Piece by piece, the world is becoming a little smaller in Mesa — about 100,000 times smaller. But, in this case, small is actually quite big — as in 40 stories tall, and with astonishing detail.

What do Newtown and Moore have in common? They were both heartbreaking tragedies, of course. But they were also targeted by opportunistic politicians eager to push their left-wing ideological agendas.

College students have spoken and lecture-based learning is prehistoric. An emerging trend on which colleges are reporting solid success rates is lecture-free classes. This approach to learning is being designed to promote deeper student learning, collaborative learning, skilled communication, self-managed learning, and cross-disciplinary and technology-enhanced coursework. Lecture-free classes are a response to growing criticism of the traditional, often passive lecture-based college classes which some educators say are a turn-off to students, leading to aggravation and poor grades.

Architect Paolo Soleri passed away in early April. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art is honoring his life with an exhibition of his work.

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.

Dirty bathrooms, closed trails and longer lines at Grand Canyon National Park. Furloughs for thousands of civilian defense workers. Reduced health care access.

Astronauts from NASA will land across the Valley to participate in events for the public in the coming weeks. The astronauts, specifically chosen by NASA for these events, are in Arizona to promote and raise awareness on space programs and exploration — just as the state’s “SciTech Festival” fires its boosters.

A Mesa native was awarded the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility Junior Sailor of the Year award.

Leroy Chiao, former NASA astronaut, has been chosen as the 2013 John J. Rhodes Chair in Public Policy and American Institutions in Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University and will deliver the 2013 Rhodes Lecture titled “Warp Speed: How Technology is Accelerating and the Importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education.”

It might be a surprise to hear business owners say out loud that they are not focused on profits, but the McIntosh family says it has a different model when it comes to its family-owned business.

Benedictine University is seeking experienced faculty to staff its new downtown Mesa campus for the fall semester.

Stacy L. Leeds, Dean of the University of Arkansas School of Law, will deliver the Sixth Annual William C. Canby Jr. Lecture on Thursday, Jan. 24, at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. The title of Leeds’ talk is “Whose Sovereignty? Tribal Citizenship, Federal Indian Law, and Globalization.”

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's internationally-acclaimed ski resorts are the main reason people visit Salt Lake City in the winter, but there are plenty of fun, free and interesting things to do in Salt Lake City while in the area and other times of year. Here's a sampling:

Curious about Arizona’s legendary canyon but clueless about where to start? Come to this one-hour brown-bag lecture with Ranger B. and you’ll learn about the canyon’s best walking and hiking routes.

For the first time in 30 years, the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University will open a new building on the Tempe campus this summer.

Loss has never come easy for me; be it in cards, a high school sporting event or on a personal level.

With cacti and strip malls obstructing the views at times, visitors could easily write Phoenix off as a place where water and culture are scarce. But this metropolis — which includes upscale Scottsdale and college town Tempe — is a nature lover’s oasis with pristine peaks and the vast Sonoran desert.

In one large room, separate groups of students at Gilbert’s Bios Christian Academy gather around different teachers.

What sounds like common sense — don’t text while driving — results too often in crashes, disabling injuries and death.

Patrick Joseph felt he left his best words for this last game, even if the Hamilton senior offensive lineman’s pregame speech was “spur of the moment.”

“I’m a veteran, and want to thank all the restaurants and diners that opened their doors with free meals for vets. It was great of you. Thank you. We really appreciate your service too.”

Registration is under way for the annual Leisure World Charity Golf Tournament benefitting Mesa United Way, to be held Saturday, Nov. 10 at the community’s two golf courses.