Jeff Spellman News Today

After years of being flush with federal rescue and relief funds, Phoenix now faces an uncertain financial future. The pandemic-related dollars have slowed and, starting in 2025, cities will no longer be able to collect sales tax on residential rent. As city departments evaluate their budgets, there’s concern about how security at parks could be affected.In 2021, Albert Valle

After years of hearing complaints about light rail security, one Phoenix council member wants to consider adding barriers to keep out people who don’t pay fares.

Plans are underway to transform an old Kmart store into a workforce training and education center. On Monday, the Phoenix City Council approved a $4 million contract with Gensler and Associates to provide architectural services. “I just can’t wait to see all of the students, all of the parents, everyone that will be coming into this building and getting a great education,

The Phoenix City Council will be asked Wednesday to approve more than $2 million to create a new court for people experiencing homelessness. It’s called community court. It’s designed like other specialty courts operating in Phoenix — there’s one for veterans only and one for people with behavioral health issues. The goal for all specialty courts is the same: to provide

Glaring problems hit close to those living along 27th Avenue Tuesday and Wednesday. Back-to-back deadly shootings happened just blocks a part.

The biggest clusters of homeless encampments were in south Phoenix, west Phoenix, Sunnyslope, the area near Sky Harbor and the Interstate 17 corridor.

Crime along the 27th Avenue Corridor has been rising since 2018, and Phoenix Police officials say they want to focus on the area in an effort to curb criminal acts.

Valley grapples with record number of people on the streets Service providers at the Human Services Campus (HSC) in downtown are concerned about an influx of homelessness once eviction protections are lifted since there aren’t enough resources to fill the need as it is. and last updated 2021-06-30 21:28:18-04 Jeff Spellman bought his west Phoenix home more than 30 years ago. It sits on a large, irrigated lot with mature trees and a tidy front porch where he spends his mornings. “Itâ�...

Phoenix Police Department The Phoenix Police Communications Bureaus original location is at headquarters. A second center is located with the Property Management Bureau downtown. A Phoenix 911 operator who recently recovered from COVID-19 has died after returning to work. And now the city is investigating how it handled overtime in her case. Pamela Cooper’s story is part of a larger issue about who is answering 911 operators’ calls for help. Pamela Cooper Four days after Pamela Cooper was...

The previous night, Ryans daughter Pamela Cooper, 49, had worked a shift of more than 15 hours at Phoenixs 911 dispatch center. Cooper was a 20-year veteran of the dispatch center, but it was her first week back after six weeks recovering from COVID-19. She was still feeling unwell but was out of paid leave and supporting both her mother, a widow on social security, and her husband, whose unemployment has run out. “She said, I got to work to pay the bills," Ryan remembers. Courtesy of Shirley...