For ten days in January, 47 Australian students were hosted by Gilbert High School students for an amazing experience. The program sponsored by Educational World Travels was coordinated by Spanish teacher, Ida Gaumitz.

SEDONA — Highway 89A between Sedona and Interstate 17 has been reopened after being closed Sunday night and early Monday morning due to heavy snow and ice on the pavement.

For those of us in the Valley, Arizona’s high-country forests hold favorite camping, hunting and fishing spots, shady places to escape the heat, and, for some, family history or even cabins. Sadly, they’re also the site of blazing wildfires we sometimes see all over the news in the summertime.

The biggest name in Sedona tourist must-do’s has arrived in the Valley.

A strong winter storm walloped much of Arizona on Saturday, bringing heavy snow and rain and the temporary closure of a large section of Interstate 40.

Know someone who works tirelessly to support Arizona’s arts and culture? You could put them in the running for a big award.

Eight of the Southwest’s most recognized and talented chefs — including one from Gilbert’s Joe’s Real BBQ — will show you how to make their favorite recipes on Eight’s Centennial Cooking Celebration.

As a Valley native, I remember growing up and wishing for the cooler temperatures that come with changing fall leaves. You know, the kind of weather where you need to drink hot chocolate to stay warm!

Tricia Melfy believes in her plan and her system.

2012 Volleyball State Tournament schedules

Here are the first-round playoff matchups for the 2012 football state tournament.

State qualifying: Teams that finish in the top half of their sectional among scoring teams (or any individual from a non-qualifying team that places in the top 25) advance to the state meet. If there is an odd amount of teams, the number is rounded up. Example: If there are 15 teams, 8 teams advance.

Filmmakers have loved Arizona for decades. And they still do, although they could love it a lot more, to the greater benefit of a state looking for economic engines besides growth and real estate.

It doesn’t take much to get us out the door for a day trip to Red Rock Country, and this weekend’s Sedona Winefest is making the prospect even more tempting.

For nearly 40 years, Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe has helped people open pages to new chapters and new books by often allowing them to meet the authors and get their books signed.

Escape to the Red Rocks, where hiking, dining, cooler weather and pet-friendly things to do will give even your furry friends a little relief from the heat.

Ahwatukee’s Independence Day fireworks celebration will be fired from its location at the Ahwatukee Country Club. Enjoy great food, live music and fireworks at the 37th celebration of Red, White & Boom! Presented by the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce, Red, White and Boom will be on Tuesday, July 3 starting at 3 p.m., and will be one of the most exciting events to hit our streets all summer.

Day trips from the East Valley don’t come much easier than Sedona, but once you’ve walked Uptown, window-shopped at Tlaquepaque and been jostled about on a Jeep tour, it can feel a little “been there, done that.”

Ahwatukee resident Kari McCormick, business development manager, Native American Division for Kitchell Contractors, has been named economic developer of the year, Tribal Communities, by the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED).