What’s big in Japan now has the potential to be big in the East Valley, thanks to Lulubell Toy Bodega in downtown Mesa.

Apache Junction youngsters had the chance to see the Arizona Supreme Court in action live in their own community Tuesday, when the state’s high court held court on campus at Apache Junction High School.

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.

While visiting a second-grade classroom in Chandler some seven years ago, Barbara Blalock witnessed a 7-year-old girl hand in her right tennis shoe as collateral. She was borrowing a pencil from her teacher.

Everytime a baby with Down syndrome is born in Arizona, Virginia “Gina” Johnson knows about it.

Wayne Pomeroy prides himself on saying he’s always had a job.

Wayne Pomeroy prides himself on saying he’s always had a job.

When Kit Kloeckl was diagnosed with HIV in 2005, he figured he had two options moving forward.

After Jody Farley Berens and Andy Royal lost their close friend, Michelle Singleton, to cancer in 2005, they noticed that while there were plenty of organizations aimed at helped in researching and battling cancer, there weren’t enough to help cancer patients get through the rigors of their day-to-day lives.

If the number of failed New Year’s resolutions are any indication, eating healthy in a fast-paced world still isn’t all that easy.

As staff at the Mesa Arts Center began preparation for its second “Festival of Creativity,” MAC executive director Cindy Ornstein said the group was looking for something to pique their interests — a spark, of sorts.

Valley residents will band together this weekend to walk for an organization that got its start in the Phoenix area more than three decades ago, and on behalf of youngsters around the world looking to have that one ultimate wish granted.

The Arizona State University Foundation for a New American University is asking students, alumni, and supporters to mark March 7 and 8 on their calendars for the fundraiser event billed “Mark It Day.”

Astronauts from NASA will land across the Valley to participate in events for the public in the coming weeks. The astronauts, specifically chosen by NASA for these events, are in Arizona to promote and raise awareness on space programs and exploration — just as the state’s “SciTech Festival” fires its boosters.

Five-hundred years ago, the Guarani Indians of Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia started using the plant Ka’a He’ê — translated to English as “sweet herb” — for consumption and medical treatments.

At this exact moment, there’s a farmer somewhere in the world growing coffee beans in order to meet the demands of people hooked on the aromatic, often energy-enducing substance. It is up to those like Valley entrepreneur Jason Silberschlag to head out to exotic locales and find these farmers in order to obtain nothing short of the perfect coffee bean.

On Valentine’s Day, the Arizona Lindy Hop Society is asking East Valley residents to grab their partners and enjoy a night of dancing and fun in the grand opening of the Swing Lounge in Tempe.

Last year, Arizona State University’s Project Humanities program asked the question: “Are We Losing Our Humanity?” That topic explored “people at the worst,” explains Neal Lester, director of the Project and an English professor and associate vice-president for Humanities & Arts.

It’s being billed as a legacy for one of Mesa’s favorite museum showpieces — and for the city itself.

It’s been a lifelong dream of Kami Cothrun to help children with autism.

Without a place to live, and carrying little more than a small bag of clothes, Jennifer Allanson rode the free Orbit bus in Tempe, unsure of where she would turn to next.

This coming Saturday, athletes will gather in Mesa for the annual Arizona Paralympic Experience — an event showcasing track, field and archery events, and taking place from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Mesa High School.

It was an otherwise normal Thursday morning. On Dec. 20, William “Lynn” Evans was cooking banana bread when his wife asked him if he had burned something.

The City of Mesa is among local municipalities looking for volunteers to literally hit the streets to help the less fortunate this month.