J. Graber
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PHOENIX — Arizona is filing is own lawsuit against TikTok and its affiliated companies accusing the social media platform of violating state consumer protection laws by concealing its mental health … more By Howard Fischer Mail | X: @azcapmedia | 10/8/26 Even a month after the Chandler Unified Governing Board voted to have a land acknowledgement video played at both board meetings and district graduation ceremonies, it’s still a topic at least a … more By Jason W.
Scottsdale council candidates disagree on fundamental issues Original
By J. Graber | Scottsdale Independent Three Scottsdale City Council candidates have made their way on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Raoul Zubia, Michelle Ugenti-Rita and Barry Graham are vying for two open seats on the council. Bob Littlefield also earned the right during the July primary race to be on the general election ballot but has since dropped out of the race. There were originally three seats up for grabs but Solange Whitehead won outright in July.
SUSD holds town hall meeting on $375M bond request
(J. Graber/Independent Newsmedia) Scottsdale Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel said the district’s first bond request was for $5,000 back in 1909, but noted the district only had something like 13 students at the time. Posted Tuesday, September 15, 2026 8:48 pm By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Scottsdale Unified School District maintenance staff have spent the last three years putting Band-Aids on things and need the district’s $375 bond request on the Nov.
The Inheritance of Invisible Assumptions
A surveyor occupies a control point at sunrise. The coordinates arrive cleanly. The localization loads without protest. The rover settles into a fixed solution almost immediately, confidence values glowing green against the morning light. Everything appears certain. But somewhere beneath that certainty lives a chain of assumptions: Who established this point? Under what realization? What observations were held? What was inherited? What was verified?
ASM to open Scottsdale facility in 2027 Q1
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia With companies like the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company building a new facility in Phoenix, the Valley is quickly turning into a global hub for microchip manufacturing, and Scottsdale will soon be part of that picture.
ASM to open Scottsdale facility in 2027 Q1
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia With companies like the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company building a new facility in Phoenix, the Valley is quickly turning into a global hub for microchip manufacturing, and Scottsdale will soon be part of that picture.
See the cheapest gas in Scottsdale
Gas prices are seen at the Chevron Extra Mile at 91st Ave. and Olive Rd. in Peoria on July 31. Gas prices continued to climb as gas in t e Valley settled at $4.49 a gallon according to AAA Arizona. Independent Newsmedia/Jeff Wendt Gas prices jumped in the Valley another 12 cents a gallon this week, rising to $4.49 per gallon, according to AAA Arizona on Friday. Scottsdale's average price of the pump was even higher at $4.53, an increase of 13 cents from last week, according to AAA Arizona.
Scottsdale resident Q&A: Joan Fudala
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia In an effort to create a stronger sense of community, the Daily Independent is asking residents to share a little about themselves with some standard questions. Here are Steve Joan Fudala’s answers. Where I live: In the Grayhawk neighborhood of Scottsdale. What I do: As an encore career after years as a public relations executive, I’ve been a full-time Scottsdale community historian since 1999.
Scottsdale City Council axes water projects
By J. Graber | Scottsdale Independent Scottsdale has a $2.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2026-27. The Scottsdale City Council approved the document and the 5-year capital improvement plan 7-0 during it’s June 9 meeting. But to the chagrin of a couple of City Council members and six members of the public who spoke about the issue, it does not include funding for several water projects.
SUSD offers free meals for kids this summer
Stacy Mantle and J. Graber | Independent News media While summer break offers students a chance to rest and recharge, it creates new challenges for families who rely on school meal programs during the academic year. Food costs have risen dramatically, and with children home throughout the day, summer can place additional financial pressure on households already struggling to make ends meet. Arizona has seen a dramatic decline in SNAP participation during the past year.
U.S. Small Business administrator visits Scottsdale
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia U.S. Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler touted the Trump administration’s efforts to strengthen small business growth during a visit to Barrett-Jackson Auctions on May 28. “President Trump believes in the American worker and American industry like no other president we’ve had in modern history, so this has given me great encouragement that made in America is coming back for good,” Loeffler said.
Scottsdale councilwoman under fire again for voting on Axon issues
By J. Graber | YourValley Scottsdale City Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield is under fire again because of her part in the Axon world headquarters campus saga. Local activist Dan Ishac recently filed a new ethics complaint against Littlefield for her role in the situation. This complaint centers directly on Littlefield’s relationship with the Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions (TAAAZE) political action committee, which her husband Bob Littlefield founded and is CEO.
