Valley 101

It gets hot in the Valley. Perhaps you’ve noticed. But no matter how hot it gets, even on a 118-degree day in the middle of August, someone is going to be out jogging. You can count on it. But if they end up on the mountain, and they end up not being able to bare the heat, what should be done about it? In this week’s episode of Valley 101, we talked with Caitlin McGlade, a reporter for The Arizona Republic who wrote about trail closures, and Rob McDade, the public information officer for the Phoenix Fire Department, about the pros and cons of closing down the mountain trails in the summer. Submit your question⁠⁠ about Phoenix! Subscribe to ⁠⁠The Watchlist⁠⁠, our Friday media newsletter. Follow us on ⁠⁠X,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Tik Tok⁠⁠. Guest: ⁠Caitlin McGlade, Rob McDade Host: ⁠⁠Bill Goodykoontz⁠⁠ Producers: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Windows-open season is about done. Now it's all on the mighty air conditioner, the reason we can all make it through another desert summer. But something about air conditioning units in Phoenix is a little different than the rest of the country. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and ⁠⁠azcentral.com⁠⁠, we answer the question: Why do homes in Phoenix have air conditioning units on the roof? ⁠⁠Submit your question⁠⁠ about Phoenix! Follow us on ⁠⁠X,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Tik Tok⁠⁠. Guests: Joe Granado Producers: ⁠⁠⁠Amanda Luberto, ⁠Abby Bessinger Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Flagstaff makes it easier to see the stars and explore the galaxies. It has also set the standard for how we should care and protect our night skies. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and ⁠azcentral.com⁠, we answer the question: How did Flagstaff become the world's first international dark sky city? ⁠Submit your question⁠ about Phoenix! Follow us on ⁠X,⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Tik Tok⁠. Guests: Christian Luginbuhl, Josh Coddington Producer, Host: ⁠ Abby Bessinger Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Among the known laws like following the speed limit or no drinking in public places, Arizona also has a bunch of wacky laws. Some are particular to Arizona like laws against saguaros and some are just...odd. This week on Valley 101, a podcast about metro Phoenix and beyond by the Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, Bill Goodykoontz is joined by Stephanie Innes to go over the 8 weirdest laws on Arizona's books. Submit your question⁠ about Phoenix! Subscribe to ⁠The Watchlist⁠, our Friday media newsletter. Follow us on ⁠X,⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Tik Tok⁠. Guest: Stephanie Innes Host: ⁠Bill Goodykoontz⁠ Producers: ⁠Abby Bessinger⁠, ⁠Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April 2, 2025 marked Bill's 35th year at The Arizona Republic. That's a long time to do anything, much less work at the same media company. So much has changed in those 35 years, in media, in Arizona and in his own life, it seemed like a good time to sit back and take stock for a moment. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, he sits down with producer Amanda Luberto to share what's changed in 35 years at the Republic. Submit your question⁠ about Phoenix! Subscribe to ⁠The Watchlist⁠, our Friday media newsletter. Follow us on ⁠X,⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Tik Tok⁠. Host: ⁠Bill Goodykoontz⁠ Producer: ⁠Amanda Luberto⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Continuously, Arizona drivers are ranked among the worst in the nation. Just last year, a Forbes study using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Census Bureau ranked Phoenix and Tucson in the top 10 cities with the worst drivers. So why are the roads in Arizona particularly dangerous, and what is being done about it? This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com about metro Phoenix and beyond, we are joined by Sgt. Eric Andrews, an officer at the Department of Public Safety, to discuss driver safety in Phoenix, explain what AZ DPS is doing to help people on the road and tips for ensuring the safest ride. Also, Arizona Republic staff share some of their craziest driving stories. Submit your question about Phoenix! Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok. Guests: Sgt. Eric Andrews Host, Producer: Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few people know the power of local TV more than Mary Jo West. She was a Phoenix news anchor for years, which of course cemented a place for her in the Valley's consciousness. She was the Valley's first woman news anchor, co-anchoring with Phoenix legend Bill Close — who was not thrilled about having her around. She battled sexual harassment, depression and more. But West is far more than all of that. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we answer the question: What was it really like for the first female news anchor in Phoenix? Submit your question about Phoenix! Subscribe to The Watchlist, our Friday media newsletter. Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok. Guests: Mary Jo West Host: Bill Goodykoontz Producers: Amanda Luberto, Abby Bessinger Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Walter Cronkite, the longtime anchor of the "CBS Evening News," was often called "the most trusted man in America" and he probably was, certainly in terms of media figures. Arizonans might be familiar with the ASU journalism school: The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. But Cronkite, a graduate of the University of Texas, has no ties to Arizona. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we answer the question: Why is the ASU journalism school named after Walter Cronkite? Submit your question about Phoenix! Subscribe to The Watchlist, our Friday media newsletter. Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok. Guests: Doug Anderson and Leonard Downie Jr. Host: Bill Goodykoontz Producers: Abby Bessinger, Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wallace and Ladmo was a television show unique to Arizona. Yes, it was technically a kids show. But not like any other kids show you have seen. It was funny. Not cute funny. But really funny. And it is an important part of Arizona history. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, using never before heard interviews, we answer the question: Why is Wallace and Ladmo so important to Arizona? Submit your question about Phoenix! Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok. Guests: Pat McMahon, Bill Thompson, Ladimir Kwiatkowski Guest host: Richard Ruelas Producers: Amanda Luberto, Abby Bessinger Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of things make a city cool: great bookstores, a thriving food scene, good local music, that kind of thing. But a film festival really puts it over the top. