The Scottsdale Insider

Scottsdale Cop Loses Job Over Wrongful Search

2008-06-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

One of Scottsdale's not-quite-finest has quit his job with the city after inappropriately searching a female in response to a call from the woman. The sophomore cop made a freshman mistake and is now paying the price.

Protesters Follow Sheriff Joe Arpaio to Scottsdale

2008-06-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

Joe Arpaio's book tour continues to run into local protests. Angry protesters showed up at the Barnes and Noble on Shea Blvd. on Saturday to "welcome" America's nuttiest sheriff. Arpaio's hard-line immigration stance continues to divide the community while doing little to drive down crime in Maricopa County.

Why don't we have term limits for County politicians yet? Joe's a ringing endorsement for them.

William Miller Faces First Sentence Awaiting Murder Trial

2008-06-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

Accused child-killer and confirmed asshole William Miller has been sentenced to 3.5 years in a fraud case. That's nothing compared to what 'ole Billy's going to face when he's sentenced for killing 5 people, including a 10-year old boy, after torching a Mesa home. Bill is one Scottsdale resident we certainly won't miss. Good riddance, scumbag.

Scottsdale Culinary Institue Grad Wins "Top Chefs"

2008-06-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

The Bravo network's most recent winner from the the hit TV-show "Top Chefs" is Stephanie Izard, a chef who graduated from Scottsdale's very own Culinary Institute, one of the most respected in the country. Congratulations to Stephanie and hats off to the top-quality program at SCI.

Axis-Radius Valet Attacked After Dropping Keys

2008-06-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

A valet attendant at Axis-Radius was attacked and knocked unconscious after dropping keys to a customer's Cadillac Escalade. Cinque Glendy of Phoenix attacked the worker, then threatened another before being forcefully subdued by Scottsdale police. Just another Phoenix tough-guy acting like an idiot? Sure, but the poor valet is just trying to do his job, albeit apparently not very well.

More Debt for Scottsdale Schools

2008-06-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

Scottsdale school officials are preparing to go back to the public trough in an attempt to finance renovations and improvements in the local school system. Improvements are needed, but perhaps the district could also consider some cost-saving measures as well. We'll see if that's up for discussion.

Javelinas Go On the Attack

2008-06-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

Residents of the far northeast Valley are used to javelinas knocking over garbage cans, however dogs in Scottsdale are the creature's newest victims. Residents in northeast Scottsdale should be on guard for the animal, especially at night. And remember, it's not a pig, it's a collard peckery.

Closure of Zuni School Pending

2008-05-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

Parents who send their kids to the Zuni school were surprised to learn that the School Board may close the north Scottsdale campus and merge students into other nearby schools. If the change goes through, students will be moved to different schools in the fall, presumably placing more burden on existing schools and educators.

Does closing schools lead to better educational opportunities? Stay tuned.

Cost of Living in Scottsdale Going Up

2008-05-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

As if energy, food and housing costs weren't rising fast enough, the City of Scottsdale is actually considering raising a number of fees on its residents and county island refugees. Want water, sewer or trash services in the West's Most Western Town? Prepare to pay more. Raising fees on vital municipal services is short-sighted and hurts long-time residents and businesses.

Doesn't the City Council want to take the summer off anymore?

W Hotel Scottsdale Delayed Until August 1

2008-05-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

This is one time when we want W to come to Scottsdale. Unfortunately, those folks waiting for the legendary hotel line will have to wait a little longer. Under construction for about 2.5 years, the facility is now scheduled to open on August 1. Not soon enough for many of us.

South Scottsdale Stabbing

2008-05-19T17:32:00.001-07:00

Partying in Scottsdale? Stick to the downtown area. As violence overtakes South Scottsdale, you'll hear a lot more stories like this one - a stabbing at a bar on McDowell Road. Bottom line, who wants to party with someone who looks like the dude in the picture? Not me.

Polluted Scottsdale Water Adds Up to Half-Million Dollar Fine

2008-05-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

Some of Scottsdale's water has been polluted for decades. The culprits are the ones responsible for the cleaning up their mess, rightfully so. Today, it was announced they would pay a penalty of $500,000 for causing contamination of Scottsdale's water with an industrial solvent known as TCE or trichloroethylene. Yummy!

DMX Drives 100+ MPH, Gets Busted in Scottsdale

2008-05-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

Scottsdale is crawling with celebrities every night. Usually, they saunter in, eat, drink then make their way back to the airport. Not DMX. He cruises through town going over 100 miles per hour and is then busted by Scottsdale PD. AND, he doesn't even have a valid driver's license.

Basha's Flees South Scottsdale

2008-04-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

In yet another sign of south Scottsdale's decline, Basha's at McDowell Road and 74th Street closed this weekend. The anchor tennant in a crumbling strip mall, the departure of the store is a bad sign for the area and a challenge that the city must deal with before that area falls into blight. The store which has occupied the space for 44 years is going to leave a crater in the community. Time for business and political leaders to step up.

