On June 19, the inaugural commemoration of the Juneteenth federal holiday was held at the University of Arizona. Juneteenth commemorates the arrival of General Gordon Granger to Galveston, Texas, to deliver the message of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. To celebrate the 158th Juneteenth, an audience gathered at Centennial Hall to remember the history, resilience and culture of Black people and communities.

Diving into summer, for some kids, also means diving into technology. Most of the technology kids use are their phones or video games, but sometimes it is used for good. For example, texting your family in or out of state.

We have heard many stories of 9/11 in the past. I met one of the first responders who was actually a part of that day that changed America forever.

Mike Penchina joined the fire department in 1969. He decided to give it a go without knowing he would eventually wind up becoming a firefighter. On Sept. 11, 2001, firefighter Penchina and his wife celebrated their wedding anniversary in Canada. Penchina was watching the news while his wife was in another room. A jet had recently struck the north tower.

A park ranger found a starving turtle washed up at a river, and he found a balloon string wrapped around its neck! Even worse, the deflated balloon was wrapped in it, too. This is the effect of balloons on the environment. It hurts humans, animals and the Earth! Balloons are one of the leading causes of wildlife deaths. Sadly, you may have been contributing to this, so, pause and think before letting go or buying balloons!

There’s a weed that has invaded our desert, and it’s called buffelgrass. Each plant lives for 20 years and grows 5,000 seeds a year. In its lifetime, it can grow 200,000 seeds in all. It was brought here from Africa in the 1930s by the farming industry to help feed cattle and control erosion.

However, buffelgrass is the villain to our native land. It fights plants for their water, nutrients and sunlight. Even if it gets caught in a fire, it can grow back while the native plants cannot. Buffelgrass can burn the size of a football field in only three minutes.

The PHX Sky Train transports travelers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The first line was opened in 2013, the second in 2014 and recently 2.5 miles were added, extending the line from Terminal 3 to the rental car center.

This $745 million dollar project is being paid for with rental car customer charges and airline passenger facility charges—no local tax dollars are being used.

To many people, Martin Luther King Jr. was a brave leader. King helped lead the Civil Rights movement. Today, many Americans honor him on the National Day named after him, this year on Jan. 16. Martin Luther King Day was first celebrated in 1986.

In the book “Martin Luther King Day” by Ciara Cella, the author recalls that King worked for change, to fix all that was unfair through passive resistance. Some disagreed with King.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is an American nonprofit organization that focuses on animal welfare and opposes animal related cruelties. It works on issues involving pets, wildlife, farm animals, horses and other equines, and animals used in research, testing and education. As of 2001, the group’s major campaigns targeted factory farming, animal blood sports, the fur trade, puppy mills, and wildlife abuse.

Did you know that the USDA Forest Service has been supplying the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree since 1970? The tree for this year was selected from North Carolina’s Pishga National Forest.

The biologist who examined the tree named it Ruby. Ruby has red bark, which helps the leaves stand out. Before being placed on the Capitol’s lawn, Ruby Red had to pass a series of tests.

Have you ever wondered what it is like being mayor? In the Young Reporters October Zoom Meeting, we got to speak with Valeria Molina, the current Mayor of Guadalupe! She had lots of interesting things to share.

The incorporated Town of Guadalupe is located between Tempe and Phoenix, near South Mountain, and is about 0.66 square miles with about 6,000 residents. Guadalupe was founded by the Yaqui Indians around the turn of the century.