Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa awash in holiday splendor
If the gorgeous, sprawling resorts like the Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa are not enough to look at, then catch them during the holiday season when they are amped up with more eye-catching beauty.

Golf-cart crossings are device to warn motorist to be watchful
Ask a Cop: Golf-cart crossings are not like pedestrian crossings, Surprise Officer Tim Murel says.

Holiday food, crafts are waiting on the table
Dozens of craft items, jellies and baked goods will be for sale at an upcoming Christmas Boutique and Bake Sale.

Tax workshops for retailers coming to Surprise
The Arizona Department of Revenue will help conduct courses for Surprise retailers on taxes.

Councilman Williams plans to repeat Surprise pride day
Surprise Councilman John Williams hopes the holiday spirit rouses residents to join him for a second community pride day this year.

Surprise wants better data on police response times
Local police officials believe their officers' response times are in an acceptable range, but they want better data before deciding how to redeploy the police force for maximum efficiency.

Surprise will unveil proposals for village core boundaries
Surprise planners will present proposed boundary changes for the city's nine urban village cores at a public meeting Monday.

Final College 101 Fair is Monday in Surprise
The Dysart Unified School District is offering the final College 101 Fair to high school students and parents Monday at Willow Canyon High School.

Votes in other cities give Surprise hope for bond issue
Voters approved all city and town bond issues in Maricopa County this November, giving Surprise city officials some solace as they move forward for a potential bond issue of their own in 2009.

Being thankful important, even during tough times
Today as we look around us we see many things that have hit families and individuals that we know.

Search engines get business noticed
Your business will get noticed if it is listed on Internet search engines like Google, Yahoo, Internet Explorer AOL and several minor search engines, says Web expert Mary Krause of Designers Café.

3 science firms interested in leasing old City Hall in Surprise
Three science-related groups have expressed an interest in leasing Surprise's old city hall. The interested parties are looking to use the 58,000-square-foot space as an incubator for start-up companies.

Dysart exhibits to combine history, tech
Dysart Unified School District, in partnership with the Kiwanis Club of Sun City West, is initiating a districtwide competition honoring student-designed exhibits about American history.

Surprise takes aim at sales-tax revenues on Black Friday
Surprise officials are hoping holiday shopping money spent on Black Friday-the Friday after Thanksgiving and usually one of the busiest shopping day of the year-will give city revenues a much needed boost.
Police step up security at 9 shopping centers

Turkey Day can sometimes lead to tragedy
A local fire official warns residents how to stay safe in their homes this holiday season.

Clouds, chance of rain through holiday
Today's skies set the tone for the rest of the week.
Send us your photos of winter in Arizona
2008 fall colors

Culver's bringing tasty treats to Surprise
Culver's, a restaurant and frozen custard venue, is coming to Surprise.

Study: Vitamin B use does not slow Alzheimer's
A study involving scientists from Sun Health Research Institute finds that B vitamins do not slow cognitive decline in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Expert: Is your body yelling 'help' over weight?
In many instances, a well-planned low-calorie diet is not effective or stops being effective for losing weight.

Surprise police step up security at 9 shopping centers
Surprise police will increase enforcement at nine high-volume shopping centers in the city in a safety campaign that starts the day after Thanksgiving.

Wickenburg football has few regrets as season ends
As the final seconds ticked away on the scoreboard Saturday and the tears started flowing, reality set in for the Wickenburg Wranglers.
Payson vs. Wickenburg

Heard West race draws 200 runners
More than 200 people participated in the Heard Museum West's second annual ''Run West With the Heard: Yéego!''wellness race Saturday in Surprise.

Surprise man amongst 10 bicyclists hit in Tucson
A search continues for a motorist who hit a group of 10 bicyclists in Tucson during a race, injuring five, and fled from the scene. Pima County sheriff's Deputy Dawn Barkman said the most seriously injured bicyclist is Gary L. Stuebe, 42, of Surprise.

Man in wheelchair stabbed on Surprise street
A man in a wheelchair was stabbed in Surprise in what police say may be a random incident. The victim, James Del Rio, 26, was treated at Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center in Sun City West for four stab wounds.

Prostate cancer diagnosis allows choices for columnist
Strategic Aging columnist William Arnold reveals he has prostate cancer.

Local gas prices drop below $2 a gallon
The East Valley and Peoria have joined in what 36 other states have already experienced: average gas prices under $2 per gallon.

