Category: Arizona

Arizona’s Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates Says He Will Not Seek Re-election Next Year

A high-profile election official in Arizona who faced criticism over his handling of both the 2020 presidential election and the 2022 midterms will not be seeking reelection. Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates, 51, announced his decision in a lengthy statement on June 1, citing his plans to “pursue other interests and opportunities.” “For over thirteen years, it…


Lab Test Results Suggest Embattled Alpine Horses In Arizona Have Historical Lineage

An expert in horse population genetics claims to have found laboratory evidence of historical ancestry in samples taken from Arizona’s Salt River Alpine horses found slaughtered on federal land in 2022. “So far, I can say that there is evidence of Spanish ancestry in the Salt River horses,” Gus Cothran, a retired professor and consultant…


Suspect’s Dislike for Drugs, Homelessness May Have Led to Shootings That Killed 4 in Metro Phoenix

PHOENIX—A man’s anger over drug abuse drove him to fatally shoot four men and wound a woman in a 12-hour crime spree in metro Phoenix, authorities said. Iren Byers, 20, was taken into custody Sunday on suspicion of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder, police in the suburb of…


Arizona Secretary of State Candidate Ordered to Pay Legal Fees in ‘Groundless’ Election Challenge

The Republican candidate for Arizona secretary of state who challenged the 2022 election results in court was ordered on May 22 to pay over $48,000 in fees related to litigation. Mark Finchem, a former Arizona state lawmaker, was ordered to pay the fees by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Melissa Julian, the order stated. Julian…


Judge Declines to Sanction Kari Lake in Election Case

A judge issued a ruling denying sanctions requested by attorneys for Maricopa County against GOP candidate Kari Lake after her latest legal challenge was rejected. Maricopa County officials were seeking penalties against Lake and her attorneys after a Maricopa County judge, Peter Thompson, rejected her case challenging signature-verification rules that were implemented by the county…


Remembering Veterans Takes Front and Center on Memorial Day in Arizona Community

ASH FORK, Ariz.—A soldier may go to war and fall on the battlefield. But only a forgotten soldier truly dies. That’s how James A. Foster Jr., vice-commander of American Legion Post 57 in Ash Fork, Arizona, described it during a ceremony honoring veterans in Ash Fork Settlers Cemetery on Memorial Day. As the 50 people…


Suspect Arrested in 5 Separate Shootings in Phoenix Metro Area That Left 4 Dead

MESA, Ariz.—A suspect has been arrested in connection with five separate shootings in the Phoenix metro area that left four people dead and a woman wounded, authorities said Sunday. Mesa police said 20-year-old Iren Byers was taken into custody Sunday on suspicion of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder….


Tribe Demanding Answers, Justice for Member Shot 38 Times by US Border Patrol Agents

WHY, Ariz.—Yvonne Nevarez remembers her late uncle Raymond Mattia as a proud Tohono O’odham Nation member who always took a stand against injustice. He was a kind, respectful, peace-loving man, she said, making his shooting death by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents even harder to accept. “I’m angry. I can’t believe it. I…


Arizona Woman Honors Late Veteran Husband on Memorial Day With Flowers and a Cup of Coffee

MARANA, Ariz.—Once, Memorial Day weekend held a different meaning and purpose for Diana Espinosa of Tucson, Arizona. Before her husband Ernest passed away at age 58, it was a time to travel as a couple to San Carlos, Mexico, and celebrate the annual family reunion with joy and laughter, not pain and sorrow. Those special…


Arizona Governor Accuses Previous Administration of ‘Illegally’ Allocating $50 Million in Government Funds

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, has accused the previous state administration of misappropriating $50 million in government funds. The funds were part of what the federal government provided to Arizona under the $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan,” an effort by the Biden administration, signed into law in March 2021, that intended to mitigate the economic…