

Cover Story
Fighting for Mom
Tucson musician Miguel Carter and his two brothers don’t understand how their 65-year old mother was convicted of two felonies, but they’re hoping and praying for justice through an appeal. There’s a slice of desert off state Highway 79 heading from Catalina toward Florence that surely must be God’s country—it’s thick with cholla holding up…
Here’s the March Radness Schedule
Are you clutching your tickets wondering what time your favorite band is playing March Radness this Saturday, so you can plan your evening? (If you don’t currently have tickets, REPAIR THAT SITUATION NOWISH) Well, here’s the schedule for the two stages, across Congress from each other. Seriously, this will be a really great night of…
Photos of Betty White’s Reid Park Zoo Visit
What’s cuter than Betty White clinging to baby lion cubs? That’s what we thought. Good try, though. The 92-years young actress recently flew out to Tucson after getting a phone call from the Reid Park Zoo director Jason Jacobs. Jacobs became good friends with Betty during his time as the Development and Marketing Director at the Los Angeles Zoo.…
Win Signed Pizza Underground Merch From Jalph.Net
Courtesy of Jalph.Net Win signed Pizza Underground Merchandise! Jalph.Net wants to give you some signed Pizza Underground merchandise, so you personally won’t have to push and shove for Macaulay Culkin’s John Hancock after the show at 191 Toole on Monday, March 10. Naturally, all you have to do is take an epic picture of yourself…
Senator Steve Gallardo Says He’s Gay and “It’s Okay”
Photo courtesy of Senator Steve Gallardo’s Twitter page. Senator Steve Gallardo is currently the second acting gay Senator in Arizona.. Senator Steve Gallardo decided to formally announce his sexual preference to the media a week and half after Governor Jan Brewer vetoed SB 1062. “I’m gay, I’m a Latino, and I’m a senator,” Gallardo said.…
Tucson Police Gearing Up To Thwart UA Hoops Hysteria
It’s March, which for most of the country means the gradual release of winter’s icy cold grip into a world of warming trends and budding blooms. In Tucson, it means time to elevate UA basketball excitement to feverish levels. How crazy is this town for “our Cats?” Tucson police are conducting training exercises Wednesday afternoon…
As House Passes Bill on Abortion Clinics, a New Battle Looms in Phoenix
PHOENIX — On Tuesday, a bill that would make it legal for the Department of Health Services to do spot-checks on abortion clinics was passed in the House. Cathi Herrod of the Center for Arizona Policy, who lobbied for the bill and has played a large role in pushing conservative bills through the House and…
Video: Möda Provŏcateūr 2014
This year’s Möda Provŏcateūr 2014 theme was “This isn’t your grandmother’s fashion show.” Our multimedia intern Alan Davis strutted his way into this sold out event so we can all enjoy it vicariously on The Range. Break Out Studios and Artifact Dance Project performed on the runway, as models in all types of gowns, outfits,…
UPDATE – Hoverboards Are Back From the Future
The hover-board Marty McFly road in the 1989 film, “Back to the Future II,” is no longer believed to be science fiction based on a video that has gained a lot of attention on the Internet this week featuring a familiar cast from the future along with celebrity demonstrations from Tony Hawk, Moby, Terrell Owens,…
‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ Will Feature Batmobile Gameplay
Holy special effects, Batman! The final Batman ‘Arkham’ game trailer debuted today, and it doesn’t disappoint. The caped crusader will have to go toe-to-toe with The Scarecrow, Two-Face, Harley Quinn and Penguin for what’s left of Gotham City after all hell has broke loose. The Batmobile gameplay makes up for the fact that Kevin Conroy…
Black Cherry Burlesque Brings Bumps and Curves to the Big Stage
C. Elliott Ginger Sinclair, Black Cherry Burlesque Founded by Surly Wench owners Kate “Inga Kaboom” and Stephanie “Stephka von Snatch” Johnston, Black Cherry Burlesque has long been the best, if not the best kept, secret on Fourth Avenue. The troupe performs at 8 and 10 p.m., the first Friday of every month, and has generated…
Talking Comics: DiGiorno and ‘Loki: Ragnarok & Roll’
Photo courtesy of Cynthia Gerriets Jenny and Cynthia loved Loki: Ragnarok & Roll. This week Cynthia and Jenny reviewed ex-Tucson native and comic book rockstar Eric M. Esquivel’s Loki: Ragnarok & Roll. Loki is banished to Los Angeles and uses his god/shredding powers to take over the world and rock scene. Talking Comics crew give…
Download the ‘Weekly’ App and Save With Local Businesses
Save money and download the Best of Tucson App. You have two days to reap the benefits and save some money by downloading our Best of Tucson App. Here are gnarly deals you can take advantage of before it’s too late: Free shoe rental with purchase of 2 games at Golden Pin Lanes. Half off…
Twitter Followers Helps Local Tampa Bay Rays Fan Realize Dream
Sometimes good things happen to rad people, and lord knows Randi Oomens is rad people. Oomens lost her vision due to multiple sclerosis in 2008, but that hasn’t stop her from enjoying baseball. Oomens is the biggest Tampa Bay Rays fan in Tucson. I have been following Oomens, also known as Ro and @raynaadi on…
Why Are Arizona Schools Spending Less In The Classroom?
