8 Dec 28th, 2023–Jan 3rD, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | News Flash The 8 biggest news stories of 2023 in Phoenix. BY MATT HENNIE AND O’HARA SHIPE F rom Gilbert to Surprise and Cave Creek to Guadalupe, there is no shortage of news in metro Phoenix. The Valley is full of colorful characters, culture wars in the Republican-led legislature and struggles with addressing a growing unsheltered population, working conditions and wages, crime, heat deaths and fatal police encounters. But some stories resonate with us more than others. Here are our picks for the eight biggest stories of the year. Kari Lake just won’t stop Like a little Energizer MAGA Bunny, Kari Lake just won’t stop. The failed Republican gubernatorial candidate started the year trying to convince any judge who would listen that she’s the real governor of Arizona. (She’s not.) Lake is ending 2023 trying to convince voters that she’s the best choice for a U.S. Senate seat in Arizona. (Also, nope.) In June, the former TV news- caster dropped a single and proved that she really does “live on planet crazy,” where she cohabitates with former President Donald Trump in a cozy mansion with golf course views. The song — “81 Million Votes My Ass” — was written and performed by Nashville singer-songwriter Jeffrey Steele, who has crafted chart-topping hits for artists such as Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Billy Ray Cyrus. While Lake didn’t perform on the track, it’s full of sound bites from her speeches, including “I am not suicidal” and “We’re living on planet crazy.” To no one’s surprise, Lake earned the Best of Phoenix title we bestowed on her this year: Best Political Grifter. Neo-Nazi, 2 others arrested in killing of gay Phoenix man It’s a disturbing truism of life in Maricopa County, the fourth-largest county in the U.S., that homicides happen daily — a record high of 438 in 2022, in fact. Sadly, it takes a particularly gruesome crime to rise above the fray and get noticed. That’s exactly what happened in the August beating of Jake Kelly, a 49-year-old gay Phoenix man who died from his injuries two weeks later. Kelly was assaulted and left in his driveway until his housemates, Cory and Shannon Young, carried him inside. Yet, police said the pair didn’t call for help. Instead, they allegedly took Kelly inside, gave him a bath and waited until the next day before taking him to a hospital. Kelly’s face was “completely pulverized,” large gashes went down his arms, a “piece of his bowel had died,” and after yet another surgery, he contracted sepsis and went into a coma before dying, according to his mother Jan Kelly. Jake Kelly officiated at the marriage ceremony of the Youngs in the same home in March. Shannon and Cory Young — a neo-Nazi skinhead with a swastika inked in the center of his chest — were later charged with hindering the investigation. Their friend, 34-year-old Angel Mullooly, was charged with second-degree murder. Gov. Katie Hobbs, Veto Queen Singed by tamales and stumbling through her first days in office, Gov. Katie Hobbs got off to a wobbly start as the state’s first Democratic governor in 14 years. But by the time she took a victory lap to celebrate her first 100 days in office, Hobbs reminded Arizonans that she isn’t one for fanfare and showiness by taking just six minutes to celebrate her accomplishments. It was a calm reprieve from what could have been. “This election was not about Democrats versus Republicans. It was about sanity versus chaos,” Hobbs said at the April press conference. As the legislative session dragged on to become the longest in Arizona history, thanks to alt-right Republicans bent on posturing more than legislating, Hobbs gained more than just her footing. She swatted back, rejecting several anti- LGBTQ+ bills on her way to vetoing 142 pieces of legislation and setting a new record for Arizona governors. We dubbed her the Veto Queen in April and Best Veto Queen in our Best of Phoenix issue in September. In October, Hobbs became the first Arizona governor to attend the Phoenix Pride festival and declared, “With me as your governor, you don’t just | NEWS | | NEWS | A Phoenix police officer stands in the Zone during a sweep on May 31. (Photo by Katya Schwenk) Gov. Katie Hobbs became the Veto Queen in 2023. (Illustration by Charlie Powell) Kari Lake formally announced her run for the U.S. Senate on Oct. 11 during an event at the Scottsdale offices of a magazine for the uber-rich. (Photo by TJ L’Heureux) Shannon Young, Cory Young and Angel Mullooly are charged in connection with the beating death of a gay Phoenix man. (Photos courtesy of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office) >> p 10
