At a May 21 public hearing, the Maricopa Community Colleges Governing Board will consider raising property taxes within the limit permitted in the state constitution and statute (A.R.S §15-1461.01).

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.

Senate Republicans are proposing a nearly $8.8 billion spending plan for the coming year, a tiny -- 1.6 percent -- hike over current levels.

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.

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.

The city of Phoenix and Arizona State University announced that Sun Devil baseball will begin playing at Phoenix Municipal Stadium at the start of the 2015 season.

Alexandra Soto of Desert Vista High School has been named the recipient of the USDA/NIFA A-UBET Scholarship.

More than 300 Kyrene School District teachers were surveyed this year on their opinions of the newly-adopted teacher evaluation system, most agreeing the system’s feedback helped refine their practice.

Alexandra Soto of Desert Vista High School has been named the recipient of the USDA/NIFA A-UBET Scholarship.

When is the best time to get something done? There are a lot of different ways that people ask this question, but my initial reaction is: Whenever you have time to do it.

In “Wrong,” a movie playing through April 12 at Harkins Valley Art theater, Alexis Dziena plays a love struck pizza-shop employee who leaves her husband for Jack Plotnick’s sad-sack protagonist, whose canine's disappearance sets off a bizarre and unpredictable chain of events.

Anyone who saw “Scream 4” likely remembers the scene where Hayden Panettiere lists off every horror remake to come out in the past decade, from “Halloween” to “Friday the 13th.” So many of these remakes failed due to a lack of passion on the filmmaker’s behalf. Making a good movie was only their second priority, right after cashing in on an exhausted franchise’s good name. The new “Evil Dead” movie is the rare exception. It’s obvious that director/screenwriter Fede Alvarez has great admiration for Sam Raimi’s beloved cult classic. Along with co-writers Diablo Cody and Rodo Sayagues, Alvarez produces the best contemporary “Evil Dead” movie possible.

Spring is in the air and the desert is entering its cycle of new life. However, for the Ahwatukee community, that could mean more than seasonal allergies.

The chief of the Phoenix Police Department is working to get the word out to the public that the city of Phoenix’s crime reduction plan for 2013 requires a shared responsibility between residents and officers.

With all the gizmos, gadgets and electronic media available these days, it can be tough for parents to get kids to sit down with good old-fashioned books. But regular reading, done for fun, is linked to better school performance and can expose kids to a world of knowledge.

Remember when bathtubs in the master bathroom were considered a luxury, sunken living rooms were hip, and small closets were standard?

They brought folk back to mainstream radio long before The Lumineers and Of Monsters And Men hit it big, with blissful, down-home tunes popping up in jaunty car commercials and adorable father-daughter YouTube covers. This weekend, you can find the 10-piece Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at the McDowell Mountain Music Festival in Phoenix, where they’ll be rubbing shoulders with the likes of The Shins, Dr. Dog and The Roots.

Two new reports on the cost of changing how construction activity is taxed could torpedo the sales tax simplification plan being pushed by Gov. Jan Brewer.

Eating right and healthy, and happy living are all a matter of mindful thinking, said local mindful eating expert and author Dr. Michelle May.

From a petting zoo in your backyard to a bounce house at your neighborhood park, celebrations of all kinds this time of year are hosted outdoors to take advantage of Arizona’s spring weather.

Freshmen, it’s not too early to start thinking about your college plans. Your first step — build a strong resume. If you establish high standards and work hard, you will set yourself up for unlimited opportunities when you apply to colleges in the fall of your senior year. Here are some tips to get you started:

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton proposed in his state of the city address last month a new program to double police presence in schools and unify work between districts and the police department, which could produce different outcomes in Ahwatukee Foothills schools.

For Horizon Honors senior Stephanie Yamamoto, 17, Japanese taiko drumming is more than just rigorous exercise or a way to get in touch with her roots — it’s a spiritual art.

Far too many professionals show up at their offices each morning, bright-eyed and ready to work, with no real plan or agenda for what they’re trying to accomplish. Or, they come in with a plan or to-do list, but without the tools they need ready at hand. The result is that they spend their first hour or two of the day — the time that most of us are more energetic and productive — figuring out what should be on the schedule — or worse, looking for files, office supplies, and whatever else they need to actually get moving.