Chris Limberis Archives

Loan Wolves
A proposal to rein in predatory lending splits the Tucson City Council. (08/21/03)

Schoolyard Scuffle
Costs are climbing for Tanque Verde's push to build a new high school. (08/14/03)

Grand Old Phantasy
Republicans want Tom Volgy thrown off the ballot for participating on a redistricting committee. (08/07/03)

Getting Back to Basics
As funding is chopped, the City Council tweaks its neighborhood and downtown reinvestment plan. (07/31/03)

Traffic Accident
Clear Channel has traffic reporters in Tucson. Our mistake. (07/31/03)

Sinking Swimmers
Skyrocketing city pool fees are leaving many high and dry. (07/24/03)

Voice of the Desert
Tucson Q&A with David Yetman. (07/17/03)

Non-Local Traffic
Clear Channel provides Tucsonans with traffic reports from Phoenix. (07/17/03)

Broken Record
Pima County spending will top a billion dollars for the first time. (07/10/03)

A Night at the Triple T
Despite business struggles, TTT still features interesting characters on a regular basis. (07/03/03)

The Principal's Principles
A TUSD investigation of Maxwell Middle School's Ruben Ruiz reveals numerous rule violations. (07/03/03)

Quiet on the Set
Fade to Black at Old Tucson. (06/26/03)

Political Birth
He's never voted in a muni election, but Armando Rios Jr. says he's found the light in politics. (06/19/03)

Unhealthy Operations
Local lawmakers vote for more payments to HealthSouth, a move that hurts Pima's patients. (06/05/03)

School's Out
A judge says the Tanque Verde School District violated the Open Meeting Law. (05/29/03)

Swing Shift
TUSD counselor moonlights for nudie mag. (05/22/03)

Kino Cutbacks
The county hospital will no longer take medical patients starting next month. (05/15/03)

No Peace in the Valley
The battle over a high school in the Tanque Verde school district rages on. (05/08/03)

The Battle Over Old Tucson
The county and two of its wealthiest residents keep fighting--with no end in sight. (05/01/03)

Tucson's Name in Lights
Does the Old Pueblo have a future as a movie production mecca? (05/01/03)

All in the Family
After a fight with a student, a monitor--the principal's brother-in-law--gets promoted to substitute teacher. (04/24/03)

Release the List!
KXCI's management loses a battle in the war with some frustrated listeners. (04/17/03)

Behind in the Count
The Sidewinders are off to a great start, but can they draw enough fans to survive? (04/10/03)

Playing Percentages
Tucson City Hall's proposed property tax hike is a whopper--for some folks. (04/03/03)

Role Model
A TUSD assistant high school principal was in trouble with drugs a mere five years ago. (03/27/03)

Heroic Measures?
Can University Physicians save Kino Community Hospital? (03/20/03)

Double Standard
"The Star" doesn't walk its talk when it comes to taxes. (03/13/03)

Delinquent Community Leaders
Tax lists show many well-known Tucsonans aren't paying their fair share. (03/06/03)

Passing the Buck in Oro Valley
Officials in Pima County's richest area want the county to pay some of its "discretionary" bills. (02/27/03)

The Battle Over the List
The fight that could determine KXCI's future goes to the courts. (02/20/03)

The Bucks Go Here
In the face of budget cuts, Mayor Walkup's administration still outspends his predecessors by a large margin. (02/13/03)

Waite's Wait
The future of the GOP county chairman-turned-felon sits in the hands of Democratic Gov. Napolitano. (02/06/03)

Pointed Dispute
Stone, Sixth would become two-way under city plan for Five Points traffic. (01/09/03)

Cross Currents
Protesters get their Irish up after KXCI radio ousts show, host. (12/19/02)

Move That Ball and Chain
Arizona to ship 645 prisoners to private prison in Newton, Texas. (12/12/02)

Land Barons
County open space purchases top $24 million since '97 vote, mostly in Tucson Mountains, Canoa Ranch. (12/05/02)

What's the Impact?
Supervisors may increase the fee on new homes to help pay the costs of growth. (11/07/02)

Rinky Dink
Gateway owner, youth hockey backer spar over who's allowed on the ice. (10/31/02)

Survivor
Gail Leland doesn't need to be reminded of Tucson's mean streets. She remembers. (10/24/02)

State of the County
What you won't learn at the big Expo this week. (10/17/02)

