By Phil Riske | Managing Editor
(Editor’s note: ninth in a series of articles reviewing the 2014 news stories published by Rose Law Group Reporter that were most read and gained momentum during the rest of the year.)
JANUARY 2014 FEBRUARY 2014 MARCH 2014 APRIL 2014 MAY 2014 JUNE 2014
Lead stories
The Arizona Diamondbacks fired GM Kevin Towers, then a couple weeks later canned manager Kirk Gibson and bench coach Alan Trammell. Dave Stewart was named senior vice president and GM, and the team also brought on De Jon Watson to be senior vice president, baseball operations.
Energy/Environment
The state approved a five-year delay in the start for phase-out of agricultural extinguishment credits, giving more time to find a permanent solution to a dilemma. The phase-out was intended to preserve groundwater by taking away some of the future credits, which farmers can sell to developers, based on how long the land is farmed after the start date.
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The Environmental Protection Agency set new limits on emissions from six Arizona industrial facilities to reduce haze at 17 national parks and wilderness areas, including the Grand Canyon.
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The U.S. Solar Market Insight report for the second quarter showed Arizona ranked seventh in the state for solar panel installations — a drop from third during the first quarter.
Glendale casino
Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers told a U.S. Senate committee that unless Congress acts to block a Tohono O’odham Nation casino in his city, residents should prepare for widespread Las Vegas-style gaming throughout the Valley.
After turning in nearly 15,000 signatures to get two referendums onto the ballot to permit voters to decide if a casino should be built within Glendale, the No More Bad Deals for Glendale political committee had those signatures rejected by the city clerk.
The Gila River Indian Community had spent nearly $11 million in federal lobbying since 2009, the year its sister tribe, the Tohono O’odham Nation announced its plans to open a West Valley casino. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community joined GRIC in its battle to block the casino,
Economy/real estate
Tesla Motors finally ready to confirmed it’s going to build its $5 billion Giga factory in Reno, putting to rest a five-state competition for what’s slated to be the world’s biggest lithium-ion battery plant.
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West Valley was predicted to lead future residential growth and was poised for commercial development The West Valley has some of the last available raw land in the region and at the rapid rate land was being acquired, and lot inventory will be sparse by 2017.
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There was a significant jump in new home sales in August as the seasonally adjusted rate broke through the half million mark for the first time since May 2008. Meanwhile, consumer confidence in metro Phoenix’s housing market dropped over the summer as sales and price increases sagged, Buying homes in metro Phoenix wasn’t the deal for investors it was a few years ago before home prices rebounded 70 percent. The Valley, nevertheless, still ranked No. 28 out of the U.S.’s 75 largest metro areas for buying an investment home.
The red hot market in Tempe was getting even hotter as new hotel and office towers are planned on Mill Avenue alongside the landmark Monti’s La Casa Vieja restaurant.
Government/politics
Gov. Jan Brewer said terminally ill patients should have the right to use drugs which have not yet been approved — and may never be approved — by federal agencies. She’s even softened her position on the use of marijuana by people with specific medical problems.
Meanwhile, Proponents of a 2016 citizens’ initiative in Arizona that aimed to legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older filed paperwork with the state, the first step in their campaign.
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Former gubernatorial candidates Scott Smith, Christine Jones and Ken Bennett endorsed Doug Ducey for governor. Ducey, the state treasurer, won the Republican nomination for governor in August.
Courts/Law
A federal judge ordered the state to issue a death certificate for George Martinez that lists Fred McQuire as his legal spouse. Judge John Sedwick rejected arguments by attorneys for state that the “public interest” would be harmed by requiring Arizona to recognize the pair was married.
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The U.S. Supreme Court accepted a pastor’s suit challenging Gilbert sign ordinance The pastor said the town government believes political campaign signs are more important than the small placards that give directions to his service.
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Scott Sulley was no longer justice of the peace of the Maricopa-Stanfield Justice Court. The Arizona Supreme Court handed down a final decision banning Scott Sulley from ever serving again as a judge in any other courtroom in Arizona for malfeasance.
Sports
The head of the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee said some things needed to be settled with the city of Glendale in order to make Super Bowl XLIX a success in February. Chief Executive Officer Jay Parry acknowledged the committee has some issues with Glendale, the parking plan, for one.