AI & Professional Judgment Part 1
When a client says, “Just pin the four corners,” technology can do the math —but only a surveyor can draw the line between convenience and responsibility. When a client says, “Just pin the four corners,” every surveyor knows what’s coming next: a negotiation between perception and professional reality. To the client, those corners are four quick points — a morning’s work and a modest invoice. To the surveyor, they’re the anchors of liability, geometry, and record.
Gas in Arizona rises another 7 cents last week
Lowest prices in Scottsdale are at Walmart, Costco Gas prices are seen at a Circle K on 107th Avenue and Union Hills Road March 20, 2026. Gas rose 2 cents a gallon in Arizona this week to average $4.94 a gallon, while the national average topped $4 a gallon for the first time in four years.
Thousands attend No Kings rally in Scottsdale
Around 6,000 people took to the streets for Scottsdale’s third No Kings rally. (Courtesy Stand Indivisible AZ) Around 6,000 people took to the streets for the No Kings rally centered on North Scottsdale and Camelback roads Saturday morning. Four live bands played and crowds spanned out for hundreds of yards down the streets from the intersection in what was generally a jubilant expression of protest against President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies.
Parking problem in Old Town Scottsdale offers solutions for some
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Parking in Old Town can be a problem, especially around Scottsdale Stadium when the San Francisco Giants are playing spring training games, but it can also be a solution. HonorHealth has offered parking on its lots near the stadium for decades, though nobody is sure exactly how many of them are used. The hitch is it currently costs $20 to get in the lot, but that’s where the solution comes in.
Ethics complaint against Scottsdale City Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield dismissed
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Scottsdale Independent Ethics Officer Robert Donfeld has dismissed former City Councilman Tom Durham’s ethics complaint against City Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield. The complaint centered on Littlefield voting on issues related to security electronics maker Axon’s plans to build a world headquarters campus with 1,200 residential units in north Scottsdale while her husband heads a political action committee trying to stop it.
Access to child care, affordable housing keys to growing Scottsdale’s economy
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Affordable child care and housing may be the keys to unlocking Scottsdale’s economic future, according a panel of experts who spoke on the subject at the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce’s Forward Scottsdale presentation Feb 17. That’s because these things will ensure an empowered workforce ready to do their jobs in the future, according to the panel.
Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research coming to Scottsdale’s Saguaro High School
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Saguaro High School will transform into more than a place of learning come Feb. 28 — it will become a place of healing, too. That’s because Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research will hold its 25th annual Cure-A-Thon there. If precedence holds up, somewhere around 500 people will attend the fundraising event that usually raises around $200,000 to $240,000 a year.
Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research coming to Scottsdale’s Saguaro High School
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Saguaro High School will transform into more than a place of learning come Feb. 28 — it will become a place of healing, too. That’s because Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research will hold its 25th annual Cure-A-Thon there. If precedence holds up, somewhere around 500 people will attend the fundraising event that usually raises around $200,000 to $240,000 a year.
SUSD Governing Board puts off redrawing boundary lines for Pima Elementary
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Where students in the Pima Elementary School boundary will go in the future and still get transportation is still up in the air. The Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board voted 4-1 during its Feb. 10 meeting to put the question off to its next meeting, in exactly one month.
WM Phoenix Open getting back on track according to police stats
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia After a couple of years of increasing shenanigans, the WM Phoenix Open looks to be getting back to what it does best — showcase great golf — depending on which statistics you look at from the Scottsdale Police Department. Chris Gotterup beat Hideki Masuyama by one stroke in a playoff round for the championship, but the real winners may be the guests, according to some numbers.
Scottsdale resident Q&A: Dennis Robbins
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia In an effort to create a stronger sense of community, the Daily Independent is asking residents to share a little about themselves with some standard questions. Here are Dennis Robbin’s answers. Where I live: Old Town Scottsdale. What I do: Executive Director of the Scottsdale Charros. When & why I moved here: I was born and raised in Scottsdale. My father moved to Scottsdale in 1947 and lived in an adobe house on Scottsdale Road, south of Thomas.
SUSD Governing Board puts off redrawing boundary lines for Pima Elementary
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Where students in the Pima Elementary School boundary will go in the future and still get transportation is still up in the air. The Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board voted 4-1 during its Feb. 10 meeting to put the question off to its next meeting, in exactly one month.
Scottsdale to update Tourism and Events Strategic Plan
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia It’s time to update Scottsdale’s Tourism and Events Strategic Plan. That was the consensus at the City Council’s Feb. 10 meeting, but members also agreed they don’t want a major overhaul of the document. “This is not a repeal and replace, it’s kind of a refinement,” Councilman Barry Graham said.
