Arizona News – With more people getting outdoors to take advantage of the state’s warm spring weather, it’s important to keep in mind that 13 species of rattlesnakes also call Arizona home and become active as temperatures rise. Depending on location, the species that are encountered most often are the Western diamondback, sidewinder, Mojave, and black-tailed rattlesnakes. “Arizona has more rattlesnake species than any other state, and we can all celebrate that amazing biodiversity,” said Thomas Jones, amphibians and reptiles program manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. In warm desert areas, rattlesnakes are most active from March through…
Author: Tommy Acosta
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Verde Valley News – Yavapai College gained national recognition for its positive, community-based culture when USA Today named it one of the ‘Top Workplaces of 2025’ at USA Today’s Celebration Summit in Las Vegas last week. The ‘Top Workplaces’ award recognizes more than 1,500 organizations with 150 or more employees that have created exceptional, people-first cultures. About 40,000 organizations were invited to participate. Winners are recognized for their commitment to fostering a workplace environment that values employee listening and engagement. Yavapai College, with six campuses and learning centers across Yavapai County, was cited as an outstanding workplace among institutions, with…
Sedona News – The University Women of Sedona will host their next informational meeting on Monday, April 7 at 9:30 a.m. when Nikki Check will speak about the inception of Yavapai College’s Southwest Wine Center viticulture and enology program, and its growth. Check is the founding director of the Southwest Wine Center. She is a second-generation Arizonan born and raised in Yavapai County. After studying agriculture at both Yavapai College and Prescott College, she launched her career in the Verde Valley wine industry, where she started as a field laborer and moved into a vineyard manager role. Soon after she…
Sedona News – The Sedona Heritage Museum is set to once more host the M Bar Lazy B Chuck Wagon for the popular Chuck Wagon Dinner and a Movie program, on Saturday, April 12. Gates open at 4:30 pm, and dinner will be served at 5 pm. John Wayne’s Angel and the Badman will be screened during dinner. The meal will be prepared by award winning chuck wagon cook Bill Cowan and his crack team in cast iron prepared over open flames. The menu is yet to be set, but attendees can be sure it will be delicious! Guests who arrive at…
Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Sedona premiere of “Being Maria” showing April 4-10 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. Maria Schneider (Anamaria Vartolomei) is a promising young French actress. When she gets the lead in a feature film directed by an acclaimed Italian filmmaker and starring one of America’s most beloved actors, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFmaJiuF1KI Her collaborators, director Bernardo Bertolucci and star Marlon Brando (Matt Dillon) seem to be bringing out the best in Maria, sharing a warm rapport and mentorship with the 19-year old girl.…
Sedona, AZ — On this week’s episode of Tech Talk Tuesday, Allen Elfman dives into a fascinating and timely topic: Artificial Intelligence Using Diplomacy — how machines are learning the art of negotiation, conflict resolution, and international relations. “AI isn’t just about robots and algorithms anymore,” says Elfman. “We’re watching it evolve into a tool for global peacekeeping, business mediation, and even courtroom strategy. It’s wild—and it’s real.” Here are a few key areas where AI is showing diplomatic skills: 1. Conflict Resolution Platforms AI is being used to mediate disputes in online platforms, including workplace issues and small claims…
… you can shoot the same subject over and over, year after year and all of a sudden there is your same subject that has transformed into something special … a work of art with that feeling of forever. The shot above of a Great Blue Heron is such a photograph with literally nothing done to it, save some simple adjustments. One of my favs and soon to be on a glass print for my desk … I am out of wall space 🙁 Download it for sure! Below is a shot that recorded the events of a day about…
Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Sedona premiere of “Prisoners of Fire” showing April 4-10 at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jii3PsRv4Q June 26,1990, the Dude Fire rages across Zane Gray country in the towering ponderosa forests below the Mogollon Rim in Central Arizona, killing five prison crew members and a female supervisor on her first fire. Follow along with the survivors and firefighters as they share their experience as inmate firefighters and their harrowing story of courage, loss and redemption. “Prisoners of Fire” — by filmmaker Scott Briggs — is a tribute to…
By Tommy Acosta One of my favorite mind games, as many of you know by now, is imagining what I would do if I was someone else, in this case President Trump, and, my ambition is to become dictator for life. I’m not saying this is Trump’s plan. I’m just musing what I would do if I was him and had that intention. The first thing I would do is create a cabinet of sycophants who would trample even each other to gain my favor. The next is issue barrages of executive orders that would destroy every regulation, plan, and…
Sedona, AZ — The Gallery of Modern Masters invites art and literature enthusiasts to a special evening of storytelling and visual artistry at our First Friday Art Walk & Book Signing on April 4th from 4:00-7:00 PM. This exciting event will feature Guillermo Márquez-Sterling, who will be signing copies of his compelling new book, Killing the Butterfly: A Cuban Memoir of Democracy’s Demise, alongside a stunning exhibition of internationally acclaimed glass artist William Dexter’s exquisite Octa Bowls. Guillermo Márquez-Sterling, who arrived in Sedona six months ago as the pastor of Church of the Red Rocks, brings a rich heritage shaped by his Cuban roots. The youngest son of immigrants who fled…
By Amaya Gayle Gregory I’ve been beavering away on my son’s website, taking what was and stripping the old away to make way for a totally new, clean and improved, simple-y fabulous look. Another couple weeks, perhaps a tad more, and it will be up again, but not at all the same. Isn’t that a wonderful metaphor for life, for the way we are always being redrawn, reimagined, renewed. Scott and I went through an experience with what I can only call a scam company. While they provided us with a website — after pulling teeth for way too long…
… I spent several hours going through folders of older photos this evening and I found a folder of Hummer images that I took a number of years ago and just put aside for another day and today was it. I had heard a slight commotion in the garage and when I went out there I saw a small object drop from one of the skylights … went over to it and that is the top photo of the exhausted little guy on his back on the lower rim of one of my tool cases … hustled into the house,…
Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to partner with the Sedona Historical Society to present “The Dead Quilters Society” live on stage at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30. “The Dead Quilters Society” tells the real stories of five women from the Verde Valley and Northern Arizona and explores the ripple effects of their actions on our community, some of which are still evident today. The historical women whose stories will be told in this production are Marguerite Staude, Katie Lee, Annie Wauneka, Dora Chavez Madrid, and Fanny Gulick.…
Prescott News – On Friday, April 25th, Prescott’s beloved 4th Friday Art Walk invites art lovers to explore 16 downtown galleries, each featuring a diverse collection of work from both local and nationally recognized artists. These galleries will stay open late, offering special exhibits, artist receptions, and engaging events. Nestled in the cool, forested mountains of Arizona, Prescott has long been a source of inspiration for artists. The Art Walk is an opportunity to connect with these creators, learn about their artistic journeys, and experience Prescott’s thriving creative community. With historic buildings framing the event, visitors can enjoy a rich…
Flagstaff News – RESCUE ROCKS! COCONINO HUMANE ASSOCIATION is joining North Shore Animal League America’s 2025 Tour For Life to shine a light on the importance of rescue and highlight the awesome animals available for adoption at their shelter. On SATURDAY, MARCH 22, the Animal League America Mobile Adoption Unit will joining the Coconino Humane Association team at PETCO in Flagstaff from 11AM- 4PM . Together they’ll be featuring some of the adorable, adoptable dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens d looking for loving, responsible homes and offering adoption discounts. Plus, look for some cool 2025 Tour For Life swag giveaways (while supplies last.) The world’s largest collaborative mobile pet adoption event, 2025’s…