Adam and Winston loved the visit, even though they could only look through the window. Read more

A week into the reopening, COVID-19 statistics have taken an alarming turn. Read more

Arizona schools will reopen late this summer, pretty much no matter what is going on with COVID-19, Gov. Doug Ducey said Thursday. Read more

Four additional COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Gila County last week. That brings the total to 29 cases in the county. Read more

Eliminating high fives, coaching in groups of 10 people or less and administering regular temperature checks are among the recommendations the Arizona Interscholastic Association is endorsing for high school athletes as they begin practice for the fall sports season. Read more

The "world's oldest rodeo'' can take place as scheduled this summer in Prescott despite the COVID-19 restrictions. Read more

About 200 Payson kids and their parents got back to normal this week. Read more

COVID-19 may not have forced the cancellation of one of the biggest annual events in Rim Country, but the pandemic is resulting in a modified version of the Mogollon Monster Mudda. Read more

Payson, Star Valley and Gila County may all collect welcome windfalls if the state follows through on a promise to distribute federal money intended to help local jurisdictions weather the pandemic. Read more

With a potential lawsuit looming, Gov. Doug Ducey on Wednesday finally let go of some of the federal cash he got for local communities. Read more

It’s a potentially lethal question: If 25,000 people jam into Payson for July 4 celebrations — will we spawn a “superspreader” event? Read more

In the past week, health officials have confirmed four additional positive cases of coronavirus in Gila County, bringing the total to 25 cases. Read more

Arizona’s COVID-19 cases have continued to rise, but we won’t know for several weeks how last week’s partial reopening will affect the trend. Read more

Payson Little Leaguers finally get back on the baseball field this week as the season starts after a nearly two-month delay. Read more

The state’s mostly reopened for business and people are flocking to summer getaways in Rim Country and the White Mountains. Read more

If you go to court, be aware the rules have changed. Read more

The Payson Town Council last week unanimously decided to go forward with the Fourth of July fireworks show and other crowd-pleasing summer events, despite concerns about COVID-19. Read more

Beginning Friday, much of the Tonto National Forest’s developed recreation sites were back open for use after being closed because of COVID-19. Read more

Gov. Doug Ducey is telling business owners that their ability to remain open — and the future of the Arizona economy — will depend on how well they follow the voluntary protocols designed to prevent another outbreak of COVID-19. Read more

The theft of crucial equipment will not stop the MHA Foundation from continuing to operate a COVID-19 testing site. Read more

The Forest Service has banned all fires in the forest, but stores in Payson continue to sell firewood. Read more

You will notice a few things have changed at the Payson Farmers Market when it opens May 23, including fewer vendors because of COVID-19. Read more

The town of Payson received statewide recognition for its #OnePayson economic development effort to help businesses and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Mayor Tom Morrissey rolled back the town’s months old emergency declaration to open Payson back up for business, with modifications, on May 15. Read more

The Payson Unified School District budget’s looking good. Read more

It’s not anyone’s imagination — Rim Country teems with visitors blowing off pent up energy from COVID-19 restrictions. Read more

Dennis Pirch never expected to change his title from testing administrator to disinfectant specialist, but COVID-19 has turned everything on its head — including the Gila County student testing center in Payson. Read more

Men with hair falling into their eyes and botched self-cuts filled barber shop chairs on Monday. Read more

Health officials announced confirmation of the first postmortem COVID-19 case in Gila County Thursday afternoon. Read more

Arizona began the phased reopening of the economy this week, following White House Guidelines amidst ongoing debate about the risk involved. Read more

Come midnight Friday night, Arizonans will no longer be living under a stay-at-home order. Read more

There will be no pool to cool down in this summer at Rumsey Park. Read more

In the wake of last week’s revelation that Payson’s public swimming pool won’t open this summer because of COVID-19, some splendid news is smoothing out the choppy waters for young Rim Country swimmers. Read more

Athletic involvement enriches the lives of millions of Americans. Special Olympians benefit as much or more than any of them. Read more

Officials hoped to test at least 50 first responders on the MHA Foundation’s first day of COVID-19 drive-thru testing Thursday. Read more

Arizona should use federal bailout money for schools to help kids who fall behind because of the statewide shutdown — including students in private schools, said State Sen. Sylvia Allen, who heads the senate education committee. Read more

The chief executive officers of Gila County’s two hospitals gave an update on their COVID-19 preparedness Thursday, May 7. Read more

Gila County health officials announced the county’s first probable COVID-19 death on Friday afternoon. Read more

Faye Hamilton works as a physician assistant in the emergency department of Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital. Read more

When firefighters and paramedics hear the tone out over the radio these days, they are listening for a new, critical piece of information. Read more

A recent addition to the Mandarin House Asian Fusion makes it impossible to miss as you head south out of town on the Beeline Highway. Read more

As businesses and idled workers wait for rescue, economists are hoping for a pandemic recovery almost as rapid as the unprecedented crash. Read more

President Donald Trump during his visit to Arizona this week promised to release CARES Act money earmarked for tribal communities on March 27, but held up for a month. Read more

