With a passion for bilingual education, Ahwatukee Foothills resident Nicole Teyechea McNeil is opening up a preschool this summer where kids can learn and benefit from knowing a second language.

"When parents come to school regularly, it reinforces the view in the child’s mind that school and home are connected and that school is an integral part of the whole family’s life.” Michigan Department of Education – Parent Involvement Fact Sheet.

The mass exodus the last two seasons has people wondering about the level of talent remaining in the Desert Vista football program.

Selling your first home in a buyers’ market? You can get the best possible price if you know how to negotiate.

As of the day I am writing this there are 130 active rental listings on the MLS in Ahwatukee and 416 have been rented in the past six months.

After years in the doldrums, the housing market appears back on track. Home sales and prices are up, and mortgage rates remain near historic lows, reinvigorating the appeal of homeownership.

The Ahwatukee Foothills Soccer Club had its first team qualify for the West Regional.

The Infinity Wrestling Academy, run by Chuck Barbee, will host three different camps this summer at Desert Vista.

Two old friends paid me a visit last week. The first slipped in without a word, freezing my mind for an instant, like the shock of ice cream gulped down too eagerly on a hot day. As we visited for a while, I noticed the familiar voice is edged with a steely insistence, somehow sharpened rather than blunted by a hunger for news of trouble, and the scent of brewing chaos. By God’s grace and through His perfect timing, there, just in nick of time, was another beloved friend knocking on the door of my heart, gently enfolding me in loving arms. This beloved voice speaks quietly, yet perfectly clearly, sharing a different story, at once both old and fresh. The voice carries words brimming with abundant life, like a lush oasis in an otherwise barren and hostile desert. Such is the power of moments of fear to paralyze our senses, and to leave us feeling isolated and lost. Such is the power of the unparalleled peace found through our faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord, in the comforting words of Scripture.

Rock-star Ted Nugent has extravagant praise for National Rifle Association (NRA) Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre’s alleged patriotism. “LaPierre,” says Nugent, “resembles our forefathers who stood on Concord bridge and risked all to give birth to a truly free, independent America.”

The Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits (Alliance) and Arizona Grantmakers Forum (AGF) awarded $179,500 in prizes to 40 nonprofits who participated in Arizona Gives Day at a reception on May 2.

American journalism has disgraced itself in the matter of the Benghazi terrorist attack.

It’s May. Memorial Day and the end of the school year are in sight. Suddenly, you’re thinking about a summer vacation. A little advance planning — and some insider tips — can save you a lot of money. Whether you’re booking airfare, a car rental or a hotel room, there are questions you should ask first.

The city of Phoenix is looking for more residents to sign up for a pilot program that will help keep less green organic materials out of landfills and could save the city money.

With her first studio album in 11 years, Eve returns with an unimpressive, unfulfilling new offering, “Lip Lock.”

If you grew up in the early 90s, you probably remember an animated feature from 20th Century Fox called “FernGully: The Last Rainforest.” It was the environmentally-conscious movie every 90s kid saw, and yet, nobody really liked. The film’s intentions might have been good, but even the youngest children seemed to find its blatant green message overly preachy. The fact that “FernGully” was lacking in any interesting characters or magic didn’t help. “Epic,” which was also coincidentally distributed by Fox, is a bit like “FernGully” if it had smarter, more imaginative filmmakers backing it. While it’s not a massive improvement, “Epic” is at least fun, energized, and subtle with its environmental themes.

On paper, J.J. Abrams’ 2009 “Star Trek” is one of those movies that should have crashed and burned. A reboot of a beloved franchise with younger, lesser-known actors stepping into the shoes of an iconic cast of characters. The fact that Abrams went on record stating that he was never a huge “Star Trek” fan didn’t bode well either. Against all odds, though, Abrams not only produced a great “Star Trek” picture, but quite possibly the best “Star Trek” ever made. That’s right, even better than “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”

The Arizona Baseball Coaches Association has released its All-State teams for each of the four divisions.Three area players were honored.

Cera Hassinan is one of those people who makes others feel uncomfortable with themselves.

The end of the school year is upon us and now the inevitable question is: “What are we going to do ALL summer long?” or the infamous: “I’m bored,” yes it is summer break! Parents are frantically searching for camps, activities, play dates, swimming lessons, movie days, etc. to fill their kid’s days to avoid the “I’m bored” trap.

A class of fifth-grade students Friday opened up ping-pong balls with small science experiments inside after they returned from a trip to the “edge of space” inside the Earth’s atmosphere.

The football coaches evidently can’t wait until August for their first showdown of the year.

Phoenix is great because of our strong communities where neighbors work together and take pride in the place they call home.