The 2013 legislative session began with a unanimous vote in the House and the Senate to appropriate emergency funding for additional Child Protective Services staff. With that vote, lawmakers affirmed child safety as a top priority.

An anonymous donation is keeping the Phoenix gun buyback program going for one final Saturday, May 18.

Phoenix police said they arrested a volunteer drama teacher from Mountain Pointe High School yesterday after a former student told police he had a relationship with the teacher while a minor.

Higley Unified School District athletic director Art Wagner, 42, was found dead near Higley High School Wednesday morning, according to the Gilbert Police Department. Police say the matter is still under investigation, but believe Wagner died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

1. On April 29 at 8:52 a.m. police responded to a residential burglary in the 4200 block of East South Fork Drive. Between Sunday and Monday morning the victim had his or her vehicle parked in the driveway. Entry was made into the 2007 Hummer and sunglasses and a garage door opener were taken. There were no signs of forced entry.

It’s been eight months since I had the great opportunity to join the Ahwatukee Foothills News. Since that time we have not made radical changes to the paper or wild editorial changes to the product. What I wanted to do was listen to our readers and take note of any changes that would aid this great community.

The Phoenix City Council will vote on the final draft of the city’s 2013-14 budget, which includes new efficiencies in the city’s public information office, parks and public transit, on May 21 but Councilman Sal DiCiccio says the city could have increased even more services if staff didn’t get any raises or bonuses.

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.

Ahwatukee Foothills resident Kristy Nied Jozwiak said it was like something out of a movie when her landscaper was attacked by Africanized bees in her backyard.

By the time a client parks their car and walks up to the front doors of Harvest of Tempe, the southeast Valley’s only medical marijuana dispensary, he or she, their license plate, and their car have all been caught on camera.

Attorney General Tom Horne paid a $300 fine Wednesday -- $582 with surcharges -- to settle a criminal misdemeanor charge he left the scene of an accident without leaving a note.

1. On April 22 around 8:30 p.m. police responded to a call of graffiti at a park in the 13200 block of South 48th Street. Unknown suspects, two adult males between the ages of 20 and 25, were seen spraying paint in the park. An officer located the pavilion and found a can of black spray paint, which was impounded for evidence and DNA analysis.

"Had I known about the crime problems around Arizona State University I would have never let Kyleigh move to Tempe.” Those are the words of Karen Montenegro, the mother of murdered ASU student Kyleigh Sousa.

Gov. Jan Brewer signed legislation Thursday to allow foster children to be placed in homes with youngsters who are not immunized.

Phoenix police arrested Arizona Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington Friday morning after he was accused of assaulting an ex girlfriend in Ahwatukee Foothills on Wednesday night.

The Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) for the South Mountain Freeway was released on April 26, but as the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) continues to study putting the freeway down Pecos Road a group of Gila River Indian Community Landowners are stuck waiting for answers as their initiative — which could make it possible for the freeway to go on tribal land — is stalled by the Tribal Council.

Phoenix police investigators are interested in talking with Arizona Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington after an alleged domestic violence incident on Wednesday afternoon.

“ISBK” and “MLB” were two of the graffiti tags appearing frequently on block walls, trash dumpsters, and road signs in Ahwatukee during 2010, particularly inside the Elliot-Warner Loop.

1. On Monday, April 15 at 10 p.m. police reported a false reporting to law enforcement. A man near the 13000 block of South Wakial Loop initially reported his wife had been kidnapped, police said. An investigation indicated the wife was having drinks with another male subject, the man knew that and was trying to file a false report, police said.

Connecting to Serve and the Ahwatukee Community Network would like to extend our gratitude to our panelists and the victims of domestic violence who attended our special forum on this serious issue April 16 at Mountain Park Senior Living.

On April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Phoenix Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Arizona firms are on the verge of getting new secrecy protections for the internal reviews they do of their health and safety practices.

In the months of February and March Cerritos students made appreciation cards for Ahwatukee firefighters and police officers. More than 100 firefighters and 40 police officers cards were made using Cerritos student’s handprint and their own personal note of why they are thankful for firefighters and police officers. Students from the Kids Care Club then delivered the cards to their local police and fire stations 43, 46 and 38.

“Those three seconds I took my eyes off the road changed my life forever.”