By Christopher Elliott Mark Graham is planning a trip to Sicily and France with his wife this summer. He’s still working out some of the details, but one thing he is sure of: getting travel insurance. Graham can’t imagine traveling without it. “We feel better knowing we have the safety of insurance,” says Graham, a retired telecommunications worker. And who can blame him? The pandemic made travel insurance ...

By Sophie Oppfelt Gordon Brown used to be a licensed psychologist and U.S. Navy petty officer 1st class. But a severe blow to the head caused bleeding on the brain and led to surgery in 2002 that left him struggling to read and speak. Brown says he’s now mostly recovered, and he credits hyperbaric oxygen therapy, known as HBOT, which most commonly is used in hospitals to treat burn victims and severe skin a ...

By Summer Aguirre Pet owners in North Phoenix now have a reliable, affordable pet vet in their backyard, thanks to Dr. Kelly’s Surgical Unit’s new brick-and-mortar clinic. The specialized veterinary practice’s new clinic is located at 4727 E. Bell Road on the southwest corner of Tatum Boulevard. Its expansion is due to demand and its success operating primarily from mobile units, through which it pursues it ...

By Bridgette M. Redman In a city known for its views, few can compete with those from the restaurants and rooms of the Marina del Rey Hotel. It’s one of the grand dames of the coastal town, having been built in 1964 and then being fully renovated in 2014. From the moment one turns down the dock leading to this waterfront hotel, everything is designed to transport guests to a coastal paradise, one where boat ...

By Summer Aguirre Tierra Madre Horse & Human Sanctuary is growing, and its latest expansion will incorporate programming for young people with autism. While the Cave Creek sanctuary’s purpose is to provide a forever home for disadvantaged horses, its team also aims to help humans navigate their personal challenges with the healing powers of its two dozen-plus equines. Tierra Madre’s youth programming, i ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Haley Reinhart looks back on “American Idol” fondly — especially her connection with fellow 10th season contestant Casey Abrams. Twelve years later, she’s still supporting Abrams, who has suffered from ulcerative colitis since he was young. Recently, he was hospitalized and underwent a lifesaving surgery that forced the removal of his entire colon. Abrams will recover, but he n ...

By Sue Kern-Fleischer In the heart of Cave Creek, two large Tamarisk trees provide more than shade. They are a symbol of new beginnings, strength and resilience. So, it was only fitting that a group of eight artists open The Finer Arts Gallery in the historic “Treehouse” building adjacent to the two trees. Pat Isaacson, a glass artist and one of the gallery’s eight co-owners, says The Finer Arts Gallery fir ...

By Josh Ortega After 12 years of preparation, country star Lainey Wilson says she’s finally entered the race, but the process was all a part of paying her dues. “They say Nashville is a 10-year town, and I truly believe it,” Wilson says. The Louisiana native saw the fruits of her labor in 2022, nabbing an armful of accolades including CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, CMA New Artist of the Year, ACM’s New Fe ...

By Joe McHugh  After record-breaking attendance in 2022, bringing in over 719,000 fans, the WM Phoenix Open is firing back up at TPC Scottsdale, in what should be its biggest tournament. With the Super Bowl in town the same weekend, all systems will be a go to bring the tournament to new heights. “We’re going to have probably 90,000 people per day at a minimum,” tournament Chairman Pat Williams says. “Certa ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski North Valley Symphony Orchestra will celebrate its past, present and future with Casino Musicale Gala, this year’s major fundraiser. The Saturday, February 25, benefit at the DoubleTree by Hilton Phoenix North will feature a welcome drink, silent auction, dinner, live music performances and casino-style gaming for $100. “Each year, our major fundraising gala gets more spectacul ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Speculation abounds about what the North Valley housing market will look like in 2023. When it comes to North Phoenix, North Scottsdale, Cave Creek and Carefree, the real estate landscape is drastically different from what was experienced during the pandemic-fueled market when home prices skyrocketed, competition was fierce between buyers and demand was sparse. “The housing mar ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski When Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller fractured his leg in a freak accident on the ice March 30, 2022, he didn’t think he was going to return to the ice anytime soon. For the last 15 games of the season, the 24-year-old Keller was stuck on his couch, forced to watch his fellow Arizona Coyotes play hockey on television. “Coming into this (2022-23) season, I didn’t really k ...

By Kamala Kirk Prior to moving to Arizona, Jennifer Keely would fly in from Chicago every year to attend the Waste Management Phoenix Open for her birthday. While staying at a hotel in 2020, a commercial came on that caught her attention — and ultimately changed her life. “At the time I was living in Chicago, and we would come out to Arizona to get some sunshine,” Keely says. “I was watching this ad featuri ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski The pandemic was tough for restaurants, and Geoff Stanisic can attest to that. The owner of build-your-own stir-fry concept YC’s Mongolian Grill says he is grateful that the industry has returned to some semblance of normalcy. “We’re just very grateful,” Stanisic says. “A lot of establishments didn’t make it out of COVID. We had some minor setbacks, but we circled the wagons an ...

By Christopher Elliott Joy Wills’ dishwasher doesn’t work. Her extended protection plan purchased through Lowe’s isn’t working either. It’s been six months — will she ever get a working appliance? Question: I’m having difficulty getting Lowe’s to honor the extended protection plan that we purchased on our GE dishwasher. I can’t get any power to the appliance. Despite numerous visits by technicians, checking ...