Your household income dropped 20% over the past few years. You want to do everything you can to spare your family from absorbing the pain, so you try your damndest to save money elsewhere. How about lowering home or rent payments? Sorry, those letters you sent asking to cut your payments 20% gave everyone in…
House Democrats Speak Out Against Expansion Of “Empowerment Scholarship Account” Vouchers
Arizona’s House Democrats put out a press release condemning HB 2291, which would expand voucher program, Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, aka Education Savings Accounts, aka (according to me) Vouchers on Steroids. NOTE: Since this press release came out, Republicans began work on a rewrite of the legislation to include even more students in the voucher program.…
March Radness Preview: PigPen Theatre Company
March Radness is this Saturday, March 8 (get your tickets now!), so we’re going to give you a taste of what to expect from the stellar lineup of bands here on The Range between now and then. PigPen Theatre Company sounds like a super-pretentious band name until you realize that they’re not just a band…
RichRod: Thespian, Internet Troll
There’s an early leader in the clubhouse for next year’s Oscar for best short film, and it’s got the added boost of featuring Keanu Reeves. The University of Arizona football team has released its latest short, this one addressing the proposed rule in college football that would make it illegal to snap the ball on…
Dude Wearing Yoga Pants Looks Like a Lady
YouTube wizard Yousef Saleh Erakat decided to wear yoga pants in public to test a theory about men and their wandering eyes. Not only did he prove his lady friend’s point, but the video has attracted over a million views in less than 24 hours. How could the world resist staring at his man cakes…
Ally Miller’s 911 Call Makes Fark.Com
The Weekly’s reporting on Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller’s decision to push transportation projects into her own neighborhood has had some unexpected consequences. For example, as the Arizona Daily Star has reported, Miller called 911 because she said our reporting put her in fear for her life—and she asked the 911 operator if he could…
New Poll: Team DuVal Releases Survey Showing Competitive Governor’s Race
Democrat Fred DuVal released a poll today showing that this year’s gubernatorial race is up for grabs. Granted, the election is a long way off and voters don’t yet know most of the potential candidates, but Team DuVal clearly sees the poll results as encouraging. Among the findings: In trial heats for governor, DuVal is…
‘The Image Revolution’ and Comic Con at The Loft
20 years ago, Marvel’s best artists quit so they could have control of their ideas and reap the financial benefits of their work. Their departure spawned a revolution for independent publishers and creators that changed—for better or for worse—the comic book industry forever. The filmmakers that brought you the critically acclaimed Grant Morrison: Talking With…
Network For Public Education Calls For Congressional Hearings On Testing
As participants left the final workshops at the Network For Public Education Conference at University of Texas, Austin, we walked into a press conference in the building’s entry room organized by NPE leaders Diane Ravitch, Robin Hiller and Anthony Cody calling for “Congressional hearings to investigate the over-emphasis, misapplication, costs, and poor implementation of high-stakes…
The Best of Tucson 2014 Ballot Is Online!
