LOS ANGELES — When Craig Haverstick approaches the beach with his dog in tow, Stanley instinctively knows he's in for a treat. His ears perk up and he starts sniffing the salty air.

Chandler track phenom Ky Westbrook will compete in the Dream 100 at the adidas Grand Prix in New York City on Saturday against some of the best high school sprinters in the country.

NEW YORK — Thomas Sohmers, 17, of Hudson, Mass., has been working at a research lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since he was 13, developing projects ranging from augmented reality eyewear to laser communications systems. This spring, his mom, Penny Mills, let him drop out of 11th grade. She says she "could see how much of the work he was doing at school wasn't relevant to what he wanted to learn."

At heart, a quesadilla is pretty much a Mexican grilled cheese. Take a tortilla, stuff it with something savory, add some cheese, fold it in half and toast it. It's also pretty delicious.

Spring sprang, and now summer has set in.

BOULDER, Colo. — Ethan Welty is thinking ahead to harvest time as he cycles through tidy Boulder streets pointing out apple, plum and mulberry trees on public and private land.

“It was a dark and stormy night.”

Here is a collection of thoughts and stories from those who've crossed paths (personally or professionally) with former Higley district athletic director Art Wagner, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on May 15.

America has always made a commitment to putting a good education within reach of anyone who is willing to work for it. The promise of a good education for everyone is part of what makes America great. As a person who works in the high tech industry, I am deeply committed and concerned about the success of all students.

A Valley woman's dying wish was fulfilled this Mother's Day weekend, thanks to the Dream Foundation.

Last year, each at the age of 11, Mesa youths Jagger Eaton and Trey Wood dropped in on the X Games stage as the event’s youngest competitors ever. This year, they’re joined by 12-year-old Alana Smith when they compete next week at X Games Barcelona.

If any piece of classic American literature should be depicted on film with wildly decadent and boldly inventive style, it's "The Great Gatsby." After all, who was the character of Jay Gatsby himself if not a spinner of grandiose tales and a peddler of lavish dreams?

ASU's class of 2013 will get their diplomas this week in Tempe and at least one of the graduates will be a little older than the rest.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

Kismet and Karma chase each other back and forth in their “penthouse.” The kitten and puppy stop to play with a two-legged visitor, then their game begins anew.

The great thing about the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum isn’t that it houses expansive galleries chock full of pieces of famous modern art. The great thing is that it doesn’t.

It’s time to privatize Gilbert.

HEALDSBURG, Calif. — Sometimes visitors to MacMurray Ranch, the 1,500-acre (600-hectare) spread owned by movie and TV actor Fred MacMurray for a half-century, want to know: Where's the heliport? Where's the screening room?

I have to admit that this column is going to have few readers. For one thing, here is the only mention it will have of the name Jodi Arias. That’s it. Sorry.

Behind the mask of Chandler High School’s mascot, Scruffy, Andrew Sanchez found his “voice.”

The Chaparral baseball team isn’t quite ready to give up on its dream of a third consecutive state title.

There are 707 graduates in the Mountain View High School Class of 2013.

Putting herself through school, Shayna Stevens relies heavily on student loans to pursue a degree in secondary education at Northern Arizona University.