Cover Story
Tucson Salvage
There’s likely no place on earth where the Tucson Mineral & Gem World could exist except in the desert outskirts of Tucson, Arizona.
Assistance League’s Volunteers are looking out for the Tucson Community
It was 9:30 on a Wednesday morning, but a group of elementary children aren’t sitting in their desks at school. Instead, they are picking out some clothes and a backpack for themselves. Helen Van Auken, a retired principal and teacher, was there helping a little girl pick out clothes. She volunteers at the Assistance League…
Laughing Stock: Marga! Plus Parts and Flowers
Marga! “I grew up thinking I’m an artist because I didn’t know any other way,” says actor, stand-up comedian and writer Marga Gomez. “My parents were both creative. All their friends were performing artists, so I was very comfortable in this world.” Thus did Gomez become a Cuban Liza Minelli, only lesbian, del pueblo and…
Koch Brothers Emerge (a Little) From the Shadows, Part 2: Connecting Some “Education Reform”/Privatization Dots
Part 1 of this two part (or maybe three part) series tracked the purposeful stealth of the Koch Brothers since the 1970s when they began their push to change the country’s politics and economic policy, until their cover was blown a few years ago, and the brothers decided, if you can’t fight it, flaunt it.…
Sanctuary Movement Rapidly Growing, Thanks to Trump
The Sanctuary Movement has grown from 400 to 1,100 congregations nationwide since Donald Trump’s election. Sanctuary congregations aid immigrants and the immigrant community in a variety of ways, including hosting legal clinics, advocating against and taking actions to stop deportations and housing immigrants in danger of deportation. “ICE is attacking us as leaders and activists…
The Weekly List: 27 Things To Do In Tucson This Week
Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo Art Philabaum’s Furnace. Master glass artist Tom Philabaum is quenching the flames. For 47 years, Tucson’s Mr. Glass has been working with molten glass, thrusting it into the dangerous “glory hole,” the white-hot glass furnace at his studio. No more. Now dealing with Parkinson’s, Philabaum…
Check Out This Wild They Might Be Giant’s Music Video Directed by Former Tucsonan
Former Tucson filmmaker Alex Italics, who is now seeking fortune in Los Angeles, has directed a new music video for They Might Be Giants, featuring comedian Nick Offerman. It’s quite peculiar and creepy, which is pretty much what we’d expect from Italics, who was profiled by the Weekly in 2015.
Help a Local Mushroom Farm Win a Big Grant
If you have a minute to cast an online vote today, you can help a local mushroom farm’s effort to win a big award. Sonoran Mushroom Company is hoping to land support from Greener Fields Together, which runs the Cultivating Change grant program. Sonoran Mushroom Company is one of the finalists for the award, with…
Former Weekly Food Writer Rita Connelly Debuts Her Second Book
Local food journalist Rita Connelly will debut her newest book, Historic Restaurants of Tucson, on Feb. 12. Growing up Italian, Connelly said she has always had a passion to write about food; she said it has always been a significant part of her life. Connelly has been covering food for over 10 years. Her new…
Koch Brothers Emerge (a Little) From the Shadows, Part 1: Target, Education
What does the word “education” mean when Doug Ducey calls himself “the education governor”? The answer is coming, but it’ll take me awhile to get there. Have patience. When the Koch brothers, Charles and David, began their push to change politics and economic policy in the U.S. in the 1970s, an important part of their…
The Tip-Off: On Allonzo Trier’s Improved Confidence, Lorenzo Romar’s Homecoming Trip to Washington
We’ve reached the unofficial halfway point of the Pac-12 conference schedule, with one of the more harrowing road trips on the horizon for Sean Miller and company. The Wildcats (18-4, 8-1), venture some 1,300 miles Wednesday, to one of the most remote campuses in the Lower 48: Washington State University. They’ll then zip another 300…
Phoenix Police Department Will Work on Communicating Better During Protests
The Phoenix Police Department said they’re working on better communication, regarding the launching of pepper ball ammunition and tear gas into protestors during President Donald Trump’s August 2017 rally, according to a PPD internal review released on Jan. 29. The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona responded by saying PPD “did not protect the First…
Wendy Needs a Home
Hi there. My name is Wendy! I am a 1 year old girl who is ready to meet my fur-ever family! I am a very sweet girl that is going to make someone very happy! I already know sit and love to play. Please bring your family, including dogs, to meet me at HSSA Main…
City Council to Tucson Drivers: Stop Texting And Driving!
