The onset of triple-digit heat combined with the tough economy make it more important than ever for businesses to donate bottled water that will help homeless people, the homebound elderly and the disabled, Mayor Phil Gordon said May 5.

Gwenn Murie McCaleb placed a single red rose on a memorial wall, then kissed her fingers and pressed them against a plaque bearing her husband's name. The Department of Public Safety officer accompanying her gave a salute, and, as they walked away, she cried a little.

A state forecast predicts that Arizona will lose tens of thousands of jobs in construction, trade and professional and business services for 2009 and 2010. Overall, the state can expect 160,000 fewer jobs during that period, though the rate of job losses is predicted to slow in 2010, according to a state Department of Commerce report released April 30.

As they prepare to compete in the 21st century global marketplace, Arizona students may soon find themselves using tools such as Google Earth to take virtual field trips or learning Chinese from Sesame Street characters on the computer.

Gov. Jan Brewer and other state leaders urged Arizonans on April 29 to "stay out and stay alive" when it comes to abandoned mines, which have claimed 10 lives in the past decade. "We need a safe place, we need safe mines and we need education," Brewer said. "Let's keep everyone alive."

Most Arizonans support Gov. Jan Brewer's proposal for a temporary sales tax increaseto help address the state's budget deficit, according to a Cronkite/Eight Poll released April 28.

Preparing for the probability that swine flu will reach Arizona, state and county officials urged people to take precautions such as washing hands frequently but said there is no reason for panic.