Image courtesy of Shutterstock We added new categories and changed the process a little bit (hopefully for the better?) and now the Best of Tucson® ballot is online for your voting pleasure. What sort of new categories, you might ask? Well, stuff that will probably matter to you, like Best DJ, Best Local Weatherperson, Best…
AZ Illustrated Politics: SB 1062 Veto, Planned Parenthood Under Fire & An Interview With Congressional Candidate Adam Kwasman
On last night’s AZ Illustrated Politics: State Rep. Adam Kwasman talked about his support for SB 1062, his opposition to gay marriage and why he doesn’t support any kind of legal status for DREAM Act kids or any other undocumented immigrants. Then Pima County Democratic Party Chairman Don Jorgensen and Republican National Committeeman Bruce Ash…
Listen to Bill Frost’s ‘TV Tan’ Podcast
The Weekly’s Bill Frost is our personal TV Guide. When he’s not in TV Land writing True TV, Frost and Tommy Milagro host a weekly podcast called TV Tan. In this episode they discuss the beautiful Téa Leoni, Game of Arms (reality show about semi-pro arm wrestlers,) WWE and Justified. Click here to subscribe. You…
The Retro Room is Bringing Back Old School Games and Arcades
Courtesy of The Retro Room. The Retro Room is located on 337 E. Ft. Lowell Road. Remember the good old Atari days? Do you miss smacking the small white dot from the left to the right side of your tube television. Do you miss games like Flappy Bird? The world is moving from big screen…
Heading To The Network For Public Education Conference In Austin
I’m winging my way to the Network for Public Education (NPE) National Conference at the University of Texas, Austin. A few days of panels, speakers and getting together with some of the heavy hitters in progressive education. I’ll be sitting on a panel, “Charters, Virtuals and Privatization.” TUSD Superintendent H.T. Sanchez will be joining other…
What Should We Add to the Best of Tucson Ballot?
The first Best of Tucson issue, from July 1987. Best of Tucson™ voting kicks off tomorrow (don’t worry, we’ll send out approximately eight hundred reminders to vote before the process is finished), but hey, let’s give you, the reader, one last chance to get a new category added before the ballot goes live. Is there…
Want to See Sir Mix-A-Lot at March Radness?
We’ve been previewing some of the bands you can see at March Radness (ONE WEEK AWAY OMG OMG), but hey, let’s give some tickets away, so you can see the show yourself. Frankly, I’m not entirely sure why you haven’t purchased tickets yet…they’re only $15, which is what you’d pay to see someone like Iamsu!…
UPDATE – Help TPD Stop These Guys from Stealing Change Dispensers From Circle K’s
The Tucson Police Department issued a statement asking for your help to catch three hispanic males that are involved in multiple Circle K robberies in the last year. The suspects have stolen change dispensers from 11 different local Circle K’s since Feb. 21. One suspect enters the store and removes the change dispensers from the cash…
Daily Show Rounds Up AZ’s “No Cake For Gays” Bill
Sen. Al Melvin’s weird exchange with CNN’s Anderson Cooper makes the Daily Show as part of a roundup of the news surrounding the now-vetoed SB 1062. Saying the bill was not good for Arizona is certainly no understatement.
5 Photos of Reid Park Zoo’s Adorable Lion Cubs
Here are four reasons why you should stop what you’re doing and go to the Reid Park Zoo.The four African lion cubs that were born on December 23 made their public appearance on Thursday, and they are to die for. You can catch Baako, Jelani, Sango, and Nayo frolicing in their exhibit every morning from…
The Education-Related Costs Of The New GOP Tax Plan
As I read details of the new GOP tax plan in an AP article in the Star, it sounded, well, not too bad — grading on a Republican curve, anyway. Then I read elsewhere the plan would hit blue state taxpayers harder than red staters. I shoulda guessed. Politico has a good, short breakdown of…
SuperJew Visits Brewer, Rainbow Hamantaschen Rejected
Those out there working on behalf of immigration reform already think Mo Goldman is pretty cool, or at least an attorney who does such great work he helps people rethink all those lawyer-shark jokes they love to tell when lawyer friends aren’t around. But early in the week, Goldman finally came out, so to speak,…
Is Obama Secretly Building an Iron Man?
