Six sites in the East Valley are collecting gift-filled shoe boxes from Nov. 15-22 as part of Operation Christmas Child, which will send the gifts to more than 8 million children in 100 countries. Donors are able to track their gifts via tracking numbers to know what country they went to. Last year, East Valley residents contributed over 13,000 boxes, according to Operation Christmas Child.

February 14, 2005

On Monday , Mesa will launch its annual water campaign, officially known as the “Hydration Donation Campaign.”

A friend sent me a message over the weekend. They informed me of a link on Barack Obama's campaign Web site, "Public Allies" and informed me that once there if you read a bit you would find the statement, "Individual salvation depends on collective salvation."

NEW YORK - Google Inc. is now disclosing more details on how it collects and uses data obtained from users, but it is remaining silent on several key questions that concern privacy advocates.

A renaissance of the former Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouse site in north Scottsdale has begun, with designs for a new library unveiled last week and upcoming hearings on plans for the $225 million Silverstone subdivision.

Mesa residents looking for a way to get rid of old cans of paint, batteries, pesticides, electronics, tires and prescription drugs are invited to bring these and other household hazardous waste materials to the next city-sponsored collection 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Feb. 9 at the East Mesa Service Center, 6935 E. Decatur St., east of Power Road, north of University Drive.

The Phoenix Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration are making it easy and safe to get rid of old prescription drugs by conducting a Prescription Drug Take Back Day at Pecos Park this Saturday.

Surprise residents with bottles of unwanted medicine can dispose of the contents in a safe manner later this month during a city-hosted event. The Surprise Police Department will participate in a nationwide “Prescription Drug Take Back Day” April 30.

Scottsdale resident Adriane Grimaldi got a surprise when she and her husband first became foster parents in 2004: The child they took into their home showed up with a black trash bag filled with his belongings.

They’re cute, furry and raking in wads of cash. The ubiquitous Webkinz claimed coveted “it” toy status late last year, and sales remain brisk at East Valley retailers. Most parents say they’re OK with plunking down cash for the cuddly plush toys because, unlike Beanie Babies, there’s more than meets the eye with Webkinz.

Over the past few years, the Cardinals have collected defensive linemen in the draft like a child hoards seashells on the beach.

SAN FRANCISCO — Tax-free shopping is under threat for many online shoppers as states facing widening budget gaps increasingly pressure Amazon.com Inc. and other Internet retailers to start collecting sales taxes from their residents.

There’s one thing growing faster than the population in Gilbert — the piles of bulk trash.

TUCSON - Web researchers at the University of Arizona are busy these days tracking down potential terrorist-led Web sites and following their every move.

It’s been more than 25 years since city planners designated the empty lot on the northwest corner of Chandler and Gila Springs boulevards for commercial uses.

It’s been more than 25 years since city planners designated the empty lot on the northwest corner of Chandler and Gila Springs boulevards for commercial uses.

A Mesa Southwest Museum team excavating the remains of a Columbian mammoth from a Gilbert construction site believes the dig may yield many prehistoric animal bones.

A Mesa Southwest Museum team excavating the remains of a Columbian mammoth from a Gilbert construction site believes the dig may yield many prehistoric animal bones.

The state has offered to clean up a contaminant discovered in Gilbert’s groundwater and soil.

A sailor’s tales of lost treasure and ghost ships turned a quiet boat ride into a “Cruise of Doom” Sunday at Tempe Town Lake. At the third annual Haunted Halloween Tour sponsored by the Friends of Rio Salado, families rode on the “Clara Urbano” through the cursed Sun Devil’s Triangle and past a sorcerer’s tomb hidden in Tempe Butte.

A sailor’s tales of lost treasure and ghost ships turned a quiet boat ride into a “Cruise of Doom” Sunday at Tempe Town Lake. At the third annual Haunted Halloween Tour sponsored by the Friends of Rio Salado, families rode on the “Clara Urbano” through the cursed Sun Devil’s Triangle and past a sorcerer’s tomb hidden in Tempe Butte.

After 15 years of waiting, the Mesa branch of the Salvation Army is finally on track to quadruple its space and enhance its services.

Maybe you’re in the market for knee replacement surgery or an angioplasty, or looking for alcohol detox treatment. Now you can go online to compare the costs of in-patient hospitalization for roughly 1,200 conditions and procedures at more than 80 hospitals statewide.