Guild hosts summer art show

Robert Burrell chats with artist Summer Celeste at June's "Watch Our Walls" show at the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild gallery, 5605 E. River Road, Suite 131. Celeste's work is displayed on the wall to the left. The show includes paintings, jewelry, fiber art, glasswork and scarves for sa…

Up to 3 Alaska brown bears will call Reid Park Zoo home

Workers with Cemrock Naturalistic Environments retrofit the former polar bear exhibit to provide a comfortable home for as many as three Alaska brown bears. The zoo is working with wildlife officials in Alaska who help rescue orphaned bears or bears that can't be reintroduced into the wild.

Tucson's Loop taking shape as 2 parts of multiuse-trail web come together

Hector Saucedo takes Harry for a morning walk along The Loop at the archaeological park near Julian Wash. Total length of The Loop is now about 100 miles. It'll be 131 miles when done, including several spur routes off the main one looping around the city.

Farmers market nears 10 yrs.

John Keller, left, with Academy Gardens gives a gardening idea or two to Jenelle Parish and her son Adam Gilbride, 8, at the Oro Valley Farmers Market. Keller rounds up salvaged plants before they're tossed by local retailers and sells them for donations that benefit Joseph's Pantry, a food …

Sitters, 4 dogs able to escape

A Mountain Vista Fire District crew mops up at the scene of a fire that destroyed a home in the 10000 block of North Gila Road on the far northwest side Saturday morning.

At nature's mercy

Co-owner C.J. Marks tears up spring seasonal plants to make way for arugula at Sleeping Frog Farms in the San Pedro River Valley. The farm, about 30 minutes north of Benson, was hit by frost in 2011 and 2013 and lost much of its winter produce.

Desert bats get an upclose look

Environmental educator Steve Russell helps Lee Pedersen, left, make a bat craft during Outdoor Family Day: The Lives of Bats, a lecture and activity class at Roy P. Drachman Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E. Roger Road. At right are Katie Branca, right, 9, and Taylor Dillingham, 10.

Desert bats get an upclose look

Work proceeds apace on Tucson airport's solar array

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'Flock Party' at the gardens

Jack Porrino takes a look at his daughter Gianna's finished birdseed creation, one of the activities at the second annual Flock Party at the Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way. The party was last Saturday. Gianna, 3, made the feeder by dragging a peanut-butter-covered pine cone t…

Classic cars roll out for charity benefit

Jack Dodson peeks under the hood of Jim Spencer's shiny 1960 Chevy Impala during the Diggin' It for United Way car show and benefit at Hotrods Old Vail Restaurant and Garage, 10500 E. Old Vail Road. Saturday's event, sponsored by Caterpillar, featured muscle cars, classics, rock crawlers and…

Classic cars roll out for charity benefit

Hansen Sunday Notebook: Family still holding court

Catalina Foothills High School's Michael Lee, 15, center, hits with his brothers, Jackson, 16, left, and Mason, 12, on the court built by their grandfather. "We still use it for training," said the boys' father, Mike Lee.

Education takes free form at Highland Free School

Third-grader Hunter Dorris, 9, feeds a Nigerian pygmy goat at Highland Free School. The alternative charter elementary school also houses goats, ducks, chickens and rabbits that the students care for.

Raising donations for 'Last Alarm'

Dominic Pesqueira, 7, gazes at an array of gauges and levers on a 1954 Mack fire truck as his grandfather, retired Tucson Fire Department firefighter Chuy Pesqueira, in reflection, looks on during the Last Alarm Foundation fundraiser. Last Alarm honors firefighters, police and other public s…

Raising donations for 'Last Alarm'

Where We Live: Bel Air Ranch Estates

Nicole Harrington and daughter Hannah, 1, visit with a horse at the Tanque Verde Stables. Rather than a pool or tennis court, the stables were originally used as an incentive to buy a home in Bel Air Ranch Estates.

Dashing through the 'boneyard'

Runners are on the move during the Desert Boneyard 5K Fun Run/Walk. Last Saturday's event was at the vast aircraft storage facility on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The aircraft "boneyard" is operated by the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group and houses about 4,000 aircraft a…

Dashing through the 'boneyard'

Runners Philip, left, and Janice Cole head down the final stretch of the Desert Boneyard run with mothballed C-130 transport aircraft in the background.

How the masters' gardens grow

Master Gardeners Laura Mellow, left, and Judy Hiner label plants for last Saturday's Pima County Master Gardeners Spring Plant Sale at the Pima County Cooperative Extension on North Campbell Avenue. In addition to plenty of plants - such as succulents, herbs, ground covers, vines, fruit tree…

City gets new Walmart Neighborhood Markets

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Gaona in the Game: Tucson's Catalina Foothills High School Falcons hungry for title

Catalina Foothills senior Rachana Bhat will play for the New Mexico Lobos next season.

Tucson band Run Boy Run thrills at Country Thunder

Jerry McElhaney spins his daughters Piper, 23, left, and Lisa, 24, as Greg Bates plays for the crowd at the Country Thunder music festival in Florence. Thousands of music fans camped out for the weekend festival, which runs through Sunday.

Sonoran Science puts on a fair

Padded pugil sticks in hand, two young competitors spar in an inflatable ring at the Sonoran Science Academy Spring Festival. The event was Saturday at the school, 2325 W. Sunset Road.