Pay Ball
The Sidewinders wriggle out of lease provisions, leaving county taxpayers holding the skin. (10/03/02)

Lawyers, Guns and Money
Attorneys Phil Higdon, Stanton Bloom, Amelia Craig Cramer, Fred Kay and Paul Gattone (09/27/02)

Healer
Drs. Leonard Ditmanson and Brendan Phibbs (09/27/02)

Swing It
Armen Dirtadian, golfer-singer-teacher (09/27/02)

Sad State
Arizona's tax system is full of inequities, but reform looks unlikely. (09/26/02)

Taxes bite
Alvina Gutierrez watches the tax on her 40-year-old home go up and up and wonders where it will all end. (09/12/02)

Jesus Christ!
The Prince of Peace, or, rather, his namesake, seeks election as Justice of the Peace. (09/05/02)

Hard Time
A mother battles state prison officials to keep her son's testicular cancer from becoming a life sentence. (08/29/02)

Free Ride
Supervisor drives county vehicle to promote his candidacy at political functions. (08/15/02)

Short Memories?
'Lifelong Democrat' Raúl Grijalva belonged to another party, La Raza Unida, when it suited him. (08/08/02)

Out of Bounds
A candidate, UA football tix and big shots. (08/01/02)

Cadillac Corner
City stores spare buses for Sun Tran at the former Mackey property on Broadway. (07/25/02)

Night and Day
Supervisor wants to change the culture of county government, but don't shine the light into her office. (07/18/02)

Dead Men Don't Vote
Or sign Justice of the Peace candidate Armando Ronquillo's petitions, a court rules. (07/11/02)

Growth Budget
New houses, commercial development and car sales a big boost to Pima County tax base. (07/04/02)

Good Intentions
Supervisor got no-bid contract for consulting on South 12th road project before he joined board. (06/27/02)

Class Action
Legal maneuvers continue in the latest TUSD scandal. (06/20/02)

Sex Ed
Another tawdry scandal rocks Tucson Unified School District. (06/13/02)

Cop Chop
New city budget shifts police resources downtown, at the expense of neighborhoods. (06/06/02)

What's Swat, Doc?
The question for U.S. surgeon general nominee Richard Carmona is . . . what's the question again? (05/30/02)

The Color of Money
State seeks to slow runaway tax hikes for desegregating Tucson schools. (05/23/02)

All roads lead out of Tucson
Most of the big supporters of the road tax don't live inside the city. (05/16/02)

Party Favors
Blue Ribbon Committee Proposes City Charter Changes. (05/02/02)

Breaking Bread
Raúl Grijalva still firmly supports farmworkers. But in his bid for Congress, he's currying the favor of a big-money California grower. (04/18/02)

Captive Audience
City touts transportation plan to its workers, some of whom take to the streets on its behalf. (04/11/02)

Troubled Waters
Tucson's aquarium project is roiled before it even gets off the ground. (04/04/02)

Moldy Oldy
Mold infestation prompts closure of Kino Community Hospital's fourth floor. (03/28/02)

Short End of the Stick
Feeding the parking meter is a stretch when you're confined to a wheelchair. (03/21/02)

Flow Job
The mayor walks on water, or is it just magic? (03/14/02)

Change is in Order
County road construction costs go up as contractors win approval for add-ons that boost the price. (03/07/02)

The Next Raúl
Supervisors will choose from 12 applicants for Grijalva's seat. Whomever is selected will have to win at the polls this fall. (02/21/02)

What They're Worth
County supervisors reveal their assets on public disclosure forms. (02/14/02)

Pride of the South Side
A skinny basketball player who has paced the region in scoring this season, setting a state record along the way, is the latest in a long line of Pueblo High School stars. (02/07/02)

Public Disclosure
Mayor, City Council members show us the money. (02/07/02)

Road Test
Those who ignore transit tax-proposal history are doomed to repeat it. (01/24/02)

Sucking the Deseg Teat
Lawyer Laurence Marc Berlin wants TUSD taxpayers to pay for his Harvard degree. (01/17/02)

Buon compleanno, capo di tutti capi, in pensione.
Birthday greetings to the capo di tutti capi. (01/17/02)

Wire Service
Back by popular demand--the top 6 fixes of the year! (12/27/01)

Replacing Raúl
When Grijalva resigns to run for Congress, who will get his county seat? (12/27/01)

Run Over
County officials bicker over road improvements that are both expensive and stalled. (12/20/01)

