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'United for Mesa' withdraws referendum signatures for vote
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Ford ‘fill an F-150’ water drive benefiting Salvation Army
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Baywood Health Center can increase size of signs, adjustment board decides
VALLEY OF THE SUN
entertainment

Salt River Tubing open seven days a week

Salt River Tubing and Recreation will be open 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. seven days a week, weather and water flow conditions permitting, beginning Saturday, May 1, with safety protocols in place. “SRTR …
Things To Do

Annual Arizona Taco Festival returns this October

The 11th Annual Taco Festival is making a comeback to Salt River Fields. The Two-day event is set to deliver another year of taco madness with more than 50 taco makers over two days -- …
recreation

Mesa pools open May 29

All nine city of Mesa pools will open for the summer, with modified programming and hours, beginning Saturday, May 29. The pools open for public swimming at 1 p.m. most days. Skyline and Rhodes …
Entertainment

Gila River Music Festival May 21-22

The inaugural Gila River Music Festival is May 21-22 in Kearny, a small town on the Gila River an hour from the Valley just down the road from Superior. “The music festival will feature a …
entertainment

Chandler Center for the Arts adds shows for 2021-22 season

Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., recently added fall concerts and shows to its upcoming season with a new round of performances going on sale May 10. New shows added to the …

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MESA NEWS & OPINION
Local news
business

Bonelli Doors + Windows relocates manufacturing headquarters to Mesa

Bonelli Doors + Windows has relocated its manufacturing headquarters to Mesa. The aluminum door and window designer and manufacturer has created 35 new jobs with active recruiting to hire at its …

Edupoint Named CODiE Award Finalist in Two Categories for Outstanding Response to Pandemic

MESA, Ariz., May 7, 2021 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Edupoint® Educational Systems announced today that its industry-leading student data and learning management solution, Synergy® Education …
Subscriber exclusive

Mesa Cars & Coffee can be held 12 times a year near McDowell, Power roads

A free car show in the parking lot of Red Mountain Promenade, 6663 E. McDowell Road, can be held 12 times a year, the Mesa Board of Adjustment decided recently. A special-use permit to exceed four …
Subscriber exclusive

Mutual back-up ambulance services OK’d between Mesa, Superstition fire

Mesa Fire and Medical Department and Superstition Fire and Medical District, which covers Apache Junction and Gold Canyon, are finalizing an agreement to provide back-up ambulance services across …
First responders

2 robberies, 8 burglaries reported April 23-27 in Mesa

The Mesa Police Department took reports of the following robberies and burglaries April 23-27: Burglary at a restaurant April 23 in the 1200 block of South Country Club Drive. Burglary at a …

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OPINION

When you are thirsty and hungry, you go to your refrigerator, fill a glass of water and clean your bowl of fruit under running water at your sink. But what if the water does not run to fill your …

Last month, Arizona lawmakers had an opportunity to support legislation that would have made it easier for local cities to address nuisance short-term rental properties that have been the cause of …
I just wanted to let you know how thrilled I was to go to my mailbox and find a copy of the Mesa Independent. I’ve been an avid newspaper reader since I was in grade school and I’ve …
Neighbors
Ana Pereira

Pereira hired as Mesa public information and communications director

The city of Mesa has hired Ana Pereira as the new public information and communications director, after a nationwide search. She will begin working on May 10. Ms. Pereira has an extensive …
Up to six Arts at the Center grant recipients are chosen each year to receive rent-free use of a Mesa Arts Center theater or other space to present a performance or activity. Applications can be for one of MAC’s stages or one of its other spaces, such as studios, museum or outdoor spaces.

Nonprofits must apply by May 7 for Mesa Arts Center rental/production support

Mesa Arts Center Foundation’s Arts at the Center program is accepting letters of interest for the 2021-22 season. Arts at the Center grants support educational and non-profit organizations …
“Lake Watson at dusk, Prescott, Arizona,” by photographer Dean Degner.

Scenic Arizona: Lake Watson at dusk

The Daily Independent at YourValley.net is publishing submitted photos that highlight the community and showcase Arizona’s beauty. Readers are invited to submit scenic pictures of desert …
Nathan Hale Elementary School student Mary Callan won third place in the grades 4-6 category.

