Cover Story
Tucson Salvage: War survivor and single dad wears his heart on his leg
Wesley Owens, this Pentecostal-raised kid from Louisiana, got so used to death and dead bodies and suicide bombings in wartime Iraq, the one major trauma that still feeds his PTSD involves this: Two boys heading to a local mosque in a small car … a soused driver captains a semi-truck. The big rig swerves and…
Robocalls dip as FCC rules kick in; advocates say more should be done
WASHINGTON – Robocalls to Arizonans dropped by more than 3 million in July, to about 84.4 million for the month, as the first phase of a new federal mandate took effect that requires phone companies to implement anti-robocall measures. But consumer advocates say phone carriers could be doing more. A report last month by the U.S.…
DACA leaders confronted Kyrsten Sinema on flight, at ASU to ask for her support: They got silence
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona ignored Karina Ruiz, a local leader who advocates for immigrant communities, when the activist approached her on a flight to Washington, D.C., Monday to urge the senator to commit to passing a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants. In a video she posted on social media, Ruiz walked…
Wall Street Journal free for UA students, faculty, staff, thanks to golf star
Thanks to University of Arizona golf star David Laskin, every UA student, faculty member and staffer will be able to access the Wall Street Journal for free. When Laskin was named the Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year, two UA alumni donated $200,000 in his honor to be used for the men’s golf team and the Eller College…
Arizonans hopeful that focus on missing Indigenous persons may pay off
WASHINGTON – Duane Garvais-Lawrence pulled into Washington, D.C., Friday, ending his second annual coast-to-coast trip to bring attention to the problem of missing and murdered Indigenous women – a trip he hopes he does not have to make again. “The blood on this RV … is on America’s conscience,” Garvais-Lawrence said of the red names…
Pima County continues to push COVID vaccination
Health officials praised Pima County for surpassing other Arizona counties in COVID vaccinations during the University of Arizona status update on Monday, Oct 4. Pima County’s new goal is to administer as many vaccines as possible, rather than pursuing herd immunity, officials said. Dr. Theresa Cullen, Pima County public health director, discussed the latest COVID information ahead…
Women’s Foundation changes name, expands efforts to statewide
The Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona has changed its name to the Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona and will expand the scope of its work to more formally include women and girls throughout the state. “Decades of experience and proven positive outcomes make us qualified to add the State as a whole to…
Audit’ expert Shiva Ayyadurai didn’t understand election procedures, made a number of false signature claims
The audience in the Senate gallery oohed and aahed as Shiva Ayyadurai drew its attention to a “verified and approved” stamp that appeared behind a triangle on the image of an early ballot envelope, unsubtly suggesting that it might have been pre-printed that way. “It’s almost as though it was imaged on there. I don’t…
New law prohibits vehicles blocking sidewalks, punishable by a $250 fine
PHOENIX – If your car or truck is blocking a sidewalk, beware. A new Arizona law makes it a crime, punishable by a $250 fine. The new law is one of 12 that went into effect Wednesday. Others deal with giving penalties for “doxxing” (posting personal information about someone), classifying gun stores as essential businesses and…
Road work to close parts of Saguaro National Park West
Visitors to Saguaro National Park West will see scenic roads closed from Oct. 4-30 for construction. Access to Bajada Loop Drive from the Hugh Norris Trail Head to Golden Gate Road will be closed from Oct. 4-15. After those improvements, the Bajada Loop and its amenities, such as the Sus Picnic Area, Hugh Norris Trailhead,…
Marana School District rejects extending mask mandate in classrooms
The Marana Unified School District Governing Board ended their special meeting on Wednesday with no action on requiring face masks on Marana school campuses. Board member John Lewandowski called the Sept. 28 emergency meeting on the previous day and planned to make a motion for the institution of a mask mandate. Marana school campuses have…
Banner Health: COVID cases declining but hospitals still stressed
Banner Health’s Intensive Care Unit capacity has been unseasonably high for the past four weeks, said Banner Health Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Marjorie Bessel said in a Wednesday press conference. The total ICU patients at Banner exceeds that of the summer 2020 COVID surge. “The main problem is that we have too many COVID patients in…
Film and Music Fest focuses on female directors
The 17th Tucson Film and Music Festival is back from Oct. 1 to 3 with an emphasis on female directors. Opening night of TFMF will start at 7 p.m. with the intriguing story of Fanny, the first all-female rock band to release a long-playing album with a major label. In FANNY: The Right to Rock,…
Help Me Help You: University of Arizona hosting series on compassion at Fox Theatre
We’ve all experienced more than our recommended dose of dread over the past year. Rather than lean into the strife, the University of Arizona’s College of Social & Behavioral Sciences is going in the opposite direction for their annual lecture series. The College’s signature event at downtown’s Fox Theatre will examine various definitions of compassion,…
Mysterious Ways: A new film examines the rise and fall of Tammy Faye Bakker
Tammy Faye Messner, and her douchebag former husband Jim, were a total freak show, a fraudster clown act that stands as a prime example of ugly ’80s underbelly greed and out of control televangelist morons. Making a movie about Tammy Faye and her creepy husband is no easy trick. Fall From Grace (1990) featured douchebag…
Editor’s Note: Viral Sensation
When tattoo artist Wesley Owens’ first-grade daughter had to stay home after close contact with a fellow student who tested positive for COVID, he decided to let her tattoo a heart on his leg. (And yeah, it hurt.) He posted the video to TikTok; in the last few weeks, it’s gotten more than 30 million…
Danehy: The Alabama Constitution Could Use a Tune Up
Sometimes you have to look at the calendar to remind yourself that we really are two decades into the 21st century. And even then, we can’t always be sure. Consider the news coming out of Alabama. Next year, a whole lot of Alabamans (is it Alabamans or Alabamians…or Backward Toad People?) will have the opportunity…
City Week: Weekly Picks
Editor’s Note: While we are delighted to see Tucsonans once again gathering for fun events, we are also aware that the new Delta variant is circulating and case counts in Arizona are on the rise. Please consider getting vaccinated against COVID if you haven’t yet and following CDC guidance, which includes wearing masks at crowded…
XOXO: Mark your calendars
Mark your calendars… To be a rock and not to roll. This week sees Marty Stuart, Tech N9ne, Pat Metheny, Geoff Tate, Cleopatrick and more pass through town. Read on. Thursday, Sept. 30 Heavy metal has a pleasurably sordid affair with mariachi music? Metalachi, “The world’s first and only heavy metal mariachi band,” do unholy…
Joining the Fray: Prime Leaf partners with Ward 6, AZ NORML for expungement clinic
Prime Leaf dispensaries are joining up with Tucson Councilmember Steve Kozachik and Southern Arizona NORML to host an expungement clinic at Tucson’s Ward 6 offices on Saturday, Oct. 9, as efforts to seal records of Arizonans with minor marijuana convictions continue. “We figured that based on the turnout we had (at the first clinic), which…
The Skinny: Breathing Easier Judge tosses law banning mask mandates in schools
In defending a state law banning mask mandates in schools and universities that was snuck into the budget in the final days of the legislative session, Gov. Doug Ducey made a big deal about following the law. He insisted universities abandon a plan to require vaccinations or weekly COVID tests because it was against the…
