An invitation from a friend eight years ago is all it took for Ahwatukee Foothills resident Teresa Akrish to get involved in the YMCA’s Outreach Program for Ahwatukee Seniors (YOPAS).

And so it begins. After six years since the last substantive debates over immigration reform, the Senate Judiciary Committee recently approved the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, the title of the legislation borne out of the months-long work of the bipartisan Gang of Eight, which includes Arizona Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake.

Local school districts, including Kyrene, will now be able to pay for capital needs as bond legislation was passed in conjunction with the state’s budget early on Friday.

With the monsoon season officially beginning tomorrow, June 15, Arizonans should be aware of the possible dangers the monsoon can bring both on the road and at home. Thunderstorms, flash floods, heavy rain

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says an outbreak of hepatitis A linked to a frozen berry mix sold at Costco has grown to 87 people with illnesses in eight states.

Mohammed Saleem bet one brother instead of chasing another.

Tired of waiting for action, Gov. Jan Brewer forced lawmakers back to the Capitol late Tuesday to approve her budget and Medicaid expansion.

There’s a popular television situation comedy that has spent the last nine years covering a man telling his children about his search for their mother some 20 years earlier. It’s a winding tale, of course, that covers false starts, unlikely coincidences, and (because it’s the 21st century) sexual misadventures.

Going to need hospital care?

Phoenix police arrested several people over the weekend accused of stealing purses, IDs and various other valuables from cars left at Phoenix trailheads.

A veteran state lawmaker has quietly flushed his plans to have the state intervene in who can use which bathroom or locker room.

State lawmakers voted last week to give businesses a chance to escape from class-action lawsuits before the legal bills -- and potential verdict against them -- gets too large.

After reading that the Senate has passed a bill to have online retailers charge sales tax exactly the same as brick and mortar businesses, I am hopeful that Congress will see the impact this will have on their communities. Small businesses have suffered and many have closed because people can save tax dollars by purchasing online. In fact, many people use local retail businesses as testing grounds for whatever they want to buy online. While we all love the idea of getting a deal, it shouldn’t be done on the backs of our local retail businesses. If the same tax is charged online as in person sales, both types of retail would be better served. I hope our Congressmen will realize that when the issue comes to a vote.


Conceding he lacks the votes, House Speaker Andy Tobin gave up Tuesday in his bid to block the Medicaid expansion plan by Gov. Jan Brewer with his own alternative.

In case you forgot, Gov. Jan Brewer has other priorities this year besides getting the Legislature to approve Medicaid expansion.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department will seek the public’s input in developing a new hunting and fishing license structure and fees, as authorized by the recent passage of Senate Bill 1223.

AZPASS (Arizona People Acting for a Safer Society) would like to respond to Bill Richardson (“Limiting magazine capacity: Let’s try it!,” AFN, April 28) who seems to want to only confuse the discussion, and to prevent the rest of us from reaching a reasonable consensus on sensible gun regulation.


Gov. Jan Brewer signed the bill allowing Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC) to have a special license plate issued by the Arizona Department of Transportation. While it will be several months before there is an actual license plate that can be purchased, this is something that their membership and community of 35,000-plus girls and volunteers have been advocating for quite some time.

Calling the measure racist, a coalition of rights groups filed suit Wednesday to overturn a two-year-old law banning abortion for race or gender selection.

After the high-profile shooting of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in 2010, Scott Rollefstad felt he had to do something to help keep other agents safe.

Tempe has announced a $600 million office development deal to be built near Tempe Town Lake.

A zoning officer has decided to take the issue of allowing a medical marijuana dispensary to open in Ahwatukee Foothills under advisement. A ruling must be made within 30 days.

Jocelyn Botero, a 2009 alum of Mountain Pointe High School, has graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. She was on the dean’s list all four years of college with an overall GPA of 3.8 (summa cum laude).

Refusing to blink, Gov. Jan Brewer late Thursday vetoed five bills sent to her this week by Senate President Andy Biggs despite her threat she would do just that.