Two Pima County workers, Hank Atha and Amelia Craig Cramer, are among the winners of the 2014 Gabe Zimmerman Public Service Award, which recognizes non-elected public employees who serve citizens. The awards are named in the memory of the slain congressional aide. Read more»

The Center for the Future of Arizona is accepting last-minute nominations for the Gabe Zimmerman Public Service Awards. The deadline to summit nominations is next Monday. Read more»

Create 75,000 jobs, increase wages 30 percent. Deliver high-speed Internet. Thin 30,000 acres to prevent forest fires. Increase health coverage and fund Common Core Standards. These are some of the goals in The Arizona We Want 2.0, a report released Thursday by the Center for the Future of Arizona. Read more»

A new state education program called Move On When Ready is offering Grand Canyon Diplomas that allow students in participating high schools to earn the diploma as early as the end of their sophomore year by passing a series of board examinations. Read more»

Only 10% of Arizonans believe elected officials represent their interests. And yet Arizona ranks 43rd among states in voter turnout. Read more»

Arizona lags the rest of the nation in measures of civic engagement ranging from voting to following the news to participating in community group. The report from the Center for the Future of Arizona said the problem of low voter turnout is especially acute in rural areas of the state. Read more» 2

A state lawmaker is proposing a new diploma that would allow high school students to attend community colleges or technical schools as early as sophomore year. Read more»