Top stories
entertainment
Juntos Project brings Latinx voices to the MCC virtual mainstage in July
COVID-19
From doughnuts to pot to cash, incentives rise as vaccination rates slide
First responders
3 robberies, 11 burglaries reported June 2-8 in Mesa
VALLEY OF THE SUN
Entertainment

The Improv Syndicate live June 20 in Gold Canyon

Celebrate Father’s Day June 20 with PG-13 improvised humor from The Improv Syndicate at the Gold Stallion restaurant, 6030 S. Kings Ranch Road in Gold Canyon. The show starts at 6 …
Entertainment

Dive-in movie event June 19 at Brimhall Aquatic Complex

Rock on and float away at the Brimhall Aquatic Complex, 4949 E. Southern Ave. in Mesa, for a showing of “Trolls World Tour” 7-10 p.m. June 19. Inner tubes will be available to rent on …
entertainment

Professional tour of pickleball at Legacy Sports Park in 2022

Legacy Sports USA announced recently that it has added another premier pickleball event to its roster of elite sports at Legacy Sports Park, which is set to open in January 2022 in Mesa. It is …
Entertainment

East Valley revolting children take the stage in 'Matilda'

Nearly 40 revolting children from across the East Valley will take the stage this summer in “Matilda The Musical,” the Tony Award-winning show inspired by Roald Dahl that has captivated …
Entertainment

Apache Junction July 4 celebration includes volleyball tourney, fireworks

Join the city of Apache Junction for its annual free Fourth of July Celebration on Sunday, July 4. Kicking off the festivities is a volleyball tournament at Superstition Shadows Aquatic Center, …

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MESA NEWS & OPINION
Local news

The Latest: China says 1 billion vaccine doses administered

BEIJING — China has announced that more than 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in the country. The National Health Commission did not say Sunday how many people had been …
Subscriber exclusive

Telegraph Fire at 179,678 acres, 68% contained

The Telegraph Fire in the Globe Ranger District has burned 179,678 acres and is 67% contained. The fire was reported around 1:30 p.m. June 4 south of Superior, was human caused and is under …
Subscriber exclusive

Telegraph Fire at 176,122 acres, 72% contained

The Telegraph Fire in the Globe Ranger District has burned 176,122 acres and is 72% contained. The fire was reported around 1:30 p.m. June 4 south of Superior, was human caused and is under …
News

Loop 202 Red Mountain, Santan freeway lane closures next week

The Arizona Department of Transportation advises drivers to plan ahead for weeknight travel delays on eastbound Loop 202 while alternating lane closures are in place for pavement …
News

Mesa Public Library resumes evening hours

Mesa Public Library is again offering evening hours at all three locations. Hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Main Library, 64 E. First St.; Red …

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OPINION

We live in an awesome area — the Superstition Mountain foothills and wilderness. My neighbors and I enjoy the beauty all around us. We all have several things in common; we prefer the mountains …

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the state of Arizona early last year, we weren’t sure what the impact would be on our community. My entire family caught COVID-19, not because we weren’t …
Our biggest news this month is that the Board of Supervisors has approved funding and forward movement on building a new East Valley shelter. This is a huge win for the animals and animal lovers …
Neighbors
Glenn Walling

Mesa author shares his life-changing experience in book

Mesa resident Glenn Walling shares his life-changing experience in his debut book “I Met God and Also Satan: The Out-of-Body Experience That Dramatically Changed My Life.” It is …
Masons who attended a special dinner June 10 celebrating Apache Lodge No. 69’s 50th anniversary.

Apache Lodge No. 69 celebrates 50th anniversary

Apache Lodge No. 69 of the Free and Accepted Masons of Arizona celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special dinner June 10 at the Oriental Lodge in Mesa. In attendance were masons from the Grand …
Vidhya Kannan

Kannan new CEO of Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital

Vidhya Kannan has been appointed chief executive officer of Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of East Valley. In her position as CEO, Kannan will oversee all of the day-to-day operations as …
From left are Lorna Marifjeren, scholarship winner Hannah Molino, Joy V. Bliss and Velma Shipley.