WM Phoenix Open getting back on track according to police stats
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia After a couple of years of increasing shenanigans, the WM Phoenix Open looks to be getting back to what it does best — showcase great golf — depending on which statistics you look at from the Scottsdale Police Department. Chris Gotterup beat Hideki Masuyama by one stroke in a playoff round for the championship, but the real winners may be the guests, according to some numbers.
SUSD board members cut $3.9M in spending for next year
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia The Scottsdale Unified School District governing board approved a plan Feb. 10 that will cut approximately $3.9 million in spending from next school year’s budget to help balance that budget. The District faced a projected budget deficit of $7.7 million short fall next year.
Rep. Pam Carter introduces bill restraining planning commissioners
(Courtesy, Arizona Legislature) Rep. Pam Carter, R-Scottsdale, said her submitted House Bill 2374 would restrict planning commissioners in unincorporated areas from voting on issues they have a substantial interest in was spurred by an incident in Scottsdale, though she is not saying what that is. Posted Tuesday, February 10, 2026 2:59 pm By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia An incident in Scottsdale has spurred Rep.
Picking the right time to buy a home in Scottsdale can be tricky
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Buying a house can be a very scary thing - especially if it is in Scottsdale where houses are so much more expensive. But here’s the thing: those looking to buy in Scottsdale aren’t your average buyer. “A lot of the buyers in the Scottsdale market are not as price sensitive, like payment sensitive for affordability the same way you see in other towns,” Scottsdale-based TruWest Mortgage Loan Originator Katherine Sciascia said.
Scottsdale resident Q&A: Denny Brown
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia In an effort to create a stronger sense of community, the Daily Independent is asking residents to share a little about themselves with some standard questions. Here are Denny Brown’s answers. Where I live: South Scottsdale. What I do: I’m the fundraiser for Scottsdale Community Partners and the Executive Director of the EVIT Foundation. When & why I moved here: I moved to Scottsdale in 1987 to work in the Film industry.
Rep. Gress proposes placing restrictions on superintendents’ contracts and duties
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Rep. Matt Gress, R-Scottsdale, has introduced into the 2026 Legislative session a package of bills addressing school districts’ superintendents’ contracts and duties. In all, the chairman of the House Education Committee and co-chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee is proposing five pieces of legislation regarding school superintendents around the state.
New Paradise Valley home for sale for $12.795 million
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia There’s a new multimillion dollar estate at 6135 N. 51st Place in Paradise Valley, but it’s no trophy home, it was designed to be lived in. While blessed with the mid-century modern aesthetic of its predecessor and a new, modern luxury quality, the new home dazzles on its own.
Man sues after breaking his ankle at Scottsdale’s WM Phoenix Open in 2024
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia With the WM Phoenix Open scheduled to get underway in sunny, 80-degree weather, the notorious cold and wet 2024 tournament lives on for one Tennessee man. William O’Hagan is suing the PGA Tour, Pro Em Operations, TPC of Scottsdale and Thunderbird Charities in federal court after he slipped in the mud and broke his ankle during the soggy 2024 edition of the tournament.
Former Scottsdale City Councilman files ethics complaint against Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Former Scottsdale Councilman Tom Durham has filed an ethics complaint City Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield regarding her voting in issues involving Axon Enterprise Inc. while her husband is running an opposition campaign against the company’s world headquarters development. Durham filed the complaint with Interim Scottsdale City Attorney Luis Santaella after reading a Jan.
Mayor, City Councilwoman: senior staff leaving City of Scottsdale causing inefficiencies
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia A long line of staff departures since the current city council and city manager took over in the beginning of 2025 is costing the City of Scottsdale dearly in terms of institutional knowledge and is causing projects to not get done, according to some on the council. “Staff are quitting because they say the politics are toxic,” City Councilwoman Solange Whitehead said. “We’ve lost almost the entire top brass of the water department and transportation.
SUSD Governing Board redrawing boundary lines for Pima Elementary
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Neighborhoods that used to feed into Pima Elementary School could go to Hohokam and Yavapai elementary schools next year. That, at least, is the recommendation Scottsdale Unified School District staff pitched to the governing board members in a public hearing Feb. 2. The board will make a final decision at its Feb. 10 meeting. That recommendation has several benefits, according to SUSD Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education Dr. Christine Bonow.
Man sues after breaking his ankle at Scottsdale’s WM Phoenix Open in 2024
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia With the WM Phoenix Open scheduled to get underway in sunny, 80-degree weather, the notorious cold and wet 2024 tournament lives on for one Tennessee man. William O’Hagan is suing the PGA Tour, Pro Em Operations, TPC of Scottsdale and Thunderbird Charities in federal court after he slipped in the mud and broke his ankle during the soggy 2024 edition of the tournament.
