TUCSON — Plans have been in the works for nearly three years for a federal detention facility on land owned by southern Arizona's Tohono O'odham Nation.

When it comes to illegal immigration, President Obama's policy is clear: If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all.

The East Valley Tribune was named Arizona's Newspaper of the Year among large  publications in the 2009 Better Newspapers contest sponsored jointly by the Arizona Newspapers Association and the Arizona Associated Press Managing Editors.

The first days of spring bring the peak wildflower season in Arizona. Although autumn rains weren’t bounteous in 2008, areas such as Boyce Thompson Arboretum near the scenic, copper-mining town of Superior received enough rainfall for a fine show of spring color.

TUCSON — Arizona Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb and general manager Josh Byrnes agree on one thing, at least. They don't want to talk about Webb's hazy future with the club.

Principal Liz Mullavey quietly walks me into Cathy Thompson’s fourth-grade class at Mesa’s Sousa Elementary School. It’s clear every student is engaged. Hands pop up as Thompson leads the 25 students through punctuation exercises. Nothing fancy here — just a screen, a projector and a dry-erase marker.

More than two dozen Tribune journalists were honored for their work by the Arizona Press Club at the group’s annual banquet Saturday night.

TUCSON — The Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum is about to open its first major new exhibit in a decade.

TUCSON — A state commission has voted unanimously to support efforts aimed at providing local law enforcement greater access to mental health records of people purchasing guns from dealers.

An initiative aimed at educating Tucson residents on Mexican-American studies is set to begin.

Higley Unified School Board Superintendent Denise Birdwell was recently named All-Arizona Superintendent of the Year for Large Districts by the Arizona School Administrators. 

Former Arizona Gov. Raul Castro, who in the 1970s served as the state's first and only Hispanic governor, was detained at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint after the vehicle he was traveling in triggered a radiation sensor.

The next judge to sit on the Arizona Supreme Court will have prior experience on the bench.

TUCSON - Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson is getting divorced. A divorce petition was filed in Pima County Superior Court on Thursday, the same day the 73-year-old coach said he would extend his leave from the team through the end of the season, court spokesman Dave Ricker said Friday. It's not clear whether Olson or wife Christine filed for divorce.

The Arizona football team was left out of a bowl game last season despite finishing with a 6-6 record. The Wildcats would not be shut out again, assuming they can get to .500.

State Sen. Minority Leader Jorge Luis Garcia, who has represented Tucson in the Legislature off and on for a dozen years, died Friday. He was 57.