Rialto Ripples
Rumors of the Rialto's demise are greatly exaggerated. (12/20/01)

Extreme Eckstrom
He Keeps South Tucson's Political Machine Purring And Growling. (12/13/01)

Breakfast of Champions?
If Tucson Republicans hope to continue their winning streak, whitebread politics will soon be toast. (12/13/01)

The Fix Ain't In
Much work remains before various interest groups can reform the city charter. (12/06/01)

Speed Traps
Driven to distraction at traffic school. (11/29/01)

Attack of the Killer Gerrymander
New county redistricting has created a monster. (11/22/01)

There Goes the Neighborhood
In a campaign that divided the city geographically, the winners couldn't carry their own neighborhoods. (11/15/01)

Pinched Hitters
Local baseball is still losing money--ours. (11/15/01)

Sick Transit, Gloria Mundi
Can new transportation boss Kurt Weinrich repair the county's road troubles? (11/08/01)

Requiem for a Heavyweight
Gary Triano's sensational murder remains unsolved after five years. (11/01/01)

Trauma Drama
You can save Tucson's trauma centers for as little as $4.50. (10/18/01)

Open-door Policy
It may be hard to meet legitimately with elected officials, but if you're up to no good in the County administration building, walk right in. (10/11/01)

Trash Talk
Charges that Paula Aboud manages junky property are piling up. (10/04/01)

Blade 'n' Grade
One tract along the Tortolitas suggests the future of Marana's surrounding desert. (09/27/01)

Terrorists in Tiny Town
Tucson is both cosmopolitan and isolated enough to shelter violent subversives-in-the-making. (09/20/01)

Green-light District
Raúl Grijalva may have an easy ride to Washington. (09/13/01)

Jersey Pricks
A county contract for cactus-conservation PR goes to the land of the Sopranos. (09/13/01)

Drivers In A Box
Bond money for major-road improvements is increasingly diverted to neighborhood projects. (08/30/01)

Retiring Debt
TUSD just realized it owes money in a retirement-system lawsuit, and guess who pays? (08/09/01)

Fouled Nest
Tu Nidito's lawsuit saga continues. (08/02/01)

Where There's Smoke
Northwest Fire District has money to burn. (07/19/01)

Battered Shelter
Union busting may underlie many of the Brewster Center's problems. (07/12/01)

Fantasy Ireland
TUSD's "fantasy" tax increase will be all too real to small businesses. (07/05/01)

Blockbusted
If you think Blockbuster Video's late fees are high, wait until you see how much some stores are taxing you. (06/28/01)

Male Order
Taken at its word, the City Charter excludes women from local government. (06/21/01)

Dirty Dealings
A TUSD janitor fights for his job, and his life. (06/14/01)

Charter Chatter
City governance may need reform, but are the proposals of Tucson's business elite the reform we really need? (06/07/01)

Taxaholics
Pima County supes can't stop guzzling property taxes, which are the state's highest. (05/31/01)

Behind In The Count
The squeeze play at Tucson Electric Park. (05/24/01)

Walking a Tightrope
The City Council belatedly studies a no-impact property-tax boost to balance the budget. (05/17/01)

Monument Attack
GOP leaders and mining company want Ironwood Forest National Monument changes. (05/03/01)

Tip O' the Hat
Sen. Andy Nichols earned respect from conservatives as well as his fellow progressives. (04/26/01)

Yrun is the One
Supervisors name former Planned Parenthood head to fill Nichols' vacant Senate seat. (04/26/01)

Invasion of the Bar Snatchers
Marathon has fallen to the UA, but its Sixth Street neighbors aren't fleeing yet. (04/19/01)

Line Art
Redistricting the county will mean a whole new look for the supes. (04/05/01)

What's in a Name?
In the restaurant biz, sometimes a lawsuit. (03/29/01)

Drawing Board
Pima County's process for sketching political boundaries is underway. (03/22/01)

Shell-City Game
Incorporating Casas Adobes could mean reducing taxes for the rest of us. (03/08/01)

Diamond in the Rough
Pima County got taken, out at the ballgame. (03/01/01)

The Battle of Marathon
A family fights over the sale of their restaurant, while the UA Foundation toys with their fate. (02/22/01)

Weed Whacker
A tribal judge on the wrong side of the law tries to pull her life together. (02/08/01)

Brown-Thumb Budget
Despite rosy projections, the county budget's weedpatch of deficits is choking any hope of tax relief. (02/01/01)

