We’d like to welcome Mesa's newly named city manager, Chris Brady, to the East Valley and to a job that in all likelihood will be the biggest challenge of his life. He appears to be up to the challenge in every way.

Throughout his decade and a half as an established director, Jay Roach has become known for two types of movies. Mainstream audiences know him best for star-studded comedies like “Austin Powers” and “Meet the Parents.” In recent years, Roach has also demonstrated momentous range as a filmmaker with HBO political pictures like “Recount” and “Game Change.” In “The Campaign,” both sides of Roach come together to produce a political satire. Sadly, the film is mostly deprived of the sidesplitting humor of Roach’s comedies and the incite of his governmental dramas. His conclusive product is a disappointment on both fronts.

Considering he struck comedy gold with "Meet the Parents"/"Meet the Fockers" before successfully entering the cable political arena with "Recount" and "Game Change," director Jay Roach would seem to have been the ideal guy to be steering "The Campaign."

Throughout his decade and a half as an established director, Jay Roach has become known for two types of movies. Mainstream audiences know him best for star-studded comedies like “Austin Powers” and “Meet the Parents.” In recent years, Roach has also demonstrated momentous range as a filmmaker with HBO political pictures like “Recount” and “Game Change.” In “The Campaign,” both sides of Roach come together to produce a political satire. Sadly, the film is mostly deprived of the sidesplitting humor of Roach’s comedies and the incite of his governmental dramas. His conclusive product is a disappointment on both fronts.

TUCSON — The second anniversary of the rampage that wounded Gabrielle Giffords included the customary solemn remembrances and chiming of bells to recall the victims of the tragedy. It also included a new role for the wounded former congresswoman as a national gun control advocate.

Just months after the opening of Mesa’s grandest city project, new City Manager Chris Brady wants to turn its operations over to a private company or nonprofit group.

Just months after the opening of Mesa’s grandest city project, new City Manager Chris Brady wants to turn its operations over to a private company or nonprofit group.

Just months after the opening of Mesa’s grandest city project, new City Manager Chris Brady wants to turn its operations over to a private company or nonprofit group.

With the recent Newtown tragedy we are again forced to look at the question of our current gun control legislation. We have lost count of the victims of these horrific events and yet they continue. How can we accept the approximately 30,000 deaths each year from firearms (murders, suicides and accidents) without it screaming to us that “Enough is enough”! Have we become so immune to these events that it doesn’t matter any more? That is almost the equivalent of the U.S. Vietnam dead repeated every year.

Mesa is taking its budget woes on the road. The city will host six town hall meetings throughout Mesa next month to explain the city’s financial situation and receive public comment, a move criticized by one of the expected leaders of a campaign against the property tax.

Mesa is taking its budget woes on the road. The city will host six town hall meetings throughout Mesa next month to explain the city’s financial situation and receive public comment, a move criticized by one of the expected leaders of a campaign against the property tax.

Mesa Councilman Rex Griswold will pack up his belongings and leave his seventh floor office at City Hall today, but he hopes to make a hasty return to city government.

An overwhelming number of calls to Mesa’s two-person Animal Control Unit has prompted police officials to consider turning over the responsibility to Maricopa County.

Mesa voters showed Tuesday they want their community to succeed, and they aren’t interested in starving the city budget or “punishing” city officials for spending decisions some residents continue to oppose.

A visit to the Mesa Arts Center on Thursday wasn’t just “Much Ado About Nothing,” as the actions of the Southwest Shakespeare Co. led to a formal complaint that accused Mesa of illegal campaign activity.

A visit to the Mesa Arts Center on Thursday wasn’t just “Much Ado About Nothing,” as the actions of the Southwest Shakespeare Co. led to a formal complaint that accused Mesa of illegal campaign activity.

A visit to the Mesa Arts Center on Thursday wasn’t just “Much Ado About Nothing,” as the actions of the Southwest Shakespeare Co. led to a formal complaint that accused Mesa of illegal campaign activity.

BOISE, Idaho - The expiration Monday of a 10-year federal ban on assault weapons means firearms like TEC-9s can now be legally bought - a development that has critics upset and gun owners pleased.

Mesa has approved key agreements that let the city and the Chicago Cubs design and build a new $99 million training complex, despite a last-minute protest the arrangements are a bad deal for taxpayers.

Politicians tend to be natural optimists. That's why they put themselves and their ideas out before the public even when conventional wisdom would suggest that they could be soundly rejected.