Ghost towns are just a natural part of living in Arizona. Miners came in during the gold rush, built up these settlements to house the workers, and then left when all the veins dried up. Some of these settlements, like Jerome and Bisbee, continued to thrive and still have residents in them today.

While many of them no longer exist as actual towns, their influence can still be felt today. Just take the town of Vulture City. Founded by a man from Germany, this incredible place's influence reached all the way to Phoenix.

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Hi Valley 101 listeners. Producer Kaely Monahan here. Spooky season is upon us. And I don’t mean just the elections. Stores are filling up with cobwebs, social media is stuffed with pumpkin spice girls and sweaters…and jokes about it being too hot to wear said sweaters, and the brave souls who don them.

The podcast team is working hard to bring you fresh stories to tickle your brain cells – so this week as we pour our spirits into tales, we offer you this spine-tingling episode from our archives.

In 2019, former Republic podcasters Kaila White and Katie O’Connell went on a ghost hunt through Phoenix. This is what they resurrected! 

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The Valley has many unique features. And one of those are islands. County islands to be exact. But what are they exactly? 

In this episode of Valley 101, Maricopa County Watchdog Reporter Sasha Hupka joins the show to explain what county islands are, their history, and whether or not they are dying out.

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Arizona has been the backdrop to many movies. From John Wayne westerns to a wacky adventure with Bill and Ted, our state is tinged with the sparkle of Hollywood. One of the romanticized spots in our state is Route 66 and it was the main inspiration for Disney-Pixar's "Cars."

In this episode of Valley 101, we follow the sites that made Radiator Springs.

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The Arizona Republic podcast team is out for the holiday weekend. Instead, we have a trailer for Season 3 of Rediscovering, an investigative podcast by the Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, available for you to listen to.

Rediscovering: Killed Through the Border Fence features the story of a cross-border shooting that would upend lives and change the way the U.S. Border Patrol operates forever.

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As you drive around the Phoenix area, you'll notice some special scenery. 

t's the environment that makes this city remarkable, from the different varieties of cactuses and the surrounding desert mountains to relics of our history and reflections of the cultures that have thrived here.

One person in particular ensured that the Phoenix area was home to buildings significant and beautiful that reflected the terroir around them. 

That person was Frank Lloyd Wright.

In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we plot out a treasure map of architectural gems by the genius himself and share how his dedication to the desert landscape inspired the work he did here.

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Phoenix has blue skies for days. About 300 of them, actually. Arizona ranks as the sunniest region in the whole United States. And that makes for great flying conditions. It also explains, in part, why there are so many flight schools in our state. 

But what about when the storms do roll in? How do pilots navigate monsoonal weather? And how do these storms affect operations at Sky Harbor Airport?

In this episode of Valley 101, producer Kaely Monahan is joined by Tim Holt, Dean of the College of Aviation, at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, and her father, now retired airline pilot, Michael Monahan, to discuss aviation in Arizona.

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Cotton, cattle, climate, copper, and citrus. These have been the driving forces of Arizona’s economy for generations. Flora and fauna and industries that do very well in our arid desert. 

While the 5 C’s won’t quickly become the 5 C’s and an O, there is another overlooked product that has nonetheless taken root here.

Olives.

Olive trees are among some of the oldest agricultural trees in the state from the Valley all the way down to the University of Arizona in Tucson. 

In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we explore the ways olive trees and their fruits have thrived in the desert for over 100 years.

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A rebroadcast of a 2019 episode:

Did you know that Phoenix had one of the most successful local children's shows of all time?

"The Wallace and Ladmo Show" ran from 1954 to 1989, collecting fans like Steven Spielberg and Alice Cooper along the way. What made the show a success was its dark humor. Yes, it was a kids' show, but it featured characters like Aunt Maud, who liked reading tragic stories to children. Or Marshall Good, an unemployed "cowboy" from New Jersey who had never ridden a horse. 

Kids may have tuned in for the cartoon, but high schoolers and their parents got the more offbeat jokes. 

In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, podcast editor Katie O'Connell explores the history of this Valley original.

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One of the most popular ways to beat the heat is with a scoop of ice cream. Whether it's a classic flavor like chocolate or something more adventurous like olive oil, there's always something for everybody.

For some people, ice cream may not be an option. They may have learned of a recent allergy or have decided to become vegan. But plenty of shops around the Valley serve ice cream that anybody, regardless of their allergies or diets, can safely eat.

In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we visited ice cream shops in the Phoenix area that cater to customers with dietary restrictions.

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