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Eastbound I-10 off-ramp at Baseline Road set for long-term closure
FIRST RESPONDERS
Phoenix officer returns fire, kills fleeing shoplifting suspect: PD
Election 2024
Group of attorneys defends process of reelection of Arizona justices
Education

Higley USD will consider severing ties with new superintendent

The Higley Unified School District Governing Board will consider on Wednesday a recommendation to rescind its employment agreement with Nate Carman to be the next superintendent.  
first responders

UPDATE: Missing endangered male found dead in Peoria

Peoria Police announced that Stanley Callahan, 82, who had been reported missing last month, has been located and was found dead.
2ND-DEGREE MURDER CHARGE

Phoenix slaying suspect surrenders at Lukeville border station

A 32-year-old man turned himself in to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents May 6 in connection with the stabbing death of a woman inside her Phoenix home, police said. Eduardo Ramirez-Galindo …
Valley & State
infrastructure

Chandler council set to approve Hamilton Street work

The Chandler City Council is addressing a relatively simple street project among the many items on its agenda. The council is expected to approve a contract at its Thursday meeting for several …

Trial begins for ex-University of Arizona grad student accused of fatally shooting professor in 2022

The trial has begun for a former University of Arizona graduate student accused of fatally shooting a professor in 2022 after he was banned from campus because of harassment complaints. A jury was …
Legal

Scottsdale group seeks immediate implementation of Arizona abortion ban

PHOENIX — The Alliance Defending Freedom on Tuesday urged the Arizona Supreme Court to immediately order the 1864 abortion ban law again enforceable, saying even a temporary restoration of the …
First Responders

Phoenix Fire makes online testing, virtual interviews available to bring in more applicants

The Phoenix Fire Department is adding more fire stations to serve the growing city, but the number of recruits has dropped drastically during the past decade. Resulting staffing shortages have caused …
HOUSING

New apartments usher in residents in downtown Mesa

Downtown Mesa is getting more housing, with an apartment complex local leaders say is a continuation of efforts to redevelopment the city’s central core. While residents have been moving …
ARIZONA LOTTERY

Phoenix Fantasy 5 ticket worth $695K

A Bashas’ Food City in Phoenix sold a Fantasy 5 ticket for the May 6 drawing that is worth $695,000, Arizona Lottery officials said Tuesday. The ticket was sold at the store located at …
Education

Arizona schools chief forms task force on dangers of fentanyl

PHOENIX — State schools chief Tom Horne announced the formation of a task force Tuesday designed to warn teens of the dangers of fentanyl. But this one is designed to be different than the …
Government

Pinal County Elections Department offices returning to Florence

After many years in Coolidge, the Pinal County Elections Department is returning to Florence in June. The new 53,000-square-foot facility at 320 W. Adamsville Road will be shared by the county …
Election

Surprise mayoral candidate investigated for removing sign

It turns out Aly Cline is battling more than one opponent in this year’s Surprise mayoral election.

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Opinions with Civility
A judge fined Trump a puny $9,000 for contempt of court during his Manhattan hush money/business crime/election interference trial.
For once, Washington has been grappling with issues nearly as big as those faced by their constituents.
Another reader expresses her concern about the Independent’s civility checklist for opinions, arguing that it can constrain free speech. I respectfully disagree.  There are plenty of …
Some extraordinary events affecting our local elections have occurred over the past two weeks. Because of that, I feel compelled to share my thoughts with all of you. During the month April an …
I am writing to express my concern for your publication’s emphasis on civility over content.

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Calendar of events
Arizona & National Sports Coverage
Valley sports
Local sports

Senators hire Travis Green as coach. Green leaves the Devils after serving in an interim role

The Ottawa Senators have hired Travis Green as coach and signed him to a four-year contract. The team announced the move Tuesday with Green taking over for interim coach Jacques Martin. Green most …

Today in Sports - Muhammad Ali is indicted for refusing induction in U.S. Army

Today in Sports, May 8 - Muhammad Ali is indicted for refusing induction in U.S. Army

This Date in Baseball - Randy Johnson became the third pitcher to strike out 20 in nine innings

This Date in Baseball, May 8 - Randy Johnson became the third pitcher to strike out 20 in nine innings

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National sports
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2024--Bob’s Discount Furniture (“Bob’s”) and the Los Angeles Rams announce a multi-year partnership, which will bring together like-minded organizations …
The Texas Rangers have reacquired switch-hitting outfielder Robbie Grossman in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. Texas sent minor league right-hander Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa to Chicago in the deal …
The opening round of the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club on Thursday will be delayed with rain in the forecast. The start of the first round was set for 11 a.m. because of heavy rain …

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Your Nonpartisan Daily News Source
Valley business

LON’s at The Hermosa Inn 'most romantic restaurant' on OpenTable

Hermosa Inn restaurant Lon’s is the driver of property.

