This year’s nominees for the Créme de la Copa Customer Service category are local businesses Hunter Pest Control, Good Donuts and Sweet Cravings. The owners of these businesses were nominated for both their dedication to serving Maricopans and to creating great relationships with their patrons. 

The local nonprofits nominated in this year’s Créme De La Copa are F.O.R. Maricopa Food Bank, Dance for Tatas and Pet Social Worker. These organizations were nominated for their enthusiastic support of the community and their hard work serving the public. Minor edits have been made to these …

Throughout the different phases of her life, art has always been there for Kaui Wilson. And she sees the inner artist in everyone.

Kevin Marcus loves serving his community and his church.

From images of classic cars to Greek island scenes or an Arizona landscape, George Vakaleris aims to bring each of his subjects to life with color, light and detail.

Nominated for the Youth Services category this year were BeAwesome Youth Coalition, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sun Corridor and Desert Sun Performing Arts. These local Maricopa institutions were nominated for their commitment to bettering the youth of Maricopa through a variety of enrichi…

These food trucks were nominated as the best of the best for this year's Créme de la Copa, and they spread their love of community and cuisine around the city. Though one will be taking a break for a while, all three of these nominated contest winners are grateful for the support of the comm…

David Anderson loves life and all aspects of it — his wife, family, church and community.

Donae Cotton Photography is among the top three nominees for photography in this year's Creme de la Copa contest. Donae Cotton, owner, is known for her special approach to photography, capturing the hearts and imaginations of her clients while helping them to feel empowered during their phot…

With every photograph she takes, Rhonda Thom aims to tell a story. Whether it's a wedding, an engagement, family reunion or other type of photo shoot, she said she tries to capture the moment at each event.

Each school in Maricopa works hard to ensure their students get the best education and experience while studying. These are the schools the community chose to honor by nominating them for Best Charter School in this year's Creme de la Copa contest. Some edits have been made to the following …

Eli'Ana Smith is the owner of Speechless Reflection Photography. This is the third time her photography company has been nominated for Creme de la Copa, having won first place in the photography category in 2019. We sat down with her to discuss what it's been like to be nominated for a third…

The issue you're holding in your hands is very special. 

Pinal County and many of our communities are once again leading Arizona in the rate of population growth, growing living wage jobs and becoming a leader in economic prosperity. To keep the economic development engine humming and ensure we have a safe and reliable transportation network, lead…

Visit Mercantile Maricopa and one of the first things you might notice is that the shelves are lined with an assortment of collectables, antiques and memorabilia. 

Maricopa Mayor Christian Price shocked the city in April when he announced that he would be stepping down from his position at the end of June to become the president and CEO of Maricopa Economic Development Alliance, where he will continue advocating for growing business in the area.

It’s just before 5 p.m. on Monday, April 4. Maricopa commuters are making their way home from another long workday. About halfway between the Phoenix metropolis and the city of Maricopa, traffic on State Route 347 comes to a standstill. Seemingly as one, Maricopa commuters open their phones …

The brand new Desert Sunrise High School opens on Thursday, and staff members say they're eager to meet the new students and welcome them back to a new year at a new school. Copacetic interviewed four of the faculty members to give students and their families an opportunity to get to know so…

Surgery has been around for years with the first surgical procedure, trepanation, taking place in 6500 B.C. Think a drill hole in the skull.

In March, the Maricopa Pantry lost nearly everything to a massive fire that consumed multiple semi trailers of food and a storage container.

As I mentioned in my previous article, Pinal Partnership’s committees are proving to be the go-to forum where some of our best subject matter experts explore a full range of possibilities to generate ideas for solving some of Pinal County’s biggest challenges. This isn’t more evident than in…

The start of a new school year was always something I, equal-parts, dreaded and looked forward to as a kid. I dreaded it because the end of those two months off marked the end of meeting up with friends at the movies on a weekday afternoon, getting to stay up later than normal and having abs…

Ron Harrison composed hundreds of songs back in the day, but now he plays piano for himself and those who stop by to listen.

