When it comes to improving our community and helping people in need, Mesa has no shortage of role models. That’s what makes Susan Carland’s selection for Mesa United Way’s Ross N. Farnsworth Spirit of Mesa Award so special.

The Arizona Educational Foundation is accepting nominations for the 2014 Arizona Teacher of the Year program. This program recognizes 10 exceptionally skilled and dedicated Arizona public school teachers. One winning teacher will be sent to Washington D.C., to meet the president and will receive prize package including a $15,000 cash award, professional speech training, a full scholarship toward an advanced degree at Argosy University Phoenix and the chance to attend international Space Camp.

Susan G. Komen Central and Northern Arizona supports Governor Brewer’s Medicaid Restoration Plan.

Beasts of the Southern Wild won the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation at the Nebula Awards on Saturday, beating out The Avengers, The Cabin in the Woods, The Hunger Games, John Carter and ...

The message behind most romantic comedies is the simple-minded sentiment that love is all you need. So when Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier takes that title for a departure from somber drama to romance, you might expect her to deliver it with some serious irony.

Urban AZ’s first Spoken Word Showcase brings together a range of poetic performers, along with R&B artists Dwele and Bilal with a band, at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18 at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix.

Now that the final championships have been crowned and before everyone scampers away from schools and scalding heat for the summer, a few programming notes:

Are you 18 to 24-years-old and looking for a summer job? The AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers to Service America) Summer Associates Program is looking for participants.

A free all-day workshop for women in Phoenix this Saturday, May 18, aims to offer a way to “unlock one’s true potential as a catalyst for lasting love, stronger relationships and a greater sense of fulfillment,” says event promoter, Jan Hemming.

The presence of a cheering Gorilla at Mesa’s Westwood High School could mean one thing: Something big was about to happen.

Jewell Parker Roades, the Virginia G. Piper Chair in Creative writing, meets fans and discusses "Sugar," her new novel for middle readers. It tells the story of a 10-year-old girl who lives on a sugar plantation on the banks of the Mississippi and takes it upon herself to serve as the cultural bridge between the plantation residents and the Chinese workers who come to harvest the cane. Roades will sign copies of her book after the presentation.

Expect More Arizona, a statewide education advocacy organization dedicated to raising education expectations in Arizona announced four Excellence Tour Spotlight award winners during an event held on Tuesday, including Mesa's Great Hearts Academies. According to a release, "the Phoenix finalists for the Expect More Excellence Tour demonstrate and celebrate what Arizonans are doing today to elevate world-class education in the community."

E-Books and Amazon.com may spell the demise of the publishing industry, but Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, named “Best Bookstore” yet again by “2013 Best of East Valley Voters, continues to thrive.

Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers, Dignity Health Members, each received the Partner for Change award by Practice Greenhealth, an industry leader and nonprofit organization that recognizes healthcare facilities for going above and beyond in keeping and maintaining a “green” workplace.

HEALDSBURG, Calif. — Sometimes visitors to MacMurray Ranch, the 1,500-acre (600-hectare) spread owned by movie and TV actor Fred MacMurray for a half-century, want to know: Where's the heliport? Where's the screening room?

With an estimated 24,000 blood donations by the end of the school year, teens have retained their status as United Blood Services largest statewide donor group for the ninth consecutive year. The D-backs honored the accomplishments of students in the 2012-13 High School Blood Drive Challenge by donating 1,000 tickets to 83 award-winning schools for their May 1 game against the San Francisco Giants. Championship banners were presented on-field during pregame ceremonies to the nine schools earning the highest honors. The team invited the top two high schools, Gilbert's Highland (most total donors) and Williams (highest percentage participation) to share a party suite at the game.

The prom is making a big comeback.

FLAGSTAFF — Teeth-chattering. Axle-busting. Head-pounding.

The number of hybrid cars in the U.S. will triple by 2015, according to J.D. Power and Associates. This change in demand and technology requires a new skill set from today’s mechanics. The premise is that drivers around the world will continue trading gas guzzling, big-body cars for lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles that are easier on the pockets and the environment.