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Governor vetoes bill to ban photo enforcement radars on Arizona roads

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Governor vetoes bill to ban photo enforcement radars on Arizona roads


PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Gov. Katie Hobbs took action on a number of bills Friday afternoon, including vetoing one that would have banned the use of photo enforcement radars.

Placed on streets and traffic lights, the devices snap license plate photos of cars detected to be speeding or running red lights. Tickets are then mailed to drivers, which can often be hundreds of dollars in fines and other fees. Valley cities including Paradise Valley, Mesa and Scottsdale use photo enforcement radars.

While research has found that many people say the photo radars make roads safer, others call the cameras expensive and intrusive to drivers. Following years of debate, SB1234 was finally passed by the state House early last week that would ban their use in the state.

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The bill, sponsored by Sen. Wendy Rogers (R), was opposed by police chiefs in Mesa and Paradise Valley. Below is the letter sent by the governor to the president of the state Senate:

“President Petersen,

I have vetoed SB1234.

I’ve heard from local leaders and the law enforcement officers across the state about the impact this bill will have on the safety of Arizonans. Research indicates that photo radar cameras demonstrate effectiveness in changing driver behavior and decreasing fatal accidents, especially in vulnerable areas like school zones. The bill’s ban of photo radar would eliminate an important tool for law enforcement that allows for a more efficient allocation of limited police resources.

I look forward to continuing the work with the Arizona legislature, law enforcement, and local municipalities to solve traffic issues and enhance public safety.

Sincerely,

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Katie Hobbs

Governor

State of Arizona”

Sen. Rogers issued an immediate response following the veto, calling the use of the systems a traffic citation scam that enables companies to exploit Arizona drivers. “This is an egregious invasion of our privacy. Hobbs’ veto fails Arizonans,” Sen. Rogers said in an emailed statement. “She will ultimately answer to our fleeced drivers who don’t support this years-long cash grab cloaked in the name of ‘traffic enforcement.”

With Friday’s legislative action, Gov. Hobbs has now vetoed 100 bills since taking office.

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Arizona

Arizona State Fair concert series: 3 acts revealed

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Arizona State Fair concert series: 3 acts revealed


PHOENIX – The Arizona State Fair revealed three acts for its 2024 Coliseum Concert Series on Monday.

The All-American Rejects will take the Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum stage on Oct. 12, followed by the I Love the 90s Tour on Oct. 18 and Big Time Rush on Oct. 25.

Tickets for each show go on sale July 12 at 10 a.m. Prices start at $25 and include fair admission, a $15 value. Seating at the arena is fully reserved for all Coliseum Concert Series shows.

Who are the 2024 Arizona State Fair Coliseum Concert Series performers?

The All-American Rejects are one of the top alternative rock bands to emerge from the early 2000s, when they reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Gives You Hell,” “It Ends Tonight” and “Dirty Little Secret.”

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The I Love the 90s Tour features three artists who created some of that decade’s biggest hits: Vanilla Ice (“Ice Ice Baby”), Rob Base (“It Takes Two”) and Montell Jordan (“This Is How We Do It”).

Big Time Rush formed as a fictional boy band for a Nickelodeon show of the same name that ran from 2009 to 2013. The group was popular enough to remain successful long after the show went off the air.

Arizona State Fair officials are working to book more performers for this year’s lineup. Last year’s Coliseum Concert Series, the first after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had six shows: Walker Hayes, Becky G, Ne-Yo, Brothers Osborne, Violent Femmes and Carly Pearce.

When does the 2024 Arizona State Fair start?

The 140th Arizona State Fair runs Thursdays-Sundays from Sept. 20 until Oct. 27 at the fairgrounds at 19th Avenue and McDowell Road in Phoenix.

Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, the original home of the Phoenix Suns, is the largest venue at the site.

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Additional concerts, which are included with admission, are scheduled for other stages at the fairgrounds. Most of the shows feature tribute bands, with renditions of Fleetwood Mac, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Green Day and other beloved artists.

