Two Tucson students have been named Kohl’s Kids Who Care Regional winners, and have been awarded $1,000 scholarships toward their post-secondary education. They are now in the running for national scholarships worth $5,000. See the details from the Kohl's press release below:

On Thursday, July 9, Kohl’s Department Stores honored nearly 200 kids for their volunteer efforts with $1,000 scholarships toward post-secondary education. Through the Kohl’s Kids Who Care® Scholarship Program, two youth from Tucson stood out among nearly 18,000 nominees nationwide for their remarkable community service.

“These young volunteers truly stand out and deserve to be recognized for making their communities a better place and exemplifying the spirit of volunteerism,” said Julie Gardner, Kohl’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “The Kohl’s Kids Who Care Scholarship Program gives us the privilege to reward these great kids with scholarships and also to help ease the cost of post-secondary education.”

Local recipients of $1,000 scholarships are:

• Eleanor Rinehart, 11, Tucson — After losing loved ones to cancer, Eleanor made 12 wigs for cancer patients through Locks for Love.

• Charles Goode, 12, Tucson — After a friend was diagnosed with autism, Charles raised $7,000 for autism treatment by playing 100 holes of golf in one day.

Winners were selected based on initiative, leadership, creativity and generosity. The regional winners now qualify for one of 10 national scholarships worth $5,000. Kohl’s will also contribute $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on behalf of each national winner. National winners will be announced at the end of July. In total, Kohl’s plans to award more than $350,000 in scholarships and prizes this summer. Since its inception in 2001, more than $1.8 million in scholarships and prizes has been awarded to nearly 9,000 inspiring kids nationwide.

The Kohl’s Kids Who Care Scholarship Program is part of Kohl’s Cares for Kidsâ, Kohl’s philanthropic program which is focused on improving the lives of children. Kohl’s Cares for Kids benefits children’s health and education initiatives nationwide through its merchandise program featuring books and plush toys, a children’s hospital program, fundraising gift cards and the A-Team associate volunteer program.

For more information or a complete list of Kohl’s Kids Who Care regional-level winners, visit www.kohlskids.com.

I couldn't let the week go by without props to Anna Mirocha, who delivers an awesome Police Dispatch. I thought last week hit new heights with the "shed fucker," but she topped it with this latest pig caper:

The victim gave sheriff's deputies an envelope containing what appeared to be a typed ransom letter for the stolen winged swine. The letter had been left on the windshield of her car that day, she said. Attached to the letter was a photograph of the ornament, with a newspaper behind it boasting the date of June 7, 2009. The victim thought that may have been the date the pig was stolen.

The ransom letter read: "I have the pig. The one with wings. Yeah, that one. You think you're so smart. Well, so am I. ... Oh yeah, and the pig is really quiet so I can't call you so you can hear its voice. You know, to make sure it's OK. No matter how much I ask it to speak, it just won't talk. So, trust that the pig is OK. Once I know what I want, well, it will be on ... on like Donkey Kong."

It gets weirder.

I knew I always like that man. Former President Jimmy Carter recently gave sexism in religion a good thumping. Carter severed his ties with the Southern Baptist Convention:

So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be "subservient" to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service.

You can read the complete essay here.

The Rialto Foundation is scheduled to be in court today to find out whether Don Martin and Scott Stiteler will be successful in getting an order to evict the non-profit organization from the space it's using as a green room, office space and storage. We'll have details following the hearing.

Meanwhile, negotiations continue with Martin and Stiteler, who own the block surrounding the city-owned Rialto Theatre, and various downtown players to work out a deal that would allow the Rialto to continue using the space.

If you're interesting in helping out the theatre, why not consider becoming a member of the Rialto Foundation? Your tax-deductible contribution could help them through this tough time.

UPDATE: Judge Michael Miller heard testimony this afternoon from Don Martin and Michael McGrath, the attorney for the Rialto Foundation. Martin said the foundation had no lease and no agreement to remain in the space they're occupying; McGrath testified that he worked out an oral agreement with Martin in February 2008 that the Foundation would get 60 days notice before it would have to move if Martin wanted them out. The trial is expected to wrap tomorrow morning.

Press release of the day:

POMPANO BEACH, Fla.— In response to rumors circulating the internet on sites such as FoxNews.com, FastCompany.com and CNET News about a “flesh eating” robot project, Cyclone Power Technologies Inc. (Pink Sheets:CYPW) and Robotic Technology Inc. (RTI) would like to set the record straight: This robot is strictly vegetarian.

