Lewis and Leskiw lead free bird-watching tours along the San Pedro River every Monday from January to July. Lewis, the founder of the tours, invites people to his ranchland near the river so they can take in the natural scenery and look for birds passing through Southeastern Arizona.

Leskiw is a writer and environmentalist. During the morning walks, the two keep track of each bird they encounter to use in their writings.

Since the river flows from north to south, it is a perfect migration corridor, with an abundance of food, water and shelter, Lewis said. The area is a temporary home to at least a half-million migrating birds throughout the year.

Karl Uterhardt, Tombstone Unified School District superintendent, said the district filed suit to force the contractor, Richard E. Lambert Ltd. of Tucson, to make good on promises to complete a "punch list" of problems that ranged from leaky windows and doors to non-working sinks to more serious, underground plumbing issues. Construction on the school began in 2003 but the school didn't open until 2006 because of problems with the road leading to the school.

"It's going to hurt us on the border more than anyone else," said Lt. Octavio Gradillas of the Nogales (Ariz.) Police Department.

"We're the first line of defense and were strapped as it is. We don't have enough agents. I believe the violence will spill over to the United States. We've been lucky that we haven't seen it in the U.S., but I think it's only a matter of time."

The $6.7 billion project to better secure the border – using "virtual fencing" and electronic surveillance – was launched in 2005 by the Bush Administration.

The project is overseen by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and is run though the Secure Border Initiative, a comprehensive plan operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to secure America's borders and reduce illegal migration. SBI is meant to organize all four operating components of border security – personnel, infrastructure, technology and rapid response – via SBInet.

Wrightstown Elementary and Henry Elementary schools in the Tucson Unified School District are prime examples. The two not only share the same principal and eastside neighborhood but also dwindling library programs as a result of district budget cuts. The schools have recently proposed to send Wrightstown's 134 students to school at Henry in an effort to save their resources and salvage a library program, said Principal Jon Ben-Asher. Wrightstown relies on sporadic volunteers— who usually come once a week— to teach lessons and re-stock books in the library.

While Tombstone didn't make it on True West magazine's list of the "Top 10 true western cities," another Arizona town, Florence, not only made the list but cracked the top two.

Many of Florence's cherished, faded adobe buildings, most of which are in decent shape, are on its Main Street. A few brick shops stand between them.

Florence residents have worked hard to retain the old western town feeling. It was only two years ago that True West first recognized Florence as an old west city.

"They didn't even know we existed," said Lynn Smith, chairwoman of the collection management committee at the Pinal County Historical Museum in Florence. "We wanted to be known."

A problem that became a solution — that's how Superintendent Calvin Baker describes Vail High School's launch 13 years ago when the University of Arizona agreed to host the charter school's campus at the UA's Science and Technology Park east of Tucson.

 The experiment was so successful that Vail Academy, a K-8 addition of 225 students, will open in the fall.

The Vail Academy will be the only K-8 school located at a research park anywhere in the nation—a distinction that makes UA Associate Vice President Bruce Wright believe the school is ahead of the game.

"I think we're at the leading edge of what other research parks will examine over the next few years," he said.

Last month, the board voted to close 13 of the state's parks this spring, to save money. Nine parks are staying open.

But on Wednesday, the board discussed community efforts that could stall or prevent closure of several parks, including Riordan Mansion, Tombstone Courthouse and Yuma Prison.

Even though the U.S. Border Patrol works 24/7 to secure the border and prevent drug trafficking through patrols, checkpoints, fencing and high-tech measures, agents reported that from Jan. 7 through Feb. 3, they found more than 7,800 pounds of marijuana in the Tucson Sector.

PHOENIX — Arizona’s universities could upgrade their football stadiums and other athletic facilities using money from new local businesses, under a proposal moving through the state Legislature.

The legislation is aimed mainly at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium. But the proposal could also raise cash for sports buildings at the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.

The heart of the proposal, sponsored by Rep. Warde Nichols, a Gilbert Republican, would let universities charge a fee on new businesses in a special district within the boundaries of each university.

The county Board of Supervisors would set up the districts upon an agreement with the Arizona Board of Regents. This step is required under existing statutes that govern stadium districts in Arizona.

Each university could then sell bonds to use for the construction or reconstruction of athletic facilities. The universities would set the fee, which could not exceed the cost of local property taxes.

TOMBSTONE -- Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park may face the hangman’s noose on March 29 unless the city is able to save it.

The Courthouse, located in Cochise County, is one of 13 Arizona state parks slated for closure after the State Park Board’s Jan. 15 decision to sweep $8.6 million from the  parks’ budgets.

However, Tombstone’s mayor, City Council and the Chamber of Commerce are fighting to keep open the 128-year-old Courthouse, which offers tourists accurate, historical information on an Old West town as steeped in myth as it is history.

“We want to find a way to make it happen, to keep it open, and I think [the State Parks Board] do also,” said Don Taylor, president of the Chamber of Commerce. “It’s just a matter of making sure we are prepared, so that we can sit down and hash it out. We want to reach a resolution that will be beneficial to both Parks, and the City of Tombstone.”