You’ll see those dreaded flashing lights of a cop car if you keep texting and driving in Tucson. The Tucson City Council voted 4-1 last week to make fooling with your mobile phone while behind the wheel a primary offense, meaning the cops can pull you over if they spot you uploading that selfie to…
‘Lynching in America’: An Excellent, and Horrifying, Educational Resource
For K-12 and college-level teachers who want to educate themselves and their students on the subject of lynching, which, it hardly needs saying, is one of the most vile and horrifying parts of this country’s post-Civil War history, the site Lynching in America, created by the Equal Justice Initiative, is as thorough a portrayal as…
Humanitarian aid worker charged with felony for giving migrants water, food and blankets
A humanitarian aid worker is being charged with a felony after giving blankets, clothes, food and water to migrants crossing the desert. The group he volunteers with, No More Deaths, says the arrest was retaliation for a recent report on Border Patrol agents destroying life-saving supplies in the desert. Scott Warren, an Arizona State University…
Dreamers Still in Limbo After Dems Cave Over Shutdown
Democrats in Congress ended the short-lived government shutdown, on Monday morning, which could have leveraged a fix for DACA. But instead, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer settled for a vague promise from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to schedule a vote by Feb. 8, once again leaving 3.6 million Dreamers, about 800,000 of which have legal…
The Tip-Off: Pac-12 Coaching Beef Between Sean Miller and Tad Boyle on Full Display at McKale
It’s been 19 days since Colorado Coach Tad Boyle’s shot—err, statement heard ‘round the world. Boyle, who has led the Buffaloes to a 161-102 record in his nine-year reign in Boulder, ushered the now-infamous comments in the immediate aftermath of his team’s stunning 80-77 upset of Sean Miller’s squad—the Wildcats first (and of now, only)…
Editor’s Note
In honor of the gem shows that are lighting up Tucson, we’re bringing you the story of Ron Ratkevich, the proprietor of a one-of-a-kind curiosity shop on Tucson’s west side.
One Hot Dog
Daniel Contreras went from cleaning dishes at a Tucson Travel Lodge motel to winning a prestigious award.
Dress Matters
Dr. Julie Sasse, curator of Dress Matters: Clothing as Metaphor: “clothing is a powerful signifier of who we are.”
Digital Horizon
With a new grant from the Flinn Foundation, the Tucson Museum of Art is combining their antique collection with the modern world.
Fashionably Great
While Phantom Thread doesn’t achieve the majestic heights of There Will Be Blood or Magnolia, it’s another sturdy installment in a career that has had no missteps.
Troubled Trail
Who are the “Honeybee Hucksters,” and why do they (and Lewis) care so much about a nominal section of dirt road?
Police Dispatch
A private housing community’s private swimming pool was subjected to a very inappropriately private act.
Police Dispatch
Someone stole a lot of large gardening tools belonging to the University of Arizona.
Reel Indie
What to watch this week in Tucson’s indie theaters.
Able and Thrilling
Minnesota’s Gaelynn Lea is a phenomenally talented violinist, songwriter and singer.
Know Your Product
Psychobilly band the Koffin Kats hits Tucson this week, so we asked frontman Vic Victor about the five albums that changed his life.
XOXO…
Let Xavier Omar Otero guide you through the upcoming week in music…
Last Chance
Congressional advocates now have three weeks to curtail the potential crackdown on the nation’s billion-dollar marijuana industry.
Study Brawl
Riggs: “We’ve got to get more dollars into the classroom to actually promote classroom teaching and learning.”
Running on Cannabis
A growing number of politicians are making cannabis legalization a central pillar of their policy platforms.
The Skinny
Here in Arizona, Democrats are optimistic that this will be the year that they finally turn things around and win a few statewide races.
