LOS ANGELES — Here's a rule that only applies to dog beaches: they are all clothing optional.

“Mesa judge Markel [Mark] Chiles was issued a citation for shoplifting recently. Will another judge give him the six months in jail and $2,500 fine just to set the punishment at a level others could receive? Watch for a slap on the wrist.”

“Mesa judge Markel [Mark] Chiles was issued a citation for shoplifting recently. Will another judge give him the six months in jail and $2,500 fine just to set the punishment at a level others could receive? Watch for a slap on the wrist.”

A survey shows U.S. home prices rose 10.5 percent in March compared with a year ago, the biggest gain since March 2006.

Sadly, again, we see a crazed attacker going on a rampage against innocent victims. This time it was in a community college in Houston and the attacker had a knife instead of a gun. Should we anticipate that Harry Reid, Diane Feinstein, and President Obama will now be calling for background checks when trying to purchase cutlery? Should knives of a certain length be outlawed? Will we see politicians surrounded by family members of the injured speaking out against Swiss Army?

On the same day more than 40 years ago, lightning struck twice for Dolly Parton. She wrote "I Will Always Love You" and "Jolene," two of her signature songs, on the same afternoon.

"Starfish Prime" from Chandler’s Basha Accelerated Middle School won the 14th annual Honeywell Fiesta Bowl Aerospace Challenge on Saturday at the Challenger Space Center Arizona in Peoria.

My first thought when the Suns acquired Marcus Morris from the Houston Rockets?

Living on the moon could include access to a golf course, balloon rides to telescopes and round-the-clock energy mining if a few East Valley students had their way.

For a cutup like Joel McHale to label the upcoming fourth season of "Community" as "weird" is a bit of an understatement.

This is your brain on sugar — for real. Scientists have used imaging tests to show for the first time that fructose, a sugar that saturates the American diet, can trigger brain changes that may lead to overeating.

A U.S. Postal Service worker is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries after her mail truck ran through a fence in Apache Junction.

A TV show DVD set represents more than a holiday gift that’s easy to wrap. It also demonstrates respect: you know the recipient is mentally fit and couch-ready for a viewing marathon of “Dr. Who” or “House.”

A TV show DVD set represents more than a holiday gift that's easy to wrap. It also demonstrates respect: you know the recipient is mentally fit and couch-ready for a viewing marathon of "Dr. Who" or "House."

WASHINGTON — A measure of U.S. home prices jumped 5 percent in September compared with a year ago, the largest year-over-year increase since July 2006. The gain reported by CoreLogic offered more evidence of a sustainable housing recovery.

Unlike many local sports fans, I spent Halloween night at US Airways Center to catch the regular season debut of the new Suns.

A larger than normal ball (known back in the late 1800s as a “lemon-peel ball”); a leather, workman-like glove lacking in padding; rules conjured up — and put in play — some 125 years ago.

A larger than normal ball (known back in the late 1800s as a “lemon-peel ball”); a leather, workman-like glove lacking in padding; rules conjured up — and put in play — some 125 years ago.

Facing revenue shortages, Valley Metro is considering a possible increase of bus, LINK and light rail fares that could affect the entire Valley as early as March 1, 2013, and a public hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Phoenix for Valley residents to provide input.

In some respects, it’s easier to make a case against Proposition 204 than it is to support it. This measure on the Nov. 6 ballot would keep the state sales tax at 6.6 percent with most of the funds from a permanent 1-cent surcharge going to Arizona’s public schools. If it fails, the sales tax drops back to 5.6 percent. And who wouldn’t like to pay lower taxes? Plus, many credible organizations and individuals — from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce to the Goldwater Institute to Craig Barrett, former CEO of Intel — oppose it for a variety of legitimate reasons.

Fortunately, Kevin Kolb’s current injury doesn’t involve a concussion. The series of events over the last two months, however, are enough to make the Arizona Cardinals quarterback’s head hurt.