There's no denying Maricopa is a growing city.

A new school year is just on the horizon.

With the 2022 election season in full swing, it's always a good idea to get acquainted with local and state candidates. We spoke with four of the five candidates running for seats in the Arizona Legislature. Some are incumbents. For others, this is their first time running at the state level…

With its large farmers market-style produce section in the center of the store, aisles of healthy bulk items, spices and unique foods, the Sprouts grocery store has become a popular spot for Maricopa shoppers.

Those who drove through Maricopa as recently as 2000 might not have even realized where they were. The area was still unincorporated, with a smattering of businesses in between farms and dairies, along with enough homes for a few thousand residents. Nobody could have guessed that in 20 years…

MARICOPA — Maricopa Community Theatre welcomes all to its family and hopes to bring entertainment and culture to the local community.

MARICOPA — For those wanting to spend more time with family close to home, there's lots of options in Maricopa to help families do just that.

Morgan Godfrey is the head lifeguard at Copper Sky. He helps make sure things run smoothly, everyone makes it to their shift and everything is ready for the pool guests. 

MARICOPA — Photographer and painter Ruby Valadez said she's always been an artist.

MARICOPA — For those looking for some summertime fun out of the sun, the Ak-Chin entertainment complex and Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino have activities lined up to keep area residents cool and entertained.

I was on my way home during the hot dry summer of 2020 when I saw my neighbor Alice and her dog, Bailey, trying to cross a busy street on a hot afternoon in July. I stopped and gave them a ride home. Eventually my best friend and dog, Bandit, enjoyed hanging out with Bailey and they became t…

Pinal County is making front page headlines as economic development success, water and transportation issues are in the forefront of activity across the region, state and nation. What you may not know is how the action-oriented committees of Pinal Partnership are leading the charge to develo…

For most kids, no school is synonymous with all play. 

"What words do we live by every day and everywhere?" 

Youth sports at Copper Sky provide a positive atmosphere for summer fun to develop life skills, make new friends and become more confident.

One of Arizona’s little quirks that often gets a chuckle from people who come here from elsewhere is that we do everything in the winter. Over in the Midwest and the Northeast, nobody plans anything big for the colder months. That’s what summer is for. But it’s just the opposite here, when a…

Maricopa's teachers have been working hard to turn local children into the best citizens moving forward. But the years before the kids reach kindergarten can be just as important. That's where one organization steps in.

Getting finances in order can often feel as daunting as any other resolution. Budgeting can help plan for the unexpected when studying past spending habits, which can help predict future savings and limits.

While most New Year's resolutions focus on self-improvement, many look for ways to focus energy on making a difference for those around them. Volunteering for local nonprofits could be just the solution, and they are often looking for help.

Deb Chern works as a computer technician. She also takes classes from Central Arizona College Maricopa. Nothing to do with computers. She takes painting, taught remotely by Kristal Hoeh.

I recently flew to the Black Hills in South Dakota to spend time with my 95-year-old stepfather Fred, who lives with his friends in a retirement village. I was greeted at the airport by Fred and an old friend, the cold northwest wind, which had earlier blown about a dozen tractor-trailers of…

Everyone has some bad habits that they'd like to go away, but some are a little more urgent than others, as they can impact someone's quality of life from the beginning of the day until the end. In particular, smoking and poor sleep can creep into all facets of life, and making some major ad…

For Laura Olivieri, art is ever-evolving.

Every Dec. 31 as the clock strikes midnight, countless people across the country have New Year's resolutions, and for many, the start-of-the-year vows focus on getting more exercise or getting fit.

Every January, as a new year begins, Danyle Nguyen, owner Copa Craze in Maricopa, fields an increase in calls and messages from people hoping to get healthy and eat better in the new year.

Unless you are a longtime resident or have been personally involved in local economic development, you might not have heard about Pinal Partnership. Please allow me a moment of your time to introduce you to one of Pinal County’s most effective organizations for growing our local economies.