Superintendent: SUSD needs to close two more schools by 2028-29 school year
Scottsdale Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel says the district needs to close two more schools for fiscal reasons by the 2028-29 school year. (Scottsdale Unified School District) The Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board’s money saving decision to close Pima Elementary and Echo Canyon K-8 School during it’s Dec. 9 meeting wasn’t the end of the matter — it was just the beginning .
SRP dries up canal through part of Scottsdale for repairs
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Much of the sparkley blue stuff that runs through Scottsdale is going away for about a month. The Salt River Project is drying up the canal between 68th Street and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community — a stretch of about eight miles — from Jan. 8 to Feb. 7 for maintenance. The work will consist of: • Replacing an underground pipeline. • Completing routine maintenance - such as clearing dirt and weeds from the canal.
City of Scottsdale to drop Old Town marketing agency
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia The City of Scottsdale is going it alone when it comes to marketing Old Town. A memo from City Manager Greg Caton dated Dec. 26 to Mayor Lisa Borowsky and the rest of the city council said that instead of contracting with a private company to market all the area has to offer, as it has traditionally done, the city will use staff from the city’s tourism and events department as well the communications department to do the work.
Banner Health seeking public support for proposed hospital
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Banner Health is putting on the full-court press trying to get support from the Scottsdale City Council for its rezoning request that would open the way forward for the construction of a hospital with heliport as part of controversial $400 million medical campus on 48 acres near the intersection of N. Hayden Road and the Loop 101.
Rio Verde Foothills has permanent water solution
RIO VERDE FOOTHILLS Posted Friday, January 2, 2026 9:03 am After years of uncertainty about where their water is going to come from, homeowners in the Rio Verde Foothills community will have a permanent answer starting Jan. 1. Private water utility EPCOR issued a statement Dec. 30 saying its standpipe serving the unincorporated community northeast of Scottsdale will be open for business at 7 a.m., News Year’s Day.
14-story buildings ready to go up in Old Town Scottsdale
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia A 14-story mixed-use development in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale cleared its last preconstruction hurdle earlier this month. The Scottsdale Development Review Board approved the aesthetic elements of the project, known as the City Center at Scottsdale, by a 4-0 vote during its Dec. 11 meeting. The project calls for a total of four buildings. The two buildings closest to the road, which will be 40 feet from the curb, will stand two-stories tall.
Scottsdale mayor calls for meeting to consider downtown task force
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky wants to know if it’s time to create a task force to protect Old Town’s interests at city hall. Borowsky has called a special meeting of the city council for 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, to discuss the issue.
Cost of switching roundabout project on Scottsdale Road still unknown
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia The entire cost to switch improvements to the intersection at Scottsdale Road and Dynamite Boulevard from a roundabout to a signalized intersection is still not known more than seven months after the Scottsdale City Council voted 4-3 to make the change.
Rio Verde Foothills has permanent water solution
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia After years of uncertainty about where their water is going to come from, homeowners in the Rio Verde Foothills community will have a permanent answer starting Jan. 1. Private water utility EPCOR issued a statement Dec. 30 saying its standpipe serving the unincorporated community northeast of Scottsdale will be open for business at 7 a.m., News Year’s Day.
14-story buildings ready to go up in Old Town Scottsdale
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia A 14-story mixed-use development in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale cleared its last preconstruction hurdle earlier this month. The Scottsdale Development Review Board approved the aesthetic elements of the project, known as the City Center at Scottsdale, by a 4-0 vote during its Dec. 11 meeting. The project calls for a total of four buildings. The two buildings closest to the road, which will be 40 feet from the curb, will stand two-stories tall.
3 SUSD employees without jobs following accusations
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Three former Scottsdale Unified School District employees are without their jobs after concerns about their behavior related to children have come up since October. Two of them - former Cocopah sixth grade English language arts teacher Michael Gill and Hohokam Elementary School crossing guard Thomas Giorlando - were fired and charged by police for allegedly possessing child pornography.
Cherokee Elementary fifth grader spreads the word on Type 1 diabetes
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia In a lot of ways Cherokee Elementary School fifth grader Logan Treadwell is just like any other 10-year-old girl. She enjoys sports - especially gymnastics, tennis and skiing - likes to read the “Dairy of a Wimpy Kid” book series, she has a dog named Pilot and she can’t sit still in her chair a few days before Christmas. But Logan is different than most kids in her school in one particular way.
SUSD school administrator resigns among accusation
By J. Graber Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia Saguaro High School Athletic Director Lucas Ackerson has resigned his position among allegations that he inappropriately contacted a female student through social media. The Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board accepted his resignation by a 5-0 vote during it’s Dec. 9 meeting. Ackerson was hired by SUSD in July 2023.
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