More signs your town is going to shit...

A Tempe news round-up:

Possible nepotism at Pappas at issue
"Embattled county schools chief Sandra Dowling is fighting allegations that she hired her kids to work for the school district that she created. But Dowling wasn't the only top county school official with a relative on the district payroll. Three people with family ties to southeast Valley politician Ben Arredondo, who was Dowling's deputy at the time, have worked for the district for homeless and troubled kids."

Developer of W Hotel plans chain in Tempe
"The developer behind the swanky W Hotel plans to start a new hotel chain in downtown Tempe. Constellation Property Group wants to work the new hotel brand into a pair of condo towers it’s about to start building at the site of a former Arizona National Guard Armory at Fifth Street and College Avenue.
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Constellation originally called the project the Armory lofts, which it considered a placeholder name referring to the military building that once stood at the site. Now, it’s called Stadium Towers. It includes a 20-story, 225-foot building and a second tower of about 15 floors."

$70 million office building slated for US Airways’ lot in downtown Tempe
"A major Valley developer has set its sights on Mill Avenue with plans to build an eight-story office building on the US Airways headquarters campus in downtown Tempe The $70 million project — called Tempe Gateway — will sit on 3.5 acres at the northwest corner of Mill Avenue and Third Street just north of a future light-rail stop. Under development by Opus West Corp., Gateway is part of a long-standing agreement by the city and the airline to build out the site. “We’re happy to do it,” US Airways spokesman Morgan Durrant said. “The city’s been good to us.” "

Proposed Wal-Mart stirs Tempe residents
"Wal-Mart's announcement to open a second store in Tempe has unleashed an outpouring of public dissent. It would take over a Mervyn's at a strip center on the northwestern corner of Rural Road and Southern Avenue. The plan has raised ire from neighbors in every direction. Community members are gathering, creating e-mail lists and planning to circulate petitions and build opposition Web sites."