There’s no denying that Richard Donner set the bar for the “Superman” franchise with his 1978 film. The icy landscapes of Planet Krypton, John Williams’ vigorous musical score, Christopher Reeve’s iconic performance, every aspect of Donner’s movie remains definitive. Since then, most interpretations of Superman have either drawn inspiration from or paid homage to the original classic. One has to give director Zack Snyder and producer Christopher Nolan credit for taking “Man of Steel” in the complete opposite direction. Where Donner’s “Superman” was light, funny, and colorful, “Man of Steel” is dark, serious, and brooding. The film presents a vision of Superman that’s new and bold with a satisfying payoff.

Volleyball was Kyle Pitman’s secondary sport, but it was hard to tell with his effort and influence on the court.

The Phoenix City Council has approved a sweeping ethics reform package for elected officials that Mayor Greg Stanton says gives the city some of the toughest ethics rules in the nation.

REALITY TIME is fast approaching on the conclusion of the public comment period on the proposed Loop 202 for the South Mountain Freeway, as we have just until July 24 to submit our opinions.

State lawmakers were moving toward finally adjourning their 151-day session late Thursday -- but not before setting the stage for constituents to have to start paying taxes on what they buy from catalogs and on the World Wide Web.

Not waiting for formal gubernatorial approval, foes of her Medicaid expansion already are moving to undo at the ballot box and in court what they could not block at the Legislature.

Why is it that from 2004 to 2010, the gluten-free food industry has grown at a compounded annual rate of almost 30 percent? Probably because 1 in 133 persons is now being diagnosed with a condition known as celiac disease. Patients with celiac disease are unable to tolerate a protein called gluten, which is found in the grains wheat, barley and rye. The inability to digest these grains when eaten leads to inflammation of the small intestines manifested by destruction of microscopic hairs, called “villi,” lining the small intestines. Without these villi, the patient is unable to absorb vitamins, minerals, and other vital nutrients, and malnutrition and anemia ensue. Young children who develop celiac disease are particularly vulnerable as their growth and normal development can be stunted.

When it comes to fitness, some people have their own agendas on why they want to get off the coach and start shedding their unwanted body mass.

Forget the tie. Think bespoke booze for Father’s Day, specifically a beverage tailor-made to suit the hobbies father knows best.

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

It’s more than 75 days before the first kickoff, but there’s plenty of preparation going on already.

On April 15, two pressure cooker-fashioned bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The attack left the city and entire country shaken.

Editor’s note: This is part three of a continuing summer series on the proposed South Mountain Loop 202 Freeway.

State senators voted Wednesday to ensure that if you like to hang your clothes out on the line you have a choice of new homes to buy.

Police cannot use the state's traffic laws to draw blood from suspected drunk drivers without a warrant absent their specific permission at the time of the test, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled last week.

Many health complaints, inability to lose weight and underlying causes of disease, can be attributed to poor digestive health. The digestive system is responsible for breaking down the food we eat into tiny particles that can be used for energy, maintenance and repair. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated.
 

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.

An Ahwatukee Foothills salon is teaming up with local designers to empower women and raise money for domestic violence victims with the first ever Brave Wings Fashion Show on June 22.
The fashion show will take place at The Venue Scottsdale, 7117 E., 3rd Ave., beginning at 7 p.m. on the 22nd. It will feature six designers including the founders of the show, Mabel Cortez and Jenesis Laforcarde. 
The two Arizona designers say they decided to start Brave Wings to give back to the community. They plan to host a fashion show annually to benefit a different charity each year. This year they selected Sojourner Center because their clothing lines both fit with a theme of empowering women.
Cortez’s line, Mabella Chic, focuses on strong independent women.
“I’ve been around strong women my whole life,” she said. “Coming from a strong women family, for me, it was about empowering women in the sense of making them feel good with fashion. I want to present women in a fashionable way so they can feel good about themselves.”
Laforcarde’s T-shirt line is about self respect for women.
“I decided to do a T-shirt line because of my generation,” she said. “I’m only 19 and I see my friends being dependent on their boyfriends and not supporting themselves. I wanted to create a T-shirt line about being confident, independent and doing your own thing. Whatever you want to do, you can do it, as long as you put your mind to it.”
Saskia Salon will be sponsoring the hair at the event. Saskia Salon opened in Ahwatukee at 4647 E. Chandler Blvd., two years ago. Since then Saskia Almasan, the salon’s owner, said the business has become steady and she has been able to hire a few new employees and keep the focus on customer service. Her goal is to keep growing organically. Networking with the fashion industry and local charities helps that growth.
“When you feel blessed it’s automatic to feel like you want to give back,” she said. “As a business owner you start with nothing and a dream. You’ve got to find people of like mindedness to grow that… Any time we can join with wonderful people trying to make our own city better, that’s huge. We touch lives on a daily basis in the chair. I think it goes from your chair to your community, then your city. If we keep going like that then maybe we can change the world.”


Gov. Jan Brewer said Friday that Arizona no longer needs its 1-cent sales tax surcharge even though state spending, while below 2009 levels, still exceeds ongoing revenues.

As we deal with the aftermath of yet another disaster in our nation, I thought it would be important to highlight the heroism that takes place every day in our classrooms and community.

Editor’s note: This is part two of a continuing summer series on the proposed South Mountain Loop 202 Freeway.

Question: My mom has been feeling lost ever since my dad passed. I think she misses taking care of him. How can I help her feel more involved?