As CEO of St. Luke’s Medical Center, I applaud Gov. Jan Brewer for her plan to restore Medicaid to its previous funding levels. Restoring Medicaid funding is smart, cost-effective, and will have a lasting impact on Arizona’s economy for years to come.

The first image you see in "The Place Beyond the Pines" is of Ryan Gosling's shirtless torso, ripped and tatted atop a skin-tight pair of leather pants.

You know him as Luke Duke from “The Dukes of Hazzard,” but what you may not know about Tom Wopat, one of the two lead actors from the classic 1980s TV show, is that aside from his history of driving around the General Lee and foiling Boss Hogg’s latest scheme, he and his former co-star John Schneider are also accomplished musicians.

In the same vein of “To Kill a Mocking Bird” and “Catcher in the Rye,” Rudolfo Anaya’s “Bless Me, Ultima” has evolved into one of the most widely beloved and challenged books of all time. In some high schools this best-selling Chicano novel is considered a mandatory reading. Other schools have banished the book for its use of profanity, references to witchcraft, and religious themes.

State lawmakers took the first steps Monday to what some hope will be outlawing the "isolation rooms'' used by some schools to deal with problem students.

Service clubs in Ahwatukee Foothills are busy year-round working on projects to help kids and families in the community but one project, honoring first responders, was big enough to bring all of them together.

Around 25 years ago, I was racing bicycles in Southern California. It was mostly local club races and I enjoyed training rides with teammates. We began hearing stories of a talented junior (under 18) in Texas. He had gifts, but tended to be so relentlessly competitive that he wanted to lead a race from start to finish, which often is not the best strategy. That young Texan turned out to be Lance Armstrong.

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

Based on Michael Morpurgo’s childrens book and popularized by Steven Spielberg’s feature film of the same name, “War Horse” follows the fate of a horse named Joey, who is sold into the British army and serves on both sides of the conflict during World War I.

It was shocking almost — this simple moment that changed me one day. They happen like that, don’t they? Epiphanies. They arrive at the strangest times.

The signature play of Matt Guida’s astounding junior season looked like a split-second decision, but was actually days in the making.

I love Christmas music — all kinds of Christmas music, traditional, piano, pop, rock — if it is spreading holiday cheer, I listen to it. Christmas music is played in our house from the day after Thanksgiving to New Year’s. It puts me in the mood to decorate the house, bake cookies and wrap presents. Yes, Christmas music puts a smile on my face.

PHOENIX - Coming to you live from Moon Valley.

Friends: Since there’s next-to-no chance I’ll send out Christmas cards this year, this will have to do. If you don’t see this before the 25th all the better, because I usually can’t muster the energy to find a box of Christmas cards, print address labels, write a letter that doesn’t sound bragging, smarmy, or maudlin, and then find stamps before New Year’s anyway.

Words spoken more than 4,000 years ago — it was written, and prophesied, that Jesus would be born of a virgin. Isaiah 9:6 — “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulders; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Don’t hate me — but this new Ke$ha album is good. Kind of really good.

It wasn’t hard to choose last year’s Tribune Player of the Year, as Saguaro running back D.J. Foster broke several state records, ran for 508 yards and 10 touchdowns in one game and led the Sabercats to the Division III state title.

With all due respect to the Mayans, I have plans for Dec. 22. It also may be news to you, but you guys are not the first to predict the end of the world, and even though you still have a shot at being the first to correctly predict the end of the world, I have plans for Dec. 22. My daughter is getting married. Perhaps to be on the safe side, I won’t pay any bills until the 23rd.

It was another memorable football postseason, as Hamilton assumed its familiar place atop Division I, while Queen Creek and Seton Catholic also won championships.

Area football players were snubbed on the All-Arizona team voted on by the football coaches association.

Two new garden beds at Esperanza Lutheran in Ahwatukee Foothills are only the beginning, as the church hopes to eventually turn all of its empty land into a functional community garden.

For several weeks, the children in the Reese house have been poring over the holiday catalogs that arrived in the mail or through the newspaper.