The Mayor’s Brother, the Strip Clubs, and the Lawsuit Nobody Asked For

By Ronald Sampson Scottsdale has always had a complicated relationship with its adult entertainment industry: a city that projects upscale resort glamour while quietly hosting a cluster of strip clubs near Scottsdale and McDowell roads that have survived ballot measures, police scrutiny, and enough controversy to fill several seasons of prestige television. Now, that long, strange history has produced its … Read More

Guest Editorial: Preserve Voting Records

By Betty Janik One can tell that it’s election time in Scottsdale because suddenly everyone’s a McDowell Sonoran Preserve supporter! Unfortunately, the truth isn’t always being told. City Council Candidate Bob Littlefield touts that he: “fought commercial development in the Preserve by opposing the Desert Discovery Center and working to pass Proposition 420”. As Treasurer of the “Protect Our Preserve” … Read More

Zoox Picks Scottsdale: A Win for the Valley’s Tech Ambitions… With Eyes Wide Open

The Greater Phoenix area has another reason to feel good about its tech credentials. Zoox, an autonomous vehicle company owned by Amazon, has announced it is opening a Fusion Center in Scottsdale to support its expanding robotaxi operations. It’s welcome news and, with a dose of healthy realism, worth putting in proper context. What Zoox Is Actually Bringing to Scottsdale … Read More

Guest Editorial: Help Me Protect Scottsdale

By Michelle Ugenti-Rita We must hold the line and protect Scottsdale. Leftist California-style policies are one council election away if we don’t hold our majority. There are candidates in this race who are pushing the same failed agenda that has turned once great cities into cautionary tales: skyrocketing homelessness, high-density apartment towers, low-income housing projects, gridlocked traffic, rising crime, and declining quality … Read More

Scottsdale Is Setting the Table: The Newest Culinary Must-Eats in the City

There has always been something quietly confident about Scottsdale’s dining scene; the sense that the desert knows how to throw a party. But 2026 is different. This year, the city isn’t just keeping pace with the country’s best food cities…it’s making a genuine argument for the top of the list. The most talked-about arrival so far is Cielito, the new … Read More

The Axon Question That Still Needs an Answer

By Alexander Lomax An Unfinished Investigation By now, most Scottsdale watchers are familiar with the broad strokes of the Lamar Whitmer matter. Whitmer, who served as Mayor Lisa Borowsky’s Chief of Staff, was let go in March following a 65-day city investigation that examined seven categories of alleged misconduct. Five of the seven allegations were substantiated. Two were not. It … Read More

Guest Editorial: Water – Lifeblood of the Desert Southwest

By Betty Janik & Sonnie Kirtley The desert southwest has suffered sustained drought since the mid 1990’s and this condition is expected to continue.  Recent winters experienced record setting heat which intensifies the condition. Water from the Colorado River is hurting and by extension, the Central Arizona Project (CAP) canal. The CAP delivers water to the most populated regions in … Read More