What do you get when you cross a networking opportunity with some of the most prominent businessmen, officials and celebrities in the country with a quest to crack open cases of missing children? What if you put it all into a life-size board game that includes some of the finer qualities of Trivial Pursuit, the legendary “Cannonball Run” rally, and movies of the same name?

What do you get when you cross a networking opportunity with some of the most prominent businessmen, officials and celebrities in the country with a quest to crack open cases of missing children? What if you put it all into a life-size board game that includes some of the finer qualities of Trivial Pursuit, the legendary “Cannonball Run” rally, and movies of the same name?

With only a partial City Council on hand, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith ultimately pulled an agenda item on a proposed Marriott Springhill Suites Hotel — slated for the “Wrigleyville” area between the news Cubs’ baseball stadium and park at Riverview — from the council’s meeting during its study session Monday night.

Back in February, the Mesa City Council was predicting a budget shortfall of between $8 million and $9 million for the 2013-14 fiscal year.

Runners in the East Valley are a tight community. If any two enthusiasts don’t know each other, there’s a good chance they know someone who knows someone who they’ve crossed a finish line with.

Arizona Regional Medical Center announced Thursday in a news release that it will close its Mesa location in May.

Arizona Regional Medical Center announced Thursday in a news release that it will close its Mesa location in May.

Mesa Mayor Scott Smith joined six other Arizona mayors and about 1,700 around the U.S. Tuesday for the Mayor’s Day of National Recognition to honor the deeds of community volunteers locally and across the nation.

As Mesa grows as a community, so has the attention it’s paid in the region and nationally.

Because of the actions of two Paz de Cristo Community Center employees and the quick response of Mesa and Tempe fire departments, the facility that serves as a food bank, social services center and dining hall for the homeless and working poor was spared major damage when flames broke out last week.

U.S. Reps. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.; District 5) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.; District 9) were featured guests at a panel discussion Tuesday where they conversed on a host of national policies including the federal budget, immigration and fostering trade issues affecting the U.S. and Arizona.

The importance of air travel to her community – and the state – is not lost on Lori Quan.

Nearly 10,500 fans gathered to bid a farewell to the 2013 Major League Baseball Spring Training season Thursday afternoon.

When the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport board launched a national search for a new executive director, it learned the same lesson Dorothy, and perhaps many of the residents who have departed from the airport’s gates, have been preaching: “There’s no place like home.”

There’s been plenty of chatter about a possible gubernatorial run for Mesa Mayor Scott Smith. Indeed, local officials often jokingly — possibly even prophetically — refer to him as “The Governor.”

As it gains more and more attention on the regional, national and international stages, Mesa Arts Center is fast becoming mecca for artists from all over.

One of the state’s current legislative issues that’s clearly piqued the attention of Mesa Mayor Scott Smith is House Bill 2111, which affects the manner in which cities collect sales taxes.

The vice president and general manager of Intel’s Fab/Sort manufacturing site in Chandler said in a speech last week that the company’s vision through the end of the decade is to “create and extend computing technology to connect and enrich the lives of every person on Earth.”

On the southeast side of Chandler Regional Medical Center, a helicopter used to sit parked on land that is currently all dug up. That’s one memory Dr. Brian Tiffany, chief of the hospital’s medical staff, recalled when he started at the facility in 2003.

When it came time for the Mesa Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors to choose a new president and CEO, it certainly seemed like Sally Harrison would be the obvious choice.

Students at Mesa Westwood High School are getting a exposure to the art of spoken word thanks to Mesa Arts Center’s hosting of “Word Becomes Flesh,” a choreopoem performance that was held at the center last week and parts of which will be shown during spark! Mesa Festival of Creativity being held at the center March 16-17.

The official transition for the renaming of Mesa’s Eighth Street to Rio Salado Parkway began this week, when dual-named street signs were installed along the road between Country Club Drive and the Loop 101 freeway.

There’s a simple reason why Chandler’s SanTan Brewing Company decided to build a brand new brewing facility – and it’s one that appears to be a good sign for progress of this particular East Valley beverage business.

