Weekend wrap-up: Here are the biggest Arizona stories from May 6-8
May 8, 2022, 6:23 PM | Updated: 7:23 pm
(Twitter Photo/@ArizonaDOT)
(Twitter Photo/@ArizonaDOT)
PHOENIX — A water line break resulted in a closure of a portion of the U.S. 60 in Tempe, Cyber Ninjas founder’s attorneys are reportedly turning over records to the Arizona Senate, and Phoenix hit 100 degrees for first time in 2022.
Here are some of the biggest stories that headlined the Arizona news cycle over the weekend.
Portion of US 60 remains closed in Tempe after water line break
A portion of U.S. 60 in Tempe remained closed Sunday due to a water line break and drivers were advised to find alternate routes as crews work on repairing the damage.
Eastbound U.S. 60 is closed between the I-10 interchange and Loop 101, while the westbound lanes are closed between Loop 101 and McClintock Drive.
“This is the time where unfortunately we’re going to be down for a little bit,” Randy Everett, central district administrator for the Arizona Department of Transportation, said in a press conference.
“Leave yourself some extra time, this is probably a good time to leave yourself a half an hour of extra commute time when you go out.”
There is no estimated time to reopen the freeway.
Everett suggests using the Loop 202 Santan Freeway in the south and the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway in the north to get around the closure.
Report: Cyber Ninjas founder’s attorneys turning over records to Arizona Senate
The attorneys of Doug Logan, the founder and former CEO of Cyber Ninjas, are turning over 1,062 pages of records to the Arizona Senate, according to nonprofit watchdog group American Oversight.
Cyber Ninjas, the contractor that led the 2020 election review for Arizona republicans, was held in contempt by a judge for its failure to turn over documents in January and was ordered to pay $50,000 per day.
It continued to withhold records, and after several months, the contractor’s fine total hit $4.2 million by Friday’s report, according Jeremy Duda of Axios.
American Oversight sued the Arizona Senate in May 2021 for the release of public records.
“The records Logan says he is delivering to the Senate include files related to the subcontractors that Cyber Ninjas worked with to conduct Arizona’s sham ‘audit,’ including WakeTSI, CyFir, and election conspiracy promoters Jovan Hutton Pulitzer and Dr. Shiva,” American Oversight tweeted on Friday.
Maricopa County Superior Court judge John Hannah set the daily fines, saying at the time millions of dollars were donated to Cyber Ninjas and the company did not present evidence of insolvency.
Not cool: Phoenix hits 100 degrees for first time in 2022
The triple-digit temperatures have made their arrival in the Valley.
Phoenix on Saturday hit 100 degrees for the first time in 2022, according to the National Weather Service.
The mark was hit at about 2:12 p.m.
The city did get a slight reprieve from when it normally hits 100 degrees for the first time in a calendar year.
It was the latest date for the mercury to reach triple digits since 2010, when 100 degrees was hit on May 21.
Phoenix Police release name of officer shot in gas station incident, say she’s out of hospital
The Phoenix Police Department on Friday released the name of the officer who was shot while responding to a domestic violence incident at a gas station last month and said she is out of the hospital.
Denise Bruce-Jones, a 24-year veteran of the force, had been hospitalized since the April 14 incident.
“This morning Officer Denise Bruce-Jones was discharged from Honor Health Rehabilitation and is resting and recovering at home with her family,” Phoenix Police said on Twitter.
Nicholas Cowan, 35, allegedly opened fire on two police officers, including Bruce-Jones, after he pulled up to the north Phoenix gas station.
Ex-Arizona prison director Ryan charged with 2 felonies stemming from January incident
Charles Ryan, the former director of Arizona’s prison system, was charged with two felonies from a January incident at his home, authorities said Friday.
Ryan was charged with one count of disorderly conduct involving weapons and one count of unlawful discharge of a weapon, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
Ryan, who retired as director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry in 2019, experienced what police called “a mental health crisis” on Jan. 6 at his residence near Warner and Terrace roads.
