The Ahwatukee Foothills Soccer Club has had plenty of success since forming in 1999, and yet the club was able to pull off a first on May 4.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12).

Ken Goodrich of Phoenix Peach LLC, announced the company has an immediate need to hire more than 30 skilled employees in Phoenix to fill vacancies with its newly launched brands Goettl Good Guys Air Conditioning Repairmen and The Sunny Plumber. Both brands plan to expand their workforce over the next several years, adding more than 100 jobs to Arizona’s recovering economy.

Summer School … these two words can sound like a one- to two-month jail sentence for students in school.

Gloria A. Poulin of Ahwatukee Foothills, 86, born Sept. 10, 1926, in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, passed away May 2. She devoted her life, love and energy to her family and raised her children instilling virtues and values.

When my wife and I tried to park in the designated visitor parking area at Sen. Jeff Flake’s Phoenix office recently, we were told by security to leave or our car would be towed. When we questioned this, as we were there to join with others to hold him accountable for his vote against universal background checks for gun purchases, we were told parking there was for office tenants only. As we were pulling out of the parking lot, security people began blocking all entrances to the parking lot with pick-up trucks and chains.

MESA – There were hurdles, blocks and bars all over the track Saturday at Mesa Community College.

By the time a client parks their car and walks up to the front doors of Harvest of Tempe, the southeast Valley’s only medical marijuana dispensary, he or she, their license plate, and their car have all been caught on camera.

Congratulations to the winter guard teams from Corona del Sol High School and Desert Vista High School for taking first and second place in the Arizona State Winter Guard Championship on April 6. These two teams have been competing all season and have forged what can best be described as a “friendly rivalry.” On the floor, they gave their best and used the competition to push each other to higher performance levels. When each competition was over, they could often be seen hanging out together and forming friendships. The season is over with a terrific showing on behalf of Tempe Union High School District. This level of achievement is only possible with a strong commitment to excellence and willingness to put in many hours of hard work week after week.

The public got its first opportunity Monday to travel on an automated inter-terminal train at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

After 24 years in the trenches, I’d like to think that I’ve mastered many of the hurdles of parenting. Four kids have been shepherded through almost all their rites of passage: kindergarten, eighth-grade graduation, and first dates.

Arizona shoppers are getting a bit of a financial reprieve as prices for meat took an unexpected -- and potentially unexplained -- drop during the first quarter of the year.

What you get out of your tutoring is directly related to what you put into it. Preparation and attitude play a huge role in getting the most out of the tutoring sessions. Following the 10 guidelines below, your tutoring sessions should be enjoyable and fulfilling for parents, student and tutor.

Editor’s note: Follows is a one-on-one interview with Joshua Sasse, of the movie “The Big and I,” and Leah Gibson, from “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.” Both are playing key roles in “Rogue,” DIRECTV’s first original series.

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

The Phoenix Public Transit Department is asking the public for feedback on proposed bus service changes to several Valley Metro bus routes operated by the city of Phoenix. If adopted by the Phoenix City Council, the proposed bus service changes would go into effect July 22.