There’s a simple reason why Chandler’s SanTan Brewing Company decided to build a brand new brewing facility – and it’s one that appears to be a good sign for progress of this particular East Valley beverage business.

It’s been more than 35 years since the Oakland A’s made a change in its spring training itinerary, leaving Mesa for Scottsdale, before settling in on the Phoenix-Tempe border.

If you’ve never seen an ostrich race, it’s a good reason to head to Tumbleweed Park March 8-10. If you have seen an ostrich race, it’s probably a good idea to go down there and see another one to make sure it wasn’t some odd, exhilarating dream.

Jeff Bryant and Joe Campbell admit they heard it more than once when they decided to open Desert Eagle Brewery in downtown Mesa last October.

Four Peaks Brewing Company has been an East Valley fixture for 16 years. Its variety of beer retails not only across the state, but nationwide and even in other countries.

Four Peaks Brewing Company has been an East Valley fixture for 16 years. Its variety of beer retails not only across the state, but nationwide and even in other countries.

Jeff Bryant and Joe Campbell admit they heard it more than once when they decided to open Desert Eagle Brewery in downtown Mesa last October.

Peter Sterling’s ascent to the pinnacle of the Mesa business community was relatively fast.

Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny delivered his 2013 state of the city address last week, touching mostly on the subjects of employment, neighborhood sustainability, outreach and transparency and better health.

Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny delivered his 2013 state of the city address last week, touching mostly on the subjects of employment, neighborhood sustainability, outreach and transparency and better health.

When tragic stories of mass killing emerge, like the Sandy Hook Elementary school in Connecticut, the effects on weapons sales and legislation are well-publicized by news organizations and pundits, but there are other weapons-themed businesses like VIP Airsoft in Gilbert.

If you’ve ever known anything at all about fencing, odds are pretty good you’ve forgotten it since the late night you caught it on television during the last Summer Olympics.

Mesa leaders are asking residents to head online to lend their thoughts on the city’s transportation outlook — input Mayor Scott Smith says is invaluable to creating a plan for the future that suits changing philosophies.

When the ninth-annual Southwest Military Transport Show was initially scheduled for this coming weekend, it was done so specifically not to conflict with the annual Luke Air Force Base open house and air show – traditionally one of the largest such draws in the Southwest.

Mesa Morning Live, the Mesa Chamber of Commerce’s late-night-style talk show — albeit taped in front of a live audience one Friday morning each month — hosted its largest audience in the last two years last week, according to Chamber officials.

At the Chandler Chamber of Commerce’s economic update luncheon Wednesday at the Hilton Phoenix/Chandler, City of Chandler Economic Development Director Christine Mackay followed a spirited state budget overview presentation by highlighting some of the incoming businesses and development opportunities for Arizona’s fourth most populous city.

Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett spoke to an audience of around 80 Wednesday at the Chandler chamber of Commerce’s economic update luncheon, attempting to shed light on a sometimes murky, sometimes confusing state budget scenario in recent years.

The East Valley housing market is starting to see a turnaround in home sale prices.

Mesa Mayor Scott Smith took the opportunity at the recent state of the city breakfast to laud some of the city’s triumphs over the past four years, and to lay out a direction for the future.

Neighbors, city officials and media were treated Tuesday to a preview of the ceremonial grand opening of Mesa Grande Cultural Park and its new visitor center.

With its flagship piece — the Mesa Arts Center — in place the arts and performance scenes in Arizona’s third-largest city have been on the receiving end of some international acclaim of late.

After a number of scheduled performances — including by the Territorial Brass Band and state historian Marshall Trimble — Mesa’s recently re-elected mayor and city council members were designated to be sworn in Tuesday night at Mesa Arts Centers’ Virginia G. Piper Theater during a celebration hosted by local radio newsman Ned Foster.

Child-sex trafficking — it sounds like such a foreign problem.

A District 3 neighborhood is the latest in Mesa to undergo the city’s Building Stronger Neighborhoods initiative.

Mesa’s Falcon Field is undergoing more than $3 million in ramp and lighting upgrades to increase safety and functionality.

City of Mesa Parks and Recreation held its annual Breakfast with Santa at the Mesa Convention Center Saturday.