According to a USA Today report, President Barack Obama will meet with Treasury Department officials at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing investigation into the Internal Revenue Service allegedly scrutinizing Tea Party groups' applications for tax-exempt status.

Northwest Fire District firefighters responded to 2002 W. Gardner Lane at 0100 after 9-1-1 calls were received reporting a mobile home on fire. Deputies from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department on patrol in the area arrived just before fire crews and attempted to make entry into the mobile home to check for the victim, but were driven back by the heavy smoke and fire.

A cooking fire damaged the kitchen of a town home, displacing the resident in the 2500 block of East Prince Road late Saturday night. The resident was heating up oil for cooking purposes when the oil flashed. The resident initially called 9-1-1 and reported that the pan had caught fire but the fire was out. A second call was made to 9-1-1 stating the kitchen was now on fire. The resident was advised to evacuate the apartment. A single engine company was initially dispatched for the fire reported out but they were upgraded to emergency traffic, lights and sirens, and a full alarm dispatch was filled out given the additional information. The first engine company on scene advised heavy black smoke was coming from town home and they would be pulling hose lines inside to perform a search and extinguish the fire. The ladder crew controlled the utilities and then cut a hole in the roof to allow the smoke to escape and cool down the interior. The engine company was able to confine the fire to the kitchen, preventing the fire from spreading to the rest of the town home or neighboring homes. The fire was controlled 15 minutes after the first unit arrived on scene. Eight units and twenty-one firefighters responded to the fire with no personnel suffering any injuries. The town home was not deemed livable and the resident was going to be staying with family for assistance. .

In the May 1 Explorer Dana Schulte says  “we need to research” who is responsible for mass killings, as in Newtown and Aurora and then have legislation “target them and not the law abiding citizen”.

(BPT) - Warm weather is here, which means many homeowners are beginning new DIY projects. Have you included home safety on your list?

For over 35 years, the Golder Ranch Fire District has been proudly providing fire and emergency medical services to the communities of Oro Valley, Catalina, and SaddleBrooke. Operating from seven fire stations, the men and women of Golder Ranch Fire stand ready to respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  But we are much more than a fire department.

(BPT) - Appearances count, especially when you’re trying to sell a home. Even though the housing industry experts predict this spring will be a seller’s market, it’s important to grab every advantage when you’re trying to sell your home. Staging – decorating a house to appeal to the broadest possible range of buyers – can make the difference between a quick sale or a long, painful linger on the market.

(BPT) - As existing home sales continue to climb and housing prices increase, remodeling is also on the rise, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Owners of older homes are investing more in home improvement projects that add beauty and value, especially with environmentally friendly products.

(NAPSI)—Give your home a safety checkup. Just as regular wellness checkups are critical for maintaining your health, routine safety checkups are critical for the safety of your home.

The first-ever Marana Main Street Festival was held over the weekend with plenty of entrants in the bed race and plenty of fun, food and sun in the streets. Spearheaded by town staff and local business owner Teri Murphy, the event is designed to familiarize residents with an area of Marana that was once considered downtown before the introduction of Interstate 10 in the 1960s cut through the area’s development plans.

Arizona Theatre Company (ATC) closes its 2012-2013 season with the eagerly anticipated Arizona premiere of  Bruce Norris’ multi-award-winning, provocative new comedy, “Clybourne Park”. Performances commence in Tucson for three weeks and continue to Phoenix for an additional three weeks. 

The first-ever Marana Main Street Festival is coming to the Town on April 5-7. Spearheaded by town staff and local business owner Teri Murphy, the event is designed to familiarize residents with an area of Marana that was once considered downtown before the introduction of Interstate 10 in the 1960s cut through the area’s development plans.

Best happy hour

Earlier this week, the Arizona Senate passed a bill that would allow teachers, administrators, a custodian or cafeteria worker to be armed in some suburban schools to be armed.

(BPT) - “I’m so lucky I’m marrying my best friend,” is a phrase you often hear in wedding toasts. Now that you’ve found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, make sure you protect each other by considering the bigger financial picture.

(BPT) - While vinyl siding has historically been the most-used siding material in the U.S., its continuing advancements are allowing even more choice when it comes to two critical qualities desired by homeowners: outstanding curb appeal and low maintenance. Add to this to the growing interest by homeowners to save energy and the increasing green measures being taken by builders, and insulated vinyl siding stands out as a versatile choice.

(NAPSI)—Protect your biggest investments: your family and your home. A few easy electrical safety steps can help ensure that your home continues to be a safe haven for your family. The Electrical Safety Foundation International recommends the following tips to help protect your home and family from electrical hazards and fires:

(StatePoint) With wild weather patterns impacting the country in recent years, homeowners nationwide are constantly on the lookout for better ways to prepare their homes to handle tough weather conditions.

Camp Bow Wow provides the following services:  Day Care, Boarding, Grooming, Training, In-house Pet Sitting, Shuttle Service for pick-up & deliveries, Pet Taxi for other than dogs and Airport Shuttle.  Our hours of operation are: Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday:  6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday: 7 to 10 a.m. and 4  to 7 p.m.; Holidays:  7 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Our address is 16725 N. Oracle Road, Tucson, Ariz. 85739, and our phone number is (520) 742-6476

(NAPSI)—If your home is like most, you have some 26 different battery-operated devices—from flashlights to smoke detectors to cordless phones—around the house.

(NAPSI)—Increasingly, developing nations in the Middle East are coming to see the emergence of stable and transparent legal institutions as a factor that goes hand in hand with economic, social and political development. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the country of Morocco.