LON’s at The Hermosa Inn has received two new accolades from OpenTable. For the fourth consecutive year, LON’s at the Hermosa has been named by OpenTable one of the Top 100 Brunch …

Build-to-rent bonanza: Communities continue to pop up Valley-wide

Sobremesa Villas has built-to-rent properties available now in Surprise and is in the later stages of construction, as seen in this late April photo (Independent Newsmedia/Richard Smith)

As demand for rental properties in the Valley remains acute, the build-to-rent category continues to boom in ways unique to metro Phoenix.

Trader Joe's coming to Chandler

Chandler's planning administrator, Kevin Mayo, points out during a social media video that helping the city land a Trader Joe's was one of his first assignments as a city intern 25 years ago. The city and Trader Joe's both recently confirmed a South Chandler shopping center will have a vacant space occupied within the next few years by the popular specialty grocer.

A Trader Joe’s market is going to be built in a shopping center on the northeast corner of Ocotillo Road and Arizona Avenue in South Chandler. Not many details, including an opening date, …

Housing on Chandler zoning board agendas

This map shows where 76 homes are planned in a housing development called Viviendo. Rezoning and preliminary plan approval for the project is one of a handful of items on the consent agendas for both the Chandler Planning and Zoning Commission’s study session and regular meetings Wednesday, May 1.

​The next steps in approvals for a 76-home housing subdivision are included in an item the Chandler Planning and Zoning Commission is set to address Wednesday. A study session is set for 5 …

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Neighbors

Larry Fitzgerald Jr.’s 14 Annual Fitz’s Supper Club success in Scottsdale

The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation held it’s 14th Annual Fitz’s Supper Club to raise money for breast cancer research and the Larry Fitzgerald Foundation Future Stars Coding Labs at Scottsdale’s Dominick’s Steakhouse April 29.

The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation commemorates another year of achievement at the 14th Annual Fitz’s Supper Club, in collaboration with Dominick’s Steakhouse. This year’s event was …

National Prevention Week May 13-16

National prevention week spotlights substance use prevention May 13-16.

National Prevention Week serves as a vital national public education platform spotlighting the efforts of communities and organizations nationwide committed to raising awareness about substance use …

Scottsdale’s beat the heat outreach program accepting donations

The City of Scottsdale’s beat the heat outreach program is accepting donations like Brita water pitchers and filters and reusable water bottles for homebound residents.

The City of Scottsdale is now taking donations for its beat the heat program. You can bring summer relief to low-income, homebound and isolated seniors by donating to the Beat the Heat outreach …

DUET honors volunteer from Scottsdale

Scottsdale resident Sue Bai was honored by the nonprofit Duet for all the volunteer hours she has put into the organization since 1990.

Duet: Partners In Health & Aging had a Volunteer Appreciation Event on Sunday, April 14 at Church of Beatitudes in Phoenix with over 80 volunteers in attendance. Each year, the celebration …

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Things to do

L.A. actor will join live podcast taping at Sun City West theater

“Scaredycast” podcast hosts, from left, Brian Young, Tony Gautier and Kelsey Dickerson are pictured at their first live show at Ghostlight back in 2022. They’re coming back for a new taping before a live audience on June 15 in Sun City West.

Ghostlight Theatre is taking a one-night pause from its usual busy schedule of plays for a special presentation in June.

Phoenix Symphony to fuse rap, classical music in May concerts

Guest conductor Steve Hackman will lead The Phoenix Symphony in performances this month of “The Resurrection Mixtape.”

With guest conductor Steve Hackman, The Phoenix Symphony is fusing Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur with classical music in a groundbreaking performance this month.

Arizona Opera’s new season to blend classics, expanded recital series

La Bohème opens at Symphony Hall in Phoenix on Jan. 25, 2025.

Arizona Opera has announced its lineup for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Scottsdale Princess offers summer day camp for kids

Day Camp at the Princess for kids 6 through 12 this summer will include activities like Lagoon fishing, mini golf and swimming.

This summer, kids 6-12 will have the opportunity to enjoy day camp at the Princess. The brand new luxury camp experience at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, 7575 E. Princess Drive, Scottsdale, AZ …

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Obituaries & Memorials

Charles Ray Shriver

Charles, 87, of Fountain Hills, Arizona, passed away on Thursday, April 25, 2024. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Charles, known as “Charlie” to his loved ones, was a beloved …

Lloyd E. Schill

Lloyd, age 92, of Sun City West, Arizona passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, after a long illness. Lloyd was born in Cleveland, Ohio on September 24, 1931. He graduated …

Doris Louise Boneham Engle

In Loving Memory of Doris Louise Boneham Engle, beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and friend, peacefully passed away in her sleep on Thursday, April 18, 2024, at The Colonnade Assisted …

Suzanne Carol May

Suzanne passed away on April 30, 2024 after suffering a stroke as a complication of heart valve surgery 5 months earlier. Her loving husband of 56 years, John May, was by her side as she left her …

