Student of the game: ASU junior Cris Valle working overtime as Hamilton boys basketball coach
CHANDLER – Former Hamilton basketball star Cris Valle had a dream of playing professional basketball. However, he found a true passion for coaching and giving back what he learned to the next generation of players.
At 20, Philip Studer is transforming North Canyon freshman basketball
PHOENIX – Philip Studer, 20, is in his second season as the freshman basketball head coach at North Canyon High School. As one of the youngest coaches at any high school in the country, Studer has used his youth to build relationships with his players and help turn the program around.
Derrick Michael Xzavierro’s history-making odyssey lands him at GCU
PHOENIX – Derrick Michael Xzavierro’s journey to GCU has led him across the world from his home of Indonesia. Though he is taking a redshirt year this season, Xzavierro has already made an impact and history as Indonesia’s first Division I basketball scholarship player.
From NFL to high school sidelines, Conrad Hamilton has found success revitalizing Desert Mountain
SCOTTSDALE – In his fourth season at Desert Mountain, former NFL player Conrad Hamilton has reinstituted a winning culture as one of many former pro football players finding success in the high school coaching ranks.
‘Like a home:’ Filipino American students join to raise visibility, preserve heritage
LOS ANGELES – Young Filipino people turn to cultural clubs and organizations for a sense of community at the Universities to educate themselves and others. The struggle to better understand their culture and heritage has led them out of their homes and into classrooms.
Filipinos in LA look to a gateway as their ‘guiding star’ to salvage a neglected history
LOS ANGELES – Historic Filipinotown, or HiFi, is supposed to be the center of the Filipino community in Los Angeles, but it lacks key identifying factors that many cultural communities have in their respective districts. The strides to make this a reality have been slow, but community members have been working to make the Filipino community’s presence known.
Vegan handbags made of pineapple, cactus and cork could help save the planet
LOS ANGELES – Some designers are becoming more sustainable by replacing traditional leather with such materials as pineapple, cactus and cork. They look great and are better for the environment.
Cornhole pros and weekend warriors meet in Mesa for national tournament
MESA – Bell Bank Park sports complex in Mesa recently hosted an American Cornhole League pro shootout and open tournament. Competitors came from across the country to join in the fun.
Coalition targets illegal tobacco trade, with Arizona among top states in contraband
PHOENIX – The Arizona Chamber of Commerce is joining Philip Morris International in a partnership called United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade, which aims to stop illicit trade through public-private partnerships.
COVID vaccine added to requirements for immigrants seeking permanent residency
PHOENIX – Immigrants seeking permanent residency now must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, along with polio, measles and other infectious diseases. But access to vaccines around the world is uneven.
Arizonans join hundreds of female athletes opposing strict abortion law
WASHINGTON - Nine Arizonans are among the more than 500 female athletes who signed on to a brief to the Supreme Court this week challenging Mississippi's restrictive new abortion law, which abortion opponents see as a vehicle for overturning Roe v. Wade.
After pandemic, renovations, road trip, Rattlers return to Phoenix Suns Arena
PHOENIX – When the Arizona Rattlers return to Phoenix Suns Arena for their 2021 home opener Saturday night, it will be their first game there in just under two years. Philip Rakoci, a Rattlers fan and self-described “wildlife comedian” from Casa Grande, knows exactly how long has passed.
