Adult male's body found in canal in Scottsdale
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/18/13 10:45:03 AM
Scottsdale police and fire crews on Saturday were retrieving a body from a canal west of Hayden Road, south of Indian Bend.
An officer discovered the body at about 7:30 a.m., said department spokesman Mark Clark.
Chaparral softball surprises field en route to title game
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/17/13 05:00:03 PM
They were the 14th seed. Overlooked in the Division I tournament. Dismissed as a pretender.
But the Chaparral softball players surprised many, using power hitting and power pitching to reach the state title game.
Scottsdale council reverses one-time firefighter funds
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/17/13 09:30:04 AM
The Scottsdale City Council on Tuesday reversed its decision to allocate one-time funds in the fiscal 2014 budget to add a second company at Fire Station 602, the city's busiest firehouse.
Instead, it voted to use one-time funds for more overtime and instructed acting City Manager Dan Worth to find a way to fund the new positions with recurring funds during the new year.
Sales-tax legislation leaving PV wondering about budget
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/17/13 09:30:03 AM
As Paradise Valley officials start to hammer out a final fiscal 2014 budget, the fate of bills going through the state Legislature could affect the town's estimated revenues for the proposed budget and future ones.
One bill would charge sales tax on raw materials contractors purchase at the checkout counter rather than allow the state and municipalities to tax the final price of the project, which is the current policy.
Scottsdale police looking for elderly man who went missing
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/17/13 09:15:04 AM
Police are searching for an elderly Scottsdale man who went missing after going biking Thursday afternoon.
Edward Brawley, 78, was last seen on a gray mountain bike after leaving his house in the 8300 block of Pepper Tree Lane, according to Scottsdale police. Brawley rides his bike to the area of Hayden Road and McCormick Parkway, and normally bikes for no longer than one hour, his wife told police.
Scottsdale approves plans for new creative center
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/16/13 04:30:04 PM
A former Scottsdale shooting-supplies store with an underground shooting gallery will be transformed this summer into a gathering place for artists and other creative people.
The city Development Review Board unanimously approved a site plan, landscape plan and building elevations for the Creative Center of Scottsdale. The three-building complex along the western side of Scottsdale Road just north of Osborn Road will be renovated to accommodate the center.
Maricopa County seeks volunteers to maintain regional trail
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/16/13 04:30:03 PM
The Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department is seeking volunteers to help with maintaining Maricopa Regional Trail.
The trail is a non-motorized, shared-use, multimodal corridor used for transportation and recreation that resides under the jurisdiction of multiple federal, state and local agencies but is spearheaded by the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department.
Delicacies with diversity
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/16/13 12:15:06 PM
Instead of limiting himself to the instructions on the box, Local Bistro owner German Osio took his own liberties with a brownie mix and was playing chef by the time he was 6 years old.
The Scottsdale business owner admitted, however, that not every creation was a hit.
Scottsdale economic development chief selected from a field of 100
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/16/13 12:15:04 PM
Scottsdale officials have selected Maricopa's assistant city manager from a field of more than 100 candidates to become the new economic development director.
The city announced its selection of Danielle Casey on Monday. She will begin June 10.
Scottsdale homebuilder offers new plans, developments
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/16/13 12:15:03 PM
Scottsdale-based Maracay Homes will provide 46 new floor plans in 13 communities starting next month.
Maracay is calling it the Arizona Living Collection. Company officials said it invested more than $4 million and spent more than two years of research and market observation to come up with the designs. Maracay said the plans will address the needs of a post-recession Arizona homebuyer.
Scottsdale district drops idea of 1 percent cut in teachers' pay
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/16/13 09:15:08 AM
Scottsdale Unified School District teachers won't see a pay cut next year after that budget-cutting proposal was dropped on Tuesday.
The district is inching closer toward trimming about $9 million from its fiscal 2014 budget, and a 1 percent across-the-board pay cut for all employees was one idea.
New home, and renewed hope, for NE Valley food bank
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/16/13 09:15:07 AM
It seems there will always be hungry mouths to feed.
Pam DiPietro, executive director of the Foothills Food Bank and Resource Center, knows this all too well.
