Valley residents driving Interstate 17 over the next few days should not be alarmed if they see smoke from a fire in southern Yavapai County, federal officials say.

No one on the Chandler Valley Christian side could dispute this: Phoenix Northwest Christian played better in the teams’ state 2A girls volleyball semifinal Saturday morning.

NAPA, Calif. — Love the lush and lovely Napa Valley but hate how expensive it can be? You're not the first. In the late 19th century, writer Robert Louis Stevenson moved his honeymoon to the rustic but free setting of an abandoned mining camp when the $10-a-week going rate for Calistoga hotels proved too much for his slender purse.

Tina Wirth’s 21 points and 13 rebounds couldn’t pull Seton Catholic (27-6) to victory, as the Sentinels fell to defending 3A champion Eagar Round Valley 50-39 in a 3A state quarterfinal game Saturday in Flagstaff.

One summer long ago, Thomas Jefferson toiled for weeks to draft a document that would become the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty: The Declaration of Independence.

An effort began in the growing United States from 1866 to 1869 to honor and remember the nation's fallen veterans.

This coming Tuesday, when the Sons of Confederate Veterans gather at Globe Cemetery, the historical veterans organization will honor Pvt. Wesley Lancaster, who has been buried in an unmarked grave for nearly a century.

The test of his passion for cold-blooded critters is Clem. The 10-foot-long, 450-pound alligator tries to eat Russ Johnson for lunch nearly every time Johnson steps into Clem's (very secure) pen. Such are the challenges of the Phoenix Herpetological Society's president and protector of all scaly creatures.

It’s a new year, but that doesn’t mean there will be a new crop of favorites as the 2009 high school volleyball season begins in Arizona. The programs that were the strongest in 2008 will likely be strong again, with precious little room for the up-and-comers.

THE LIFESTYLE: STRAW DETERMINATION

Let your weekend go to the birds at the Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival in Cottonwood, which will host "Family Day" 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Here we go again. Chandler Valley Christian vs. Phoenix Northwest Christian. A berth in the 2A girls volleyball state championship match hanging in the balance.

Arizona set out years ago to celebrate its 100th birthday by sprucing up the dingy Capitol district, hosting celebrations across the state and creating a lifetime of memories.