The COVID-19 pandemic was difficult on communities around the world for many reasons. Many lives were lost, businesses suffered and millions found themselves spending most of their free time at home in efforts to reduce the spread of the virus.

Maybe it’s a crisis, maybe it’s just an opportunity. But however it’s characterized, issues around water management have taken the forefront in planning future growth for the county and its cities.

The United States may be one country, but it definitely isn’t one climate. The many people who have moved to Arizona from cooler areas can attest to that. They know firsthand through much frustration that what worked for them in their gardens back in the Midwest no longer applies in the desert.

High temperatures can be difficult to deal with. For many, warmer weather often means having to use more water, adjust outdoor activities and exercise schedules to account for hotter days, and spend the weekends seeking out ways to cool down.

Arizona sees more sunny days than other states in the U.S. So, it’s only natural for solar energy to become an increasingly popular option for the residents in Arizona. Arizona Public Service Co., the largest investor-owned utility in Arizona, is currently providing 122,000 customers with so…

As the months creep closer to summer, Arizona residents are yet again preparing for the inevitable heat. With the impact of rising temperatures and ongoing regional drought, the agriculture industry must take precautions and plant crops that can thrive.

The dog days of summer are not a time of year most Arizonans look forward to. Sweltering temperatures, the return of flies and mosquitos in droves and slower business are just a few of the reasons why some Arizonans may flock to cooler climates beginning in June or early July.

Though spring and summer can get incredibly warm around Pinal County, they also bring some of the most incredible sunrises and sunsets we get to witness all year. These photos, submitted by Coolidge City Manager Rick Miller, capture a few recent incredible occurrences from around the county.

These days, it’s hard to imagine surviving an Arizona summer without air conditioning. Before the middle part of the 20th century, that was the case for those who had settled in Florence.

When school is out for the summer, and kids are faced with the long, hot months of June and July, the Eloy Community Services Department is busy looking for ways to keep area young people cool and entertained.

Summer weather can be a hot topic among Arizonans — literally. Starting in late May or early June, questions abound regarding what the season will look and feel like. Is there going to be a monsoon this year? How hot will it get? Will there be a high chance of brush and wildfires? How hot wi…

Jim Petty flies a single-engine airplane. The kind with a propeller on the nose. And wheels that don’t retract.

Arizona summers are hot, there’s no disputing that. And when triple digits linger, people can be heard saying: “It’s as hot as an oven out there,” or “It’s so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk.”

Over the past 40 years the Community Action Human Resources Agency has become widely known for the utility assistance it offers struggling households in Pinal County.

Since COVID-19 began to spread around the world, people have been doing their part to slow down the disease by staying home, where health experts say they are the safest. For many, that assessment is true. The comforts of home and being around family are often preferred to the anxieties of s…

Revered throughout history for their strength, intelligence and beauty, horses have long been woven into the fabric of many cultures for the versatility and companionship they offer.

It’s human nature to want to figure out things on your own and be self-sufficient; asking for help is difficult for most, especially during hard times.

It’s a race marked by scenic routes and fire pit starts with one of Arizona’s most widely recognized landscapes as the backdrop.

When people rally around each other to improve the quality of life for one person or a family, the whole community becomes better for it.

Arizona Gives Day is April 6. This collaboration between the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits and Arizona Grantmakers has helped raise more than $23 million for Arizona’s nonprofits since 2013.

With the focus of this issue being to recognize and honor the work local nonprofits do within Pinal County, this season’s Pinal In Pictures recognizes local volunteers. We would like to thank all the volunteers at nonprofits throughout the county who work to make their communities a better place.

A desire to ensure that all area veterans have access to the resources and services they need is what prompted a small group of people to start Honoring/Hiring/Helping Our Heroes of Pinal County eight years ago.

Since it opened over a decade ago, hundreds of adults, kids and teens have taken part in BlackBox Foundation efforts to bring live theater productions to Casa Grande audiences.

A new nonprofit in Florence is working to ensure the great old things about the town are never forgotten.

Mental and emotional health are increasingly understood to be essential components of the wellbeing of our bodies, families, communities and even social systems.

Wendy Esquibel started her journey as a foster mom about 13 years ago. Not long after, she decided to expand her license to become a caregiver for children with special medical needs.

You might have seen the phrase hung up on walls at a diner or in a well-stocked house: “Home is where the food is.” The problem in Maricopa was that the food itself didn’t have a home, a permanent one anyway, until now.

APACHE JUNCTION -- Take a scenic drive out through the Superstition Mountains and you will discover a town like no other — a town focused on preserving history and building memories. This is Goldfield Ghost Town.

When Kelli Brown laces up a pair of roller skates, pushes to her feet and begins a gentle, rolling glide, the stress of the day begins to melt away.

CASA GRANDE -- Stepping into Grande Central Station is a visit back to early Casa Grande.

COOLIDGE -- Skip Laclair understands cars. He also understands car collectors.

CASA GRANDE -- Jeff Law still remembers his first record. He was 7 years old and rode his bike with his allowance in his pocket to a local store, where he found a 45-rpm single of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You To Want Me.” Like most of the band’s songs, the music immediately blasted out of his p…

CASA GRANDE -- From the outside, you can tell there are many cherished memories attached to the place that was once Casa Grande Union High School.

ELOY -- It was in 1926 when Frank W. Shedd & Company donated a 1.7-acre site to the Toltec School District, which was where children living on the farms surrounding the area went to school.

ARIZONA CITY -- Connecting to the good ol’ days is the goal at Flashbacks, a ‘50s-themed casual diner in Arizona City.

SAM TAN VALLEY -- Redeemed Threads may be limited to a compact space between four walls, but the thrift store’s mission is limitless.

FLORENCE -- When Tom and Lynn Smith were newlyweds in the early 1960s, they would drive up from Tucson to visit Tom’s aunt and uncle, with whom he lived as a teenager. Lynn still recalls her shock at how Florence had become so rundown.

COOLIDGE -- Kenilworth School is one of the oldest buildings in Coolidge. The property is also one of the oldest schools in Arizona.

GOLD CANYON -- On any given night, you may be sitting down to your meal at a local eatery in Gold Canyon when all of a sudden, the front door swings open and you hear the shout of excitement: “WAHOO!”

In big cities, the history associated with the downtown is often forgotten — or in some cases reduced to street names and the occasional mural or memorializing statue.

A huge thank you to everyone who submitted their photos for this season’s section of Pinal in Pictures! We were thrilled to see so many classic cars throughout our county. Don’t miss our online gallery, where you can find all photos submitted to PW for this issue. If you missed your chance t…

CASA GRANDE -- For a few years, Kelsey and Peter Redwine have been on a mission to bring a good old-fashioned family fun venue to Casa Grande. And they’re on track to open their new entertainment venture, Throwback Family Fun, in the spring.

COOLIDGE -- When Larry Roberts was growing up, his favorite hangouts included the local arcades around Coolidge and surrounding areas.

CASA GRANDE -- There’s nothing better than spending the day in your car on a long, open road with the windows rolled down, accompanied by 40 of your closest friends. At least, that’s what the members of Desert Sky Mustang Car Club of Arizona think.

FLORENCE -- At the Windmill Winery in Florence, the grapevines, barn and farm-like setting provide a rustic backdrop for happy brides celebrating nuptials, couples observing an anniversary or various other events.