If you are returning to the dating world after a long time away or if you have not had the dating life you hoped for, maybe it is time to try something different.

The decision by the IRS to take a closer look at Tea Party finances apparently did not affect some key organizations in Arizona.

Three years ago, in the wake of a new Arizona law aimed at those in the country illegally, tens of thousands converged on the Capitol with a message: Today we march, tomorrow we vote.

Saying she's run out of patience, Gov. Jan Brewer will veto any bills sent to her until she sees movement on a new state budget and her pet Medicaid expansion project.

Since her sister’s health took a drastic downturn this past February, Mountain Pointe High School teacher Donna Sampanes is organizing a blood drive at the school this weekend in an effort to help her sibling.

It’s no secret to Realtors that fabulous kitchens sell homes. Improve the room used primarily for food preparation, and the entire house will feel homier to residents, guests and prospective buyers alike.

No one can deny the Great Recession left a permanent mark on our nation and its economy. But what effect did it have on the American Dream of home ownership? That’s the question we set out to answer by asking Phoenix-based Benchmark Research Technologies to survey nearly 1,700 Arizona new home shoppers about their attitudes surrounding home ownership in the post-recession era.

TEMPE - It’s a baseball storyline that has played out hundreds of times over, one Mountain Pointe came to regret.

The Thunder had one last rally in a standard-setting season, but it wasn’t enough.

Practicing what we have been preaching about the need to shop locally, the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce is partnering with a local business on our annual print Resource Guide and Directory. The Chamber’s 2013-14 Directory will be marketed, designed and produced through an agreement with the Ahwatukee Foothills News (AFN), the publisher of this newspaper and a chamber member. We believe this will be a valuable partnership for all chamber members and those who take advantage of this opportunity to get their message out to the public.

If you work for an employer who offers a benefits package that includes life insurance and disability income insurance, consider yourself fortunate. But you can’t necessarily consider yourself fully protected. And if you don’t have appropriate life and disability insurance, your long-term financial goals could be at risk.

The go-to beverage of Cinco de Mayo is now available in dessert form. Margarita cupcakes are the latest offering from Scottsdale cupcake shop Sprinkles. The tangy little number with key lime-tequila cake capped by key lime frosting and sprinkled with salt is available May 3-5 at the bakery, 4501 N. Scottsdale Road.

Chandler Regional Medical Center’s Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Oxygen Center was recently recognized with the Center of Distinction Award.

Here’s a sobering statistic: 46 percent of workers surveyed had little or no confidence that they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement years, according to the 2010 Retirement Confidence Survey, issued by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. So you may want to explore all possible retirement savings vehicles —including a variable annuity.

Danielle Block has a hard time balancing the rigors of pitching and hitting.

Just about all the actors in “The Big Wedding” are severely typecast. Diane Keaton is a high-strung, divorced mother like in “Something’s Gotta Give,” Robert De Niro is the father of somebody getting married like in “Meet the Fockers,” Amanda Seyfried is a blushing bride like in “Mamma Mia,” Robin Williams is an eccentric minister like in “License to Wed,” Topher Grace is a deadpan, quick-witted nice guy like in “That ‘70s Show,” and Katherine Heigl is a needy single woman like in every movie she does. Even though the actors are in their comfort zones, not a single person feels natural in “The Big Wedding.” That’s probably because the film doesn’t understand its own characters or their motivations. Nobody behind the camera has any idea what they’re doing, resulting in one of the most awkward romantic comedies of recent memory.

While rowing has been a sport dominated by colleges and teams on the East Coast, crew teams have started to flourish in unsuspecting places—like the desert.

Chandler Regional Medical Center’s Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Oxygen Center was recently recognized with the Center of Distinction Award.

On Sunday, the popular PBS restaurant review show, “Check, Please! Arizona,” hosts its first food festival at CityScape in Phoenix. While attendees enjoy a plethora of food and wine samples and live demonstrations from award-winning chefs like Robert McGrath and Chris Bianco, one humble festival booth — Pittsburgh Willy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs — takes the next step in its Cinderella story.

It’s all about community.