President Obama was talking about serious business on Thursday’s White House manufacturing innovation event. Obama jokingly blurted out “Basically, I’m here to announce we are building Iron Man.” Unfortunately, we can’t tell if this was just a display of Obama’s wit or the honest-to-god truth. Obama backpedaled and said, “Not really. Maybe. It’s classified.” Hopefully,…
Cinema Showdown: Howe Gelb is Mission Control and Mickey Rooney is a Japanese Landlord Edition
There’s plenty of great offbeat screenings in town this week, including two indy films making a stop at The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress St. Both films are directed by up and coming director Geoff Marslett, who’ll be on hand to introduce ‘em, and both premiered last year at SXSW. First up is Mars, an…
Tucson Fasola Explore the Haunting and Unfamilar
TucsonFasola.com Describing the sound of shape note singing can be difficult. But Paige Winslett, of Tucson Fasola, a group dedicated to the performance of songs drawn from some of the oldest musical traditions in America, gives it her best shot. “I use words like haunting, unique, and kind of loud, kind of unfamiliar,” Winslett says.…
Ease on Down the Road With Broadway in Tucson’s “Wizard of Oz”
Danielle Wade as Dorothy and Jamie McKnight as Scarecrow in Broadway in Tucson’s “Wizard of Oz” Oh, sure, you say. We’ve been down that road before. (That would be the yellow brick one.) Been there. Done that. Really, haven’t we’ve been “Wiz”-ed, “Wicked”-ed and Surrender Dorothy-ed to death? I bet you wouldn’t say that after…
Rocco DiGrazia: ‘Why I Put that Sign in My Pizzeria Window’
Posted on CNN.com last night, an opinion piece from Rocco DiGrazia, owner of Rocco’s Little Chicago Pizzeria, who has undeniably become a bit of a local hero in the fight against SB 1062, with his famous sign being the first to go up when our crazyland lawmakers passed the bill in the name of religious…
Craig Barrett’s K12 Inc. Elephant In The Room
Craig Barrett, ex-CEO of Intel, is the most powerful person in Arizona education policy nobody’s ever heard of, or anyway, not nearly enough people have heard of. You can read some background on Gov. Brewer’s go-to, back-room adviser on education here. Barrett is a huge supporter of education privatization, and he’s deeply involved in the…
Making Stuff Up
A team of Tucson innovators got an old rusty soda machine with the intent to repaint, redesign, connect the non-soda-delivering device to an Internet-ready computer programmed to give you a free pop when you tweeted #AZMakerHouse. You can meet the makers from last weekend’s Make-a-thon and other members of Tucson’s creative community during Maketopolis on…
Planet Jam: Light at the End of the Tunnel
Students of the genre will tell you reggae is music whose essence is rooted in the grit and grind of those who toil in the third world, be it the tropics, Africa or the Americas. At its core, spirituality, politics and righteous indignation are all important parts of the equation. And, oh yeah, you need…
Savage Fashions
Möda Provocateur 5:45 p.m., Sunday, March 2 Tucson Convention Center Grand Ballroom 260 S. Church Ave. 628-223;saafmoda.saaf.org The Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation isn’t playing it safe with the 11th annual Möda Provcater, a fundraiser that gives artists full artistic liberty to express themselves in what is described as “not your grandmother’s fashion show.” “Expect the…
Kings of Pleasure: The Blues Singles
Kings of Pleasure have honed their trademark blend of swing and blues throughout the Southwest for nearly two decades. On this album, bandleader Mike Hebert combines five recent recordings from community radio station KXCI’s Studio 2A with tracks recorded elsewhere over the course of 20 years. The album’s rarest gem is “I Get My Strength,”…
Classical Brass Blast
ChamberLab VIII: Brass and Percussion 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28 The Rialto Theatre 318 E. Congress St. 740-1000;chamberlab.org Before the time of electric drops by DJs like Steve Aoki or mind-melting guitar solos from Jimi Hendrix, beautiful angelic harmonies were created by simply blowing through a knotted brass tube. “You’ve never heard a sound like…
Hospitality: Trouble
At times breezy and ramshackle, at others psychedelic and bombastic, Trouble feels impossibly larger than its scant 37-minute running time. It’s a creaky, shaggy, thrilling record that refuses to sit still and behave. Songs like “It’s Not Serious” take deceptive simplicity to alarming depth, where the title refrain becomes either a slacker’s mantra that love…
Circling the Brain
UA College of Science Lecture Series: “The Ancestors in Our Brains” 7 p.m., Monday, March 3 Centennial Hall 1020. E. University Blvd. 621-4090http://cos.arizona.edu/connections/evolving-brain You only have two more chances to check out UA College of Science’s Lecture Series on “The Evolving Brain”—and this week’s talk on how the primitive part of our brains interact in…
Ask A Mexican!
