What do United States Congressman David Schweikert, State Senate Majority Leader John McComish, Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCicco, Kedrick Ellison of the Phoenix Community and Economic Development Department, Kyrene Superintendent Dr. David Shauer, Tempe Union High School Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Baca, and Pangea Development have in common?

George Strait is amid a two-year tour before retiring from the road, but new album “Love Is Everything” proves he still has plenty of great new country music in him.

The decision by the IRS to take a closer look at Tea Party finances apparently did not affect some key organizations in Arizona.

The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department will ban open fires in city mountain and desert preserves effective Monday, May 13. In consultation with the Phoenix Fire Department, smoking and charcoal fires are included in the ban due to the extreme fire danger that the combination of low humidity, increasing temperatures and frequent high winds creates each spring. Additional information on the ban is available online at phoenix.gov/parks.

Joss Bates was dropped off at his Ahwatukee home last weekend to find 114 notes hanging around his front yard, displaying quotes, words of comfort, love and encouragement written on them from friends and family.

It’s no secret to Realtors that fabulous kitchens sell homes. Improve the room used primarily for food preparation, and the entire house will feel homier to residents, guests and prospective buyers alike.

I’m sure by now you’ve heard that we have a short supply of homes to sell. As I have been saying, this shortage is pushing up the price of homes that do go onto the market.

No one can deny the Great Recession left a permanent mark on our nation and its economy. But what effect did it have on the American Dream of home ownership? That’s the question we set out to answer by asking Phoenix-based Benchmark Research Technologies to survey nearly 1,700 Arizona new home shoppers about their attitudes surrounding home ownership in the post-recession era.

Dear Mikey,

This weekend was warm enough that locals seemed to collectively change their wardrobes from light layers to tank tops, shorts and other summer staples. If you cringe at the thought of your right to bare arms, then it’s time to take the Tough Lotus Challenge.

Popular downtown Gilbert Postino East WineCafe is set to welcome a new neighbor with some south of the border flair. Joyride Taco House is set to open June 3 on the north side of Postino’s Grainbelt building, and it will share some outdoor space with the wine bar.

After eight years of treating orthodontic patients with lingual braces, Dr. Ken Danyluk brings patients in Ahwatukee a more inconspicuous option.

There once was a time when having a tattoo would make a person an outsider. Now in this day and age, it seems like everyone and their mother has a tattoo somewhere on their body.

There are restaurants that slash prices on margaritas or invite a mariachi band for Cinco de Mayo - and then there are restaurants that go a little nuts.

The owners of the new Ginban Modern Japanese Cuisine in Ahwatukee Foothills are combining traditional technique with a modern flare.

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) has announced Childsplay is one of the first participants in a non-traditional residency program, awarding the company $150,000.

Pet rescue groups across the Valley are coming together with a three-year initiative to solve the problem of pet homelessness by fixing, adopting and saving Valley pets.

The 98th annual Board of Visitors Charity ball took place on April 6 at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn in Paradise Valley.

When former Scottsdale resident Mark Macias used the New York City subway’s 42nd Street Shuttle this past winter, he was transported not only between Grand Central Station and Times Square but back to his hometown.

At a recent fundraiser in San Francisco, President Obama demonstrated his command of the great issues facing our country.

The Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies is hosting a teacher training program in Ahwatukee, and applications for interested teaching students are being accepted.

Eddie Castillo said that the South American culture has the empanada, the British have the pasty, and he and his business partner Mike Caliendo are giving Arizona the hand pie.

Saying there are technical problems with the proposal, Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed legislation Friday which would have allowed individuals to shop around for the best price on health care needs.

The Montessori Exploratory Committee has moved forward in its year-long proposal to build a stand-alone Montessori high school within Tempe Union, gaining added support from parents.