Valley 101

It's officially the dog days of summer. Not only does it feel like it because Phoenix has seen triple-digit temperatures since early May, but according to the Farmer’s Almanac, the “dog days of summer” run from July 3 to Aug. 11. It is hot, with no sign of slowing down soon. While it feels slightly unbearable outside and you might be wondering why you live in Phoenix anyway, this is also the perfe...

People have wondered if we're alone in the universe for centuries. Although men have landed on the moon and probes have been sent outside the solar system, there is still so much to explore. The mysteries of outer space have drawn many people to search for evidence of alien life. But not all researchers focus on looking through a telescope. Plenty others spend their time watching the sky and docum...

Seeing fireworks this year is a little more tricky than pulling up to your favorite usual spot on the night of July 4. Some cities around the Valley are forgoing their celebration because of supply-chain issues or other complications.  This week on Valley 101, we share where in the metro Phoenix area you can and cannot see dazzling displays shoot across the sky.  Please remember that if you’re pla...

This year Title IX, the law that prohibits sex discrimination in schools, turns 50. The landmark legislation has become synonymous with women’s sports in addition to affecting education.  On June 23, 1972, President Richard Nixon signed the amendment into law.  It says that no person can be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination on the basis of sex u...

Anyone in the Phoenix area can tell you that right now it is hot. Really hot. The National Weather Service recently issued an excessive heat warning, keeping an eye on the triple digit temperatures in the forecast. It's summer, and the heat is predicable. But the summer heat also brings monsoon storms and rains, something that is much harder to predict.  In this week's episode of Valley 101, a pod...

With as many streets as Phoenix has, there's bound to be some interesting history behind their names. One that has caught many people's attention is the historical Bethany Home Road. Listeners have asked what the original Bethany Home was or who it was named after. A street name must have some significance behind it. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many streets named after the presidents. In this w...

With the advent of the new "Jurassic World" movie, our producers started to wonder what Arizona looked like 65 million years ago. Turns out, we know very little about Arizona's dinosaur age. It was nearly wiped clean from the paleontological record. But why?  In this episode of Valley 101, we dig up the answers to what kinds of dinosaurs lived here and why there's so few fossil records in our stat...

Graduation is a time in your life when you’re getting dressed up in an itchy, shapeless gown and trying to adjust a square hat to your head that simply won’t stay on. It is also a right of passage. Not only does it represent growing up and going on to bigger things, but it’s a celebration of everything you’ve done up until that point. A celebration of your years of education and everyone who helpe...

It's no secret that Maricopa County is growing quickly. New apartments in Phoenix are being built just as fast as people are moving into them.  The Census Bureau reported that the county added 58,246 new residents from July 2020 to July 2021.  It is now the fastest growing county in the nation.  And even outside Maricopa County, Arizona has seen immense growth over the last year. The census showed...

For decades, the Western movie genre held sway over the box office. And Arizona featured prominently in many of them. From John Wayne, to Henry Fonda, Clint Eastwood to Kurt Russell, Hollywood’s golden actors flocked to our state to shoot movies. But Arizona’s film history goes beyond the Wild West stereotype.  In this episode of Valley 101, we explore what movies were made in Phoenix and Arizona...

Every year The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com host a wine competition for the vineyards in Arizona. This year, more than 200 bottles were entered to be considered for Best in Show. After hours of tasting the best wines that the state has to offer, the 20 qualified judges granted a bottle of merlot from a brand new winery the Governor's Cup. Cove Mesa Vineyards is new on the scene, but its owne...

Springtime in the desert is special. For a few brief weeks, the taupe-shaded landscape transforms into a riot of color. The palo verdes don crowns of gold, and cactuses burst with large pink, yellow, purple and white flowers. Daisies nod their heads, beckoning visitors to adore them. Ocotillo open their coral-red buds while wearing coats of green leaves between their thorns.  It's a flurry of acti...

In June 1989, the streets of downtown Phoenix became a raceway for the biggest global racing competition: Formula 1. The Phoenix Grand Prix was a chance to show off Phoenix on a world stage, but the race was beset with wide ranging obstacles. Needless to say, it wasn't a smooth ride. Just after three years, Formula 1 pulled out of the Valley of the Sun. This week on Valley 101, we find out why For...

In December 2020, the first Arizonan received their vaccine against COVID-19. Just nine months after virus took ahold of the state and the rest of the world, health care workers and first responders were able to usher in a new era during the pandemic: the vaccination era. For some it felt like much needed light after a long, dark tunnel. The vaccine roll out expanded first by phases of necessity t...

Where is the best Mexican food in the U.S.? It’s a complex question fueled with fiery debates and passionate proclamations.  Tucson boasts 23 miles of quality Mexican food and is an UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Phoenix, however, is more than happy to step into the ring to duke it out on who has the best Mexican food. With literally hundreds of shops, from humble food trucks to exquisitely high-brow...

Spotting people in Western attire going about their day is typical for Scottsdale. Pieces of public art featuring horses are spread throughout the city. In Old Town Scottsdale, the iconic sign of a cowboy with a lasso welcomes visitors. Western motifs and appreciation for horse culture saturate the city, whose official nickname is "The West's Most Western Town". It's even home to the world's large...

After Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association came to an agreement about the league’s minimum salary, the Competitive Balance Tax threshold, and more, the 99 day lockout ended. Just in time for the regular season to start up soon. For Arizonans that means two things: getting to hear the lemonade man shout about your grandma and spring training. In the Valley, the past time is getting...

If you've driven west on the Interstate 10 heading out of town toward California, you may have noticed a giant plot of empty land just past Goodyear. Until 2017, there was a massive abandoned building on that land, drawing urban explorers and photographers. Before it was left empty, this state-of-the-art building was home for two seasons of horse racing. The Phoenix Trotting Park was expertly desi...

Drive down any of metro-Phoenix's highways and you're likely to see a highly curated display of graphics and flora. In Scottsdale, you can see large lizards and prickly pear pads gracing the walls of the Loop 101. Out west, dragonflies and checked flags come into view. And on the Red Mountain Loop 202, various indigenous animals and patterns are visible on both sides of the road.  But why do the f...

Why is metro-Phoenix called "The Valley of the Sun"? Is it actually a valley? Our intern producer digs up the answer in this episode of Valley 101. And what he discovers, might surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lincoln Ragsdale Sr., along with other activists, won a court case to desegregate Phoenix Union High Schools a year before Brown vs. The Board of Education. It was a huge victory, but to Ragadale, it was simply the beginning. He continued to create change. Alongside his wife, Eleanor, he and his family desegregated the Encanto neighborhood in Phoenix by being the first Black family to move in.  In...

In May 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously decided that separating educational facilities by race was unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment. You’ll know this famous case as Brown vs. The Board of Education. One year earlier, in February 1953, Judge Fred Struckmeyer Jr. in Maricopa County ruled that a law permitting students to be separated by race in the Phoenix Union school district was...

110 years ago today, Arizona joined the United States. But it wasn't exactly a smooth process. At the time, the eastern half of the country viewed the Arizona Territory as unruly and not Anglo enough. It took nearly 50 years for the Arizona Territory to become the state of Arizona. In this episode of Valley 101, we dive into the history leading up to Admission Day, and the process of becoming part...

As more people rushed their way westward in mid-1800s, communication between nation's two coasts became paramount for the Union. Messages needing to reach their destination faster found horseback riders to be an effective medium, forming the famed Pony Express. Connecting Missouri to California, the Pony Express crossed eight states. However, it actually bypassed Arizona. Nonetheless, the traditio...

Fifity years ago, friends and car junkies Tom Barrett and Russ Jackson held an auction of their personal auto collections. What was supposed to be a one-off event turned into one of Scottsdale's premier occasions each year. This year, collectors, buyers, and curious onlookers alike were surrounded by more than 1,800 cars at Westworld in Scottsdale. Regarded as one of the world's greatest collector...