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?

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Guests: Mary Jo West

Host: Bill Goodykoontz

Producers: Amanda Luberto, Abby Bessinger

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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?

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Guests: Doug Anderson and Leonard Downie Jr.

Host: Bill Goodykoontz

Producers: Abby Bessinger, Amanda Luberto

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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?

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Guests: Pat McMahon, Bill Thompson, Ladimir Kwiatkowski

Guest host: Richard Ruelas

Producers: Amanda Luberto, Abby Bessinger

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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?

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Guest: Jason Carney, the CEO and executive director of the Phoenix Film Festival

Host: Bill Goodykoontz

Producers: Abby Bessinger, Amanda Luberto

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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?

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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.

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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.

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