And of course, this year’s fair features the usual thrill rides, midway games, fried food galore and other attractions.

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Lori Vallow’s Arizona murder trial pushed to 2025

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Lori Vallow’s Arizona murder trial pushed to 2025


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Lori Vallow’s murder trial was rescheduled for early 2025 during a hearing Tuesday.

Vallow appeared briefly in Maricopa County Superior Court for the status hearing but left after the judge decided a news camera could film the proceedings. Vallow’s attorney, Gerald Bradley, had argued to have news cameras removed from the court and for the sealing of all recordings of the hearing made by the court’s own camera system.

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Vallow, who was convicted of the murder of her two children, Joshua Vallow and Tylee Ryan, in Idaho earlier this year, entered the courtroom in an orange jail jumpsuit to appear for a status hearing at 8 a.m.

She faces conspiracy to commit murder charges in the death of her ex-husband, Charles Vallow, and a charge of attempted murder in connection with a drive-by shooting that barely missed her ex-nephew-in-law, Brandon Boudreaux.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Justin Beresky ruled to allow media cameras for the status hearing. But after the ruling, Vallow left the courtroom, waiving her appearance.

Vallow’s attorney then told Beresky that he and his team would need more time to review the large amounts of evidence recently handed over to them. The county prosecutor did not object.

Beresky ordered to push out the trial date from August to February.

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Reach the reporter miguel.torres@arizonarepublic.com.



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Thousands of bats live in this Phoenix storm drain. Here’s how to watch them emerge

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Thousands of bats live in this Phoenix storm drain. Here’s how to watch them emerge


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If you see a foreboding cloud of bats flood the night sky this summer, don’t be spooked. This mass migration is not a bad omen but a glimpse at some of Arizonan’s most interesting creatures.

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The National Weather Service reported a large emergence of bats from the Phoenix bat cave at about 9 p.m. on Sunday, drawing closer attention to the many bats in metro Phoenix and Arizona.

Bats are an important part of Arizona’s ecosystem and are much more common than you may think.

Here’s everything about the Phoenix bat cave and the creatures that reside there.

What is the Phoenix bat cave?

Angie McIntire, a bat biologist at the Arizona Game and Fish Department, said in an interview with The Arizona Republic there could be between 10,000 to 20,000 bats living in this unsuspecting storm drain.

But this tunnel is actually the ideal home for many species of Arizona bats. Insectivorous bats, whose diets rely heavily on insects, prefer to stay by long water sources that make skimming the water to catch prey easy, according to the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Since bats spend their downtime hanging upside down, the flood control tunnel’s rough concrete ceilings is the perfect surface to hang from.

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Where is the Phoenix bat cave?

The Phoenix bat cave is located north of 40th Street and Camelback Road. Conveniently, you can walk to the top of the tunnel by following the Arizona Canal. Take the path on the north side of the canal for about 200 yards, past the office buildings and parking garage, to reach the perfect spot to watch the bats.

If you need to find parking, you can find the bat cave parking lot on Google Maps.

What is the best time to see the bats in Phoenix?

Every year, from May through October, thousands of bats migrate to Mexico. They start their journey southbound just before dusk, or 8 p.m. in the summer months, and continue into the night.

What is the most common bat in Phoenix?

Of the 28 different species of bats found in Arizona, Mexican free-tailed bats are the most common. The United States has a Mexican free-tailed population of over 100 million, according to the National Park Service.

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According to another interview with The Republic with McIntire, Mexican free-tailed bats have been found congregating in huge numbers under several bridges in the Phoenix area. McIntire said the Gilbert Road bridge, where Gilbert Road crosses the Salt River, has approximately 30,000 in its structure.

Mexican free-tailed bats can be identified by their reddish to dark brown or gray fur, forward-pointing ears and wrinkled lips. These bats have narrow wings that typically span 12 to 14 inches, allowing them to fly at speeds of 60 miles per hour, according to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.



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