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(Source: CBS 5 News)Live dolphins were shipped to the Valley from Hawaii via FedEx. Animal rights activists are outraged but the general manager of Dolphinaris defended the decision.
Teachers are leaving the profession, and leaving Arizona for bigger paychecks, according to a CBS 5 questionnaire sent to Valley school districts and interviews with current and former teachers.
The dust storm that blew into the Valley of the Sun on July 5, 2011 was a monster. It covered 100 square miles of surface, extended 8,000 feet into the sky, and approached Phoenix at a speed of 40 miles per hour. "I've never seen anything so incredible as that," said Ken Waters, who is warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Phoenix office.
Three of the major professional franchises in the Valley want or demand new venues even though their current homes aren't paid off. (Source: CBS 5 News)The Arizona Coyotes have made it clear for years that they want out of Glendale. The team looked into moving to Las Vegas, but now appears to be eying downtown Phoenix. If the move happens, the Coyotes would be leaving behind a state of the art venue, now called Gila River Arena. And they would be leaving Glendale taxpayers with a bill for $145 million, which is the amount the city still owes on the arena.
(Source: CBS 5 News)A single paragraph 13 pages into the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, also known as Arizona's Prop 205, may create an insurmountable obstacle to prosecutors who are trying to convict people of driving under the influence of marijuana.
Valley school districts are exploring the idea of using technology, similar to red light cameras, in an effort to reduce the number of vehicles that pass stopped school buses, in violation of the law.
Public school administrators say they need hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding to take care of critical maintenance and repair problems at their schools.
"As soon as we put them in their new pool, the animals popped up and ate fish and they've been doing very well ever since," said Dr. Grey Stafford, who is the facility's general manager. (Source: CSB 5 News)Animal rights activists are raising questions about the location of a new dolphin aquarium, which is set to open in mid-October. The facility is adjacent to Scottsdale but within the borders of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, which means it is not subject to local and county ordinances or state animal welfare laws.
One of two main tunnels that run south to north between Arizona and Mexico. (Source: CBS 5 News)Inspectors from the US General Services Administration are studying the structural integrity of a tunnel that runs from Mexico into Arizona beneath the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales.
It is a state board that sets the rates for power, water and other utilities, but most residents have little idea who the Arizona Corporation Commission members are, much less who is running for the three seats up for election this fall.
Thursday marks two years since Charles Vacca was killed in a bizarre mishap at a roadside diner and shooting range in the desert outside Kingman. The fact that the tragedy was caught on video made it a major media story. But it was the details of what happened that revealed the real horror.
It's been four years since Sheriff Joe Arpaio held his last news conference detailing his accusations that President Barack Obama released a fake birth certificate to the public, but that doesn't mean the investigation is over.
The FBI is warning ordinary citizens across the country, that they have popped up on ISIS "hit lists" that are circulating on the Internet. Some of the people on those lists are Valley residents, according to law enforcement officers who spoke to CBS 5 Investigates.
The spot where firefighters found Cody earlier this summer. (Source: CBS 5 News)Brian Flom's 12-year old son, Cody, died after a hike in the sweltering desert heat. As he searches for clues to his own son's death, he's calling on lawmakers to protect other children from suffering the same fate as Cody.
It is common for parents of public high school students to pay as much as $300 in fees and costs associated with their children's education, according to district fee schedules and parents who spoke to CBS 5 Investigates.
The perfectly symmetrical lines of planes stretch out for at least a half mile in all directions. Welcome to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, also known as the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Some of the planes here -- hundreds of the legendary F-16 Fighting Falcons -- have been assigned to a new mission.
Brian Flom talked to Morgan Loew about the lost of his son and the questions he wants answered. (Source: KPHO)Brian Flom is torn between grief and anger. His 12-year-old son, Cody, died on Friday night, after going on a hike in 110-degree weather. And the circumstances surrounding Cody's death leave Brian with lots of questions.
It took 17 years to fill Lake Powell after the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam. But Powell's water level has been steadily dropping for the past 16 years due to an extended drought and overuse of the Colorado River. Lake Mead is just 37 percent full. The fact that neither lake is full today, or likely to get filled anytime soon, is giving an old idea new life.
