Baidaj - the saguaro fruit - harvesting is a time of celebration and marks the O’odham New Year right before monsoon downpours sweep through the Southwest - but they are growing increasingly concerned about earlier blooms and ripening of the flower. Read more»

Three people fell to their deaths at the Grand Canyon and another hiker's body was found there in just more than a month. Read more»

Mexico plans to spend roughly $100 million building its first cruise ship home port in Puerto Peñasco. “It is the most important project the city has ever had,” said Miguel Guevara, director of promotion and international affairs for the city. Read more» 4

If Arizona doesn’t change course and increase funding to higher education, the state’s economic health will decline, ASU President Michael Crow told a group of business leaders Thursday during a panel discussion in downtown Phoenix. Read more»

Advocates for reusable bags say they’re cheaper in the long run. But those who favor plastic bags say the reusable bags are significantly more expensive. Like many controversial topics, the “real” cost may depend on how you look at the issue. Read more» 1

The winter storm in Flagstaff on Monday may have closed public schools and forced offices to work with skeleton staffs, but it’s a welcome treat for many Flagstaff businesses. The northern Arizona city relies on its winter economy, officials said. And so far, the season has been mostly dry. Read more»

Officials rejected Arizona’s plan to protect residential construction workers from falling. The state must abide by federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations. An industry representative says the rules are dangerous, another says the government needs the tougher standards. Read more»

Protesters across Arizona are working to bring attention to a federal land exchange they say endangers an area sacred to the San Carlos Apache tribe. Some marched nearly 50 miles to decry the Resolution Copper Mine near Superior. Read more»

Dozens of people sang, danced and prayed outside the San Carlos Apache tribe’s office on Thursday morning before heading out on a 44-mile journey they hope will protect their ancestral lands at Oak Flat campground. The protesters organized the march to express their anger over a federal land exchange that gave a copper mining company permission to mine land sacred to the Apache people. Read more» 1

A recent study shows many Arizona drivers don’t carry any vehicle insurance – or they don’t have enough. This fact, combined with lenient insurance requirements, put Arizona among the most financially risky states for drivers. One state lawmaker has introduced a bill that would adopt stricter liability insurance requirements. Read more» 1