Finding air-conditioned summer entertainment can be tricky in the Valley of the Sun. It got a bit easier when Arizona’s newest cultural attraction — Butterfly Wonderland — opened last month in Scottsdale.

The thought of kindergarten setting the stage for a successful education can be daunting. Parents across the country are discussing whether their children are ready for kindergarten or would benefit from another year in preschool. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question. However, parents can calm apprehensions by understanding they are a key component to their children’s success in school. Here are a few tips to help parents with kindergarten readiness.

In case you forgot, Gov. Jan Brewer has other priorities this year besides getting the Legislature to approve Medicaid expansion.

The handwritten note on a piece of paper is taped to Dave Shapiro’s office window. It rested there Wednesday either as a joke or to mock his peers:

The Class of 2013 at Perry High School boasts an impressive list of accomplishments.

WASHINGTON — The Republican Party, having lost the popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections, confronts a dilemma that's easier to describe than to solve: How can it broaden its appeal to up-for-grabs voters without alienating its conservative base?

A review of 12,000 papers on climate change, in the May 15th issue of “Environmental Research Letters”, found that 97 percent of scientists attribute climate change to human activities. Although we’re unlikely to reverse climate change, we can mitigate its effects by reducing our driving, energy use, and meat consumption.

Atlanta wasn’t an isolated incident. Neither was El Paso, or Washington, DC, or Columbus. A new General Accounting Office report demonstrates that cheating by school officials on standardized tests has become commonplace despite the use of security measures the report recommends. The only solution is one that Education Secretary Arne Duncan has so far refused—removing the high stakes attached to standardized testing.

There have been highs and lows from the 2012-2013 athletic year.

The Arizona Educational Foundation is accepting nominations for the 2014 Arizona Teacher of the Year program. This program recognizes 10 exceptionally skilled and dedicated Arizona public school teachers. One winning teacher will be sent to Washington D.C., to meet the president and will receive prize package including a $15,000 cash award, professional speech training, a full scholarship toward an advanced degree at Argosy University Phoenix and the chance to attend international Space Camp.

A “Celebration of Life” service to honor respected educator and leader among state high school sports circles Art Wagner is scheduled for Monday night at 6 p.m. at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts in Gilbert.

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.

Higley Unified School District athletic director Art Wagner, 43, was found dead near Higley High School Wednesday morning, according to the Gilbert Police Department. Police say the matter is still under investigation, but believe Wagner died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

When executives of corporations are caught aiding and abetting criminal behavior of their employees, the executives are prosecuted and the businesses are destroyed.

After years in the doldrums, the housing market appears back on track. Home sales and prices are up, and mortgage rates remain near historic lows, reinvigorating the appeal of home ownership.

Selling your first home in a buyers’ market? You can get the best possible price if you know how to negotiate.

The first steps toward improving Falcon Field Airport’s terminal building are underway with design of renovations to the terminal building.

This weekend was warm enough that locals seemed to collectively change their wardrobes from light layers to tank tops, shorts and other summer staples. If you cringe at the thought of your right to bare arms, then it’s time to take the Tough Lotus Challenge.

WASHINGTON — Amanda Blackhorse is outraged when she thinks of the Washington Redskins, a team whose name and mascot are deeply offensive to the Navajo woman.

A groundbreaking civil union ordinance in the southern Arizona city of Bisbee will lose much of its punch after Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne on Monday said he's reached an agreement in principal on changes that will remove his opposition and a threat to sue to block it from taking effect.

Valedictorians:

The valedictorians for Tempe's Corona del Sol are: