Foothills Phil celebrates 20 musical years today

László Veres, conducting the Foothills Phil orchestra during a 2010 concert, has led the group almost from the start. The orchestra, which features musicians from middle school up to retirees, marks 20 years with a concert this afternoon at Catalina Foothills High School.

Hansen Sunday Notebook: TV calling the shots in Pac-12

Ajak Magot, center, a Cholla High grad and native of Sudan, is averaging 6.1 points and 5.1 rebounds for Cochise.

Tradition. Training. Travel. Talent. Teamwork.

Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus Director Julian Ackerley turns to the audience for the final number with the chorus and Sons of Orpheus during "Christmas at San Xavier."

Tradition. Training. Travel. Talent. Teamwork.

Sons of Orpheus rehearse before a performance with the chorus in 2010. The sound of a group of boys' voices cannot be replicated, says Jeffrey Haskell, who directed the chorus from 1965 to 1975.

Sound bagpipes; let games begin

Between 80 and 100 participants from all over the U.S. and Canada are expected to compete in the highland games. You can root for the home team - the Tucson Celtic Hammer Heads.

Berk's beat: For local prep stars, it's a reunion down on The Farm

Now a freshman at Stanford, Blake Martinez played in two state championship games during his high school career in Southern Arizona.

Museum plans honors for 11 area musicians

Country singer and guitarist Ned Sutton will be among the 11 musicians honored at the sixth annual Tucson Musicians Museum Celebration Of Music & Culture on Sunday

Holder is absolved of blame in report on gun-walk case

A U.S. Border Patrol truck blocks the road near where Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed in an overnight shootout in December 2010 west of Rio Rico.

Hansen's Sunday Notebook: UA mines Chester, Pa., and strikes gold again

3 NCAA titles

Berk's Beat: Coach has created a power at Empire

High school sports

Ring's reflections: Our area once had plentiful water

A man walks barefoot in a high-flowing Sabino Creek in Sabino Canyon. Rainfall had the usually slow-running creek flowing strong.

Connie the elephant

Connie, Reid Park Zoo's longtime elephant, was euthanized last week at the San Diego Zoo. Officials there said the elephant was suffering from cancer and other illnesses.

Mountain events cool for summer

Jeremy Abshire performs with the Grascals, one of the bands slated to perform at the High Pines Bluegrass Festival near Pinetop Aug. 18-19.

Grijalva gets Rosemont pressure

Cattle graze on a patch of land that would become part of the proposed Rosemont Mine site near Sonoita.

EPA takes firsthand look at Rosemont

The Rosemont Mine, which would have an open pit and tailing piles, is proposed for a northern part of the Santa Rita Mountains, south of Tucson. EPA officials met with mine officials and opponents during a recent visit.

Red-light-cam ban proposed for ballot

Red-light cameras, like the one above at East Grant and North Swan roads, are set up at several Tucson-area locations. Critics call them little more than an effort to collect revenue, but police and other public officials say they are useful enforcement devices.

Give or trade used items at Freecycle event Saturday

Library clerk Landis Kearnon helped organize things when the Quincie Douglas Public Library, 1585 E. 36th St., hosted a Freecycle event in December 2010. Eight other branches are participating this year.

Rialto Theatre

The Rialto is one of the entertainment anchors on the eastern edge of downtown Tucson.

Ring-a-ling, hear them perform

The high voices of the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus will complement the deeper, richer tones of the Sons of Orpheus Men's Chorus during the 15th Annual "Christmas at San Xavier".

Ring-a-ling, hear them perform

The high voices of the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus will complement the deeper, richer tones of the Sons of Orpheus Men's Chorus during the 15th Annual "Christmas at San Xavier".

Holiday glow, day by day

The Sons of Orpheus and Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus team up for a series of Christmas concerts at Mission San Xavier del Bac.

Holiday glow, day by day

A magical snowfall on a warm December night isn't that unusual at the annual Winterhaven Festival of Lights.

Giffords continues to find her voice

Giffords celebrated her election to a third term in Congress in November 2010.

Hotel Arizona downtown

The Best of Arizona: Holiday traditions

The Sons of Orpheus men's chorus runs through a 15-minute rehearsal before performing with the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus during the 14th annual "Christmas Concert at San Xavier" at Mission San Xavier del Bac.

