Valley 101
Whether you're a longtime Arizona resident or a newcomer, chances are there's something you've always wondered about the Valley. From The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com comes Valley 101, a weekly podcast where our journalists find answers to your questions about metro Phoenix and beyond. From silly to serious, you tell us what to investigate. You can submit questions at valley101.azcentral.com or reach us on social media @azcentral. Amanda Luberto is the producer of this show.
Episodes
July 7, 2025 • 13 mins
Happily, metro Phoenix has some great pizza places. Places? Joints? Choose your own colloquialism. Your favorite pizza place says a lot about you.
So who has the best? Lucky for us, we have a way of figuring this out. The Arizona Republic's 2025 Phoenix Pizza Poll...
This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com about metro Phoenix and beyond, host Bill Goodykoontz chats with Endia Fontanez, th...
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June 30, 2025 • 20 mins
Arizona has been home to many musical acts — some born and raised here, others who found fame along the way. But who's the biggest artist to come out of the Grand Canyon state? Is it Alice Cooper? Stevie Nicks? Linda Ronstadt? The answer might surprise you.
This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com about metro Phoenix and beyond, host Bill Goodykoontz teams up with Republic pop music critic and...
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June 23, 2025 • 19 mins
Monsoons are an ancient phenomenon, bringing heavy bursts of rain and wind to the Valley. But there's much more to know about this season.
This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com about metro Phoenix and beyond. Tom Frieders, the warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix, and Sean McLaughlin, a meteorologist at Arizona’s Family stations answer the question: ...
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June 16, 2025 • 18 mins
Drownings are an unfortunately part of covering news in Arizona, but one has captured more attention than normal.
This week on Valley 101, a podcast by the Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we discuss the case of influencer Emilie Kieser's son and drowning prevention.
Submit your question about Phoenix!
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Guest...
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June 9, 2025 • 21 mins
Sonoita is one of three American Viticultural Areas in the state, and due to their higher elevation, they make excellent locations in the desert to grow wine. Unlike the greater Phoenix metro area, these parts of Arizona don't see triple-digit temperatures nearly every day in the summer and they also get a lot of rain.
Arizona is home to more than 150 wineries now and small towns are dependent on them for tourism and economic boos...
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June 2, 2025 • 15 mins
Pretty much everyone can tell you their favorite spot around town to dine. Sometimes it’s the newer classics like First & Last or Valentine. Sometimes it’s standard Valley must-haves like Chuck Box for a burger or Long Wong’s for wings.
While you can take a suggestion from just about anyone why not ask the experts. When Arizona's best chefs step away from the oven, stove or grill, where do they like to dine?
This week on Valley 1...
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May 26, 2025 • 21 mins
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 c...
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May 19, 2025 • 12 mins
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...
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May 12, 2025 • 17 mins
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...
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May 5, 2025 • 15 mins
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 questio...
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April 28, 2025 • 18 mins
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...
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April 21, 2025 • 24 mins
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.co...
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April 14, 2025 • 17 mins
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 p...
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April 7, 2025 • 14 mins
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...
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March 31, 2025 • 57 mins
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?
Sub...
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March 24, 2025 • 14 mins
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 ne...
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March 17, 2025 • 17 mins
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 firs...
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March 10, 2025 • 17 mins
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 ...
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March 3, 2025 • 13 mins
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 ann...
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February 24, 2025 • 12 mins
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 fam...
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