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Recent Articles from Bill Coates
All Aboard: Sky Train will make getting to Sky Harbor a moving experience
Don't blink while driving through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. You'll miss your terminal and spend another 10 minutes looping around on a motorway modeled on one of those circles in hell. But the future holds hope - at a cost of nearly $1.6 billion. It's the automated people-mover, officially known as the PHX Sky Train.
Bad blood over bad check leads to indictment of boxing promoter
Boxing manager Joe Diaz hopes the indictment of a Phoenix fight promoter leads to bigger fish - namely, former boxing commissioner and Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox. Promoter Peter McKinn III was indicted Sept. 30 on five counts of forgery, theft, fraud and perjury stemming from a five-year-old dispute with Diaz. McKinn pleaded not guilty in an Oct. 8 arraignment.
Uranium rush: Sparks fly over mining near the Grand Canyon
The forces of nature that blessed Arizona with the Grand Canyon also provided high-grade uranium, trapped in nearby layers of rock. Whether the uranium is a blessing or a curse depends on whose side you take.
Casa Grande HOA stripped of powers over accusations of theft and fraud
A Casa Grande homeowners association was placed in receivership, following allegations that board members drained funds for their own benefit - including what was described as the "theft" of more than $600,000.
MBA grads — past and present — face a ‘challenging’ job market
Two hours after Tim Kieff was laid off, he called Jim Clayton. As career management director for the W.P. Carey School of Business MBA program, Clayton works to find jobs for new graduates. Clayton credits the program for placing 92 percent of the 2008 master of business administration class, within three months of graduation.
Arizona group sues Game and Fish, saying agency had no permit to trap jaguar
An Arizona-based environmental group filed suit against the Arizona Game and Fish Department in U.S. District Court in Tucson on Sept. 24, claiming the agency lacked a necessary permit to capture jaguars.
Blind veterans first to go digital with new ‘talking book’ players
Vince Morrison was one of the first in line to get a digital book player for the blind. As a veteran of World War II in Europe, he earned it. At 89, Morrison is legally blind. The Mesa resident now listens to books on tape, and soon he'll have access to the digital equivalent. He gets his recordings free from the Arizona State Braille and Talking Books Division. It administers the federally fun[...]
UpClose with Jessica Berg of Lodestar Day Resource Center
Jessica Berg became executive director of the Lodestar Day Resource Center, a one-stop service center for the homeless, in 2006. She came to Phoenix in 2005 as a National Urban Fellow, a fellowship that is part of a graduate program at Baruch College in New York City. Berg mentored with Maricopa County Manager David Smith.
A Call to Arts: Phoenix program unites engineers with artists
Rosemary Lonewolf made a clay model of a scarlet macaw to present her idea for an art project. It was a piece of pottery that would fit in your hand. For the New Mexico artist, this was a natural.
Historic Preservation: Prop. 207 making it tougher for a city to save this old house
This William Grier House, built in 1901, could be among the last of its kind in Phoenix - a "unique example of colonial-revival style," according the Phoenix Historic Preservation Office. It could be the last of its kind in another way as well. It was placed on the city's register of historic properties in November 2007. No homes have been listed since.
From teen pregnancies to heart attacks, DHS statistician tracks health data
Sooner or later, Christopher Mrela will have your number - if he doesn't already. As the statistician for the Department of Health Services, Mrela is a man of many numbers. He's compiling them now for the "Arizona Health Status and Vital Statistics Report." It's due out in September.
Fraudulent flipping: State agency gets extended power to battle mortgage scams
The housing bubble in Arizona became a cash cow for the unscrupulous. Up until the bubble burst in late 2008, crooked investors and people involved in writing up loan documents bilked banks and homeowners out of millions.
