CALIFORNIA

NEW YORK — Is it too soon to begin missing Oprah?

DEAR ABBY: I am an 11-year-old girl who loves going shopping and doing various stuff with my mom. But when we go to the mall or stop for lunch and she hears a song she likes, she'll start singing to

Browse hundreds of volunteer opportunities online at www.volunteersoaz.org, the Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona's Web site. For personalized assistance or more information on any of the volunteer opportunities listed here, call 881-3300.

For many people Thanksgiving is all about the turkey and Christmas is all about the gifts, but 21 years ago Abe Valenzuela Jr. and his children established a new family tradition: they began serving food at the Salvation Army Christmas

The American Red Cross will be seeking blood donors at these times and places next week. To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-448-3543.

Two men were arrested after authorities found more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana in their vehicle.

Scientists have completed sequencing the highly complex genome of the maize plant and say the accomplishment could herald a second "green revolution" in more productive and nutritious cereal crops.

Dozens of University of Arizona students took turns reading aloud from the works of John Milton during a 12-hour Milton Marathon Friday.

A 19-year-old Tucson man was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in federal prison for his role in an armed drug robbery at a southest-side Walmart in March.

A 23-year-old man dodged the death penalty Friday when he admitted killing two women and attempting to kill a third in July 2008.

The last of four men who admitted robbing seven University of Arizona students during a March home invasion was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison Thursday.

The recipient of this week's Ben's Bell is Charlene Fregosi, a pediatric physical therapist.

Today

Faced with high health insurance costs, a North Carolina brokerage passed the buck to its employees, a Texas public-relations firm switched from group insurance to stipends, and a Missouri travel agency let its workers walk away instead of paying for

East Valley Tribune reports buyer's offer

Your holiday shopping list probably includes gadgets, games and gizmos that illustrate how technology is changing the way we work, play and communicate. So why not throw in a few books about the people and services causing the delight and

WASHINGTON

Junior setter Paige Weber described the feeling as sickening and nauseating.