BALI, Indonesia - Sirens blared and thousands of people fled the coast Tuesday as Indonesia held its largest-ever tsunami drill. Others across Asia prayed at mass graves, chimed temple bells and lit candles two years after devastating waves claimed 230,000 lives.

Mesa Unified School District hopes to upgrade its technology, repair aging buildings and renovate or rebuild transportation hubs if voters approve the sale of $230 million in bonds in November.

Mesa voters were approving a $230 million bond question for the school district Tuesday night in early unofficial results.

An ailing software system is bleeding tens of millions of dollars from Maricopa County’s health care system, forcing officials to dip into county coffers until the problem is fixed.

Scottsdale could be facing a shortfall of more than $270 million in completing the McDowell Sonoran Preserve if recent purchases of conservation land by Phoenix are used as a guide, as state land officials suggest.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A rich entrepreneur scientist who bought his own ticket to the international space station said from orbit Tuesday that the trip was worth the millions of dollars he paid, and his only fear on launch day was not going.

The Mesa Unified School District completed a $46 million bond sale this month, the first of a $230 bond package approved by voters in November.

PHOENIX - The director of Arizona's Game and Fish Department says he's retiring after nearly 20 years in the post.

Pinnacle West Capital Corp., the parent company of Arizona Public Service, reported increased revenue and profits in the third quarter, aided by hot summer weather that contributed to more air conditioning use, two rate increases this year and lower fuel prices.

The Mesa bond package slated for the November 2008 election will include projects for public safety and streets, but not streetlights.

Mesa’s residents will have their first chance to comment on the city’s anticipated 2008 property tax election.

The Arizona Board of Regents gave final approval last week to construct the University of Arizona Cancer Center-Phoenix.

Arizona’s largest single-day food drive — one which helps food banks survive during the summer — will take place May 14. That is when more than 230,000 letter carriers nationwide, including more than 5,000 in the Valley, will pick up canned food donations on their regular mail routes during the 19th Annual National Association of Letter Carriers “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive.

The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess resort will get 334 more rooms, double the meeting space and famous names to run its bar and top-of-the-line restaurant.

The Queen Creek Town Council voted Wednesday to slash the upcoming fiscal year’s budget by nearly $100 million.

The U.S. Marine Corps said Monday it will exercise an option to order $230 million in combat operations centers from the General Dynamics C4 Systems division in Scottsdale.

TUCSON - The political fight to build a medical campus in Phoenix is not over yet. The state Board of Regents on Tuesday approved a draft outlining details of the expense involved with creating the campus to be shared by the University of Arizona and Arizona State University.

Scottsdale officials green-lighted a study this week into the possibility of running Arizona American Water Co. out of town and taking over service to the private water utility's customers in the city.

Soaring jet fuel costs led Tempe-based US Airways to a $79 million loss for the fourth quarter.

When East Valley voters go to the polls Tuesday, they will decide whether to support a number of city and school district bond issues and budget overrides.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.— Regulators on Friday shut down banks in Florida, Minnesota, Arizona and California, bringing the number of U.S. bank failures to 68 this year.

Mesa and Chandler school districts may join the ranks of other districts in Arizona that are unable to sell voter-approved bonds in the future because of the recent housing crash.

Queen Creek will chop spending by $100 million next fiscal year under a budget approved Wednesday by the Town Council.The council approved spending $134 million for the 2008-09 fiscal year starting July 1. This year's budget is nearly $230 million.

Soaring jet fuel costs led Tempe-based US Airways to a $79 million loss for the fourth quarter. That’s compared with a profit of $12 million for the same period in 2006.