Robert (Bob) Fredrick Rosenthal

Robert (Bob), 91, passed away on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 after suffering complications from dementia. He and his family moved to Fountain Hills, Arizona in 1976, and loved the desert community and …

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The Latest News Around The Globe
Nation

Dogs entering US must be 6 months old and microchipped to prevent spread of rabies, new rules say

New U.S. rules require all dogs coming into the U.S. to be at least 6 months old and microchipped to help prevent the spread of rabies. The new rules published Wednesday require vaccination for dogs …

A scorching, rocky planet twice Earth's size has a thick atmosphere, scientists say

A thick atmosphere has been detected around a planet that's twice as big as Earth in a nearby solar system. Researchers reported Wednesday that the rocky planet 55 Cancri e is wrapped in a blanket of …

FTX says most customers will get all money back, less that 2 years after catastrophic collapse

FTX says that nearly all of its customers will receive the money back that they are owed, two years after the cryptocurrency exchange imploded, and some will get more than that. FTX said in a court …

Edmunds: Trade or sell your car? What's best might surprise you

With used car prices dropping, it’s crucial to know the best way to maximize your return when you part ways with your current car. We’ll show you the pros and cons of trading in your old car as …

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch co-authors book on laws. 'Over Ruled' to be released Aug. 6

NEW YORK (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch will have a book out this summer on a subject he has commented upon often — the volume of laws in the U.S. Harper, an imprint of …

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World

Families of the victims of attacks on displaced people in Congo mourn their dead

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Families of the victims of last week's bomb attacks on two camps of displaced people in eastern Congo gathered to mourn their loved ones at a ceremony on Monday evening. During …

Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out

Spanish state prosecutors have recommended that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira. The Colombian singer is under investigation for the …

Kenya declares public holiday to mourn flood victims

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s President William Ruto has declared Friday a public holiday to mourn the 238 people who have died due to ongoing flooding. The president on Wednesday said the …

Dozens still missing after Monday's South Africa building collapse. 7 confirmed dead

GEORGE, South Africa (AP) — Nearly 40 construction workers were still missing Wednesday in the rubble of a building that collapsed in South Africa on Monday as rescue teams continued to search for …

Chinese warships have been docked in Cambodia for 5 months, but government says it's not permanent

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia's Defense Ministry insisted Wednesday that the months-long presence of two Chinese warships in a strategically important naval base that is being newly expanded …

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Entertainment
FILE - Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) waves after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The tight end has been cast on FX's "American Horror Story: Grotesquerie" season. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

Travis Kelce lines up another TV job joining FX's 'American Horror Story: Grotesquerie' season

Travis Kelce continues to work in the NFL off season. The Super Bowl winner has booked a role on “American Horror Story: Grotesquerie.” Fellow cast member Niecy Nash posted a series of Instagram …
FILE - Travis Scott performs at the Astroworld Music Festival in Houston, Nov. 5, 2021. The start of the first civil trial stemming from the 2021 Astroworld festival, at which 10 people were killed in a crowd surge, has been delayed. Jury selection had been set to begin Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in the wrongful-death lawsuit filed the family of Madison Dubiski, a 23-year-old Houston resident who was killed during the crowd crush at Scott's November 2021 concert. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)

9 of 10 wrongful death suits over Astroworld crowd surge have been settled, lawyer says

HOUSTON (AP) — Nine of the 10 wrongful death lawsuits filed after deadly crowd surge at the 2021 Astroworld festival have been settled, including one that was set to go to trial this week, an …
This image released by the Washington National Opera shows a set rendering by Wilson Chin showing one of his designs for a new production of Giacomo Puccini's "Turandot" opening May 11 at the Washington National Opera. (Wilson Chin/Washington National Opera via AP)

Washington Opera offers new ending to Puccini's final work

NEW YORK (AP) — Ever since Giacomo Puccini died without finishing his last opera, “Turandot,” audiences have thrilled to its soaring melodies like “Nessun Dorma,” but also perhaps lamented …
FILE - Kim Kardashian poses for a photo with daughter North West before Game 6 of an NBA basketball Western Conference semifinal series against the Golden State Warriors in Los Angeles on May 12, 2023. West sill join the cast of A starry “Lion King” concert, that is set to run May 24-25 at the Hollywood Bowl. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

North West joins starry concert event of 'The Lion King' at Hollywood Bowl

North West, the daughter of Kim Kardashian and Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, is going from “Paw Patrol” to another animal project: A starry “Lion King” concert. West joins a …
FILE - Harvey Weinstein appears at Manhattan criminal court for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 in New York. (Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, File)

Harvey Weinstein is back at NYC's Rikers Island jail after hospital stay

One-time movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was returned to a New York City jail in what his publicist said was a move resulting from a published report saying he was getting VIP treatment during his …

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