Weekend wrap-up: Here are the biggest Arizona stories from August 9-11

The retirement announcement of Arizona’s Department of Corrections director, the firing of a Phoenix police officer and a 100th birthday party for Chandler’s oldest continuously owned family business.

Here are some stories that headlined the news cycle, both locally and nationally, over the weekend.

Arizona Department of Corrections Charles Ryan announces retirement

Arizona Department of Corrections Director Charles Ryan, who’s been under fire for his handling of state prison system issues, announced his retirement Friday.

Ryan made it known that Sept. 13 would be his last day after more than 10 years on the job in a letter to Gov. Doug Ducey and a separate email to DOC staff.

“Director Ryan has committed his life to serving in the corrections field for more than 40 years,” Ducey said in a statement.

“His dedication to ensuring public safety and providing inmates a real second chance, has made him a nationally recognized leader. … I’m grateful to Director Ryan for his dedication and service.”

Neither Ducey nor any of his aides asked Ryan to step down, said Patrick Ptak, the governor’s spokesman.

Ryan expressed gratitude to his staff in both notes.

Phoenix police chief fires officer accused of assaulting suspect

Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams fired a veteran officer accused of assaulting a handcuffed shoplifting suspect, a department spokesman said Friday.

Tim Baiardi’s termination became official Wednesday, Sgt. Tommy Thompson told KTAR News 92.3 FM in an email.

In May, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office filed an aggravated assault charge against Baiardi after he was caught on surveillance cameras slapping and hitting suspect Roger Moran at a west Phoenix Walmart in December 2018.

On July 23, Baiardi agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct, avoiding prison time with a sentence of unsupervised probation, according to ABC15.

A court hearing on the plea agreement is scheduled for Aug. 30.

Before accepting the deal, Baiardi pleaded not guilty to the aggravated assault charge on June 13.

Historic Chandler-based restaurant Serrano’s to host Centennial Fiesta

On Thursday, Sept. 19, Chandler’s oldest continuously owned family business, Serrano’s Mexican Restaurant, will celebrate its 100th birthday.

Originally, The Serrano Brothers Popular Store opened the doors to its location in September 1919, later becoming Serrano’s Department Store.

The Popular Store sold goods and attire to the farmers of Chandler, a city that had a population of approximately 1,000 people.

Ernie and Eva Serrano transitioned from the clothing industry to the food industry in 1979 as department stores and indoor shopping malls became increasingly popular.

The family has been focused on Serrano’s Mexican Restaurant for the last 40 years and is owned and operated today by Ernie and Eva’s eight adult children.

The Centennial Fiesta will take place at the Downtown Chandler location and will feature $1.00 shredded beef or chicken tacos with rice and beans entree. At 7 p.m. a taco-eating contest will take place between local officials, police and fire department representatives who will be competing for a $1,000 prize to be donated to the 100 Club of Arizona.

Arizona prosecutor who questioned Kavanaugh accuser promoted

An Arizona sex-crimes prosecutor who questioned Christine Blasey Ford about her sexual assault allegation against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been promoted to a top prosecutorial job in metro Phoenix.

Rachel Mitchell was named chief deputy of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office last week, taking on the top staff position with Republican County Attorney Bill Montgomery.

Mitchell was chief of the county’s sex crimes division when the 11 Republican men on the Senate Judiciary Committee enlisted her to question Ford, hoping to avoid the potentially bad optics of men interrogating a woman about her allegation.

Her performance was panned by many Republicans, who said she was ineffective at poking holes in Ford’s story, and by Democrats, who wondered why a woman who put perpetrators behind bars was questioning an accuser.

Fry’s Food Store in Goodyear issues class 1 recall

The Fry’s Food Store on West Yuma Road and Sarival Avenue issued a Class 1 Recall for an undetermined amount of deli meat.

The recall was issued because of a possible contamination via human blood borne pathogens. The potentially contaminated meat was sold on Aug. 8, between 6:50 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Fry’s noticed the issue when they were conducting an internal audit of food safety procedures in the service deli Friday, Aug. 9.

No illness has been reported from the customers who purchased the contaminated meat but in a statement, Fry’s urged anyone with concerns to contact a healthcare provider.

They also said any customers who purchased the bad deli products should not consume it and return it to the store for a full refund.

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