Special Reports

Tucson Oddity: Some hear the word at drive-in church

It seems like nowadays almost everything you need to do can be done in the car. ...

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• Ben's Bells : Military wife helps spouses on base
  The recipient of this week's Ben's Bell is Vicki Harke-Luethy, founder of the non-profit Bravely Waiting, a support organization at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for families of deployed military personnel.
• His commitment to his faith was everlasting
  Posing for a family photo in the 1950s with his parents and two of his sisters, Jack Cotter did not imagine a future that included a family of his own.
• Tucson Oddity: Only remnants are left at 'God's Little Acre' park
  A property that's fallen into disrepair along South Nogales Highway still holds remnants of one of the region's first unofficial adopt-a-road cleanup programs.
• Tucson Oddity: Hutlike structure near Stone underpass has long business lineage; many recall it
  Patrick Tanno's property just north of downtown has a lineage, thanks to Star readers.
• 40 leaders under 40
  A city is only as strong as its vision and the leadership moving it forward.
• 2009 40 Under 40: A 'get it done' generation
  They are teachers and business owners, social workers and scientists. While their professional accomplishments are impressive, the work they do beyond their job descriptions evokes awe.
• Man of the year: An inspiring role model
  When friends and colleagues speak of Jeremy Harkin, their voices ratchet up an octave, as if their subconscious prompts them to literally speak highly of someone of whom they think so much.
• Woman of the year: A compassionate doer
  Anna M. Harper is not one to drag her feet.
• Mentor of the year: Busy, but he'll see you
  Ed Parker is probably as busy as anyone in Tucson. One of the reasons he's 40 Under 40 Mentor of the Year is he's never too busy to help those who approach him.
• Tucson Oddity: Bird ranch 'darnedest place' to visit
  The Cogburn family moved from Oklahoma in 1993 in hopes of leading the charge for Arizona as a pioneer in ostrich ranching.
• Tucson Oddity: Can you help determine building's lineage?
  Since debuting in June, the Star's Tucson Oddity series has sought to chronicle the origin and history of some of the region's most noteworthy roadside sights.
• Tucson Oddity: 'Dream house' going up . . . 14 years and still counting
  What started as a project to build a "dream house" has turned into a 14-year nightmare for local businessman Jose Herrera.
• Tucson Oddity: Tile seller hopes bear will floor passers-by
  When you think of bears, you think of buying tile.
• Tucson Oddity: Buffalo roams in home's yard — for now
  Tucson's most famous winged buffalo has a girlfriend, and she's in the real estate business.
• Tucson Oddity: Thrift store says 'Yes' to defunct shop's bold letters
  A common theme among thrift stores and secondhand shops is that of turning one person's trash into another's treasure.
• Tucson Oddity: Inspired by owners' son, T. rex greets McDonald's passers-by
  It looms over one of Tucson's busiest intersections, waiting to prey on unsuspecting motorists who often are too preoccupied to notice its presence until it's too late.
• Tucson Oddity: Those who can ID this might have been all wet
  Sometimes the best-laid plans don't work out.
• Tucson Oddity: City's tallest tree has a name and a story
  Trees in the desert, especially those providing plenty of shade, tend to get more attention than ones in more forested parts of the world.
• Tucson Oddity : Monstrous sculptures are sights for sore eyes
  The drive to and from work during rush-hour traffic can be a drain, both mentally and physically. Especially at this time of the year, and if your air conditioning is on the fritz.
• Tucson Oddity: Message on wall is a spiritual remnant
  The big blue letters stand out starkly against the weather-beaten white wall, just begging to be looked at: HAPPINESS IS SUBMISSION TO GOD.
• Tucson Oddity: Santa Cruz sand trout an artistic inspiration
  As the clouds begin to bubble up over the mountains around Tucson, talk of the monsoon and its propensity for wash-filling downpours spreads through the region.
• Tucson Oddity: Hot rod shop's lumberjack
  A Paul Bunyan-like statue has a fittingly prominent place on the Northern Arizona University campus in Flagstaff.
• Tucson Oddity: Rooftop equine is unplanned guidepost
  The fiberglass horse that sits atop the roof at OK Feed & Supply was never meant to serve as a directional marker for lost motorists trying to navigate the north side of Tucson.