Dear Mexican: Why is there in every Mexican family a jealous cousin driven by insecurity? Must Excuse Vulgar-Ass Lingual Expression Dear ME VALE: Take your pick. It’s because a) Your dad unwittingly insulted their dad back in the rancho when they were boys, and your cousin was taught to hate you as a result, b)…
Ten Years of Stories From the Heart
Odyssey Storytelling 10th Anniversary Party 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 6 Fluxx Studio & Gallery414 E. Ninth St. 882-0242;storyartsgroup.org After 106 shows and 650 stories of triumph and tragedy, Odyssey Storytelling has found a way to take tales of everyday life and turn them into something worth listening to. “There have been hundreds of storytellers and…
Banking and Billions
The Treasury Department issued a love letter on Valentine’s Day that could change the financial landscape of the cannabis industry—unless it doesn’t. The seven-page memo from the department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network lays out guidelines aimed at helping banks deal with state-legal cannabis businesses. It basically reiterates the 2011 “Cole memo” from Deputy Attorney General…
New Troupes
It amazes me that there is such a yearning to produce theater in this town. It seems there is always an entity popping up. And although the group members may produce on an irregular schedule or the quality of their work varies greatly, nevertheless, produce they do. (It is legitimate to ask if a community…
Editor’s Note
For awhile, I’ve been using my appearances on the various political talk shows in town to say that the Weekly was tenatively leaning towards endorsing Al Melvin for the Republican nomination in this year’s governor’s race. The primary race is likely going to be a disaster with so many candidates in the fray, so why…
Ignoble Nobel
For about six months when I was 12, maybe 13, I was obsessed with DNA, which I discovered in a paperback book I read over and over again. The wonder and mystery of the molecule thrilled me and made me the most obnoxious kid in Graham County. I didn’t understand deoxyribonucleic acid, of course, but…
Danehy
A few things that I feel I must address, none of which is complex enough to stretch into an entire column. I feel compelled to tell the truth about that since it’s Black History Month and George Washington Carver once said, “I cannot tell a lie.” (I learned that at a charter school.) • First…
Now on Shelves
Moving Target By J.A. Jance Touchstone 340 pages; $29.99; mystery So, a lot’s happened since Tucson and Seattle resident J. A. Jance published her first mystery 30 years ago. CSI, for example. Facial recognition. The Internet. We’re not in Bisbee anymore, Joanna. To Jance’s credit, Moving Target, her 50th novel, ventures well into the world…
Downing
What do you do when The New York Times lets you down? It’s not like it hasn’t happened before. The run-up to the war in Iraq was one long disgrace for the Times along with most of the rest of the media establishment. But in hindsight we can be generous and chalk that up to…
True TV
No Vacancy Portlandia Thursday, Feb. 27 (IFC) Season Premiere: The biggest changes for Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein’s Portlandia in Season 4? It’s now on Thursdays (dunno why—comedy void?), and the guest-star lineup is ridicu-lectic (Olivia Wilde, Kirsten Dunst, Dead Kennedys’ Jello Biafra, Grimm’s Silas Weir Mitchell, Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, Saturday…
Prezelski
Last week’s Great Streetcar Crisis provided an apt illustration of what is wrong with the local broadcast media, and our local political culture in general. For those who do not know the story, here is what happened. A jackass in a big SUV with Texas plates, we will call him “Big Tex,” parked diagonally, and…
DVD Roundup
Big Bad Wolf An abusive stepfather (Charlie O’Connell) hunts down his three teen stepdaughters, who’ve run away with the drug money he was going to use to retire in Mexico with his mistress. Yes, it is a dark take on The Three Little Pigs—how’d you guess? (Kino) Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor The…
Flying High
In director Hayao Miyazaki’s enchanting and somber The Wind Rises, Jiro (a character based on one of the designers of WWII Japanese fighter planes) shares his dreams with Caproni, an Italian airplane builder who intends to retire. As it turns out, The Wind Rises is allegedly the last animated feature from Miyazaki, the legendary animation…
