Dave Rioux, Buckeye, Arizona claims the Ambien defense for "sexting" coworker...

The councilman denies making any comments to the employee about layoffs, about his connection with powerful or influential individuals or about being able to get her husband fired with just "one phone call." He does not deny texting her the evening of Oct. 23 but he claims no memory of the specific content of the messages because he was under the influence of Ambien, a sedative prescribed to him to treat sleep apnea.

The Ambien defense?

Rioux said he did research on the side effects of the drug and found on WebMD.com that people using Ambien have "sleepwalked, prepared/eaten food, made phone calls, or had sex while not fully awake."

The same site also notes that such side effects of Ambien are rare.

"I'm not making an excuse. It's just the truth. That explains everything," Rioux said during a recent interview with The Republic. "I blame the whole thing on Ambien."

He apparently didn't mention the sedative when he met with Mayor Jackie Meck and Town Manager Stephen Cleveland about the incident. Instead, he told them that he has a "helping personality" and that the employee may have misconstrued his efforts.

His attempt at an explanation strains credulity.

Rioux says he doesn't remember the nature of the text messages or how they got deleted from his phone. But he remembers his last message to the employee was "never mind," figuring he could "explain the rest to her later." He also remembers telling his wife, Candi, on Oct. 25 that he "made a mistake."

If he has no memory of the exchange, what was he going to explain later? What was the mistake he made?

Rioux said employees often go to him for help with food, housing and other resources. This employee sought him out for help, he said. And he offered the use of his hot tub only because she was going through a stressful situation.

His wife told The Republic that she was aware of his invitation to use the hot tub and that it was on a night that neither of them would be home.

Even if the Ambien caused Rioux to send inappropriate texts the evening of Oct. 23 when he said he took his last pill, it doesn't explain those sent throughout that weekend.

On Oct. 24, after the employee reported the incident to Assistant Town Manager Jeanine Guy, Rioux continued sending text messages. Guy wrote in her report that the employee "was crying, at points just sobbing, telling me that she had been having conversations with the councilperson, that she was very uncomfortable with the situation and didn't know what to do."

Guy asked the employee if she had asked Rioux to stop calling her. The employee said, "No, I am afraid for my job."

Guy said the employee told her she "felt vulnerable" and considered resigning. She "asked me if 'they' should respond to Councilman Rioux's texts." Guy told her she wasn't going to give her advice; her responsibility was to ensure a safe and comfortable work environment.

The employee continued her exchange with Rioux to give him opportunity to clarify his intentions. She asked him things like, "What did you mean?" and "Did I misread your text?" and "What are you interested in?"

Each time, Rioux followed up with a text that confirmed his interest.

"So a 3-some?" he wrote about 1:40 p.m. on Oct. 24. That's a day after he told The Republic he had stopped texting the employee and realized he had acted inappropriately.

"No. Are you into that? What did you mean? Did I misread your text?" she replied.

"No. I'm very interested. Are you?" Rioux wrote.

She told him that her marriage was over but reminded him he was married. Then she asked again, "Am I reading you wrong?"

He told her he needed to be very careful. She asked him what he was interested in.

"If you're asking me if I have feelings for you, yes, very much. Not just sex. I care about you," he wrote about 2:20 p.m. She reminded him again that he was married. He wrote that his wife didn't care as long as she didn't know.

The following day, he wrote: "Sorry. I was tipsy yesterday. Sorry if I was bad."

On the morning of Oct. 26, just before the employee filed her complaint, Rioux sent her another text. He wrote that he went to Fry's and gotten a job for her son.

Was Rioux trying to fix days of inappropriate text messages by saying he just wanted to be friends and dangling before her a job for her son?

During his years on the council, Rioux has been outspoken about the misbehavior of town officials. He is not above the same scrutiny. He needs to live up to the same high standards and demonstrate the same professional conduct the public expects of all their elected officials.

Wednesday is the deadline for submitting signatures to run for City Council. It's a good day for Buckeye residents to begin considering what qualities they want in their leaders.

Buckeye, Arizona councilman, Dave Rioux's uses worlds lamest sexting excuse!

Buckeye Town Councilman Dave Rioux submitted re-election papers Tuesday as allegations surfaced that he made sexual advances toward a town employee and sent her sexually charged text messages.

Public records obtained by The Republic show a female employee reported that Rioux had sent her text messages about joining him in his hot tub and engaging in sexual activity. Once over lunch, Rioux told the woman that "there were to be more layoffs" but "her job was safe," according to a complaint she filed with town officials. "She stated more than once she just wanted the calls, text-messaging and visits to stop," according to a report from the human-resources director. "She didn't want him to contact her."

At one point, in the complaint, the employee was concerned she "may have to have sex with the councilmember in order to retain my job."

Records show that when Rioux met with Mayor Jackie Meck and Interim Town Manager Stephen Cleveland about the October incidents, Rioux said he was trying to help the employee.

Rioux is seeking another term representing the town's District 6. On Tuesday, Rioux's wife, Candi, submitted a 137-signature packet for her husband and released a statement on his behalf.

"As a result Councilman Rioux will not be issuing a public statement at this time other than to say that there are always two sides of the story and questions the political motives and timing of some," the statement reads.

Buckeye Town Councilman Dave Rioux had said that due to Ambien he was unaware of what he was texting.

North extension of Arizona HWY 85 now under study

The Maricopa County Department of Transportation is considering an extension of Arizona highway 85 from Interstate 10 through northern Buckeye.

