Josh Kelety

Three people have been charged with allegedly threatening witnesses, officials and offices connected to the investigation into the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, whose body was found after a July Fourth boat trip near Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. The suspects appear unconnected to Wells or the investigation. The threats included alleged death threats against a witness’s family, repeated bomb threats to county offices and a bomb threat against a judge. Authorities have not arrested anyone in Wells’s death, and an independent autopsy listed his cause of death as undetermined amid public scrutiny, unanswered questions and concerns about racial violence and law-enforcement transparency.

A legal dispute between Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap and the county’s Republican‑led Board of Supervisors ended in a settlement restoring early‑voting responsibilities to the recorder’s office ahead of the July 21 primary. Heap, backed by America First Legal, had accused the board of unlawfully removing election duties and shifting resources, while the board dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous. The agreement divides election responsibilities, secures funding for a new IT system, and leaves Election Day operations and ballot counting under the board’s control. The deal drew opposition from Democratic Supervisor Steve Gallardo, who expressed distrust in Heap’s ability to oversee future elections.