonders of the night sky,” Gent said.

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - A crowd of people lined both sides of Camelback Road Wednesday evening, protesting outside the offices of Arizona Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake. "I don't regularly come to protests, but I hope they pay attention and hear us," Martha McCoy of Mesa said. President Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey prompted the protest. "Somebody needs to stand up. If enough people protest, maybe something will be done about this," Larry Brusuelas said. He and the others held signs, demanding an independent prosecutor be appointed to look into possible ties between members of the...

SIERRA VISTA — Two Sierra Vista Unified School District campuses were graced with a visit from an Olympic bronze medalist on Tuesday. Before the first school bell rang at Huachuca Mountain Elementary School, students rode side by side with Olympian Donny Robinson to the campus. His competitive sport is Bicycle Motocross, also known as BMX. At the Carmichael Elementary School campus, the cafeteria was at capacity with students, parents and teachers anxiously awaiting the Olympian’s arrival. “This week is about having an option to walk or bike to school safely,” preschool teacher Rachael Franks said. Franks is also the campus’...

Link only due to copyright issues: http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2017/05/08/more-than-700-new-jobs-coming-mesa/308528001/

FORT HUACHUCA — At exactly 2:20 p.m. on Friday, five soldiers took a knee and placed shiny spurs on their boots. “Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to the newest members of the B Troop, 4th Cavalry Division,” said Garrison Commander Col. Whit Wright to the crowd. A wave of cheers followed. For close to 16 weeks, the group — four men and one woman — learned all things 1880s as they now represent the Fort’s historic horseback soldier. Sgt. Kascia Vigil, the class’s only female student, joined the troop as it “was something prideful about them.” “This training was...

Governor Ducey Signs SB 1122 SB 1122, which prohibits the search of any federal or state database as a requirement for transferring personal property (such as your firearm), was signed by the Governor on May 1, 2017. We thank the over 2,000 AzCDL members and activists that contacted the Governor and urged him to sign this important legislation. You made a difference! PDF of Ducey's letter to the Secy of State HERE

NACO – An incomplete cross-border tunnel was uncovered by a construction worker clearing old fencing near Naco. According to Christopher Sullivan, a public information officer and Border Patrol agent based out of the Tucson sector, the construction worker contacted Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents at the Brian A. Terry Station to report a “possible smuggling tunnel.” Following an investigation, agents discovered the unfinished tunnel. “The tunnel was approximately 15 feet deep and extended into the United States about four feet from the international boundary fence,” he said. “The tunnel has no ventilation or lighting.” The tunnel has already been filled...

Link only Serial child killer released in Tucson AZ