Tapping into enduring dance style

Instructor Colleen Kelly Beaman leads the "Tap Dancing for Everyone" class at Atria Bell Court Gardens, 6653 E. Carondelet Drive. The April 3 class was one of many course offerings through Tucson Oasis, an organization geared toward adults age 50 and over. Classes cover everything from art, …

2-day workshop teaches intricacies of Mata Ortiz-style of pottery-making

Ismael Flores helps Theresa Cappetta with her painting technique during a workshop on Mata Ortiz pottery at the Lew Sorensen Community Center, 2300 N. Tanque Verde Loop Road.

2-day workshop teaches intricacies of Mata Ortiz-style of pottery-making

Andrea Gaus, center, was among the students who learned the intricate painting style required for Mata Ortiz pottery. The pieces also had to be sanded and burnished and fired over an open flame after painting. Contemporary Mata Ortiz pottery is a revival of an ancient Mesoamerican pottery-ma…

Marana gets into some Main Street fun

Michael Humphreys, 2, feels a bit nervous seated high on a tractor, a vehicle that speaks to Marana's farm roots. His mother, Lyn Maheux, helps him off during the first annual Marana Main Street Festival last Saturday at the Marana Municipal Complex, 11555 W. Civic Center Drive. The free fes…

Grueling travel: UA basketball: Fans go to great lengths for beloved Cats

UA fans Kimon Petropoulos, left, and Max Feinberg try to fire up the crowd at a pep rally outside the Staples Center before game time.

Walkable SaM Hughes

Don and Robby Laidlaw are only the second owners of their 1935 mission revival-style home. Don grew up in the Sam Hughes neighborhood and went to the elementary school there. His wife says it's still a congenial place to live today. "We all know each other," Robby Laidlaw says.

Walkable SaM Hughes

Her daughters "love to ride their bikes and walk the dog around the neighborhood," says Lisa Stokes, whose 1949 California ranch-style home features this backyard sanctuary.

A real shocker: Wichita State knocks out No. 1 Gonzaga

The excitement level on the Wichita State bench rises late in the game against Gonzaga. The Shockers have "a team full of fighters," forward Carl Hall says.

NCAA tournament West Region: No. 6 Arizona 74, No. 14 Harvard 51: Another day at beach

Arizona senior Mark Lyons celebrates after one of his three three-point baskets. Lyons scored 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting against Harvard and has 50 points in two tournament games on 20-of-32 shooting (62.5 percent).

Explore 4th ave. beyond booths

Ellen Kant, left, and Therese Long, visiting from Montana, check out quirky items in recycled art shop, Pop Cycle on North Fourth Avenue. The owners took advantage of the Modern Streetcar construction closures last year and nearly doubled their shop's retail space.

Explore 4th ave. beyond booths

Justin Crist, center, helps Judy and Larry Sparks, visiting from Kansas City, Mo., during the grand opening of New England-influenced The Hopyard, a deli and market on North Fourth Avenue.

Bringing hope to Nogales

Jose Luis Reza sits atop a pickup truck he's working on at his auto repair shop in Nogales, Sonora. "I started with nothing. Now I have a cement floor" and a roof is under construction, Reza says, crediting a micro-loan program. Small-business owners apply in groups for loans to begin their …

Will Latinos play a role in current gun debate?

Friends Sergio Arellano and Artemisa Gaxiola, both gun enthusiasts, work on their firearms at Gaxiola's apartment. Gaxiola recently purchased her revolver, and Arellano acquired his gun through a bankruptcy auction.

Cockpit upgrade for older planes

Cesar Castellanos, a set-up operator, works on the manufacturing end of Universal Avionics' flight-management systems.

WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship: Tourney's final four has star power

Jason Day, far right, shakes hands with Graeme McDowell after winning 1 up during Saturday's quarterfinals. Day will face Matt Kuchar in the semifinals.

WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship: Taking a snow day

Lee Westwood hits a shot out of the desert on Hole 2. Westwood was 2-up on Rafael Cabrera Bello through five holes when play was suspended.

Square dance keeps feet busy at Udall

Connie Wren, left, and Bob Ahern share a laugh during a square-dancing class at Udall Park on East Tanque Verde Road. The class, scheduled again for Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 1 p.m., requires a center fee or annual pass as well as a $3 donation for the caller. Participants are introduced to bas…

Square dance keeps feet busy at Udall

WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship: Smiles give way to nerves

No. 1 player Rory McIlroy, left, jokes with caddy J.P. Fitzgerald. McIlroy, who faces Shane Lowry at 12:05 p.m. Wednesday, lost in the Match Play final last year.

WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship: Smiles give way to nerves

Fans get a close-up view of Rickie Fowler practicing at the driving range Monday at The Golf Club at Dove Mountain. Fowler, a No. 8 seed, is scheduled to meet Carl Pettersson in the first round at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday.

Pima College, Tucson schools train students for jobs as much-needed truck-drivers

Instructor Dale Bohnet helps a student as he prepares to back an 18-wheeler during the practical portion of training to drive 70-foot tractor-trailers. Two local private companies offer similar courses for those looking to take big rigs on the open road.

Ban on destroying guns of gov't buybacks advances

Citizens surrendered hundreds of guns and rifles at a buyback program in Tucson last month.

Governor tours border, invites Obama to visit, see problems

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer acknowledges the assembled media at the Million Air Tucson jet center at the Tucson airport after an aerial tour of the Arizona border. The governor spoke on the latest status of border security efforts in Arizona.

Lodgings with rustic view

Rob and Raes Williams, visiting from Crestone, Colo., eat outside Spencer's Observatory at the Cat Mountain Lodge, a bed and breakfast built in 2010. The five-room Southwestern lodge offers mountain views and a central courtyard among other amenities.