Opinion

Fighting hunger also means prioritizing nutrition

OPINION — When most people think about hunger, they picture an empty pantry or fridge. Yet, for families struggling to make ends meet, the challenge is often more complicated than simply having enough food to eat.

Opinion

LD 14 Senate choice is crystal clear: Stephanie Walsh

OPINION — As a 16-year Gilbert resident, I’m quite concerned about the cost of, and access to, water and energy, as I’m sure many of my neighbors are. The status of the Colorado River is getting dire, and I’ve seen it with my own eyes while driving to San Diego. Energy and water costs continue to escalate, hurting middle-class Arizonans.

Question of the Week: Should the Pentagon livestream the execution of former U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Hasan?

Former Army Medical Corps psychiatrist Nidal Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad Dec. 3 at Fort Hood, Texas, for the 2009 mass shooting that claimed the lives of 13 soldiers and wounded …

Opinion

Speak up: Gilbert readers tackle bond, robotic surgery, Naval service

Gilbert Public Schools seeks voter approval for $136M bond A/C unit could be very expensive Roofs too. Building repairs and maintenance. School security is more cameras and monitors. I am …

Opinion

Walsh supports increased accountability for ESAs

OPINION — Education is foundational to our community and economy, which is why I am voting for Stephanie Walsh for State Senate to represent Legislative District 14. She will provide a strong and consistent voice supporting our public schools.

Opinion

Walsh believes in Arizona children, healthcare, schools

OPINION — As a pediatric registered nurse, I have spent much of my life caring for children and advocating for their well-being. I believe healthcare should be accessible to everyone, and I believe just as strongly that every child deserves access to a quality public education.

Opinion

Six years later, accountability still waits

OPINION — More than six years have passed since the underlying events at a Chandler Unified School District high school, yet a serious professional-conduct matter involving a district administrator still lacks a final public resolution.

Opinion

What a 100th birthday taught me about caring for seniors

OPINION — When one of my patients recently reached the remarkable milestone of turning 100, our care team invited him in for a special celebration. As is his nature, he expressed appreciation, but truth be told, we were the grateful ones.

Question of the Week: Are you voting by mail this year or going to the polls Nov. 3?

There has been plenty of bluster about mail-in voting, some of the negative coming from President Trump — who votes by mail himself. Do you believe in the integrity of voting by mail through …

Opinion

Speak up: Readers zero in on school districts, road work

Gilbert Public Schools advances K-6 English curriculum search So, so much money was spent on that last curriculum. I wonder why the thought is that "new must be better!" — Bonnie N.H. …

Question of the Week: How are you observing Hispanic Heritage Month?

Arizona’s population of Hispanic or Latino heritage is 32.5% — nearly one-third, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. President Lyndon B. Johnson established Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 and …

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Your Community Your Voice

Why Stephanie Walsh is the state senator LD 14 deserves

OPINION — As a resident of Legislative District 14 for 20 years, I want leadership that reflects the everyday priorities of our community, not partisan talking points. That is why I am supporting Stephanie Walsh for the Arizona State Senate, and why I find it troubling that Mylie Biggs is being considered a viable candidate to represent our families.

Speak up: Readers opine on voucher, Freestone, townhomes

Higley board approves journalism conference travel over DEI objection ESA schools are not the only "wasted education funds" Plenty of misuse of Public Education funding, too. — D and C D. …

Stephanie Walsh is a Democrat running for the Arizona Senate from Legislative District 14.

Arizonans deserve more than family name

We are at a critical moment in Arizona. We face reduced water allocations, rising costs, and rapid advances in artificial intelligence. How we respond to these challenges will shape the future of our …

More than a paycheck: The ripple effect of employment

OPINION — On a single night this year, 9,726 people were counted as experiencing homelessness across Maricopa County. Behind that number are thousands of individual stories of parents, children, veterans and neighbors navigating circumstances that can make stability difficult to reach.

When efficiency meets resiliency in Gilbert

OPINION — For nearly 20 years, Gilbert had a reputation most communities would envy: we ran lean. We provided the services of a major American community without building the kind of expensive …

AI is already making Valley travelers’ lives miserable

OPINION — All this talk about pacing the frontier of artificial intelligence overlooks a reality that travelers experience every day. An algorithm already determines your airfare. Another sets the hotel's rate. And another answers your complaint with a non-answer, hoping you'll give up.

Arizona lawmakers should kill the legislative subpoena

OPINION — According to Arizona law, a subpoena can be issued by the president of the Senate, the speaker of the House and the chairman of any committee. The Legislature has over 30 committees.

Question of the Week: Are Valley communities planning wisely?

Metro Phoenix remains among the fast-growing areas in the country. But are its communities doing the best job of regulating growth and development? Are they planning wisely for housing, schools, …

Gen Z women don’t owe America babies

OPINION — Gen Z women like me are having fewer babies. That shouldn’t be a surprise. With prices for everything going up, our parents’ steady jobs, white picket fences and retirement packages feel much less attainable for us.

Speak up: Readers tackle Gilbert school spending, apartments, parks, water

Gilbert Public Schools details $36.2M override spending Wanna bet they give themselves raises and conferences before they fix maintenance problems. Never vote for teacher wage increases or …

The educator behind the library desk

OPINION — Public education has many people doing important work out of sight. I met one recently at Casteel High School after taking junior high students into the library to find books they might want to read. That sounds simple until you are standing next to a student who has no idea where to begin.