Mesa elementary school students participate in Earth Day art challenge

Working in partnership with Mesa Public Schools, the city of Mesa Environmental Management & Sustainability Department sponsored the “Express Your Environmental Self” Earth Day …

Foundation provides free copies of U.S. Constitution to support civics education

A local nonprofit organization has printed small pocketbook-sized editions of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence and making them available free of charge to Arizona school …
Mesa Education & Business Reporting
Education
Education

Construction workers speak with students at Eastmark HS career fair

Rosendin, an employee-owned electrical contracting company with a regional office in Tempe, recently set out to change perceptions about the construction industry among East Valley teenagers. They …
Education

Grant provides additional support for MCC life science students

Life Science faculty members from Mesa Community College and Chandler-Gilbert Community College recently received a $11,000 Maricopa Center for Learning and Innovation Horizon Grant for spring/fall …
Education

BASIS Mesa one of top 60 high schools in U.S.

One Mesa high school landed among the top in the country, cracking the list of the best 60 high schools in the U.S. The list, released annually by U.S. News & World Report, ranks high schools …
Education

MCC Amazon Web Services training offered for higher education instructors

Sixteen computer information systems faculty from Arizona and Utah universities and several Arizona community colleges are taking advantage of a no-cost, Amazon Web Services Cloud Foundations …
education

Applications being accepted for social work career building program

A program that seeks participants who are in recovery from opioid use or addiction wishing to launch a career helping others with similar life experiences is accepting applications. The Family …
education

Toastmasters host virtual impact education, career fair Friday

Due to the pandemic, many great highly qualified Arizonans have been laid off and Arizona Toastmasters wants to help them. Arizona Toastmasters (District 3) is hosting its second Toastmasters …
education

Mesa high school graduates can apply for 'Mesa College Promise' funds

Mesa Mayor John Giles and Mesa Community College Interim President Lori M. Berquam recently announced that the first Mesa College Promise eligible high school graduates will receive funding to attend …

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Business

NAI Horizon professionals Chris Gerow, Shelby Tworek and Gabe Ortega represented the landlord, RDEV Ranch LLC, in a 60-month retail lease for 1,307 square feet at 1134 S. Stapley Drive in …

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport has a new airline with travel to and from Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport starting Nov. 24. Sun Country Airlines announced its new nonstop service …
NAI Horizon represented the seller in the $1.65 million disposition of a building in Mesa that formerly housed a long-standing national tile retailer that went out of business. NAI Horizon Senior …
Houston-based NewQuest Properties will wrap up construction in mid-May at Chandler Ranch, where brands like 99 Ranch and a trio of newly signed restaurateurs from the west coast will open their first …

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Daily Independent
Entertainment

Indie pop/rock group plays two shows

The local band A Girl Named Scot will perform at a house show 5:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, April 30, at 2314 E. Whitton Ave. Other artists performing are The Whitton, Local Bandits, Jam Now and John …
Guitar League members jam during a monthly session pre-COVID-19.

Guitar League to bring back live monthly meetings

The Phoenix chapter of the Guitar League will relaunch monthly live meetings beginning Tuesday, May 11.
Salt River Tubing is in northeast Mesa, seven minutes from Loop 202 Exit 23A on North Power Road in the Tonto National Forest.

Salt River Tubing opens Saturday

Salt River Tubing and Recreation will be open 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. seven days a week, weather and water flow conditions permitting, beginning Saturday, May 1, with safety protocols in …
The Joey’s, a young energetic rockabilly group from Scottsdale, are to perform at 4 p.m.

Gila River Music Festival May 21-22

The inaugural Gila River Music Festival is May 21-22 in Kearny, a small town on the Gila River an hour from the Valley just down the road from Superior. “The music festival will feature a …
The Sound of Music will be performed March 26-April 17 at the Zao Theatre stage, 550 S. Ironwood Drive in Apache Junction.

‘The Sound of Music’ continues Friday-Saturday at Zao Theatre

"The Sound of Music," the world’s most beloved musical, graces the Zao Theatre stage March 26-April 17, featuring the music of Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard …

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Obituaries

ANTHONY KEITH HEDLEY, M.D.

Anthony Keith Hedley born on October 2, 1943 in Durban, South Africa passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his wife and children on April 19, 2021. Tony was a world renowned orthopedic …

Harold Eddie Siddy Jr.

Heaven received a kind, gentle soul on January 26, 2021. Harold fought dementia for years until he passed peacefully at Hospice of the Valley in Peoria, Arizona.Eddie was born in Pottsville, …

Esther Lygre Holte

Esther, completed her earthly life on January 12, 2021, at the age of 103. Born in Minneapolis, MN, she became an excellent student and accompanist, graduating second both in her large high school …

Douglas Randall (Randy) Smith

Douglas, age 93, of Sun City West, AZ, passed away February 5, 2021. Randy was born in February, 1928 in Oakland, California. He loved his country and served in the US Army. He attended University of …

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