Investigators take a look at the burned squad car after a February 2008 vehicle crash at West Ajo Way and South La Cholla Boulevard.

Some Tucson drivers could use a little training. Or a lot of training.

Many don’t even seem to know what a blinker is, much less how to use it.

That’s not the only knowledge they are lacking.

Road runner: One-fifth of Arizonans on road would flunk written driving exam, Arizona Daily Star

More than one-fifth of the Arizonans who have driver’s licenses could not pass the written driving exam today, according to a national survey.

Nationally, 20 percent of Americans with licenses can’t pass the test, and in Arizona the number climbs a bit to 22.8 percent, based on numbers from the GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test. Read story: www.azstarnet.com/metro/294281

While Arizona flunkee statistics may seem pretty high, we are only a shade higher than the national average.

And there are places that have even crazier motorists.

Tucson drivers are not as reckless as those I’ve seen – or nearly been hit by – in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Sure enough, the report mentions that New Yorkers ranked the lowest scores on the road, averaging 70.5 on their driving tests.

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What’s the most insane driving habits you’ve seen in Tucson?

What’s the worst driving you’ve seen anywhere?

Would you pass the written driving exam if you took it today?

Prisoners beware: your cell phone privileges have just been terminated.

A newly trained prison K-9 is on the prowl, one that can sniff out your cell phone.

Arizona prison K-9s have new calling: detecting cell phones, Arizona Daily Star

For decades, authorities have used K-9 dogs to sniff out drugs, explosives and other contraband.

The Arizona Department of Corrections has found a new item for dogs to detect: cell phones. Read story: www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/294313.php

Cool.

Now we just need prison dogs that also sniff out shanks, razor blades hidden in cakes and fake heads made out of soap that let inmates pretend they are in their bunks when they aren’t.

Too bad we can’t bring these sharp-sniffing dogs outside of prisons to help find our own cell phones.

Countless times I’ve misplaced mine, often when it’s shut off and I can’t even call it to find out where it ended up.

One former staffer paid $300 for her lost company cell phone only to later find it later nestled somewhere weird.

The cell-phone-finding dogs would also be a plus if they could sniff out keys and forgotten money.

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What would you like a K-9 to find?

What’s the most expensive item you’ve ever lost?

Tucson police Officer Erik David Hite, 43. <a href="http://10.4.149.24/archives/photos/search/?search%5Bform%5D%5Bfulltext%5D=Tucson+Police+Dept.+within+BYLINE"/>

Slain Tucson police Officer Erik Hite deserves to be remembered, and folks at the Saguaro Canyon Evangelical Free Church are doing their part.

They will soon be opening the Erik Hite Family Park, complete with a playground where the late officer’s young daughter can play.

Church’s playground dedicated to slain police officer, Arizona Daily Star

On May 31, a dedication ceremony will be held — two days before the first anniversary of Hite’s death….Hite was killed last June by a gunman who led police on a crosstown chase. Read story: www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/294311.php

Hite is survived by his wife, Nohemy Hite, and 1-year-old daughter Samantha.

The church is located at 10111 E. Old Spanish Trail and the report says memorial bricks are still available for purchase in Hite’s honor. Call 885-7088.

Any tribute to Hite is a beautiful tribute.

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What other ways can we pay tribute to fallen Officer Hite and others who deserve to be remembered?

Some areas of Pima County may be going down the toilet, but you can be sure our toilets’ wastewater will be flushed away with ease.

Pima County to receive $10M in stimulus funds for sewer system, Arizona Daily Star

Pima County will receive $10 million from the federal stimulus package to put toward improvements to the regional sewer system.

Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department will receive the money through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to put toward a regional interconnect that will carry wastewater between the Roger Road treatment plant and the Ina Road treatment plant.

Read story: www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/294312.php

This is a very good thing.

More federal funds for more projects would be even better.

No complaints, however.

Any money Pima can get from the government is a blessing.

Toilets are a pretty necessary commodity and our sewers should be something that stays in tip-top shape.

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What other areas of Pima County would you like to see improved and why?

Lucky Voodoo Doll honors 31 years of Tucson police service

Tucson will miss Sgt. Mark Robinson. At least much of Tucson will.

I recall hearing one reporter complain he was sometimes grumpy, but most people would be after a 31-year police career.

Robinson held a number of positions at the Tucson Police Department.

He worked as a patrol officer, traffic sergeant, burglary investigator and in surveillance, according to a report at KVOA.com.

I’m guessing one of his favorites was his time in the motorcycle unit.

Robinson finished off his decades of service with a finale in the Public Information Office, where I got to know him as my gig as a night cops reporter.

He was cool enough to earn a parting gift. I made him a Lucky Voodoo Doll.

Only one other police officer has thus far merited a Lucky Voodoo Doll. Lt. Decio Hopffer got one for his promotion.