Carefree sewage plant to close
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/16/13 07:30:05 AM
The town of Carefree and some residents are claiming victory in the ordered closure of a 44-year-old sewage plant.
But the Boulders Resort says the closure, and subsequent elimination of reclaimed water for its golf courses, would hurt business.
Charges against ex-NBA player in squatting case a 'misunderstanding'
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/15/13 02:15:04 PM
More details have emerged about a former NBA player accused of squatting in a four-bedroom Paradise Valley house for about a year and then trying to rent it out.
Chris Gatling, a 6-foot, 10-inch former All-Star and 10-year veteran of the league, has been charged with two counts of theft and forgery, one count of taking the identity of another and one count of fraud.
Search on for robber in cellphone-store robbery
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/15/13 01:15:03 PM
Police are searching for a man who robbed a cellphone store in Scottsdale on Tuesday, authorities said.
The man entered Agile Wireless near Thomas and Hayden roads about 10:30 a.m. and pointed a handgun at an employee, according to the Scottsdale Police Department.
Valley artist chosen to create $395K WestWorld sculpture
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/14/13 08:15:03 PM
Scottsdale Public Art chose a local artist to create a monumental $395,000 sculpture with lighting and landscaping for the WestWorld expansion.
The group last week chose Jeff Zischke, who has created pieces for Public Art's recent Canal Convergence series.
Presidential Scholar honor awarded to Basis senior
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/14/13 04:15:03 PM
Victor Wang, a senior at Basis Scottsdale, has been named one of three U.S. Presidential Scholars in the state, and the first from a charter high school in Arizona.
Wang, 18, who will attend Northwestern University in the fall to study economics, said that when he found out that he won, he immediately e-mailed his father, who is working in China.
Condemnation a last-resort tool against Scottsdale hoarders
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/14/13 03:00:03 PM
When authorities last week slapped a "condemned" notice on the home of a man known for hoarding, it was a rarity for Scottsdale.
Scottsdale condemns only about two houses a year, said Steve Gallant, the city's building-inspection supervisor.
Arts center broadens talent lineup for new season
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/13/13 09:30:04 AM
The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is bringing back country as part of its new season, but it's also strengthening its classical lineup.
And in a detour of performance-based offerings, the arts center is hosting a talk by retired Navy captain and astronaut Mark Kelly and his wife, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The "Endeavor to Succeed" talk is Nov. 22, with proceeds benefiting the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona.
Scottsdale teachers sweating out efforts to close $9 million gap
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/13/13 09:15:04 AM
As the Scottsdale Unified School District's work on chipping away at a $9 million budget gap continues into its fifth month, teachers are feeling the stress.
In April, about 100 teachers received layoff notices as the district decided to increase class sizes to save $2 million. Since then, many have received "recall" notices that they will have a job next year after all. An additional 53 are "unassigned," assured of a job but waiting to hear where they will end up.
Grant, gift to the rescue for community agency
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/13/13 09:15:03 AM
A Scottsdale resident's sizable donation and a non-profit corporation's grant have come to the rescue of a program that provides meals and wellness checks for 150 city residents.
The Tempe Community Action Agency administers the home-delivered meals to seniors and disabled residents in Scottsdale and Tempe. For years, the volunteer agency has relied on donations from Scottsdale Cares, a city program that allows residents to donate $1 on their monthly water bills toward non-profit agencies.
E-mails point to problems in Scottsdale crime lab
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/13/13 07:45:17 AM
Scottsdale police crime-lab scientists and supervisors have spent five months arguing in court that blood-alcohol evidence processed in the lab can be trusted because the equipment works fine.
And if there are occasional errors, there are processes in place to prevent those mistakes before the evidence is sent out, they said.
Motorcyclist dies in Scottsdale collision with SUV
Source: AZCentral.com / Received: 05/13/13 07:45:08 AM
A motorcyclist lost his life on Sunday when he collided with a left-turning vehicle at Scottsdale Road and Dynamite Boulevard in Scottsdale, police said.
While police were still in the early stages of their investigation, they said it appears that the motorcycle was headed south on Scottsdale Road while a northbound sport-utility vehicle was attempting to turn left onto Dynamite Boulevard. Police late Sunday afternoon had not yet determined the cause of the crash.
