The football coaches evidently can’t wait until August for their first showdown of the year.

The placemat is a favorite at many dinner tables: The often-whimsical plastic version catches the slip of spaghetti from a youngster's fork, while a nice cotton placemat elevates the dining experience just a little without having to set down a whole tablecloth.

It’s hard to outgrow that wind-in-your-face freedom that bike riding brings. This weekend’s Great Arizona Bicycle Festival in downtown Mesa seeks to re-capture some of that childlike fun with two days of bike-centric activities along with food, games, and live music.

Feeling like you should do something for St. Patrick’s Day but missed Saturday’s downtown parade or don’t fancy a drive all the way to Fountain Hills for a spray of green water?

MGM’s “The Wizard of Oz” is the rare film adaptation that has officially become even more cherished than the timeless book that inspired it. Over the years, “The Wizard of Oz” has influenced numerous sequels, prequels, and reimaginings in just about every entertainment medium. Although there have certainly been some good additions to the “Oz” franchise, it’s unfortunate all of them must live in the shadow of an unbeatable classic. While nothing will ever top the Judy Garland version, the most we can ask from a modern “Oz” interpretation is that it remains true to L. Frank Baum’s universe while also sprinkling in something fresh. On that basis, Director Sam Raimi sufficiently delivers in his vibrant and fun “Oz the Great and Powerful.”

The days of a live turtle as a prize at the fair may be numbered.

A relentless, smothering allowed No. 6 Dobson to overcome a slow first quarter and defeat No. 11 Millennium 69-49 in the second round of the girls Division I basketball championship Friday night.

Not sure what to give your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day? Copperstar Repertory Co. has an idea.

The pressure from the Obama administration for Arizona to expand our Medicaid program is enormous. Gov. Brewer is on board and even some legislative conservatives seem to be wavering. But legislators should take one more look before they make what could be a fateful leap.

Not sure what to give your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day? Copperstar Repertory Co. has a unique gift of a singing telegram starting at $55, which also supports the Gilbert-based theater non-profit.

Valentine’s Day hastens toward us and while most people wait until the last minute to purchase a token of affection for their heart’s true love, you can get ahead of the game by scheduling a singing telegram with the East Valley’s own Copperstar Repertory Company.

Living on the moon could include access to a golf course, balloon rides to telescopes and round-the-clock energy mining if a few East Valley students had their way.

Homeschooling, charter schools, private and magnet schools, online learning, open enrollment and more were celebrated last Friday as National School Choice Week kicked off in Arizona with speakers, performances and balloons at Gilbert’s Eduprize School.

Moms are always on the lookout for ways to turn downtime into fun time and SanTan Village Kids Club is just the ticket.

McDonald’s restaurant at 358 E. University in Mesa will host a grand re-opening from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, to celebrate the restaurant’s extensive remodel.

For his latest blood fest, "Django Unchained," Quentin Tarantino largely replays all of his other blood fests, specifically his last flick, "Inglourious Basterds."

Remember what it felt like to jump off the swing at its highest point? Or tuck a bath-towel cape into your shirt collar and leap from the top bunk?

A crowd of a couple hundred people took a break from shopping to pay their respects to the Virgin of Guadalupe at Mesa’s Fiesta Mall on Wednesday.

If you looked to the skies last weekend, you probably saw the bright colors of the second annual Arizona Balloon Classic, hosted this year in Gilbert.

The newly-created, unbalanced football divisions could necessitate a change in the number of playoff qualifiers for the 2013-2015 scheduling block.