Zoning Out
The supes welcome a lawsuit against them as their last chance to fight the state law against downzoning. (01/18/01)

Taxed Patience
Voters approve a sales tax for education, but will they ante up for city buses too? (12/28/00)

Spin Cycle
El Tour de Tucson gives financial life support to a troubled hospice. (12/14/00)

Taking Counsel
Tucson bids farewell to Elsa Paine Mulhern. (12/07/00)

Open Meeting Flaw
Old Amphi adversaries unite for a curious interpretation of the law. (11/16/00)

Academic Contest
The only surprise in the TUSD race is how long it's taken Judy Burns to join the board. (11/02/00)

Greek Tragedy
Two angry people collide on a Tucson street. (09/14/00)

Balentine's Day
Amphi follows a new leader. (06/15/00)

Numbers Game
Is Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry's proposed budget for real? (05/25/00)

Bringing The Peace
Stan Paz returns to lead TUSD. (05/25/00)

Bum's Rush
Amphi's ruling majority is outta there! (05/18/00)

Breaking Records
In the final weeks of the recall campaign, incumbents use student files to boost their campaigns. (05/11/00)

See Ya in Court
A recap of Amphi's recent legal adventures. (05/04/00)

Final Exam
Three candidates seek to unseat Amphi's ruling majority. (05/04/00)

Bye, George
County Waste Water Management chief George Brinsko is calling it quits after more than two decades. (04/27/00)

Moot Suit
The recall is on at Amphi. (04/20/00)

All Done In District 1
Rich Genser decides not to seek the Republican nomination for the Pima County Board of Supervisors. (04/06/00)

Trials And Tribulations
Three members of the Amphi School Board face a recall election, and Ken Smith has his day in court. (03/30/00)

Flow Woe
An intractable TUSD threatens the Arroyo Chico flood control project. (03/23/00)

L.A. Influential
With the help of local contributions, Steve Soboroff is seeking the Los Angeles mayor's seat. (03/16/00)

Cornering Canoa
The secret's out: County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry is developing a proposal to acquire three-quarters of the Canoa Ranch. (03/09/00)

Ballot Background
Past election results indicate the three Amphi Board members facing recall have something to fear. (03/02/00)

Rich Offering
Republican Rich Genser tosses his hat into the Board of Supervisors' ring. (02/24/00)

Total Recall
A parents' group forces a recall of three Amphi Board members. (02/24/00)

Try, Try Again
After a tedious day in court, Ken Smith's fate remains in limbo. (02/17/00)

Trying Time
Ken Smith continues the good fight in court on Monday. (02/10/00)

Contract Squabble
Why is the county doing business with PricewaterhouseCoopers after the SEC reported the company had violated 8,064 federal rules? (01/20/00)

Back In The Saddle Again
After seven years, former County Manager Enrique Serna is back in the Pima ranks. (01/06/00)

Coup De Todd
A closer look at the effort to boot Ken Smith from the Amphi School Board. (12/23/99)

The Bruce Is Loose
In his new post, Postil will continue to show his bosses that the unmanageable can in fact be managed. (12/09/99)

Heir Flight
John Nachbar heads home to Kansas. (12/02/99)

Under New Management
City Manager Luis Gutierrez calls it quits. (11/25/99)

All Too Soon
Tucson says good-bye to deputy Pima County attorney Richard McKee. (11/11/99)

The Road To MDA
Jerry wants his kids' needs met. (11/04/99)

What's The Prognosis?
High-flying SWAT Doc Richard Carmona is grounded until next month. (10/14/99)

War For Ward 4
Just who is Debra L. Johnson? (08/19/99)

County Accounting
The Board of Supervisors manage to pare down a few costs as they pass the largest budget in Pima County history. (08/12/99)

City Hall Showdown
Four Democrats battle for the nomination in Tucson's mayoral contest. (08/05/99)

Deep Pockets
A closer look at the latest City Council campaign finance reports. (07/29/99)

The Doctor Is Out
Embattled Dr. Richard Carmona resigns his post heading up Pima County healthcare system. (07/15/99)

School's Out
After four successful years, Principal Mendoza is goin' back to Cali. (07/15/99)

Dash For Cash
Take the money and run. (07/08/99)

Dire Rates
Pima County supervisors are flirting with a 15 percent property tax increase that they hope not many voters will notice when tax bills arrive just after Labor Day. (07/01/99)