🌱 Nile Crocodile Relocated After Drug Bust + Super Bowl Costs

Hey, Scottsdale. I'm here in your inbox per usual to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on around town.

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First, today's weather:

Sunny and very warm. High: 98 Low: 71.

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Here are the top three stories today in Scottsdale:

1. A Nile crocodile has been sent to the Phoenix Herpetology Sanctuary in North Scottsdale after being discovered under a drug and weapon stash. The crocodile was discovered during a police operation that led to the arrest of Adrian Valladares on May 11. The Phoenix Police Department believes the crocodile was kept as a pet to guard the stash of 855 grams of cocaine, 193,000 fentanyl pills, 15 firearms, and over $65,000 in cash. (Natureworldnews.com)
2. The City of Scottsdale will be spending more than $2 million to host next year's Super Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. The city will be spending $1 million on additional police staffing for the week leading up to the game. The city will spend an additional $1 million on beautification projects across the city such as hanging baskets, repainting, and landscaping. The city expects to recoup the costs through increased tax revenues from a significant increase in economic activity. (Scottsdale Progress)
3. A popular Houston restaurant is opening a location in Scottsdale. The Federal American Grill's fifth location's construction is already underway with a Fall 2022 opening date. The restaurant will be holding a special pre-opening party to honor local law enforcement - a tradition at each new Federal American Grill location. (Restaurant News)

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Today in Scottsdale:

• Coffee with the Cop/Webinar At Paradise Valley Town Hall (7:30 AM)
• Steely Dan with Steve Winwood At Ak-Chin Pavilion (7:30 PM)

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From my notebook:

• Summerfest will be at Eldorado Park on Jun. 11 hosted by the Scottsdale Parks and Recreation department. Participants will enjoy live music, food trucks, lawn games, bubble zones, and inflatables. Summerfest is free and open to everyone. (City of Scottsdale)
• The City of Scottsdale has partnered with the Mayo Clinic to host a free community Juneteenth Celebration. The event will be on Jun. 19 at Scottsdale Stadium starting at 2:00 p.m. (Twitter)
• The Scottsdale Fire Department shares footage from the structure fire on North 87th Place. Click to watch. (Twitter)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with another update!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.