Bandit is a male terrier mix, about 30 pounds and 3 years old.

An effort to broaden tax exemptions for religious organizations is facing bipartisan opposition in the Arizona House of Representatives.

Gilbert’s Friends for Life Animal Rescue will host its annual fundraising dinner and silent auction March 2 at The Buttes resort in Tempe.

Homeowners who survived the initial onslaught of harsh weather late last week might still want to take a number of precautions, as late-night temperatures are expected to stay in the low- to mid-30s through at least Tuesday.

Fergie, a 7-year-old female Labrador retriever mix, deserves some royal treatment after being found thin and beaten up. She has thankfully recovered and is in good condition at Gilbert’s Arizona Friends for Life animal rescue, where she waits for someone to adopt her and give her a loving home.

If you’re looking for a pet with a take-charge personality, then Jeremy is your man. At 6 years old, this large domestic long-haired silver mix cat likes nothing better than to perch regally atop the cat tree so he can supervise the room. The folks at Arizona Friends for Life say Jeremy was adopted some time ago, but returned to the shelter due to a family situation.

Caliber Collision in Gilbert has donated a reclaimed vehicle to a struggling Arizona family as part of the national Recycled Rides Program.

The Gilbert Police Department is looking for two women who reportedly asked for fraudulent HALO Animal Rescue donations from a citizen in Gilbert during a door-to-door solicitation.

A heartfelt tradition in Gilbert of honoring military veterans who made sacrifices throughout the years to protect the freedoms we enjoy today has become so large that it will continue to be held at a larger venue.

In this column space, I often get a break from writing about the bad news, the crime and the dark side of a community. I get to write about human interests — people, their jobs, a unique project in a community or one’s hobby. You know, the lighter side of life.

One-year-old Contessa, “Tessa” for short, is experiencing things now she should have experienced when she was a puppy. But as a pup, Tessa lived in the backyard instead of being part of a family. As a result, she now needs the training she should have had from the beginning.

Many of us have attended or at least heard of the popular fall celebration, Octoberfest.

Panacea Animal Shelter is accepting treatment donations for Hannah, a medium-sized dog rescued from the side of the road with a fractured pelvic bone and a displaced hip.

Valley of the Sun United Way hosted its monthly Project Connect in Gilbert Wednesday, helping more than 200 individuals connect with affordable housing, veterans’ benefits and other social services.

Like too many pets in the Valley, Mischief, a 6-year-old rottie/hound mix, is a victim of the economy and housing crisis. He was adopted as a puppy six years ago – at the time, his name was “Ian” – but was returned to Friends for Life animal rescue in August when his family lost their home. Sad and confused, this big, but gentle dog needs to live in a home again instead of an animal shelter.

Vanna, a beautiful, 11-year-old domestic short-haired “Torbie” cat, was adopted many years ago but found herself homeless again when her adoptive parents turned her in to another shelter. Luckily for Vanna she wasn’t euthanized; her microchip saved her life as Friends for Life Animal Rescue picked her up and brought her back to Gilbert. Since then, sweet Vanna has been waiting over a year and a half to find a new home, where she will be welcomed as part of the family as she lives out her golden years.

When Lisa Mederos was shot and killed by boyfriend J.T. Ready, she not only left behind a 19-year-old daughter who survived, but also a collection of antiques.

Sailor is a male yellow Labrador Retriever about 6-7 years old. He’s had quite an adventure, living up to his name except his adventures have been on land instead of sea. Sailor was first rescued and adopted in March but got out of his new home and was missing for three months. He finally turned up at another animal shelter where they scanned for a microchip, which brought him back to Friends for Life. Now Sailor waits for a new home at Friends for Life’s downtown Gilbert shelter. Sailor is a nice, calm guy who loves walks in cooler weather but also loves lazy afternoon naps too. Sailor is looking forward to going shopping with his new people for his very own tennis balls.

Sailor, a male yellow Labrador retriever about 6 or 7 years old, had been rescued and adopted in March – but got out of his home and was missing for three months. Thankfully, once he was found by another rescue group, his microchip led to him being returned to Friends for Life Animal Rescue.

Islands Elementary School students put their best feet — and shoes — forward in an effort to help children walk a little easier. On April 10, the Gilbert students participated in the “One Day Without Shoes” event sponsored by TOMS shoes. They went without shoes in their classrooms and learned about the millions of children across the globe that are at risk for disease, infection, and injury for want of a pair of shoes.

About 1 year old, Squeakah is a female pit bull mix who loves to play and swim. The folks at Friends for Life animal rescue in Gilbert say she is an awesome dog — and definitely not a couch potato. Still “puppyish,” she has lots of energy.

“Oh, there they go again!” Ronald Reagan’s words echoed through my mind when I read the recent letter: “Dispelling one of the GOP’s myths”. The letter claimed that the GOP believes “revenue goes up when taxes go down”. The actual claim however, is “revenue goes up when tax RATES go down”.