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we answer the question: How has the Phoenix Film Festival stuck around for 25 years? And how has it changed? Submit your question about Phoenix! Subscribe to The Watchlist, our Friday media newsletter. Follow us on X, Instagram and Tik Tok. Guest: Jason Carney, the CEO and executive director of the Phoenix Film Festival Host: Bill Goodykoontz Producers: Abby Bessinger, Amanda Luberto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is not a secret that Arizona averages more than 300 sunny days per year. It is part of the reason why people move here in the first place. Yes it's hot -- like really hot -- but there are no tornados, hurricanes and most importantly, snow. (for the most part) But that's not the only reason why Arizona has become a hot spot of future pilots. And it's long history with aviation goes beyond the current rise. The state had the first international airport of the Americas dating all the way back to 1928. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we tried to answer the question: Why is flight school so popular in Arizona? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate has always been a big deal in Arizona. In a good way, once upon a time, not in a record-heat kind of way. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we answer the question: Can people still move to Arizona for the climate and clean air? More importantly, should they? We spoke with a couple of people who know a lot about climate, and climate change: Joan Meiners, a reporter for The Arizona Republic who wrote an excellent story about climate and its role among the five C's; and Amber Sullins, chief meteorologist at ABC 15 in Phoenix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The days of cheap seats with a beer and a hot dog in the grass beyond the outfield at a spring training game are long gone. The cheap seats at least, the beer and a hot dog are still there. But now they've been supplemented by a manner of gourmet options. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we talk about the most iconic spring training foods. We spoke with the Arizona Diamondbacks radio announcers Chris Garagiola and the recently retired Greg Schulte, and Teresa Strasser, who wrote “Making It Home: Life Lessons from a Season of Little League." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s an easy one-liner to say there are places in the desert that make you feel like you’re on Mars, but the bright red rocks and unique formations in Sedona do feel like you're on another planet. In the last few decades, Sedona has gotten attention from visitors as one of the premiere places to go for spiritual healing. The new age movement brought flocks of people to its buttes, canyons and trails. This is because of its four famed vortexes. But what even are they and does Sedona really have them? This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com about metro Phoenix and beyond, we explore the world of vortexes, if Sedona's claim to fame is real and how it's all impacted longtime Arizona travel writer Roger Naylor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pronunciation of "Casa Grande," an Arizona city, has sparked popular debate. Some pronounce it with a distinct "e" sound at the end ("Casa Grande"), while other drop the "e" and say "Casa grand." This week on Valley 101, a podcast by the Arizona Republic and azcentral.com about metro Phoenix and beyond, we talk with former 12 News anchor Vanessa Ruiz and artist and co-owner of True West magazine Bob Boze Bell on the correct pronunciation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like the rest of the county, the 1950s in Arizona were a deeply divided time. Education, housing and public places like hotels and restaurants everywhere were segregated by race. It might not be the first place people think of when it comes to the civil rights movement, but Arizona had key leaders that drew that attention of national voices like Martin Luther King Jr. Most work was all being done in the Valley. Up north, a recent graduate of the teaching college at Northern Arizona University would change life for Black residents of Flagstaff forever. Annie Watkins discovered that ballots from Black voters were being thrown away so she turned her education skills into a different sort of teaching. And this was just the beginning of her legacy. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by the Arizona Republic and azcentral.com about metro Phoenix and beyond, we share the life and legacy of Annie Watkins, from her time in Louisiana to an exhibit honoring her strides in integrating Flagstaff. Learn more about your ad c

It's not as dumb of a question as you might think it is. Once you may have looked out your window and saw the strangest thing. White flakes, falling from the sky! What on earth could this be? If you’ve lived in metro Phoenix all your life this may take a little explanation. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we spoke with Tom Frieders, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix, who answers the question, can it snow in Phoenix? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not only does the water of the SRP canals help people live in the desert, but it also employs a very important contributor to the community: the white amur fish. Now, you might not immediately think of fish as being important to living in the desert, but this specific kind of grass carp plays a key role in ensuring the water flows smoothly throughout the canals. Since the canals are surrounded by a major metropolitan area, they tend to end up with some blown-in debris and garbage from city life. This led one of our listeners to ask if it's safe for the fish to be in the canals, and who takes care of the trash that finds its way into them. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we hear from a senior environmental scientist from SRP who explains the important job the white amur fish does for metro Phoenix. Click here for the map of the canal dry-up schedule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've ever stopped at an airport convenience shop or gassed up at a truck stop or shopped at a gag-gift store, you've seen them: scorpion lollipops. While they definitely fall into the category of curious novelty, they're also a big business, especially in Arizona. A lot of them are sold in the state, almost certainly more than you would think. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we spoke with Larry Peterman, the founder of the fantastically named Hotlix, a California candy company that makes them, and Reia Li, who wrote a story about the suckers in The Arizona Republic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Metro Phoenix is a vastly underrated dining oasis, with plenty of good food, from fine dining to fine burger joints. Each year, the Arizona Republic releases a list of 100 essential restaurants in the Valley. And by "essential" we don't mean just the places that taste the best, though of course with food taste is pretty essential. These are places that taste good and are also important to the community. But what does "essential" mean to one of the biggest advocates for Phoenix's dining scene? And how does a restaurant get on the list in the first place? This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we talked with iconic Phoenix restauranteur Chris Bianco, who has two restaurants on the list, and with Felicia Campbell, the Republic's food, dining and nightlife editor, who helped answer the question. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices