Matthew Casey
KJZZ 91.5
Phoenix, AZ, United States
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Past articles by Matthew:
Arizona appeals court: Regulators did not have power to cut APS profits over bad customer service
The Arizona Corporation Commission did not have the power to cut APS profits over bad customer service.So writes a trio of state appellate judges in an opinion reviewing the Commission’s 2021 decision in a rate case.In review of the rate case, the Arizona Court of Appeals agreed with the way the Corporation Commission calculated the value of APS assets versus original → Read More
Arizona is getting more than $6.1 million to battle gun violence
Millions of dollars for curtailing gun violence is coming to Arizona due to a new federal law signed last year.The director of the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission says the money will be used to set up a crisis-intervention program and redistributed as grants.The U.S. Justice Department is sending more than $6.1 million to the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. → Read More
'No drone zone' is new element of federal Super Bowl security
The first iPhones came out shortly before Glendale hosted its first Super Bowl in 2008.So smartphone tech was a focus for those charged with securing the game when it returned here in 2015.This year drones are the gadget front-of-mind for authorities.With Super Bowl events being held across the Valley, local police agencies plan security for those held in their city or venue. → Read More
Sandhill cranes have returned to Arizona for the winter. Here's how to watch them
Arizona officials say sandhill cranes by the thousands have started arriving at their winter grounds near Willcox.The Arizona Game and Fish Department also says a camera set up in the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area will feed a livestream for the next few months.Officials say 30 minutes before and after sunrise are the best times to watch the sandhill cranes. → Read More
Arizona 2022 election: Arizona congressional districts results
The partisan makeup of Arizona's U.S. House delegation and control of Congress itself are up for grabs Tuesday, with Republicans hoping to shift the state's 5-4 Democratic tilt by picking up two and possibly three seats. → Read More
Former Suns ticket office boss gets jail time and a hefty fine
A former boss in the ticket office of the Phoenix Suns has been sentenced to a year in jail.Plus he has to pay nearly a half-million dollars in restitution and back taxes.Authorities say from 2017 to 2019, Jeffrey Marcussen sold unused Suns tickets online and pocketed the cash. Marcussen was a Suns employee for more than 15 years.He pleaded guilty last spring to charges of fraud and theft. → Read More
The race to be Maricopa County's top prosecutor oozes national politics
In Maricopa County, national politics ooze from the race for top prosecutor.The Republican stokes fear that her challenger would turn metro Phoenix into a sanctuary for illegal border crossers. The Democrat relentlessly ties her opponent to the confirmation of a U.S. Supreme Court justice who voted to overturn the right to abortion.Immigration and the end of Roe v. Wade are → Read More
Crisis declared over adult probation officer staffing in 8 AZ counties
The Arizona Supreme Court has declared a crisis over a lack of adult probation officers.Eight counties don’t have enough to keep caseload volume below a cap set by state law.A similar situation in 2002 resulted in judges sentencing more people to prison.The Arizona Supreme Court writes that hiring probation officers is highly competitive. Low starting salaries and soaring → Read More
Clarence Dixon put to death in Arizona’s 1st execution since 2014
2:50 p.m.Clarence Dixon had been on death row since his 2008 conviction for the murder of Deana Bowdoin. The ASU student was just a few credits shy of graduating when she was found raped, stabbed and strangled with a belt in 1978. Her sister, Leslie James, said at a post-execution news conference that Bowdoin was multilingual and a talented poet."We didn’t know this until I → Read More
U.S. 60: The latest on the freeway closure in Tempe
May 15: Eastbound U.S. 60 lanes reopenThe eastbound lanes on the U.S. 60 through Tempe reopened on Sunday afternoon, Tempe officials said in a press release.The eastbound off-ramp at McClintock Drive is staying closed for ongoing repairs.Work continues on the U.S. 60 westbound lanes, which are still closed between the Loop 101 and McClintock Drive. There’s no estimate for → Read More
2 more Phoenix-area Starbucks stores unionize
Workers at two local Starbucks stores have voted to form a union, according to the National Labor Relations Board.Labor organizers say the outcomes double the number of metro-area Starbucks that have recently unionized.The most recent Starbucks locations to unionize are in north Phoenix and Avondale.Shift supervisor Bill Whitmire is a union organizer at a Starbucks in north → Read More
Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel submits resignation
Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel is stepping down."Today I announce my decision to resign as the Maricopa county attorney effective Friday, March 25, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. Voters supported me in November 2020 as the first woman elected to be Maricopa county attorney, and it is an honor I will always cherish," Adel said in an email statement Monday afternoon. → Read More
Fighter plane crashes near Luke Air Force Base in Glendale
A fighter plane crashed late Thursday morning near Luke Air Force Base in the West Valley.A Luke spokesman said Thursday afternoon the plane was a contracted Mirage F-1 fighter, and it crashed in an unpopulated area about 15 miles northwest of the base.The Air Force hired a Virginia company to fly Mirage F-1 planes in training missions against aircraft from Luke. The → Read More
Phoenix council picks Laura Pastor as vice mayor
The Phoenix City Council chose member Laura Pastor to serve as vice mayor this year. She takes over the job from Councilmember Carlos Garcia.Pastor has been on the City Council since 2014. Her current term ends in April of next year.This is Pastor’s second time serving as vice mayor. → Read More
These were the 3 most-viewed Fronteras Desk stories in 2021
KJZZ's Fronteras Desk is committed to telling the stories of the the Southwest, from northern Arizona to Hermosillo, Mexico. Here are KJZZ's top three Fronteras Desk stories from the past year.1. Report: Hundreds of immigration court notices missingIn January, the investigative arm of Congress wanted to know what happened to hundreds of immigration court cases for people who → Read More
Mesa offers bonuses to new officers as city plans to fulfill public safety promise
Mesa recently announced new hiring incentives for police officers.The move comes shortly after the city said it’s doubling down on a commitment to prioritize public safety.Mesa police say officers with experience at other law enforcement agencies can get a $5,000 bonus for switching departments and finishing training.Recruits aspiring to pass the academy and become a Mesa → Read More
A grand jury has charged an Arizona candidate with lying on her election paperwork
A Sierra Vista woman has been accused of committing perjury during an unsuccessful run to become a judge last year.The Arizona Attorney General’s Office said Sandra Finch Russell was a 2020 candidate for superior court judge in Cochise County.Russell allegedly filed paperwork related to her campaign saying she would have seven years as an Arizona resident by Election Day → Read More
Southwest Gas Blames Plastic Pipes, Mapping Error For Incidents In Chandler And Scottsdale
Southwest Gas Corporation said a recent explosion in Chandler and a leak in north Scottsdale both involved a type of plastic pipe that can deteriorate under certain conditions.The vulnerable kind of pipe is old, has a small diameter, was near or totally inactive for a long time and exposed to hot temperatures.Investigators found a crack on this kind of pipe near the Chandler → Read More
Legal Sports Betting Officially Begins In Arizona
Dave Appleby came to Arizona from the Midwest in 1991.“Called it my great escape to get away from everybody that knew me so I could live this whole secretive life. This whole second life. And it wasn’t sustainable,” he said.Betting on cards in high school had led to wagers on horse racing and then games. Appleby crossed a line by his early 20s. “When you’re a compulsive → Read More
ADOT To Hold Virtual Public Meeting On I-10 Construction
Closures of Interstate 10 in connection with a major project between Chandler and Phoenix have started.Transportation officials plan to hold a public meeting this week so people can learn more about the construction work.ADOT predicts it will take three years to finish construction on the heavily traveled 11-mile stretch of I-10. → Read More