Just about all the actors in “The Big Wedding” are severely typecast. Diane Keaton is a high-strung, divorced mother like in “Something’s Gotta Give,” Robert De Niro is the father of somebody getting married like in “Meet the Fockers,” Amanda Seyfried is a blushing bride like in “Mamma Mia,” Robin Williams is an eccentric minister like in “License to Wed,” Topher Grace is a deadpan, quick-witted nice guy like in “That ‘70s Show,” and Katherine Heigl is a needy single woman like in every movie she does. Even though the actors are in their comfort zones, not a single person feels natural in “The Big Wedding.” That’s probably because the film doesn’t understand its own characters or their motivations. Nobody behind the camera has any idea what they’re doing, resulting in one of the most awkward romantic comedies of recent memory.

• Police took a report of a single vehicle car accident around 8 a.m. on April 9 near the 2500 block of East Thunderhill Place. A 16-year-old driver lost control of her vehicle and crashed into a large saguaro cactus, demolishing the cactus. There were no injuries but the driver was cited for failure to control speed to avoid collision. The saguaro was on the side of the road and was valued at more than $6,000. The driver’s car, a 2008 Ford Mustang, was totaled.
• At 9 p.m. on April 9 near the 9600 block of South 46th Street an adult female was arrested, accused of knowingly striking her mother.
• Police responded to a call of an abandoned motorcycle on April 10 at 5:30 a.m. in the desert near Pecos and 40th Street. The 2011 Honda Sport motorcycle was stolen and abandoned.
• On April 12 at 8:45 p.m. police took a report of an identity theft in the 4600 block of East Lavender Lane. The victim claimed someone had gotten a hold of their Social Security number and information and used their credit cards. At 9:40 p.m. on April 12 police responded to a shoplifting call near the 4600 block of East Chandler Boulevard. An adult female was arrested. Police were called back to the area at 10:52 p.m. for a shoplifter in custody. When police made contact with the suspect they found he was also in possession of dangerous drugs. He was arrested.
• At 11:20 p.m. on April 12 police responded to a hit and run accident. A man is accused of driving eastbound in the westbound lanes on Ray Road near the 3100 block of East Ray Road. His car side swiped by another car. The person in that vehicle followed the driver who went to a home in the Equestrian Estates area. Police responded to the home and arrested the man for suspicion of driving impaired.
• At 12:45 p.m. on April 13 police got a call of a theft in the 5100 block of East Guadalupe Road. The victim said a person had taken furniture they had for sale without paying. Two suspects were identified. Between 1 and 2 p.m. police responded to a call of a theft from a residence near the 13800 block of South 44th Street on April 13. A suspect accused of stealing jewelry from the home has been identified.
• Around 4:30 p.m. on April 13 police responded to a burglary from vehicle near the 5000 block of East Ray Road. A house key and a package of cigarettes were taken.
• Police responded to a shoplifting incident at 8:30 p.m. on April 13 near the 4000 block of East Chandler Boulevard. The suspects exited the store without paying for two bottles of vodka. The suspects were not located.
• Police responded to a call of a runaway 16-year-old around 8:30 p.m. on April 14. The teen lived near the 5100 block of East La Puente Drive.
• Police responded to a domestic violence incident around 11:10 p.m. on April 14 near the 3400 block of East Chandler Boulevard. The incident was between an adult brother and sister. There were no arrests, but an order of protection will be issued.
• Police arrested an 18-year-old man for impaired driving around 2:47 a.m. on April 14 near the 1400 block of East Chandler Boulevard. Police received a report of a vehicle broken into on April 6 at the Pima Mountain Trailhead, 9400 South 48th Street. A 2012 Chevy Malibu was broken into and a wedding ring, purse, wallet and various tools were taken. Police estimate a loss of $1,600. Another vehicle was broken into at the same location on April 17 around 1 p.m. A diaper bag was taken from that vehicle.

I would like to respond to a recent guest column, “SRP needs to provide vision and advance energy efficiency,” which appeared in this newspaper (March 29). The author makes inaccurate assertions regarding the ability of customers and stakeholders to provide meaningful input to SRP’s resource plan and more generally questions our commitment to sustainable resources.

Just as schools in Ahwatukee are starting and finishing their spring testing of AIMS, incoming freshmen for next school year are beginning to wrap their heads around the idea of their familiar testing coming to an end.

Arizonans who have to seek protection from creditors in bankruptcy court soon will be able to hang on to more of what they own.