"The Sapphires" is missing a lot — detailed characters, a unique narrative arc, half-plausible scenes of the Vietnam War — but it's got two uncommon things going for it: genuine charm and Chris O'Dowd. They are not mutually exclusive.

Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny delivered his 2013 state of the city address last week, touching mostly on the subjects of employment, neighborhood sustainability, outreach and transparency and better health.

When Bill Keller landed a store manager’s job with Dillard’s department store in the Valley 34 years ago, his wife, Dianne, said she wasn’t excited about moving to Arizona, much less Mesa — from Minneapolis.

For more than 50 minutes there was more than a little nervousness in the stands and on the field for No. 3-seeded Highland in its Division I girls soccer first-round match.

Don’t cry for Alvin Gentry. The time when he needed your sympathy has already passed.

CHICAGO — No matter how many years you are from calling it quits, it's essential to have some kind of plan in mind for financing retirement.

So it appears an NBA mascot shift is in the offing. New Orleans owner Tom Benson, who has been itching to change the name of his team since buying the struggling franchise, wants to rename the ill-titled Hornets – and call his team the New Orleans Pelicans.

On Sept. 11, the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee of the Phoenix City Council decided to continue the practice of fluoridating the city’s water after two hours of testimony from pro- and anti-fluoridation advocates. The city of Phoenix has been fluoridating the water supply since 1989.

WASHINGTON — The government's monthly jobs report has become Washington's most anticipated and studied economic indicator, pounced upon by politicians, economists and journalists for snap judgments as the presidential election nears. But in the real world, most everybody else just looks around and figures things out for themselves.

CHICAGO — Thousands of striking Chicago public school teachers packed a city park Saturday in a show of force as union leaders and the district tried to work out the details of a tentative agreement that would end a week-long walkout.

So what’s new in the NBA? Absolutely nothing.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Is a gun like a virus, a car, tobacco or alcohol? Yes say public health experts, who in the wake of recent mass shootings are calling for a fresh look at gun violence as a social disease.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Mass shootings have rattled nerves and renewed calls for stricter gun laws. Doctors are thinking bigger. Gun violence is a social disease, they say, and it could be curbed with a public health approach like the product safety changes and driving laws that slashed traffic fatalities decades ago, even as cars on the road increased.

OAK CREEK, Wis. (AP) — An unidentified gunman killed six people at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee on Sunday in a rampage that left terrified congregants hiding in closets and others texting friends outside for help. The suspect was killed outside the temple in a shootout with police officers.

Ever since he was 8 years old, Ron Puechner has been loyal to a hobby that sees interest heat up during a presidential election year: collecting political memorabilia.

With mortgage rates at historic lows, now may be a good time to buy or refinance a house, and the Internet has made it easier than ever to shop for a mortgage.

With mortgage rates at historic lows, now may be a good time to buy or refinance a house, and the Internet has made it easier than ever to shop for a mortgage.

When Bill Keller landed a store manager’s job with Dillard’s department store in the Valley 34 years ago, his wife, Dianne, said she wasn’t excited about moving to Arizona, much less Mesa — from Minneapolis.

It was 45 years ago — June 8, 1967 — almost to the day, that the USS Liberty was attacked in international waters off the coast of Egypt by Israeli fighter jets and torpedo boats. Thirty-one Navy seamen, two Marines and one U.S. civilian were killed and 170 Navy seaman were wounded. Capt. William L. McGonagle was wounded and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on that day. The award ceremony was not conducted in the White House by President Johnson as not to embarrass Israel. Instead, it was awarded in an office at the Washington Naval Yard by the Secretary of the Navy with no media present.

Year after spring training year, the pendulum tied to Arizona’s Cactus League seems to find itself swinging the other way. One year it’s the players front and center; that was the case this month – and in the East Valley in particular - with the arrival of future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols to Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Paul Goldschmidt’s status has changed this spring, but nothing else about him appears drastically different.

Joe Mather may no longer be in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform but the time spent in one of baseball’s most-respected and fundamentally sound organizations is still paying dividends.