If you haven't been by the patio at Monti's La Casa Vieja in Tempe for a while, it's changed.

The Norwegian directing team of Joachim Roenning and Espen Sandberg, whose biopic of World War II resistance fighter Max Manus was a huge hit on home turf, have turned to another native hero for "Kon-Tiki." One of the most-vaunted escapades of the 20th century, Thor Heyerdahl's 1947 Peru-to-Polynesia expedition by raft gets glossy big-screen treatment in this efficiently told action-adventure. Delivering visual drama and understated character study, sometimes in disappointingly formulaic fashion, the feature has its incisive moments but falls short as both epic and intimate portrait.

At one point it looked like Mountain Pointe’s boys baseball team might win its Division I first-round playoff game in a blowout.

State lawmakers are moving to pave the way to more than double their living allowance -- and do it in the way to avoid ever having to vote on the potentially embarrassing issue again.

With cacti and strip malls obstructing the views at times, visitors could easily write Phoenix off as a place where water and culture are scarce. But this metropolis — which includes upscale Scottsdale and college town Tempe — is a nature lover’s oasis with pristine peaks and the vast Sonoran desert.

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

Recently, my wife and I attended a wonderful conference in the Midwest and we had the chance to see so many special friends, many of which traveled from Europe and Asia.

Understanding that language is limited in its ability to describe some things, the ancients often used metaphors to speak of the divine. Three of the most common were fire, water and wind. They are three things that can be quite wonderful: a warm fire on a cold evening, water to grow crops, a cool breeze on a hot summer day. They are also things that can become large and uncontainable: a brushfire, a flash flood, a tornado that uproots mighty trees.

September is National Menopause Awareness Month

Washington • Rio Salado Community College and Arizona State University were cited this month as schools that are taking tentative steps toward “competency-based education,” which recognizes student mastery of subjects rather than the number of hours spent in a classroom.

Washington • Rio Salado Community College and Arizona State University were cited this month as schools that are taking tentative steps toward “competency-based education,” which recognizes student mastery of subjects rather than the number of hours spent in a classroom.

The end of the school year is quickly followed by the most anticipated event of the year: summer vacation. And, while most families look forward to the lasting memories that are sure to follow, many may experience a snag in their plans if not properly prepared. This is especially true if vacation plans include international travel, children traveling alone, with one parent or with grandparents.

Peter Lord missed the boat -- pirate, cruise or sail -- when he researched buccaneers by watching movies such as "Treasure Island," "The Crimson Pirate" and Errol Flynn swashbucklers.

Peter Lord missed the boat -- pirate, cruise or sail -- when he researched buccaneers by watching movies such as "Treasure Island," "The Crimson Pirate" and Errol Flynn swashbucklers.

Joey Curletta stepped out of the batter’s box and shook his head for what seems like the 1,000th time this season.

Joey Curletta stepped out of the batter’s box and shook his head for what seems like the 1,000th time this season.

Remember when you were a kid and being a pirate seemed like such a glamorous profession? The idea of plundering gold, dueling with swords, and sailing the open sea appeals to the kid in us all. Now that we’re older and familiar with the outbreak of piracy in Somalia though, our perspective of the pirate lifestyle has been diminished. Nevertheless, it’s still nice to hang onto the fairytale notion that being a pirate will lead to adventure and thrills. “The Pirates! Band of Misfits,” captures that childhood joy, which was missing from a film like “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”

Remember when you were a kid and being a pirate seemed like such a glamorous profession? The idea of plundering gold, dueling with swords, and sailing the open sea appeals to the kid in us all. Now that we’re older and familiar with the outbreak of piracy in Somalia though, our perspective of the pirate lifestyle has been diminished. Nevertheless, it’s still nice to hang onto the fairytale notion that being a pirate will lead to adventure and thrills. “The Pirates! Band of Misfits,” captures that childhood joy, which was missing from a film like “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”

A brew and a bro — it’s the classic pairing, right? Not necessarily.

Sam Huntington, who plays the cursed werewolf Josh Levison on “Being Human,” feels very blessed these days.

These days in Washington the numbers are getting so scary, politicians almost don’t need to use rhetoric anymore.

As an investor, you know that 2011 was a somewhat "choppy" year, with the financial markets going through many ups and downs. So what can you expect in 2012?

As an investor, you know that 2011 was a somewhat "choppy" year, with the financial markets going through many ups and downs. So what can you expect in 2012?

Dave Cutty, the outgoing president/CEO of The Centers for Habilitation (TCH), has received the President's Award from the National Council of Work Centers and NISH.