Attorneys for Gov. Doug Ducey go to court Friday to defend the legality of his stay-at-home order. Read more

Officials confirmed the first positive case of coronavirus in Pine this week. Read more

As the cases pile up, it looks like the pandemic has dug in —both statewide and nationwide. Read more

Saying he’s seeing some positive trends, Gov. Doug Ducey agreed Monday, May 4 to loosen the reins a little more on the state’s economy. Read more

Nearly 200 Payson Little Leaguers keep waiting for some good news. Read more

A pandemic hurled Payson schools into a high-stakes experiment with online learning — with decidedly mixed results. Read more

Essential businesses continue to navigate through troubled waters caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Mike Anderson lived a golfer’s dream on April 22. Read more

A fog hangs over the upcoming Arizona high school football season. Read more

A three-county scramble has helped 90 businesses seek $18.5 million in federal loans and grants to cope with COVID-19, the Navajo County Board of Supervisors learned on Tuesday. Read more

Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday announced a "blitz'' to test up to 60,000 Arizonans in the next three weekends to better determine how many Arizonans are infected with COVID-19. Read more

“We have people looking at us all the time.” Read more

The Rim Country Middle School student government didn’t let a virus interrupt school spirit, they hosted a virtual spirit week online in mid April. Read more

Every time someone tests positive for COVID-19 in Gila County, health workers talk to an average of four of their “close contacts” trying to keep the infection from spreading. Read more

River Phillips struggled against pitchers who threw from different arm slots. Read more

Can we safely reopen the economy if we don’t know who’s spreading the virus? Read more

The next big question in the COVID-19 pandemic remains antibody testing — a way to determine whether someone has been exposed to the virus and might have developed some immunity. Read more

The MHA Foundation has vowed to buy Gila County the serology equipment needed to determine if someone has developed antibodies for the coronavirus. Read more

Arizonans who believe they have been exposed to COVID-19 can now get tested. Read more

Yvette Baxley’s been answering 911 calls for 27 years — heart attacks, shootings, domestic violence, accidents. She knows just what to ask to keep people safe and calm. Read more

While many stay home to help stop the spread of COVID-19, many workers are still on the front lines, clocking in and risking their own safety to keep people safe, fed and informed. Read more

A surge in COVID-19 deaths and new cases in Arizona has underscored the tough choice facing Gov. Doug Ducey when it comes to a phased reopening of the economy. Read more

So how close is Arizona to finally hitting a peak in COVID-19 cases? Read more

How many will die? Read more

Soaring statewide unemployment and crashing retail sales have prompted the Town of Payson to prepare for a budget crisis with a hiring freeze and postponement of a slew of capital projects. Read more

COVID-19 can’t stop the Town of Payson from holding its scheduled Cinco de Mayo Fun Run. Read more

Rim Country businesses continue to do what they can to stay afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

They played catch in the parking lot beyond right field as the lights shined brightly on the field most of them will never play on again. Read more

Some new data Friday from a health tracking firm suggests that Arizonans could start going out and socializing by the end of the first week in June. Read more

There are now eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Gila County. Read more

A mystery lurks deep in the lungs of many ill COVID-19 patients. Read more

There are now eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Gila County. Read more

Josh Wright and his buddies dreamed about the 2020 baseball season for years. Read more

Internet services. Drive-up services. In-home services. Read more

We stood on the banks of Clover Creek, in the depths of a pandemic. Read more

In this time of social distancing I joined a joyful sewing circle by speakerphone recently to find out what the group has been up. Read more

Another more than 95,000 Arizonans filed for unemployment benefits this past week. Read more

Two more Gila County residents have tested positive for COVID-19. Read more

COVID-19 could cut state revenues by more than $1 billion, but the congressional relief package could at least yield an extra $750,000 for Payson schools, the school board learned on Monday. Read more

A Facebook post allegedly from a National Guard trooper at the Community Presbyterian Food bank on Wednesday, April 8 confused people. Read more

Jeff Simon’s office at Payson High School has turned into a manufacturing lab. Read more

The Mandarin House Asian Fusion in Payson, like all other restaurants in Rim Country, has seen its revenues drop off along with its customer base because of the coronavirus. And when all restaurants in Gila County had to close their dining rooms following the diagnosis of the first confirmed… Read more

The leveling off in new cases of COVID-19 has eased fears the state’s hospitals will suffer a fatal overload of critically sick patients. Read more

Gila County now has five documented cases of COVID-19, with two new cases in Globe added to the statewide tally on Wednesday. Read more

The Arizona Department of Health Services rolled out a new way to track COVID-19 cases by zip code Sunday. Read more

Connor Faust didn’t want to stop working out just because Payson High School and area gyms had closed because of COVID-19. Read more

It was many, many moons ago, but it seems like only yesterday that my Geneva High School teammates and I were slipping on our cleats, grabbing our gloves and heading out to our home field diamond for the last game of our high school baseball careers. I don’t remember if we won or lost, but m… Read more

Apocalypse rabbits. Read more