Throughout my life, friends and family have commented on my sometimes unique “to do” list.  Setting goals and making a commitment to successfully achieve them has provided personal satisfaction and success in my life’s achievements.

Sunday night’s monsoon storm kept police and fire officials busy with rescues, including one that involved a 93-year old woman.

Signs of damage and flooding caused by Sunday night’s monsoon rains could be seen all over the Tucson region Monday morning.

Though another 50 miles of travel remain, glancing slightly left off laser straight US Highway 62/180 in west Texas, the dramatic vertical cliffs of the Guadalupe Mountains could easily be seen. Matching perfectly the cover photo on a Guadalupe Mountains National Park brochure picked up at a Texas Visitor Center outside El Paso, there was no doubt my destination would soon be reached. Within an hour I would be setting up a tent in Pine Springs Campground and settling in for a night under the stars, eagerly anticipating accomplishing tomorrow’s challenge.

Nearing the end of monsoons and being cautious to avoid reference to a "hike," I invited my wife Kris and her sister Lisa, visiting from Seattle, to join me on an "exploration" of the first couple of miles in Sabino Canyon.

Lightning strikes on Tuesday, Oct. 5, damaged at least three Northwest homes.

Lightning strikes on Tuesday, Oct. 5, damaged at least three Northwest homes.

On Sunday, Aug. 29, Oro Valley police responded to the 8800 block of Oracle Road in response to a resident seeing a person spray-painting walls within the apartment complex. When police arrived, they were able to detain multiple suspects who possibly defaced walls at the apartment complex and a homeowner's wall on Shadow Mountain. One of the suspects said, "I did it, they had nothing to do with it," according to police reports. The leasing agent on duty provided officers with photos showing the suspect spray-painting the wall. The suspect was booked into the Pima County Jail for criminal damage. The case will be forwarded to detectives to see if the suspect can be connected to previous graffiti incidents.

The wet Tucson months from July to early September, commonly referred to as monsoon, bring more than just rain to the Sonoran Desert. Flash floods, power outages, and lightning are all concerns posted by the spectacular season.

Monsoon is coming.

Monsoon has arrived, and with it, suggestions from the Pima County Sheriff's Department on ways to stay safe.

Northwest softball squads are pushing through their 2009 seasons, led by Canyon del Oro and its defending state champions.

High stress, near-total isolation, and nerve-wracking pressure. It’s all part of the daily life of a defensive back, prompting San Francisco 49ers defender Eddie Lewis to once compare playing cornerback to “ … being on an island; people can see you but they can’t help you.”

In the past three months, fires have ravaged two homes in SaddleBrooke.

John McCain and Barack Obama know that most Americans need look no further than the gas pump for proof of America’s energy crunch.

June 21, 2006 - Steve Long remembers stepping into the office of Long Realty Company at age 5 to watch his grandfather, the founder, work at an imposing, old-fashioned desk.

Fire departments throughout the Northwest, just as their brethren have been doing at every level of government, have been gearing up since March to deal with what is anticipated to be one of the worst fire seasons ever in Arizona.

Stuart Rodeffer's cough sounds like it's weighed down by sludge, similar to the hack of a life-long smoker. His incessant coughing is the result of ingesting smoke and ash every day for nearly a month while fighting wildland fires in Northern California.