Substance abuse recovery isn’t the same for everyone

OPINION — Recovery on its own can mean a lot of things. Recovery after an injury. Recovery after a heartbreaking loss. Recovery after a bad flu. But this September, we’re acknowledging substance use recovery — a reality for millions of Americans and thousands of Arizonans.

Chandler school board should reconsider land acknowledgement

OPINION — To the Members of the Chandler Unified School District Governing Board: I am writing as a Chandler resident who is deeply concerned about the direction of our school district and, …

What will the Valley of the Sun look like in 2035?

OPINION — Greater Phoenix’s architectural landscape is ever-changing. For decades, we’ve seen business developments, lifestyle hubs and communities sprout up across the desert. But as we look toward 2035, the next chapter of Valley growth may look very different from the last.

Let’s make suicide something we discuss and prevent

OPINION — In my office, a conversation about suicide may start with a patient saying they cannot sleep, a parent mentioning that their teenager has withdrawn from friends or an older adult struggling with pain, illness or the loss of a spouse. None of these concerns necessarily means someone is considering suicide, but each is a reason to ask more questions.

Question of the Week: Are freeways the best way to get from here to there?

Since the mid-1980s, the Valley has built its regional freeway system, which moves tens of thousands of people every day. Population continues to grow. Lane expansion is inevitable. New freeways are …

Speak up: Gilbert readers sound off on podcast, Higley vouchers

Gilbert council members release first episode of political comedy podcast Confirms my suspicions about their motivation for public “service”. Sounds more like ego than anything else. — …

As Valley heat keeps rising, it takes all hands to keep pace

OPINION — A few weeks ago, a family of four was brought to our doors by a Phoenix firefighter who had responded to a heat-distress call in a parking lot where the family had been living out of their car. That handoff, from first responder to shelter provider, happens more often than most people realize.

Grandparents shouldn’t have to choose between running A/C, enjoying retirement

OPINION — Many Arizonans spent decades working, raising families and planning for a retirement they hoped would bring some financial security. But for too many, retirement has become another exercise in stretching every dollar. Housing, groceries, prescriptions and utility bills all compete for the same fixed income.

9/11 memories: The Valley looks back on terror attacks

You didn’t have to be in New York City, Washington, D.C, or rural Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001, to be profoundly impacted by the terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and changed both America and the world forever. Here are memories shared by 14 current and former Valley residents.

Is the Independent on political podcasters’ payroll?

OPINION — Is the paper on (defeated council members) Chuck Bongiovanni and Jim Torgeson’s payroll?

Question of the Week: Should the Trump administration move forward with its border wall project in Arizona over a Native American tribe’s objections?

The Trump administration has resumed construction of a stretch of border wall in southern Arizona along part of the Tohono O’odham tribal land, despite protests from the tribe. U.S. Customs and …

Speak up: Gilbert readers have say on wells, lottery, Higley seat

Gilbert completes five new drinking water wells 715376 Are they just for humans or AI cooling? This explains the incredibly costly water increases in Gilbert. — Greg K. Since 1940 the …

Young Arizonans can contribute to their college savings — here’s how

OPINION — School is back in session across the state, making September a busy time for many Arizona families. September is also College Savings Month, and the start of the seventh-annual statewide essay writing contest where students can jumpstart college dreams by winning $529 for their AZ529 education savings plan.

Preventing burnout in the growing caregiver landscape

OPINION — For more than 63 million Americans, daily life includes providing ongoing care for adult or minor family members with a medical condition or disability. This extraordinary act of service provides much-needed support for a loved one, but it can also lead family caregivers to put their own well-being to the side, leading to burnout that affects physical and mental health.

Valley kids’ psychological assessments should be accessible, affordable

OPINION — When a child struggles in school, some of the first advice they, and usually their parents, may hear is to study harder, pay closer attention or spend more time on homework. For many students, those strategies help. For others, the problem has nothing to do with the effort being made.

Rallying against hunger in Arizona

OPINION — September is a time when food banks and meal programs across the country shine a spotlight on a problem that never takes a month off. Food insecurity in America has reached its highest level in more than a decade, affecting more than 47 million people, including 14 million children ... the Valley is no exception.

Question of the Week: Should Arizona gubernatorial candidates cross the political aisle in selecting running mates?

For the first time, Arizonans will select a lieutenant governor in November. The new office will be the No. 2 position in state government. Gov. Katie Hobbs raised eyebrows when she named former Mesa …

Speak up: Gilbert readers chime in on land acknowledgement, write-in candidacy

East Valley school leaders debate land acknowledgement This is a ridiculous waste of time. — Tom S. Get over it! Heritage is important and should be honored, but it does not have to be …

How to spot an AI-powered scam

OPINION — Early this summer, an “advertisement” about a big sale — $1 books at Barnes & Noble — was all over social media. Any voracious reader would hoist an eyebrow. Last spring, there were widespread “offers” on the internet of deeply discounted tickets and travel packages to see the University of Arizona men’s basketball team play at the Final Four.