Ironwood Ridge High School senior Shannon Contreras returns the ball during a volley against her Salpointe opponent last Tuesday afternoon at the Tucson Racquet Club. Contreras, Ironwood Ridge's #1 singles player, and the Nighthawks ran into a Salpointe buzzsaw last week, bowing 8-1 in the dual match.

The Ironwood Ridge softball program is en route to its eighth trip to the state tournament after another impressive regular season draws to a close.

Last Wednesday afternoon, the air was crisp, the sky was blue and the Crooked Tree Golf Course was filled with people over the age of 70 for the 9-hole Super Senior Golf Tournament.

When golfer and stroke are harmonious, it’s sweet music. When an afternoon round helps prep musicians pay for pricey new uniforms, that’s a birdie’s song.

He’s played trumpet solos with the Count Basie Orchestra and the Boston Pops, and he’s appeared on PBS. In 1988, he played the role of Louis Armstrong in the nationally touring musical “Satchmo.”

A few weeks ago it was Ironwood Ridge’s Alex Rapp who slugged three homers out of the park. Then, Erin Rocker knocked two out of the park against Pueblo last Monday.

The Canyon del Oro Dorados varsity softball team made a big statement with its 14-0 win over Flowing Wells when the two teams met on March 29.

On Sunday, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords announced she will resign from her District 8 seat in order to allow more time to recover from a gunshot wound to the head she suffered on Jan. 8, 2011.

When the Ironwood Ridge boys’ golf team won the 5A-II state title Nov. 5-6, it was the culmination of a long and taxing but ultimately rewarding season for the golfers and head coach Ryan Bais.

Even in the mid-morning summer heat, 98-year-old Dr. James Mulligan was ready to flash his swing on the driving range. The clubs were ready, stowed in a golf cart next to the spotlessly garaged Honda.

(NAPSI)—There’s good news for parents who want to protect the environment while providing their children with a safer place to play outdoors.

Interfaith Community Services received a donation from the grandchildren of Carl’s Jr., founder Carl Karcher at a Thursday event in Oro Valley.

A 50-cent set of plastic golf clubs and a couple of swings from a little girl is all it took for Carl and Avivi Pearson to realize that their daughter, Hannah, was no ordinary 1-year-old.

Cancer research and treatments have come a long way in the past 30 years, thanks in part to increased awareness of the disease paired with massive fundraising efforts around the world.

Golfers and tennis players can "swing for the arts" Friday, June 19, when the Greater Oro Valley Arts Council puts on fund-raising tournaments at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain.

Mark Twain once said, "Plain question and plain answer make the shortest road out of most perplexities."