"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).

It was a small turnout with a lot of passion at the Protecting Arizona’s Resources and Children (PARC) meeting on Saturday, May 11.

Now that the Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) for the proposed South Mountain Loop 202 Freeway expansion has been released, local environmentalists are planning to use the 90-day comment period to tear it apart.

In the wake of last week’s tragedy in Boston, what are the images that stayed with you? The pillowing smoke? Blood on the streets? Shell-shocked victims in wheelchairs? Our hearts have been broken again. And since the footage is shown over and over, we’re traumatized each time, just like when the twin towers burned on 9/11.

Domestic violence is a problem that hits all neighborhoods.

The real estate market is improving dramatically according to real estate professionals, and those looking to get involved in the market can learn all about their options at the Arizona Homebuyers Expo this Saturday, April 13.

A House panel voted Wednesday to void parts of local anti-discrimination ordinances designed to give protections to transgendered individuals.

Arizona is on the verge of shutting the door on the ability of players for Arizona's professional sports teams to file workers' compensation claims elsewhere, even if that's where they were injured.

When the (Kyrene School District Governing Board) decided to go to the 68-minute class schedule (3 to 2 vote), it was justified by statistics from an outside group the former superintendent brought in. Their claim was in order to compete with other districts, the students needed more academic time.

When the federal government is low on cash to pay its bills, Congress can authorize the government to borrow money to meet its expenses. The limits to this borrowing — the debt ceiling — are raised periodically. Currently, members of Congress want to see measures put in place to reduce government spending and our national deficit before they agree to raise the limits again. These issues are still on the table, but a recent vote passed legislation to allow more borrowing until May.

Attorneys for Gov. Jan Brewer told a federal judge Monday there is no legal basis to order the state to immediately provide driver's licenses to certain illegal immigrants immediately since they are not being harmed.

It may not be a question of knowing whether Beethoven is better for you than the Beastie Boys.

16405 S. 16th Ave.

A 2008-2010 birth control study to more than 9,000 poor and uninsured St. Louis women proved that when proper information is given, more effective family planning methods are chosen. After receiving free counseling, teens between the ages of 15 to 19 had only 6.3 out-of-wedlock births compared to national rates of 34.3. And for every 1,000 women, the St. Louis general population lowered abortion rates to 13.4, compared to 20, the national rate.

A state legislator wants to impose some new requirements on judges and attorneys in his bid to cut down on medical malpractice lawsuits.

Anthony Ameen knows what it means to have the support of the community as a wounded veteran.

Arizona is an “at will” state, which means that if you do not have a written employment agreement your employer can terminate you for almost any reason. However, you cannot be terminated based on your race, sex, national origin or in retaliation for making complaints for, among other things, sexual harassment.

Arizona State University President Michael Crow will receive the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society’s highest award for his support of veterans through his leadership, actions and advocacy.

The city’s Neighborhood Services Department is partnering with the Arizona Foreclosure Prevention Task Force to host a free foreclosure informational event from 3 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at the South Mountain Community Center, Century Room, 212 E. Alta Vista Road.

Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert medical centers, Dignity Health members, announced that Aaron Peace has been appointed vice president of philanthropy and president of Dignity Health Foundation – East Valley.

Regarding “Keeping watch: Local school officials assure community of secure campuses in light of Conn. shooting,” Ahwatukee Foothills News, Dec. 21, 2012, page 1, we can be glad that exterior doors are being kept locked. Better yet would be for all classroom doors to be closed and automatically locked to anyone on the outside of the classroom at the beginning of each class.

The Affordable Care Act strengthened Medicare in important ways. Signed in 2010, the federal health law already has provided free preventive health benefits to millions of people with Medicare, and saved billions of dollars for those who hit the gap in their Part D prescription drug coverage.

Jan Brewer said Monday she's "not sure'' whether the shootings in Connecticut mean Arizona needs to revisit the various laws expanding the right to carry weapons in public she has signed in her four years as governor.

The second trial for an Ahwatukee Foothills man accused of murdering his 5-year-old son in 2004 has not yet begun as appellate courts decide whether or not the same judge will continue to oversee the case and whether Jeffrey Martinson will be allowed to retain his sixth set of legal counsel.