Sports and Recreation

Basha holds off Saguaro to win Open Division state championship

By Zach Alvira Sports Editor Basha needed one last stop to secure the Open Division championship against Saguaro Saturday night at Sun Devil Stadium. But the Sabercats were driving with less than a minute remaining and just a...

Chandler man brings Costa Rica flavor to EV

By Geri Koeppel Contributor Coffee is a central part of the Costa Rican culture, and one East Valley family shares that heritage with every cup they serve. Pura Vida Grinds coffee shop on Main Street near Val Vista Drive in Mesa...

Chandler pickleball store thrives as sport’s popularity soars

By Ken Sain Managing Editor It’s no surprise to Cheryl Megli how quickly pickleball has become a major recreation option in the East Valley. In fact, she wonders what took so long. “We saw it coming,” said Megli, owner of...

State panel urges 23 measures to help kids’ mental health

By Paul Maryniak Executive Editor Stating that “in Arizona, suicide is the leading cause of death for ages 10-14 and ages 15-25,” a special Arizona House task force has signed off on 23 recommendations to address the problem....

CUSD stepping up its mental health services

By Ken Sain Managing Editor Chandler Unified School District is stepping up its efforts to address mental health issues, partnering with three agencies to provide more services to students and staff. CUSD officials are also...

Chandler man’s light show helps nonprofit help others

By SanTan Sun News As a broadcast engineer, Chandler homeowner James Chalifoux likes tinkering with electrical stuff. And as someone who likes to give back to his neighbors and community, he has constructed huge Christmas light...

Chandler Council takes stand against housing project

By Ken Sain Managing Editor The plan to build more than 500 affordable housing apartments in South Chandler may not be dead, but it suffered a serious blow this week during a City Council meeting last week. The Council on Dec. 5...

Millions at stake for schools in special session stalemate

By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services Lame duck Gov. Doug Ducey said last week that he won’t call a special legislative session to deal with problems with school funding before his term ends this month until he gets a...

Chandler Council quietly OKs small pay raise

By Ken Sain Managing Editor Most politicians are very careful when it comes to increasing their own salaries, especially since most people can’t give themselves raises and taxpayers cast a leery eye on politicians who do....

Hidden Gem: TwentyThree01 boasts creative drinks, fun times

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski When Chuck and Angela Fazio moved from a traditional real estate agency to a cloud-based international company, they were left with a beautiful building in Chandler. So, the couple did what anyone...