Beer distributor seen as Surprise's largest employer
The growth of Crescent Crown Distributing's exotic beers division, Little Guy Distributing, is partly responsible for Crescent Crown's decision to open a West Valley distribution center in Surprise by spring 2008.

Surprise city budget trimmed by 5.5%
With sales tax revenue slipping, Surprise City Manager Randy Oliver has implemented a 5 percent cut to the city's operating budget.

West Valley food banks need donations
With Thanksgiving around the corner, local food banks are urging people to donate frozen turkeys and other food items to fill holiday food boxes.

Youngtown works to calm strife over police matters
Discord lingers between town officials and Youngtown's police force over internal operation of the Police Department, but both sides remain hopeful the northwest Valley town can put a recent series of contentious problems behind it.

Payson beats Wickenburg in 3A semifinal
East battled West Saturday night in a Class 3A semifinal matchup at Phoenix Paradise Valley High School.
Payson vs. Wickenburg

New toys collected for charity
The Women's Social Club is collecting new, unwrapped toys for Christmas to be distributed to children through local non-profit organizations.

City to add no-parking zones along streets in Marley Park
No-parking signs may be erected in certain parts of Marley Park after a resident's public-safety complaint to a city council member.

Surprise's street signs to be bigger, more legible
In the next few months, some Surprise residents will start seeing old street signs replaced with bigger, more legible ones.

Police ID couple hit by freight train in Surprise
Surprise police have identified the couple seriously injured last week when their car was struck by a freight train.

Surprise City Councilman Alton to meet weekly with residents
Surprise City Councilman Richard Alton is implementing weekly morning meetings with residents to better understand his district.

Surprise home sales among areas highest
Surprise home sales among the ten largest in the Northwest Valley, according to the most recent hot-homes sales list.

Dysart to offer more community bus tours
The Dysart Unified School District will offer its next community bus tour of a district K-8 school and high school Dec. 9. Additional bus tours will be held Feb. 10 and April 28.

Public meetings seek input on Grand widening and 303 noise
Public meetings are coming up seeking local residents' input on Loop 303 noise issues and Grand Avenue widening.

Surprise finishes $86.8 million sewage plant
Surprise has wrapped up its $86.8 million expansion of a water reclamation facility that will allow future residential and commercial growth.

El Mirage hires assistant fire chief
El Mirage's six-month search for an assistant fire chief has ended with the hiring of Peoria's former fire marshal.

Surprise awaits decision on host for Fed Cup tennis match
An announcement appears to have been delayed until Monday on whether Surprise will become the host city for a first-round Fed Cup tennis match next year.

Surprise City Council Council at odds over cost of doors for handicapped
The Surprise City Council had no problem with installing 41 automatic door operators for the handicapped, but a majority of members balked at the $150,000 price tag.

Trial delayed for 2 men accused of aiding sex offender/imposter
The trial date has been delayed for Lonnie Stiffler and Robert Snow, two men associated with the adult sex offender, Neil Havens Rodreick II, who posed as a 12-year-old boy two years ago and enrolled in Arizona schools, including one in Surprise.

Dysart administrators lay out strategic plan at town halls
Dysart administrators shared proposed goals and objectives with community members during two strategic planning town halls this week.

Surprise couple accidentally hit by own car; husband dies
Surprise police spokesman Lt. Randy Rody said the couple, whose identities were not released, came out of their home about 6:30 p.m. and stopped in their driveway to inspect their car. As they were checking the vehicle, it began to roll backward down the driveway.

Surprise interior designer knows color of success
Surprise resident Dawn Pratt runs the interior-design business Classy Interiors by Dawn, from her home. Pratt focuses on color coordinating and does indoor makeovers for homes and businesses.

4 concepts clarify teaching of critical thinking
With so much emphasis being put on critical thinking skills in classrooms all over the country, how do teachers go about instructing students to think critically? Although engaging in open-ended questioning using higher order critically thinking skills may seem a fairly complex procedure, there are four general concepts that may clarify how teachers can incorporate critical thinking into every lesson plan.

Expert: When to get help for Alzheimer's
Moving a loved one who is suffering the effects of Alzheimer's disease into a care facility is an individual decision that comes at a different time and under very different circumstances for everyone, says an expert at Sun Health Research Institute.

West Valley Symphony is resurrected with donor's help
The West Valley Symphony is rising from the ashes after a two-year hiatus, thanks to a hefty donation from a private donor.

Ask a Cop: U-turn on red light OK if done right
Ask a Cop: Is it legal to make U-turns at intersections while the light is red? Surprise Police Department responds.