The owner of a patch of land in southeastern Arizona who still owes the state for its dust control work bought a $17 million mansion in Atlanta.
Arizona Public Service has tripled the number of employees dedicated to reviewing solar applications. Until this spring, customers with new solar panels were waiting months for approval to turn their systems on.
If talk of a serial killer on the loose on the streets of Phoenix sounds like déjà vu, it is not your imagination. Investigative reporter Morgan Loew revisits the "Year of Terror." It was 10 years ago now that the Valley was in a state of perpetual fear as what turned out to the be three serial killers roamed the streets at night.
At least 60 families living in public housing in Arizona earn too much money to qualify for the benefit, according to an audit conducted by the U.S. Inspector General's Office.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's campaign has taken in nearly $10 million for his re-election bid. (Source: KPHO)Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's campaign has taken in nearly $10 million for his re-election bid, but has less than half that amount on hand, due to an expensive fund raising effort.
Dust problems may continue in southeastern Arizona. (Source: KPHO/KTVK)The images of thick, brown dust all but blocking Interstate 10 captured the attention of motorists, state regulators and the media. ADOT had to shut down one of the busiest east-west freeways in the country, and all the dust problems may continue if certain things aren't addressed.
A Lake Powell tour boat operator is facing a federal lawsuit (Source: KPHO)A Lawsuit filed in federal district court in Arizona accuses a Lake Powell tour boat operator of creating dangerous waves that are injuring other boaters.
There's a new call to close Tent City in Phoenix (Source: KPHO/KTVK)Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo is calling for the closure of Tent City Jail, citing a dramatic drop in the number of inmates housed the county jail system.
By the end of January of this year, the campaign to re-elect Sheriff Joe Arpaio had raised $8 million, which is an enormous take for an elected official at the county level. But campaign finance disclosure statements show that haul came at an enormous cost.
Business leaders across Arizona are bracing for negative backlash from Mexican tourists and businesses, as a result of negative political ads aimed at Mexico.
A television commercial that appears to poke fun at security guards has exposed an industry practice that many people are unaware of, according to security consultants who spoke to CBS 5 Investigates.
The Department of Defense, the FBI and U.S. attorneys in at least six states are investigating allegations that some compounding pharmacies are committing fraud, selling expensive "pain creams" and other drugs not approved by the FDA to military veterans.
Two shootouts in the desert south of Phoenix may indicate the Sinaloa Drug Cartel is ordering its smugglers to ramp up violence in an effort to protect drug shipments, according to multiple law enforcement sources who spoke to CBS 5 Investigates.
The wash beneath the Lead Queen Mine in southern Arizona remains stained from acid mine drainage. This wash leads to the watershed for the town of Patagonia. (Source: CBS 5 Investigates)The state of Arizona is home to an estimated 100,000 abandoned mines, but no state or federal agency has an accurate count of how many of them are leaking toxic heavy metals into the environment and waterways.
Lookouts who work for the Sinaloa drug cartel are moving from mountain to mountain in the desert between Phoenix and the border, spying on U.S. law enforcement officers.
The parking spaces surrounding the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office two year old headquarters are covered in bags, which means nobody is supposed to park there. But up until a month ago, the spaces next to the bagged meters at MCSO were filled with unmarked sheriff's office vehicles.
A CBS 5 analysis found polls in last week's Presidential Preference Elections were located in wealthier and whiter neighborhoods (Source: KPHO)A CBS 5 News analysis of US Census data shows that polling places for last week's Presidential Preference Election tended to be located in wealthier, whiter zip codes, when compared to Maricopa County as a whole.
A day after thousands of Maricopa County voters stood in line for hours, the county official in charge of the elections department denied that cost-cutting was to blame. But in February, when the county board of supervisors approved the plan to reduce the number of polling places, money appeared to be the top concern.
Stephanie Holland was looking forward to a relaxing week of spring break in Sevilla, Spain when she landed in Brussels, Belgium. Instead, she became a witness to a terrorist attack that killed dozens.