The agency will hold an open house Wednesday to discuss the project. The public meeting is from 5 to 7 p.m. at Sage Recreation Center at Festival Ranch, 26501 W. Desert Vista Blvd., Buckeye.

This is the first of two open houses to gather community input about potential improvements along a 32-mile section of the proposed Turner Parkway corridor between I-10 and Arizona 74.

Turner Parkway will serve as the northerly extension of Arizona 85, originating near the current Arizona 85/I-10 traffic interchange.

The study area is roughly defined by a 2-mile-wide buffer around the Turner Parkway alignment. This study will focus primarily on corridor feasibility and future roadway alignment based on area growth and development and projected travel demand.

Proposed roadway cross sections, alternative alignments and an evaluation of each alternative will be presented.

Information: Contact Denise Lacey at 602-506-6172 or deniselacey@mail.maricopa.gov.

Gas leak forces evacuations at Liberty Elementary in Buckeye, Arizona

According to Phoenix Fire dispatch, at least three buildings are evacuated at Liberty Elementary School as result of a gas leak.

Several classes were evacuated to another part of the campus.

The buildings will remain evacuated until it can be determined they are clear of gas.

Southwest Gas sealed the leak.

One adult patient is being evaluated.

3 inmates hurt in Lewis prison brawl

Three inmates at a Buckeye corrections facility were injured after a brawl broke out Thursday morning.

A fight involving six inmates at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis in Buckeye began about 10 a.m., said Barrett Marson, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Corrections.

The fight was contained after officers deployed chemical agents.

Initially, officials reported that two inmates were involved in the scuffle and received puncture wounds from an unspecified weapon.

Authorities later confirmed that three inmates received puncture wounds and two of the men were taken to Maricopa Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries, Marson said.

One inmate received two puncture wounds in his back, another was stabbed under the left armpit, and the third inmate received an injury to the chest.

No other injuries were reported, and no officers were injured during the incident.

A few buddies and myself had just driven past this prison a few weeks back while doing some off roading adventures and checking the area near the old Gillespie bridge:

2 Teens Charged In Murder Of Corrections Officer

First-degree murder charges have been filed against two teens accused of gunning down corrections officer Bradley Gerrard in Buckeye.

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas says the two teens -- 15 and 16 years old -- planned a carjacking, during which one teen laid down in the street while the other hid. "When Officer Gerrard stopped his car and exited to see if the man in the roadway needed help, the man in hiding approached him and shot him with a shotgun," says Thomas. He says the teens later set the car on fire.

Thomas says the teens are being charged as adults. "These two defendants are being prosecuted as adults because of the stop juvenile crime initiative, which the voters of this state passed in 1996," says Thomas. "That allows us to prosecute anyone between the ages of 15 and 17 years old who are accused of murder as adults."

Thomas says the decision to charge the teens as adults was not difficult. "These are young people who didn't do a prank -- this isn't shoplifting or anything like that. This is obviously an extremely serious crime in which they plotted and went to great lengths to carry out a murder."

Along with first-degree murder, the teens are also being charged with armed robbery, auto theft and arson. Even though the teens will be tried as adults, the death penalty will not be an option, since federal law does not allow it for juveniles.

Foreclosure filings across the nation grew by more than 50 percent in July

Foreclosure filings across the nation grew by more than 50 percent in July, compared with the same month a year ago, according to data released Thursday, August 14th, 2008.

Arizona ranked fourth among the states in foreclosures, the RealtyTrac report said.

Nationwide, more than 272,000 homes received at least one foreclosure-related notice in July, up 55 percent from about 175,000 in the same month last year and up 8 percent from June. One in every 464 U.S. households received a foreclosure filing last month.

One West Valley woman finds herself too close to the story.

Rosa Garcia, a single mother of two, was looking for a life away from the hustle and bustle of Phoenix when she fell in love with a brand new home in Buckeye two years ago.

It was easy to buy.

"I was like, "Oh, a piece of cake. I'm in a bigger home and I'm in a better place. For the price I was paying, it was awesome."

Two years later, she's still fond of the neighborhood, but said she must leave.

"Everybody in our community kind of knows each other. My kids have built a lot of friends there. They're sad, they don't want to move, they don't want to lose the house."

Garcia's payments have gone from $1,200 a month to more than $1,700 and now she can't make ends meet.

She admits she had no clue about the fine details of adjustable rate financing when she got her mortgage. She urges other people not to make the same mistake -- to make sure they know the consequences of what they're signing.

"And try to buy something that you need, not something that you want. Houses are beautiful nowadays, they look so beautiful and everything, but sometimes beautiful becomes very expensive."

Garcia said, "I can't take my kids out anymore because I'm on a strict budget. There's no fun times. I don't feel free. I can't be going out with my friends because of the money issue."

Garcia said she may be forced to leave her home this fall.

"I have to come to realize that, right now, the house is not work what I am paying and it's a big sacrifice. It makes me feel like I work just to pay for the house."

Although this is a sad story and one of many, people must know how to budget and make ends meet in good times as well as bad. I'll be the first to say that yes, many loan companies are to blame for this horrible housing market, however, it all goes back to the age old saying of "if something looks to good to be true, then it probably is". It doesn't make sense that someone can get into a $250k home when they could barely make their apartment rent of $700 a month.

I don't see this market turning around until a few more years. There is still a lot of great deals to be had, but for every awesome deal, there will be with that a sad story like the one above. Please read your contracts and make sure you completely understand them!