Local News

Yavapai County authorities report that a Publisher's Clearing House scam has stolen $3,500 from a 77-year-old Chino Valley resident. On June 15, the elderly man reported that he'd received a call from a number with an 876 area code. The suspect said that the man had won a Publisher's Clearing House contest, and needed to send $3,500 for "processing fees" in order to claim his winnings. The man went to the bank, got a cashier's check, and sent the money to the Wisconsin address he'd been given before realizing that he'd been scammed. The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office is now reminding Arizonians that any number beginning with an 876 area code will probably involve a scam. This sort of scam is quite common. Sweepstakes have to be free to enter. Sometimes, contests may ask participants to...

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, moving fraud is a growing problem around the nation, but this June the Arizona Attorney General's office helped one family fight back. An Illinois family who recently moved to Arizona faced a discouraging welcome when their moving company held all of their belongings for ransom. American Home Movers from Las Vegas allegedly demanded the family pay them an additional $3,100, or else they would never receive their belongings. The family contacted the Better Business Bureau, who contacted the Arizona Attorney General, who sent state investigators to assist the family. Investigator J.J. Stroh helped set up a sting operation, and when the moving truck finally arrived, the family had their possessions unloaded free of charge. Stroh ...

Twenty-four-year-old Danielle Jacobs is one of 3.5 million Americans with an autism spectrum disorder -- in her case, Asperger's Syndrome. But she also has a service dog to help her in her daily life, and together they went viral in a video that Jacobs filmed to show people what it's like to have Asperger's. On June 1, Jacobs posted a video of herself having a depressive episode, or "meltdown," on YouTube. But her 120-pound Rottweiler, Samson, is trained to respond to certain behaviors typical for Jacobs and others like her on the autism spectrum. Just a couple of weeks later, the video has gone viral and been viewed more than 3.6 million times. In the video, Jacobs is seen crying and hitting herself, but Samson uses his paws to stop her from self-harming and then rests on her when she ...

At an event on Tuesday, June 9, Gov. Doug Ducey offered praise for Arizona's past water planning and conservation efforts while also urging the importance of addressing water levels in Lake Mead, which continue to drop. According to the Arizona Daily Star, Ducey also reinforced the need for federally-financed water saving efforts to help avoid over-tapping the Colorado River. “Uncertainty and vulnerability surrounding our water supply remain," Ducey explanied. “Despite the uncertainties, vulnerabilities and challenges we face, Arizona does not face an immediate crisis. And we won’t, as long as we follow the examples of those before us: good planning, good management and good policy.” But are Arizona's farms -- 97% of which are family-owned and operated -- ready to cut down on their water u...

Many people in Arizona have already begun a campaign to legalize marijuana. Proponents are working hard to collect enough signatures to get it on the ballot in 2016. There's just one issue. Matforce, a substance abuse coalition, has put up billboards warning that using marijuana could be dangerous. One billboard near the highway I-17 claims, "Regular long-term marijuana use, lowers IQ, marijuana harmless? Think again." Another says "Would your child know if this cookie has pot in it?" Some believe that the billboards are an effort to oppose the ballot initiative to legalize marijuana, but Matforce claims they're not against it. The group insists they're only focused on youth substance abuse. Whatever their intention, the billboards are definitely going to influence the public. Accordi...

For the millions of seniors across the country who live independently, life can quickly become lonely, stressful and even painful. And while there are medications one can take to help with these feelings, scientific research has proven the many benefits seniors can enjoy by living with a pet. By simply living with a companion animal, whether it's a cat, dog or other animal, people are instantly less stressed, lonely and sad. In response to these findings, Orchard Pointe Assisted Living and Memory Support in Surprise has begun to allow its residents to own a furry or feathered friend; it's one of a growing number of senior living communities to encourage pet ownership. Orchard Pointe doesn't even charge a monthly pet fee. “Not only does the pet provide companionship, but it also stimulat...

A new federal report has revealed that Arizona ranks fifth in the nation in terms of money lost to Internet scams last year. According to a May 23 AZ Central article, the federal Internet Crime Complaint Center, which produced the report, found that Arizonans lost approximately $25 million throughout 2014 to various Internet scams. The Internet Crime Complaint Center works with the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center to aid in investigating cyber crimes against the public. Women aged 40 to 49 were most likely to be targeted by scammers, the agency found; this group lost an estimated $7.6 million total. The majority of Arizona complaints made to the Internet Crime Complaint Center came from residents over the age of 60. And while Arizona ranked fifth in the amount of money it ...

Arizona media is ablaze with news about solar energy this week, as Mesa firefighters responded to a fire of rooftop solar panels at an Apple plant. More than 100 firefighters were required to control the blaze, which collapsed part of the roof. And the Apple fire wasn't the only jolt felt this week because of solar energy. Solar advocates in Arizona are once again battling their utility companies, which have proposed controversial new ways to reimburse customers who produce their own energy through solar panels. The Tucson Electric Power company and the Arizona Public Service utility say their new proposals make the energy policy more equitable for everyone, but Arizona solar advocates say it's an attack on self-generators. “Customers who install distributed generation, like rooftop sol...

Home décor superstore At Home is finally coming to Arizona, with the first of its stores opening in the Arizona Mills mall in Tempe, but will a new selection of décor really be the solution couples need? Or does it take more than the actual furnishings to make décor work? "At Home is a new brand venture from [At Home's parent company] Garden Ridge and it's going to give shoppers really a greater selection of home décor than ever before," said Arizona Mills general manager David Johnston. Although it has no online shopping component, At Home does offer an impressive selection of housewares, decorative accents, wall art, rugs, room furnishings, and patio furnishings for shoppers on a budget. The new store will occupy 105,000 square feet in Tempe's discount mall, replacing the JC Penney Out...

Tempe, AZ, has passed a controversial law aimed at keeping kids away from tobacco smoke, but it's got critics up in arms over double standards. Tempe's City Council passed an ordinance last week that fines drivers $50 if officers catch them smoking while there is a child in the car. Any subsequent offenses get bumped up to $100 per ticket. But the law doesn't only include parents or other adults smoking tobacco cigarettes. The legislation also lumps e-cigarettes into the mix, which are used for vaping rather than smoking. What is vaping? Vapor cigarettes use a solution that is heated within the device to produce a vapor. E-cigarettes have become popular in recent years, with more than four million Americans now vaping, either for smoking cessation purposes or simply for recreational use...