P.E.O. gives scholarship to incoming Mesa Community College student

P.E.O., an international organization of women whose mission is to promote educational opportunities for women, has a Gold Canyon chapter. For the past two years, Chapter ES of Gold Canyon has …
Olivia Bromenschenkel

2 high school juniors graduate with college credits through MCC Early College Academy

Early College Academy students Olivia Bromenschenkel and Abbygale Gurr graduated from Skyline High School, as juniors, on May 20 having earned more than 30 college credits. Both students enrolled …
Mesa Education & Business Reporting
Education
Education

Bank of America philanthropy benefits indigenous MCC students

Indigenous Mesa Community College students are beneficiaries of a $150,000 grant from Bank of America awarded through the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation as part of the bank’s overall …
Education

New Walmart initiative offers classes in Mesa

Walmart has a network of 200 training academies nationwide, including one in the Walmart Supercenter, 857 N. Dobson Road in Mesa. Free — virtual for now — classes are being offered to …
Education

Mesa school crowned state champion of 7th annual Vocabulary Bowl

Students from Red Mountain High School, in the Mesa Unified School District, emerged from the pack to win the Vocabulary Bowl’s Arizona state championship by mastering more than 95,000 …
Education

Construction of new San Tan charter school progressing

Adolfson & Peterson (AP) Construction topped out Ridgeview College Preparatory High School in San Tan Valley, officially reaching the project’s construction midpoint. “Construction …
Education

MCC Amazon Web Services training offered for higher education instructors

Sixteen computer information systems faculty from Arizona and Utah universities and several Arizona community colleges are taking advantage of a no-cost, Amazon Web Services Cloud Foundations …
Subscriber exclusive

Several Mesa-area school districts decline requests for settlements

Mesa residents live in two school districts — East Valley Institute of Technology and either Mesa Unified School District, Queen Creek Unified School District or Gilbert Public Schools. All …
Education

ASU prep digital to hold drive-thru graduation ceremonies for high school graduates

ASU Prep Digital will hold a drive-thru graduation ceremony this Friday and Saturday in substitution of normal graduation festivities.

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Business

Weingarten Realty recently announced First Watch has leased 3,915 square feet at Red Mountain Gateway in Mesa and is planning to open for business before the end of 2021. First Watch is a daytime …

The Westin Tempe has announced the property is nearing completion and is expected to make its debut this August, which proponents contend, marks the city’s largest new hotel opening in nearly …
4Ten Real Estate and Property Management, a Gilbert business, has acquired Local Property Management LLC. Jason and Jessie Geroux, a husband and wife team, began 4Ten Real Estate and Property …
Vo Signature Spa, one of Arizona’s top minority and woman-owned medical spas, has moved and expanded from its original 100-square-foot space in Chandler to a brand-new 1,200-square-foot location in Tempe.

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Daily Independent
Entertainment
Learn more about The Improv Syndicate at theimprovsyndicate.com.

The Improv Syndicate live June 20 in Gold Canyon

Celebrate Father’s Day June 20 with PG-13 improvised humor from The Improv Syndicate at the Gold Stallion restaurant, 6030 S. Kings Ranch Road in Gold Canyon. The show starts at 6 …
The Independence Day celebration is free and takes place 9-9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 3, in the parking lot of Fiesta Mall, 1425 W. Southern Ave. in Mesa.

Arizona Celebration of Freedom drive-in fireworks show July 3 in Mesa

Due to an abundance of caution and maintaining social distancing guidelines, the 12th Titan Solar Power Arizona Celebration of Freedom is once again a drive-in fireworks show this year. The …
The 14th Annual Salt River Pirates experience is a fan-favorite and the cost of tube rental is $19 plus tax per person or tube, which includes inner tube rental, shuttle bus service and free parking at Salt River Tubing.

Salt River Pirates event June 12 at Salt River Tubing

Celebrate National Get Outdoors Day in Tonto National Forest at Salt River Tubing’s Salt River Pirates event 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 12. Free pirate bandannas will be given to …
Storm Large

Concert film, live Q&A with Storm Large July 31

Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., is offering an online showing of a documentary concert with musician, actor and author Storm Large at 7 p.m. July 31. “Large shares her …
Free pirate bandannas will be given to everyone June 12 while supplies last and Salt River Tubing will be awarding free tubing passes for the best pirate tuber costumes.

Salt River Pirates event June 12 at Salt River Tubing

Celebrate National Get Outdoors Day in Tonto National Forest at Salt River Tubing’s Salt River Pirates event 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 12. Free pirate bandannas will be given to …

Read more

Obituaries

Richard Carl Dougherty

Richard (Dick), age 86, passed away on Friday, June 4th in Sun City West, AZ. He is the son of Joseph and Marie Dougherty who were the proprietors of Dougherty Drug store in Oglesby, IL. He was a …

Hope Louise Michael

Hope, 92, of Sun City died on June 9th, 2021. A native of Ohio, Hope was born on April 24, 1929 to Hershel and Doris Matson but was raised by her precious maternal grandmother Matilda Willis.She was …

Rosella Mae Brown

Rosella, passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 13, 2021, in Peoria, AZ. She was ninety-one years old. Rosella was born January 24, 1930 in Edgewater, Colorado. She was preceded in death by her …

William "Bill" Anthony Rodgers

William, age 72, passed away at home on June 4, 2021. Bill had served in the US Army from 1971-1973. He was a proud member of the Vietnam Veterans Association (East Valley Chapter 1011), a retired …

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