It’s just a little way to thanks for making our community better.

The three Vail School District seniors who caused $10,000 worth of damage to the district bus fleet got a “harsh” punishment.

They were not allowed to attend the graduation ceremony, according to a report from KVOA.com.

The report mentions the two 18-year-olds were booked into jail, but didn’t say what became of the 17-year-old.

Senior pranksters sit out graduation ceremony

“I feel bad for them but I feel that was just punishment for them because it was very bad prank, they deserve it,” says Denise Slay, a parent.

However, they will get their diplomas.

Read story: www.kvoa.com/global/story.asp?s=10406802

Since we don’t yet know what full extent of the punishment will be, hard to gauge if it’s just.

I will agree with others who commented earlier this week that some of today’s youth often seem spoiled and unwilling to face up to consequences.

At least these three guys turned themselves in.

My mom is retiring from teaching this year. She’s had enough.

It’s to the point where parents call to yell at her if their children come home with a B.

One dad went ballistic when his daughter was given lunch detention for breaking a rule about chewing gum.

Many lawsuits are ridiculous to being with, but one went from ridiculous to horrifying.

A Georgia dad spiked his two kids’ soup with lighter fluid and prescription drugs with the plan to sue the Campbell’s Soup Co.

Ga. father gets 100 years for poisoning kids’ soup, The Associated Press

William Cunningham was sentenced Thursday after a jury found him guilty on seven counts of aggravated assault….

His 3-year-old son and 18-month-old daughter were hospitalized twice. A family member said the youngsters may suffer lifelong respiratory problems from lung damage caused by the lighter fluid.

Read story: www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/294019.php

Evidently the fake lawsuit didn’t go forward, but Cunningham’s day in court did.

The report also mentions his wife divorced him.

What’s the worst thing you’ve heard of someone doing for money?

A local guy who was just trying to save a little gas money ended up in jail.

Ben Buffalo, 48, wasn’t arrested for trying save the gas money.

Neither was his offense causing a downtown explosion with a device he created from Internet instructions.

He was jailed because police who came to the scene found he had warrants out for his arrest.

Mileage-device blast shakes up Downtown, Arizona Daily Star

Although the explosion was deemed an accident, it brought attention to Ben H. Buffalo, who had warrants for his arrest, said Sgt. Mark Robinson, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.

Read story: www.azstarnet.com/sn/byauthor/293960

This Buffalo guy perhaps could have used some pointers other than those he found on the Internet.

One tip is to avoid attention if you have warrants out for your arrest.

Have you ever tried Internet instructions that failed miserably?

What about helpful instructions?

FYI – the site eHow.com has instructions that range from how to unclog a dishwasher to how to cook a garden snake.

Speeders may be able to skip sitting in a lengthy traffic safety class or having points litter their licenses.

Folks may be able to quash a speeding ticket with a little cash if a bill passes next year, according to an Associated Press report.

AZ Senate bill would let offenders skip traffic school

A provision buried in the package of bills for the 2010 budget would let errant motorists essentially buy their way out of trouble. They could pay a flat fee of $282 and walk away, with no ticket, no record — and no time lost.

Read story: www.azstarnet.com/metro/293986

Anyone pulled over for speeding, at least in the Tucson area, is usually going more than 10 mph above the limit.

Speeding tickets in that range usually clock in around $200 to begin with.

Neither is the driving school option cheap.

Paying your way out of a ticket sounds like a viable option, since it would only be another $80 or so.

The option should not – and would not – apply to those who were driving under the influence, blasting through a red light or other heftier offenses.

What do you think?

How many speeding tickets have you gotten in Tucson?

Would you have chosen to pay the extra cash to make them go away?

PHOENIX (AP) — One of Arizona’s staunchest critics of illegal immigration says politicians who don’t aggressively enforce immigration laws should be removed from office.

Sen. Russell Pearce has proposed prohibiting cities and counties from having policies that limit the full enforcement of federal immigration law.

The Mesa Republican called a hearing Thursday morning at the Legislature to examine so-called sanctuary policies.

Many local police bosses in Arizona have resisted the push in recent years to dive deep into immigration enforcement. They have said it would detract from their traditional roles in investigating thefts, assaults and other crimes and would jeopardize the trust they have built in immigrant communities.

It’s the last paragraph that grabs me.

Am I interpreting it wrong or are local authorities essentially saying: “We’re too busy with other stuff to worry about this federal law junk. Besides, we don’t want to offend anyone.”

What do you think? Is Pearce just being a pain or is this a legitimate concern?

An Albuquerque mom reportedly killed her 3-year-old son by suffocating him – twice.

Tiffany Toribio, 23, allegedly smothered her kid in the early morning on a playground, changed her mind and revived him with CPR, then changed her mind again and suffocated him for a second time, according to a story by Associated Press.

