Cox Communications, in partnership with The Trust for Public Land, is seeking nominations for Arizona’s second Cox Conserves Heroes awards program. Nominations are being accepted at www.cox7.com/cox-conserves for volunteers who are creating, preserving or enhancing outdoor spaces.

The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department will ban open fires in city mountain and desert preserves effective Monday, May 13. In consultation with the Phoenix Fire Department, smoking and charcoal fires are included in the ban due to the extreme fire danger that the combination of low humidity, increasing temperatures and frequent high winds creates each spring. Additional information on the ban is available online at phoenix.gov/parks.

The Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program is updated each year and serves as a blueprint that details where, when and how funding will be spent over the next five years to improve our state’s transportation infrastructure. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) continues to gather public comments on the tentative 2014-2018 program. There are three scenarios that are being considered for implementation, and all three scenarios are available for public comment.

Registration opens April 27 at 10:30 a.m. for Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department summer programs including full-day supervised recreation programs at 13 sites to keep kids engaged, active and safe over the summer break. The full-day programs will start June 3 and run through the end of July. In addition to the full-day programs, centers also are offering a large selection of general interest classes and sports programs. Many smaller centers also are offering free, drop-in programs during the summer.

Procrastinators can get free last-minute help filing their taxes at four Phoenix Public Library locations from 6 p.m. to midnight on Monday, April 15.

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House Bill 2204 helps to continue health care benefits to families that have lost a police officer, firefighter, or corrections officer in the line of duty. The bill was signed into law Friday by Gov. Jan Brewer.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Aviation Director Danny Murphy announced that the PHX Sky Train will open to the public April 8 at noon.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department wants to remind all boaters, anglers, and personal watercraft users that this year’s boating season has arrived and to exercise safe, responsible practices when on the water.

Phoenix Public Library has expanded its successful Project NOOK to all library locations.

In a survey released by the city of Phoenix, more than nine out of 10 residents, or 93 percent, said Phoenix is a good place to live, the highest rating level in the history of the survey.

Councilman Sal DiCiccio announced recently that his campaign for re-election has raised close to $50,000 in the last 30 days and has $201,450 cash on hand.

St. John Bosco in Ahwatukee will be hosting the Phoenix Guide Dog Raisers this Saturday, March 23 for a state-wide training event.

Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema joined local leaders, veterans administration officials and volunteer organizations at the opening of a transitional facility for homeless women veterans on Monday.

The deadline to march in the 37th Annual Kiwanis Ahwatukee Easter Parade is Thursday, March 21. Participants are asked to fill out an entry form online or by mail. The form can be found at ahwatukeekiwanis.org. Residents can mail the form to: Kiwanis Ahwatukee Easter Parade and Spring Fling, P.O. Box 50713, Phoenix, 85076.

A bipartisan group of city elected officials gathered at Phoenix Fire Station No. 12 recently to send Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema back to Washington with an urgent message from local communities.

Phoenix Public Library invites you to take the pledge to participate in the National Day of Unplugging, from sundown on March 1 to sundown on March 2.

The Phoenix City Council awarded a domestic violence services contract to the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence (AZCADV), effective March 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014.

Gov. Jan Brewer recently signed into law the first bill of the 2013 legislative session — an emergency appropriation measure that will allow the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) to immediately hire 50 new full-time employees within Child Protective Services (CPS).

Early voting for the city of Phoenix Special Election began on Feb. 14.

Local artist Kathie Kelly has many of her paintings on display and for sale at Ahwatukee’s newest clothing boutique, Clothes Minded, 4810 E. Ray Road, Suite 13, in the Foothills Park Place shopping center.

A voter initiative that could move the Loop 202 freeway onto tribal land will go before the tribal council on Wednesday, Feb. 20. Once the initiative goes before the council it has 60 days to either accept it as is or put it to a vote.

The Phoenix City Council elected District 3 Councilman Bill Gates as vice mayor last week. He will serve in the position until the end of 2013.

The city of Phoenix is converting 545 coin-operated parking meters to new single-space parking meters that accept credit/debit cards and coins. The new credit/debit meters will be concentrated in the downtown core area, but also in the uptown area and Phoenix College.

Phoenix Public Library and Changing Hands Bookstore present Pitchapalooza from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9 at Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave.