Valley 101

Vice President nominee JD Vance rubbed some Americans the wrong way when a clip from a 2021 interview surfaced recently. He derided some voters as "childless cat ladies" in a now infamous quote, Vance said the country is run "via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made and so they want to...

After the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and after digging into Arizona's prominent role in the plot to overturn the 2020 election, Republic reporters repeatedly heard questions we couldn't quite answer. What is going on in Arizona? Why does this state seem to have people willing to push the political envelope further than almost anyone else? Hosts of Rediscovering season 4, The Roots of Radica...

In the world where business and film collide, many states have lucrative film tax incentives that attract big production companies to their sites. Arizona's previous tax program closed its curtains in 2010, but a new initiative, the Arizona Motion Picture Program, went into effect on Jan. 1, 2023, that reinstated film tax credits if a production meets certain criteria. Despite the absence of bigge...

Something Arizonans hear a lot is that we're running out of water. While the state has enough water to not induce complete panic yet, conservation methods are being put into place and Arizona's long-term water supply is being considered more often by policymakers. The state's water supply comes from three sources: surface water, reclaimed water and groundwater. These sources are then broken down i...

While it may not be the state first thought of when considering Black history, Arizona has a diverse and rich history of African American stories dating back to the 1800s. Yet most of the archives, stories and icons are not being preserved or celebrated. Today, about 5% of Arizonans are Black and some community leaders and activists are working to ensure the buried history is uncovered. From acade...

Across the nation, Fourth of July is marked by friends and families gathering to watch firework displays – or in some cases, set off their own light shows. Under Arizona law, only some types of fireworks can be legally used and sold during certain times of the year. But some illegal fireworks still make their way into the sky, and it's sparked a debate between Valley residents on what the law shou...

It might be hot out, but we have a cool and cute episode for all you dog-lovers. Today we revisit one of our favorite episodes from former podcast producer Taylor Seely, on how to hike safely with your dog. Now, it's probably too hot to hit the trails here in the Valley, but that just gives you the perfect excuse to hit the road and seek out cooler elevations with your pooches. Taylor Seely speaks...

The Republic's podcast team is working feverishly on a brand new season of Rediscovering, our investigative podcast series. We're so close to launching as well! Since the team is deep in production, we're bringing you one of our favorite Valley 101 episodes from 2023. Producer Kaely Monahan explores some odd facts about the 48th state. We hope you enjoy it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

With Phoenix already experiencing temperatures over 110, many of us are wondering "when will the monsoons start?" Officially, monsoon season kicks off June 15. But most of us want to know when the rains will come. That depends on how hot it gets. While we might be suffering under a heat dome, the high temps are drawing up moisture from south of the border. And that's what we need if we're going to...

One of the most recognizable writing styles in Arizona history came from Clay Thompson. The Iowa transplant captured the hearts of readers with his Valley 101 column in the Arizona Republic for almost 20 years. Punctuated by the iconic Rodin statue, "The Thinker," Thompson wrote thousands of quippy columns and answered questions from readers about everything from cactuses to hiccups. Thompson's wr...

Happy Memorial Day! The podcast team is enjoying the holiday weekend. So we want to reshare one of our most popular episodes to kick off the summer: five of the best places to beat the heat in the Valley. hosts Kaely Monahan and Amanda Luberto hash out their top picks for spots to beat the heat. Plus they explore pools of the past and the new water attractions coming to Phoenix. Let us know if you...

Wildfire season historically starts just before monsoon season. However, the period during which a wildfire can occur is now widening and bringing with it more severe blazes near the Valley. In Arizona, wildfires were once expected from late April into the monsoon season. Now fires can start from late February or early March into September. Climate change is linked to higher-severity fires, and in...

The 5 C's are something all Arizona children learn at one point or another. Cotton, citrus, cattle, copper, and climate have long been advertised as positive reasons to come to Arizona. Each of these "C's" represents an important aspect of Arizona's economy. Or at least they did. Perhaps more important than the 5 C's themselves is the cultural role they play. Even now, students in classrooms acros...

It's not often you see a "bee delay" at a baseball game. But that's exactly what happened at the Arizona Diamondbacks-LA Dodgers game on April 30. A swarm of honeybees decided to make camp on the netting behind home plate at Chase Field. It became a hero moment for beekeeper Matt Hilton. He even has his own baseball card now. But Arizona's native bees would never swarm like those honeybees. In fac...

With summer around the corner for Arizona residents, the opportunity presents itself to spend more time at amusement parks and on thrilling rides. However, the theme park scene in the metro Phoenix is scarce — and there are only 10 operating roller coasters across the entire state.  With a growing population in the Valley and potential space, why doesn't Arizona boast its own version of a Disneyla...

Happy Earth Day from Valley 101. Today we're resharing our episode on recycling in the Valley. You might have noticed that not every city recycles equally. Different cities within the Valley have different rules. Why is that? Why is there not an across-the-board set of items you can and can't recycle? In this episode of Valley 101, Amanda Luberto breaks down the reasons why where you live affects...

When the Cine Capri theater opened in the mid-1960s, going to the movies was a glamorous event. It was for families, but it was also for lavish decor and a deserved night out. Before the multiplex, one movie a night would be on display.  It was a high time for films. And here in Phoenix, George M. Aurelius wanted to expand his theater business as that type of theater was going out of style. They w...

While exciting, one should never look directly at the sun, even during a solar eclipse. Instead, make sure you pick up some approved solar eclipse glasses. In recent years, there has been a rise in counterfeit eclipse glasses being sold. So how do you know if the ones you have are real? In this episode of Valley 101, producer Kaely Monahan sits down with the Republic's Ultimate Arizona reporter, T...

April Fools' Day embodies the spirit of pranks, so in honor of the holiday, Valley 101 explored how a prank orchestrated by Arizona State University students went viral in 2015.  Four ASU students spearheaded the effort to prank the University of Arizona during the football season. It was the fall of 2015, and the Territorial Cup – the rivalry game between the two colleges – was approaching. Ben K...

Sedona Miller was a well-to-do woman from Gorin, Missouri. She married Theodore Carlton Schnebly, or T.C. as he was commonly called, on Feb. 20, 1897. They moved to what would later be named Sedona in 1899. At the time there were only a few families homesteading in the red rocks region.  The story goes that T.C., who was the first postmaster of the area, applied to have it named either Oak Creek C...

When she started teaching in the late 1920s, teachers were only allowed to educate in English, even though her students were predominately Spanish-speaking. This was enforced so heavily that students and teachers would be reprimanded for speaking in their native language. Students were expected to learn English on their own time and teachers were expected to encourage Anglo culture in the classroo...

Interest in women’s sports, particularly at the college level, is skyrocketing. According to Nielsen, which collects audience numbers across different media, the 2023 NCAA women's final drew nearly 10 million viewers – up 103% from the previous year.    But this is a recent development. The story of women's sports is long and hard-fought. And one of its champions is a woman who took no guff from a...

This year's annual HERstory series kicks off with Annie Watkins, an impactful historical figure for Flagstaff's African American community who shaped local politics and education. She also helped found the Flagstaff chapter of the NAACP and helped integrate local institutions in the 1950s. This week's episode of Valley101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, shines a light on Anni...

Like much of the country, Arizona had revolutionary Black activists fighting for their community during the 1950s and 1960s. It may seem like a small scale compared to more famous names like Martin Luther King Jr or Malcolm X. But like how voting in a local election impacts your day to day more than voting for President, the civil rights leaders of Phoenix and its surrounding cities changed the wa...

Buried in Arizona's time capsule lies a story that continues to be dug up over time: the tale of the infamous "Trunk Murderess," or Winnie Ruth Judd, a woman accused of double murder who escaped a state hospital several times and told different accounts of the story through the years.  There's been speculation over the years about whether Judd committed these violent acts by herself and the motive...