It’s not often art lovers get to see a work in progress let alone contribute to it, but Arizona Opera gives fans the opportunity to do just that this weekend when they present the first reading of “Riders of the Purple Sage” — an original opera based on Zane Grey’s western novel, set on the Arizona-Utah border.

In an effort to increase efficiency and turnaround time, the Biology Unit at the Mesa crime lab, which analyzes DNA, switched to an electronic system as of January 2013.

Illegal abortion and ‘The Way of the World’

A walk through the Mesa Cemetery is a walk through the city’s history.

The City of Mesa is celebrating Global Youth Service Day by hosting an athletic shoe drive for kids 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 27 at Mountain View High School.

Long before animated sitcoms like “Family Guy,” “Archer” and “Bob’s Burgers” hit the small screen, “The Simpsons” captured the hearts of viewers worldwide with its biting social commentary and lovable bunch of outrageous characters.

The night of the shooting in Aurora, Colo., Ahwatukee Foothills mom and lawyer Ellen Davis had enough.

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

WASHINGTON — This may be the year Congress decides what to do about the millions of immigrants living illegally in the U.S. And this may be the week when a bipartisan group of senators makes public details of the overhaul plan it has been negotiating for months.

Desert Rivers Audubon, which hosts monthly nature programs for families in Gilbert and Chandler, will give outdoors enthusiasts a primer on using smart phones to connect with nature.

Spring has sprung, and with flowers blooming all around the Valley, Phoenix Art Museum is getting in on the floral action.

Mary Rose is raising money for bird conservation efforts, and she’s headed out on the open waters to do so. Rose will be rowing thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean next summer in the hope that she can be of help to the animal that she admires.

Learn about estate planning, investing and more during a series of free financial planning workshops starting on Friday at Mesa’s Red Mountain Library.

Don’t become a victim of identity theft. The Mesa Main Library is offering a free workshop on how to avoid the dangers and pitfalls of this virtual crime. The workshop is held 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 6.

Dwayne Stowell was just a high school senior when his life was instantly changed.

With so many leafless, spiky plants growing all around us in this desert, roses seem luxuriously soft and frilly — even with their thorns — by contrast.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is the first ever from the Americas, an austere Jesuit intellectual who modernized Argentina's conservative Catholic church.

The American Society of Newspaper Editors dedicate this week each year as Sunshine Week. Its purpose is to remind Americans that public officials must conduct public business openly for all to see.

Sarah Hinze, a Mesa mother of nine grown children, has made it her life’s work to advocate for the rights of children. Not necessarily those children in communities across the country, but instead, she is a spokesperson with an interest in children who are yet to be born.

In recognition of World Understanding Month, the Mesa Sunrise Rotary Club dedicated a Peace Pole in front of Mesa City Plaza. Each Peace Pole is a handcrafted monument that displays the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" on each side of the pole written in different languages reflecting the community’s population.

From national tragedies like that at Sandy Hook Elementary School to the increased digital tools at virtually everyone’s disposal — including in the hands of kids — it’s understandable that parents might feel overwhelmed as they try to raise their children in today’s age.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — In 12 years, my husband and I have had two vacations without our daughter. Once, we drove 200 miles to drop her at her godparents; the other time, her grandfather flew 850 miles on an $800 plane ticket to spell us.

It’s not every day a fifth-grader, an HVAC tech, a stay-at-home mom, a teacher or a sales manager can pitch in on a gigantic, real-world science project.

On Valentine’s Day, the Arizona Lindy Hop Society is asking East Valley residents to grab their partners and enjoy a night of dancing and fun in the grand opening of the Swing Lounge in Tempe.