Guest Editorial: Who’s Bad For Business?

By Larry Heath With two Scottsdale City Council debates behind us, I have a few questions: Councilman Barry Graham: Is it true that you’re consulting your phone during City Council votes? If so, are you “fighting for residents” as your tagline suggests, or relying upon someone texting you, and your personal prejudices? Is it also true you’re suppressing time for … Read More

Q1 Money Race: Whitehead Leads the 2026 Scottsdale City Council Field

By Alexander Lomax The first campaign finance reports of the 2026 Scottsdale City Council election cycle are in, covering January 1 through March 31. Eight candidates are chasing three seats currently held by Solange Whitehead, Barry Graham, and term-limited Kathy Littlefield. The numbers tell a story of incumbency advantage, an early frontrunner, and a field where the financial gaps are … Read More

Guest Editorial: $100k Grant – Thank You Senator Werner!

By Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas Amazing news! We received an incredible $100,000 grant for the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park!! This historic grant was made possible by Senator Carine Werner – a strong champion for Scottsdale. In the spring of 2025, Senator Werner reached out to me and asked if the city had any needs she could help with? City Manager Caton and I quickly … Read More

The Bidwill Bowl: Arizona’s Draft Was Built for the Box Office

By Ronald Sampson There’s a moment in every Arizona Cardinals offseason when you realize the team isn’t building toward a championship. It’s building toward a sellout. This draft was that moment, delivered in primetime from Pittsburgh, gift-wrapped in red and white. A Running Back Nobody Asked For With the third overall pick, the Cardinals selected Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah … Read More

Weekly Travel Review: South Africa

by Bedouin Bourdain There is a version of South Africa that lives in the public imagination: dangerous, unequal, impossibly remote. Then there is the South Africa you actually encounter when you land, look around, and let the place work on you. The two versions rarely match. In fact, they are barely acquainted. Johannesburg: More Alive Than Dead Most travelers bypass … Read More

Top Events Ask City of Scottsdale To Deny Residential Density Increases Next To WestWorld

Dear Mr. Caton: Here we go again, unfortunately. For over a decade this group has organized to oppose inappropriate development proposals, especially residential ones, proximate to WestWorld. The premise is no different than what countless cities do when protecting other major economic assets, especially airports. In the case of WestWorld a recent city commissioned economic impact report showed the annual … Read More

The July Surprise

A Meteor With a Timestamp There is a political meteor headed for Arizona, and most people don’t know it’s coming. Sometime this July, the federal Bureau of Reclamation is expected to announce its final framework for Colorado River water allocations post-2026. Seven states have spent two years failing to reach an agreement. So the federal government stepped in. Its draft … Read More