Smugglers use drainage tunnels and sewers to deliver drugs (Photo source: KPHO)Drug smugglers in Nogales, Sonora are using the border city's sewer and drainage tunnels to circumvent barriers set up by US Customs and Border Protection.
A state Auditor General's report released Tuesday shows that public school district spending in the classroom has dropped to its lowest levels since the monitoring began 15 years ago.
Valley water departments boast about delivering safe and clean water that rarely, if ever, violates EPA safe drinking water standard. But critics argue that those federal standards are not strict enough. And water quality reports show tap water here in the Valley does, in fact, contain contaminants.
The state mine inspector estimates there are roughly 100,000 abandoned mines in Arizona. But environmental officials have no way of knowing how many of those mines are leaching toxic residues, metals or compounds into the environment.
The fiery aftermath of a deadly shooting here in the Valley made headlines across the country, but now it appears scammers are trying to cash in on the tragedy.
A report set for release Tuesday concludes that charter schools in Arizona spend more than twice the amount that traditional public school districts spend on administrative expenses.
As the new head of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Col. Frank Milstead had a novel idea. When it comes to combating the drug smuggling gangs that use the southern Arizona desert as a superhighway, why not just jam their radio and wireless communications so they can't coordinate smuggling efforts?
The US Attorney's office, FBI, Securities and Exchange Commission, and the US Customs and Immigration Service are investigating possible abuses by officials from PhoenixMart, for its involvement in a program that trades foreign investment for US "Green Cards."
From the Pinal County Sheriff's Office helicopter, the men running down the mountain look like small stick figures. But without the aid of the chopper and its cameras, there is little hope the deputies and Border Patrol agents on the slope would be able to catch these drug cartel scouts.
The mountain peak provides 360-degree views of the desert below. It is this vantage point that is coveted by Mexican drug cartel scouts, stationed up here for weeks at a time, and tasked with one job: guiding drug shipments north from the border.
Private sales of handguns and rifles are allowed under federal and state law without background checks, so long as the seller is not in the business of selling guns. But according to legal experts, defining what "in the business of selling guns" means is up for debate.
Long before a figurehead for the anti-Islam movement made his initial appearance in a US District Court courtroom on conspiracy charges related to a weekslong standoff in Oregon, his home state of Arizona was already well-known to anti-government and anti-immigrant extremists.
Betty Amparano has been sounding the alarm about environmental pollution in her hometown of Hayden, Arizona for nearly 20 years. In November, the effort finally seemed to pay off, as ASARCO, the company that owns the copper smelter in Hayden, agreed to a settlement with the EPA that will cost the company more than $160-million in fines and smelter improvements that are meant to reduce pollution and its effects on the community.
A CBS 5 News Facebook poll shows respondents overwhelmingly believe education should be lawmakers' first priority during the 2016 legislative session. But an analysis of bills already introduced at the state capitol shows more bills dealing with election reform than any other subject.
An organization made of parents from across the country is sending a warning about the growing trend of schools collecting and sharing data on students.
The U.S. Forest Service has finished cleanup work on an abandoned mine, which spewed a river of toxic sludge in September of 2014.
A state senator from Tucson submitted the first bill for the 2016 legislative session, and it addresses growing concerns over the state's specialty license plates.
Roughly 400 certified teachers are waiting for complaints against them to be fully investigated, as the Arizona Board of Education’s investigators work through a backlog that has persisted for years. Making matters worse is the public fight between the Board of Education and the state superintendent of public instruction.
Stem cell clinics are opening in cities across the country, offering to treat a wide range of ailments and diseases, from bad knees to baldness, Alzheimer’s to Multiple Sclerosis. But some researchers and physicians worry that the clinics may give false hope to desperate patients. More>>
(Source: KPHO/KTVK)The spectre of a worldwide helium shortage is leading gas exploration companies to the high plains of Arizona’s Navajo and Apache counties. More>>
New housing market data suggests now may be a good time for homeowners to buy larger houses in suburbs. More>>
Although agents confiscate the drug at their checkpoint near Amado, AZ, they appear to be ignoring the marijuana fields near the checkpoint. CBS 5 Investigates videotaped Border Patrol vehicles driving by the pot fields several times per day. More>>
The president of a company that has flown surveillance planes over some of the most dangerous parts of the world is offering to use his technology to help catch the freeway shooter. More>>
A plan set in motion two years ago is paying off for Tempe Police Department as the number of violent and property crimes in the city has dropped by as much as 30 percent. More>>
The key to identifying whether the freeway shooter is shooting from a car or standing on a bridge or overpass is the trajectory of the bullets, according to one former police sergeant who spoke to CBS 5 Investigates. More>>
When sixth-graders returned to school in the Casa Grande Elementary district this fall, they were assigned social studies textbooks that contain no mention of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq, or the election of Barack Obama, the first African-American president in United States history. More>>
The "millennial" workforce demands high-tech amenities and access to housing and entertainment close to their places of employment. More>>
A series of images captured by a group of journalists in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico appears to show soldiers from that country's military beating a man on the side of the road, and leaving him bleeding on the sidewalk. More>>
Three members of a border militia group are behind bars, charged with conspiracy to sell cocaine. They were caught in an FBI sting operation, involving an undercover agent, a plot to steal drugs and money from cartel smugglers, an offer of murder for hire and a high speed chase through the streets of Phoenix. More>>
There is a large demand for seats at BASIS desks. There is currently a 7,000-student waiting list for this fall. (Source: CBS 5 News)Critics argue the small graduating classes give BASIS the appearance of a school system that succeeds in creating top scholars out of nearly all of its students. They say the lower-performing students transfer out of the system before senior year. More>>
School districts across Arizona are relying on long-term substitute teachers to fill positions that should go to certified teachers. More>>
Residents of a downtown Phoenix neighborhood tell CBS 5 Investigates they are concerned about the possibility of a new air carrier moving to Sky Harbor. The concern focuses on the age of the planes and how noisy they are. More>>
(Source: CBS 5 News)Officials from the Arizona Department of Corrections are set to meet with advocacy groups next week to discuss policies for the treatment of transgender inmates. More>>
The City of Phoenix is using an EPA grant to identify polluted vacant lots that could become community gardens, but at least one local environmentalist says it’s a potentially hazardous idea. More>>
Residents of a north Phoenix neighborhood are speaking out against a proposed apartment building they say will ruin their views, hurt their property values and violate city's general plan for their part of the Valley. More>>
A licensed drone operator demonstrates a takeoffWhile agents from the U.S. Border Patrol are on the lookout for more airborne smuggling attempts, there is some indication that drug cartels are at least experimenting with even smaller aircraft More>>
U.S. Border Patrol agents rescued five immigrants from the trunks of cars in one day alone last week. More>>
At least five states have enacted limits on the amount of money insurance can charge for prescription drug co-pays. But in Arizona, the effort appears to have stalled, as the insurance and pharmaceutical industries argue over who should pick up the associated costs More>>
At the end of April, Corinthian Colleges, Inc. closed its 28 ground campuses, including its Everest College campuses in Phoenix. Among those attending the for-profit school were military veterans using the GI Bill. More>>
Chances are, you've seen the tents on street corners across the Valley. The have signs that read, "Free Cell Phones." On the street, they're known as "Obama Phones." More>>
To the tens of thousands of young people who sell the product, Vemma is not just an energy drink, it's a revolution, a path for young people to make lots of money, drive expensive cars and do it all under a business model that does not involve college or traditional employment. More>>
A debate is raging within the orthodontics world, and the result could have an effect on when your children get braces and just how much they'll cost. More>>
A Valley charter school watchdog is criticizing large charter management chains for directing more dollars away from the classroom than most traditional public schools. More>>
Arizona is seeing a consolidation of hospital companies, and some patient care advocates and attorneys say this may create a scenario where profits compete against a patient's best interests. More>>
The tightening job market is leading more businesses to require their employees to sign non-compete contracts, which restrict their ability to work for a competing company or start out on their own. More>>
A debate is raging across the city of Phoenix, pitting residents of established neighborhoods against developers and city planning officials. At stake is the future of infill development within city limits.
