A self-admitted neo-Nazi was convicted two weeks ago for beating and killing an openly homosexual man in 2002 but was not convicted of committing a hate crime, even though he admitted he killed the man because of his sexual orientation.

Philip Walsted was found dead outside of IBT's bar, 616 N. Fourth Ave., with dozens of injuries inflicted by a baseball bat.

David Higdon was charged with first-degree murder Jan. 28, and his prosecutor said he killed Walsted because of Higdon's affiliation with a neo-Nazi group. Higdon will be sentenced March 28 and he stands to serve anywhere from 25 years to life in prison or possible execution. [Read article]

The Wildcats set a team record last season by shooting 78.6 percent from the free-throw line, but they are ready to eclipse that record this year.

Currently Arizona is shooting 78.4 percent from the charity stripe, led by senior guard Salim Stoudamire, who has improved his stroke from 79.5 percent last season to 90.7 percent thus far. All five starters shoot better than 72 percent, with sophomore forward Ivan Radenovic being last in the starting group. Senior center Channing Frye has made drastic improvements in his free-throw shooting from his sophomore year - when he shot only 66.4 percent. He's second on the team at 83.5 percent. [Read article]

Traffic accidents and police vehicle stops occur regularly on Speedway Boulevard, Campbell Avenue, Euclid Avenue and Sixth Street, all of which immediately border the University. Orange and white barricades often signal construction on and around those same streets. The combination of foot and bike traffic, construction, busy streets and Tucson motorists is a recipe for an accident. [Read article]