New polar bear preps for arrival here; Kobe is off to Pittsburgh

Reid Park Zoo's resident polar bear, Kobe, will be moving to the Pittsburgh Zoo in November to mate with a male as part of the Association of Zoos' Species Survival Plan.

Prep picks

Expect receiver Steven Corral to be one of the top targets when Sunnyside hosts Tucson on Friday night. A win would likely secure a first-round home playoff game for the Blue Devils.

Forest supervisor: Mine must meet air rules - or it's no go

Coronado National Forest supervisor

Country

Jeremy Abshire fiddles with the Grascals, who will be performing Oct. 1.

Naturescape: Start by removing grass, easing up on rock mulch

To naturescape, put plants in earthen basins below ground level. Contour the ground so that it collects rainwater.

Preseason All-Stars: Vera on new team; can he repeat 409-yard game?

RB Manny Vera, a Sunnyside Blue Devil last year, has moved into the Vail School District and will play for Cienega in 2011.

Preseason All-Stars: Focus switches to Williams

Tucson's D'Andre Williams, scoring against Sunnyside last year, rushed for 1,442 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2010.

Fruit of the vine

Charron Vineyards in Vail.

High school football: CDO's Martinez 2-way standout

CDO's Blake Martinez celebrates a sack in a Class 4A-I playoff game, one of nine he registered last season as the Dorados' middle linebacker.

1 Reid Park Zoo giraffe dies; 2nd seriously ill

Watoto, a male giraffe weighing 2,000 pounds, died Tuesday night. Watoto was born in San Diego and went on display at Reid Park in June 2007.

Arizona Softball: Cats land Iveson for assistant coach's job

Coach Stacy Iveson, a UA assistant earlier in her career, could take over for head coach Mike Candrea someday.

Get ready for a booming July 4

Some Independence Day celebrations, such as Oro Valley's Fourth of July Spectacular, will make a splash.

Forest Service looking at plans for Rosemont

Test plots from a University of Arizona study to determine the best plant species for revegetation are visible on a hillside on the site of the proposed Rosemont Mine, south of Tucson.

Byrne: Fiesta's new boss a leader

UA athletic director Greg Byrne, left, and UA president Robert Shelton worked and attended games together for more than a year. Byrne valued Shelton's "strong communication skills."

Music notes Violin's sweet sounds waft through starlight

Tucson Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Aaron Boyd performs Saturday at Udall Park with the Arizona Symphonic Winds. László Veres conducts the volunteer orchestra.

Menu of gadgets to guard border

A. U.S. Border Patrol truck-mounted mobile surveillance system perches atop a hill near the border in Naco. The unit combines radar, a daytime camera and a thermal night camera with GPS to help track illegal border traffic at night.

Musicians team up for cancer benefit

TSO concertmaster Carla Ecker, a breast-cancer survivor and the recipient of last year's benefit, organized this year's.

country thunder storms in

Last year's Country Thunder USA crowd - which totaled just under 60,000 over the four days - settles in for the ride.

Toronto firm increases stake in proposed Rosemont Mine

Cattle from a 30,000-acre working ranch graze on land that would become part of the mile-wide open pit of the proposed Rosemont Mine site in the Coronado National Forest near Sonoita.

NFL combine: Invitation surprising to lesser-known Cat

Defensive end D'Aundre Reed started just eight games in his college career but made his presence felt here, helping force UCLA quarterback Richard Brehaut into throwing an interception in 2010.

Historical Bach or modern Bach? Ah, a balance

Eric Holtan: "This piece is the most sophisticated and complex piece we have ever mounted."

SIDELINES

Wednesday's true day off was rare for Derrick Williams and the Wildcats. "I never get excited for a day off because we always have something to do," Williams said. "It was great. We didn't have anything."

Soccer, wrestling offer midseason report cards

The Salpointe boys soccer team has a good chance of winning its first state title since 2004.

Spice

Smokes shops in Tucson started discounting their inventory of synthetic marijuana after federal officials said in December they were working to outlaw the product. On Tuesday the marijuana-like products became illegal in Arizona.

La Nina portends warm, dry times ahead

Lightning hidden by clouds illuminates the evening sky as a storm passes through Tucson, Ariz., Tuesday Oct. 5, 2010, but don't expect to see a lot of clouds here this winter.