Pima College in Flux
Marlena Hanlon, a professional organizational analyst taking classes at Pima Community College, is trying to make sure students don’t get left out of the discussion as the college works to address issues threatening its accreditation. “I had a personal experience on two occasions which I felt were not resolved well or fully,” she said. Hanlon…
Georgian Growing Pains
In Bloom takes place in the country of Georgia, within a year of its emergence from the fallen Soviet Union. A nasty civil war (which would last more than a decade) and economic turmoil define this period in Georgian history. And while a country must come to grips with its own independence, so too must…
For Heaven’s Sake
Last week’s passage of SB 1062—dubbed the “No Cakes For Gays Act,” by Jon Stewart—set off a swift and powerful international firestorm against Arizona. Suddenly, the legislative session—which had started off with a focus on better protecting kids by reforming CPS—was all about whether the state would enshrine into law discrimination against gays, lesbians and…
Greek Generosity
University-area restaurants are a bit of a difficult sell in some ways. You need a concept that is budget-friendly, casual and quick enough for most of the college kids, while still serving food (and hopefully alcohol, if you want to keep those margins up) that has enough appeal to the rest of the city that…
Media Watch
MORALES BROTHERS LAUNCH ALLSPORTSTUCSON.COM When Gannett decided it was a really nifty idea to jettison community blog site tucsoncitizen.com and replace it with an archive site that interests pretty much nobody, a number of top-flight bloggers were denied access to the familiar online location. Moreover, it created a burden for readers who wanted to keep…
Noshing Around
Fat Tuesday Happenings For those who don’t know, Fat Tuesday (aka Mardi Gras) involves eating a large amount of rich, fatty foods on the day before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday. Kingfisher Bar & Grill (2564 E. Grant Road) and Bluefin Seafood Bistro (7053 N. Oracle Road) have been celebrating Fat Tuesday since they opened.…
The Skinny
THE DONNYBROOK IN SADDLEBROOKE The Republican candidates in Congressional District 1 who are vying for a chance to unseat Democratic incumbent Ann Kirkpatrick came to SaddleBrooke last week. While the August primary is still six months away, House Speaker Andy Tobin, state Rep. Adam Kwasman and rancher Gary Kiehne are already working to win over…
Shine Bright Like a Gem
Leslie Hall is probably the most popular plus-size, bespectacled, sweater-modeling and cat-loving satirical rapper working in electronic dance music today. She scores straight F’s: fierce and ferocious and fabulous. She’s got “neon blood pumping through my varicose veins” and, at 32, still wears spangled costumes crafted by her mom. Hall is a living art installation,…
Pedersen on Sports
Thanks to our wonderful climate, which allows for almost unlimited outdoor activities, there’s no shortage of options when it comes to finding a sport for your kids to play. Want to get them active and out of the house? Don’t worry, you won’t be lacking for options. A healthy debate would occur if people were…
Soundbites
COME MY WAY You hear this a lot about various artists, but in this case it’s true: R. Stevie Moore is one of the most influential musicians you’ve likely never heard of; and his life and cultural footprint are as fascinating as his music, so let’s start at the beginning. Moore was born in the…
Live
RONSTADT GENERATIONS CHICAGO BAR Monday, Feb. 24 Joshua Levine The Ronstadt name looms large over Tucson. But honestly, despite having lived in the city for more than 20 years, my association with the legacy is peripheral at best; the most I know is that Linda Ronstadt is somehow responsible for the Eagles and there’s a…
More on Brewer’s Veto of SB 1062
PHOENIX-Governor Brewer vetoed SB1062 on Wednesday night. In a press conference in the rotunda of the 9th floor of the Executive Building, the Governor explained her reasoning for vetoing the bill. “Senate bill 1062 does not address a specific or present concern relating to religious liberties in Arizona,” Brewer said. “I have not heard one…