City's Growth is Beyond Its Control

2008-04-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

As Phoenix goes, so goes Scottsdale. Like it or not, that is the conclusion that residents and city leaders are coming to as development all around the city impacts Scottsdale for the good and bad. Maybe regional planning wasn't such a bad idea, eh?

Escape From South Scottsdale

2008-04-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

South Scottsdale has always been plagued with the woes of bordering Tempe and Maricopa County land. The area created pockets of "no-man lands" where cops rarely go and crime is rampant. This leads, of course, to crime encroaching on the suburban areas in the city's southern area. Now, a rash of home burglaries is spurring long-time residents to flee the area for their own safety. Pathetic. Where is Scottsdale PD when you need them?

Scottsdale Police Refuse To Arrest Illegal Immigrants

2008-04-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

In an act that will surely make people even more upset, Scottsdale Police Chief Alan Rodbell recently stated that he would not use his police force to round-up illegal aliens in sweeps being coordinated by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Illegal immigration is the #1 issues to many Scottsdale and area residents, yet the police chief steadfastly refuses to enforce the law and crack down on illegal immigrants in Scottsdale.

West Jet Aircarft Must Pay Whistleblower $94K

2008-04-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

Scottsdale-based West Jet Aircraft must pay $94,000 in damages to a whistle-blower who called out the company on airplane safety issues. After the unnamed employee exposed shady practices at the West Jet, he was fired for complaining to the FAA. That is, of course, illegal, and the company probably realizes that now.

Scottsdale Police Calls Up, Crime Down

2008-04-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

Last year, the Scottsdale police department answered more calls than in previous years, but crime actually fell 4%, that is if Scottsdale Police Chief Alan Rodbell is to be believed.

Rattlesnake Caught in Scottsdale Home

2007-06-12T21:33:00.001-07:00

The cute little critter below was found on a front pation and quickly removed by the Scottsdale Fire Department.

Scottsdale Home Resales Down 21%

2007-06-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

The Scottsdale home resale market is taking a big hit, plunging 21% in May 2007 compared to May 2006. A variety of factors have resulted in a cascading impact on the real estate market across the country. But the frothy real estate market in Arizona and Scottsdale specifically, is ripe for this type of downturn. There is no question that it is a short-term correction. Scottsdale's desirability is constantly ascending. But the steep losses will no doubt leave some families in a very tough economic position.

Scottsdale Car Auctions Go Head to Head

2007-06-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

Two car auctioneers that hold large events in Scottsdale are battling it out for control of a site near 101 and Scottsdale road. Russo & Steel has been holding an annual auto auction on a parcel of land in that area for the past few years. R&S is an upstart competitor going after Barrett-Jackson customers. However, it appears that Russo & Steel did not have the proper permits from the state to hold their auction on the particular parcel of land they were using. Barrett-Jackson uncovered this discrepancy, applied for the proper permits and could take the land right out from under Russo & Steel, effectively wiping out the underdog's event. It's a tough world out there and R&S need to be perform due diligence when producing an event. They screwed up and unfortunately for Russo & Steel, their competitor found out about it before they did.

Scottsdale Police Chief's Son Busted for Pot

2007-06-08T10:28:00.001-07:00

The offspring of Scottsdale police chief Alan Rodbell sure are giving dad headaches. Just a few short months after his daughter, Cody Rodbell , was arrested, Rodbell's son, Michael Rodbell was arrested for possession of marijuana. The police report, released yesterday, states that after the Scottsdale cop pulled over the chief's son for driving 47 mph in a 25 mph area, Michael Rodbell proclaimed, "It's only a little marijuana." One has to wonder exactly how long Chief Rodbell can maintain his position as Scottsdale's police chief with his kids who are undeniably out-of-control and repeatedly being arrested by his own cops.

New Scottsdale Traffic Cameras Coming July 1

2007-06-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

Drivers on Shea Boulevard, north Pima Road and McDowell Road will see new photo enforcement cameras being installed in the next several weeks as Scottsdale makes changes to the program.

The City Council last month selected a new operator, American Traffic Solutions, for the city's street photo enforcement program. ATS begins operations on July 1 with cameras in three new locations. Six current locations will remain unchanged.
Scottsdale also is working with the Arizona Department of Public Safety on a transition plan for cameras on the Loop 101 Freeway. The changes approved by the Council last month apply only to city streets.

The new Scottsdale street camera locations are:

* Northbound and southbound Pima Road between Los Gatos and Thompson Peak Parkway. These cameras, at a mid-block location between intersections, will monitor for speed only.

* Eastbound and westbound Shea Blvd. between 120th and 124th streets, also a mid-block, speed-only camera.

* Eastbound McDowell Road at Scottsdale Road. This intersection camera will monitor both speed and red-light running.

Barrett-Jackson 2007 Video Review

2007-06-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a 10-minute review from the 2007 Barret-Jackson auction. Makes me excited for 2008!