Several Valley comic book shops will be taking part in Saturday’s 24 Hour Comics Day Challenge. Cartoonists of all ages can participate — but they’ll have to write, draw and letter an entire 24-page comic book.

SYDNEY, Australia - Australia will be one of the first countries in the world to turn off its lights for an hour Saturday night as part of a global campaign to raise awareness about climate change.

Time is running out for Mesa history buffs to see the community's early artifacts firsthand, as the Mesa Historical Museum is preparing to drastically scale back when it's open to the public.

Ken Colburn: Retailers and manufacturers know that because most consumers can't decipher the technical details when making a decision, most default to the price. In technology especially, often times the price you see advertised is not what it will actually end up costing you.

Last-minute holiday shoppers should be glad to know that most local grocery stores are extending their hours for Thanksgiving shoppers.

Marilyn Keim, Myra Pennick, Marcia Sawyer and Shirley Kraft have logged a combined 59,000 volunteer hours at Del E. Webb Medical Center in Sun City West. They’ve worked a variety of jobs from the information desk and out-patient services to the gift shop and pharmacy. Tuesday, Volunteer Resources, formerly volunteer services, honored the women and other volunteers for major milestone hours of service at the hospital.

Marilyn Keim, Myra Pennick, Marcia Sawyer and Shirley Kraft have logged a combined 59,000 volunteer hours at Del E. Webb Medical Center in Sun City West. They’ve worked a variety of jobs from the information desk and out-patient services to the gift shop and pharmacy. Tuesday, Volunteer Resources, formerly volunteer services, honored the women and other volunteers for major milestone hours of service at the hospital.

Marilyn Keim, Myra Pennick, Marcia Sawyer and Shirley Kraft have logged a combined 59,000 volunteer hours at Del E. Webb Medical Center in Sun City West. They’ve worked a variety of jobs from the information desk and out-patient services to the gift shop and pharmacy. Tuesday, Volunteer Resources, formerly volunteer services, honored the women and other volunteers for major milestone hours of service at the hospital.

Banks increasingly aren’t keeping banker’s hours.

The sun is always shining in Orange County, or so it would seem from popular TV shows like “Laguna Beach” and “The OC.” But rain does fall in the O.C., and the people who live there are more than gorgeous teens in skimpy bathing suits and gaudy displays of wealth. Nestled along the Pacific Coast Highway between San Diego and Los Angeles, Orange County is enjoying a renaissance.

The sun is always shining in Orange County, or so it would seem from popular TV shows like “Laguna Beach” and “The OC.” But rain does fall in the O.C., and the people who live there are more than gorgeous teens in skimpy bathing suits and gaudy displays of wealth. Nestled along the Pacific Coast Highway between San Diego and Los Angeles, Orange County is enjoying a renaissance.

The Arizona Supreme Court threw legal doubt Thursday on the ability of state lawmakers to require adult bookstores and similar shops to shutter every night at 1 a.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Police in the past 24 hours have found the bodies of at least 87 people killed by execution-style shootings - a gruesome wave of apparent sectarian reprisal slayings, officials said Tuesday.

If you’re one of those procrastinating holiday shoppers who wait until the eleventh hour to buy gifts, you’re not alone. The National Retail Federation said it’s not at all uncommon for shoppers to put off their gift buying until the last minute.

With no warning, a siren screamed and light flooded the dorm room at Fire Station 205 in east Mesa at 2:30 a.m.

July 18, 2004

Scottsdale officers arrested two Phoenix men on Saturday on suspicion of armed robbery hours after they held up a south Scottsdale smoke shop on Friday and acquired an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.

If you’re staying in town this weekend and are looking for an activity that requires less cash than your July power bill, head to Tempe Marketplace where you can take your pick of restaurants, pubs and sweet shops, enjoy free live music while the kids cool off in the splash pad, paint a gnome or catch a movie.

A corner in Chandler that once hosted high-tech manufacturing facilities will soon sprout a five-story, 165-room hotel and stores.

Time is running out for Zorba’s Adult Shop to fall into line with the city’s new rules on sexually oriented businesses. Tougher regulations that go into effect Sept. 9 will force the store to make drastic changes. The building housing Zorba’s, at 2924 N. Scottsdale Rd., apparently violates the law’s demands for unblocked sightlines to almost all parts of the establishment.

Time is running out for Zorba’s Adult Shop to fall into line with the city’s new rules on sexually oriented businesses. Tougher regulations that go into effect Sept. 9 will force the store to make drastic changes. The building housing Zorba’s, at 2924 N. Scottsdale Rd., apparently violates the law’s demands for unblocked sightlines to almost all parts of the establishment.

Zeyna Kirdar has combined her love of designing jewelry, selling unique items and worldly shopping to volunteer her time to run a popular gift shop in the lobby of the Chandler Center for the Arts.

When Bethany Noble of Mesa eats out, shops or banks, she’s usually getting paid to do so. The 26-year-old mom is a mystery shopper who gets paid to do everyday things and rate the service.