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A growing number of unscrupulous brokers and investors are targeting startup companies, claiming they can deliver big investments for an up front fee.
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Tight budgets are forcing some Valley school districts to use old tires with new treads, while others are moving away from the practice, citing safety concerns. More>>
The months following last summer's active monsoon storms saw spikes in complaints against licensed and unlicensed contractors. More>>
Attorneys for ADOT tried to convince skeptical Supreme Court justices that the state is immune from liability for injuries that result from safety problems on our freeways. More>>
A case in front of the Arizona Supreme Court could have broad implications for roadway safety, according to attorneys and public safety advocates who are following the proceedings. More>>
The fine print in your contract can put you on the hook for thousands of dollars, and don't think the 1st Amendment will protect you! (09/28/2016)
More >The fine print in your contract can put you on the hook for thousands of dollars, and don't think the 1st Amendment will protect you! (09/28/2016)
More >The FBI said there is a nation-wide scam where the crooks sell fake contact lenses. CBS 5 Investigator Morgan Loew on how to spoke the fakes before you buy them. (Wednesday, September 21, 2016)
More >The FBI said there is a nation-wide scam where the crooks sell fake contact lenses. CBS 5 Investigator Morgan Loew on how to spoke the fakes before you buy them. (Wednesday, September 21, 2016)
More >There's an email going around that looks like it's from Wells Fargo but it's really from scammers. CBS 5 Advocate Dave Cherry has what to look for. (Wednesday, September 14, 2016)
More >There's an email going around that looks like it's from Wells Fargo but it's really from scammers. CBS 5 Advocate Dave Cherry has what to look for. (Wednesday, September 14, 2016)
More >Connecting your smartphone to your rental car could make you a victim of identity theft. (09/07/2016)
More >Connecting your smartphone to your rental car could make you a victim of identity theft. (09/07/2016)
More >Claims from the Eukanuba dog food company about its food increasing the life span of dogs don't hold up. (Wednesday, August 10, 2016)
More >Claims from the Eukanuba dog food company about its food increasing the life span of dogs don't hold up. (Wednesday, August 10, 2016)
More >Hospitals in four states are affected, and over 3 million people could be victims. (08/03/2016)
More >Hospitals in four states are affected, and over 3 million people could be victims. (08/03/2016)
More >Their personal life or circumstances of a contractor you know, like and trust may have changed so don't change your approach.
More >Their personal life or circumstances of a contractor you know, like and trust may have changed so don't change your approach.
More >Just buy the paint for them and pay 100 percent at job completion.
More >Just buy the paint for them and pay 100 percent at job completion.
More >Apple settled a price-fixing case and agreed to pay e-book customers $400 million. More than $8 Million of that will go to Arizona customers.
More >Apple settled a price-fixing case and agreed to pay e-book customers $400 million. More than $8 Million of that will go to Arizona customers.
More >
Morgan Loew is an investigative reporter on the CBS 5 Investigates team. His reports have landed crooks behind bars and led to changes in state law.
Click to learn more about Morgan .
He has exposed conmen who prey on the elderly and predators who target women and children. Morgan combines his legal training with the experience he’s earned over 20-years of news reporting in Arizona to break big stories and dig beyond the headlines. His stories about education, consumer scams and crooked politicians have gone on to make national headlines. Among his favorite investigations are the ones that take him undercover. In addition his hidden camera investigations on drug and human smuggling, Morgan infiltrated some of the most dangerous militia and vigilante groups in the southwest. Members were later charged with crimes that range from murder to child molesting. Over the years, Morgan’s work has appeared on CBS News, CNN, NBC, MSNBC, and NPR. Morgan won ten Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards, a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting, the Society of Professional Journalists’ First Amendment Award, and a commendation from the Humane Society of the United States. Morgan is a graduate of the University of Arizona School of Journalism, earned his Juris Doctorate at Concord Law School, teaches media law at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, and is the president of the First Amendment Coalition of Arizona, Inc., which advocates for open records and open government. When he’s not working, Morgan enjoys camping, cheering for the Arizona Wildcats, and spending time with his family at their ranch in southern Arizona.
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