The report said she buried his body in the playground, in a grave shallow enough for his foot to stick out.

A passer-by discovered the corpse when they saw a little black tennis shoe poking from the ground.

Nice.

Several questions come immediately to mind:

Is 23 too young for someone to be a mother? Or are some just dumb at any age?

Should people be screened and mentally tested, somehow, before being allowed to have kids?

What compels someone to harm a defenseless child?

Read story: www.wpxi.com/news/19526634/detail.html

More layoffs hit Tucson Unified School District employees in a scramble to reshuffle the organization.

Just what the school district, students and our economy needs.

Next year’s budget is expected to be $46 million smaller, thanks to state cuts, according to a report in the Arizona Daily Star.

In operations, 55 “middle management” folks were let go, but the reshuffling also created 26 new positions. Total gone: 29; total savings: $1.2 million.

Communications slashed more than half its staff, with four out of seven severed.

Layoffs included Chyrl Hill Lander, the only one allowed to talk to the media.

Odds of getting info may have just plummeted.

Total gone: 4; total savings: $350,000.

Technology is reducing its staff, but it’s not clear by how many since some part-time positions will be shifted.

What is clear is a new plan that gets schools serviced based on how much money they shell out, according to the report.

Schools that need computer help will have to kick in a fee to share the pool of technicians unless, of course, they want to kick in a bigger fee to have a technician of their own.

Schools that can’t pay a fee will still get technical assistance – after everyone else has been served.

Doesn’t sound good, but not much in this economy does lately.

Home schooling anyone?

It sounds like operations will take longer, computers may go haywire and stay that way and no one will be able to talk about it, at least not on the record.

Read story: www.azstarnet.com/metro/293801

The latest in grisly news includes two parents who were stabbed to death while their 9-year-old son watched, according to an Associated Press report.

That kid will be scarred for life, not to mention being left an orphan.

His 11-year-old sister was also in the house at the time, but she was sleeping and didn’t witness the attacks.

A man wearing a motorcycle helmet reportedly got into a beachfront Ventura, Calif., home through a sliding glass door and stabbed each adult repeatedly in the torso, the report said.

No motive, no further information. The report stated neither child was hurt.

Obviously cold-blooded killers don’t seem to care who witnesses their crimes, even if it’s a young child.

This also puts another warning out there about the lack of security of sliding glass doors.

Read story: www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/293863.php

A trio of high school seniors that alleged vandalized 76 Vail School District buses have been arrested, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

Bus tires were deflated and some vehicles sprawled with graffiti, delaying school earlier this week.

Restoring the bus fleet took money and manpower.

The three arrested were 18-year-olds Andrew Christ and Taylor King and 17-year-old Jeff Comisso, according to Pima County sheriff’s spokeswoman Dawn Barkman.

She said the trio turned themselves in Wednesday afternoon.

King is the son of district governing board member Debbie King, according to a report in the Arizona Daily Star.

So authorities got three of those responsible.

Now the fun can begin. I’d say jail and juvie time is on the agenda to teach them a fine lesson.

But they may run into other inmates who will teach them even worse behavior, like how to commit bigger crimes or how not to get caught (although I wouldn’t really take advice from a jail inmate on how not to get caught for a crime).

Making them pay for the cost of repairs is ideal.

A number of you chimed in with good ideas earlier this week.

One post explained how making vandals clean buses in New Mexico only led to them stealing things while they were cleaning.

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What would work to teach teens a lesson, for this or other crimes?

Parents, how do you reprimand your teens? Does it work?

Did you pull any silly senior pranks? Were you caught and punished?

Read arrest story: www.azstarnet.com/metro/293840

Would you save them if they ran in the ocean or jumped in a lake?

We feed, water, walk and tolerate our cuddly canines chewing up our cell phones and clawing through our patio screens.

But would we die for them?

One Michigan woman proved she was willing to put herself at risk to save her dog, Moxie, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune.

Jess Craigie plunged into the 40-degree waters of Lake Michigan when her 2-year-old mixed-breed pooch jumped off the pier. The dog did begin to doggie paddle, but Craigie could tell her pooch was panicking.

At least Craigie had a bit of foresight before she threw herself into the frigid lake.

She called 911, then handed her cell phone to a man standing nearby. She also handed him the leash of the other dog she was walking.

Then she took the plunge.

Oh, she also made sure there was a pole sticking out of the water so she could hang on and refrain from drowning while her dog stood on her shoulders.

Rescue workers plucked Craigie and Moxie out of the waters, saying Craigie would have been lucky to last another three minutes in the cold water.

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What’s the greatest length you’ve gone to for your pet?

Would you do it again?

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This story was picked for Scotty F., who requested dog stories.

Read full story: www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-dog-rescue-06-may06,0,6421432.story