On July 7, Cyclone announced that it had completed the first stage of development for a beta biomass engine system used to power RTI’s Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot (EATR™), a Phase II SBIR project sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Defense Sciences Office. RTI’s EATR is an autonomous robotic platform able to perform long-range, long-endurance missions without the need for manual or conventional re-fueling.

RTI’s patent pending robotic system will be able to find, ingest and extract energy from biomass in the environment. Despite the far-reaching reports that this includes “human bodies,” the public can be assured that the engine Cyclone has developed to power the EATR runs on fuel no scarier than twigs, grass clippings and wood chips — small, plant-based items for which RTI’s robotic technology is designed to forage. Desecration of the dead is a war crime under Article 15 of the Geneva Conventions, and is certainly not something sanctioned by DARPA, Cyclone or RTI.

“We completely understand the public’s concern about futuristic robots feeding on the human population, but that is not our mission,” stated Harry Schoell, Cyclone’s CEO. “We are focused on demonstrating that our engines can create usable, green power from plentiful, renewable plant matter. The commercial applications alone for this earth-friendly energy solution are enormous.”

In case you missed UA law prof Robert Glennon talking with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show:

Congresssman Raul Grijalva has scored a victory in blocking an effort to continue uranium mining on public land near the Grand Canyon. Here's the release from Grijalva's office:

Washington, D.C. — One year after House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) and Subcommittee Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) initiated efforts to force the Bush-era Interior Department to withdraw lands surrounding the Grand Canyon National Park from new uranium mining, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today moved to protect nearly one million acres from new uranium mining.

“The spectacular Grand Canyon is far too precious to risk to contamination from

He was always part of our lives. My mom would be ironing my school uniforms, and I'd be coloring on the floor, and there was Walter, on the big Zenith TV set. He was always there. My generation is probably the last to have such affinity with a newsman like him. After Walter, we watched Frank. After Frank, it was Peter. But it was never the same.

Wingspan, Tucson's LGBT community center and advocacy organization, is going through some major changes due to the economy.

The Range confirmed some difficult news this morning with Wingspan Executive Director Jason Cianciotto, after the organization held an emergency stakeholder meeting at the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona last night.

Cianciotto confirmed he has resigned, but will remain until the end of the month without salary to help the organization in what will be a big transition and shift, involving further layoffs and moving the agency into a new space.

Caz Springer, the organization's media and communications director, was let go, but will continue on until the end of the month. Alison Davison, the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance coordinator, remains, as does the organization's commitment to the transgender community.

The remaining staff also includes Courtney Jones, program director, as well the anti-violence program staff and Eon Youth staff that work with LGBT kids ages 13-23.

Evidently, the biggest challenge for Cianciotto and Wingspan was the unexpected collapse of the economy. Cianciotto joined Wingspan last year, coming onboard after an almost year-long search for the right ED. Unfortunately, the timing wasn't right for Cianciotto and his ideas had to be placed on hold while the organization had to figure out how to survive this downturn.

Wingspan's rent of almost $8,000 a month is a factor in the organization making a physical move. The Range was told that the landlord wasn't interested in renegotiating the lease agreement, but the lease doesn't end until 2010. Cianciotto says he can't comment further on the lease. However, the remaining staff will be moving across the street from its 425 E. 7th Street location into the Eon Youth Lounge space.

Wingspan's rent of almost $8,000 a month is a factor in the organization making a physical move. The Range was told the lease doesn't end until 2010. Cianciotto says he can't comment further on the lease negotiations, but told The Range that he talked to a landlord representative as recently as yesterday. However, the remaining staff will be moving across the street from its 425 E. 7th Street location into the Eon Youth Lounge space.

We'll have more information in next week's Tucson Weekly.

UPDATE: Cianciotto contacted The Range to correct our entry regarding Wingspan. Cianciotto said the organization has been in contact with a landlord representative as recently as yesterday. Lease negotiations, he said, are ongoing.

The giant tiki head (pictured here at its former location at the now defunct Magic Carpet Golf) has been set in place in front of its new home, The Hut, the infamous tropical drink watering hole at 305 N. Fourth Avenue.

The monolith, which some reports say was the tallest sculpture in town, fits right in along funky and hip Fourth Avenue. And if The Hut makes the head accessible to patrons like it was over at Magic Carpet Golf, it'll allow for some wonderful nighttime viewing of the Fourth Avenue area.

In other Magic Carpet news, the giant bull has also found a home. I was hoping they'd paint it blue and place it next to the giant Paul Bunyon over on Stone Avenue, but it'll be just as awesome at its new home outside the The Maverick King of Clubs (6622 E. Tanque Verde Road).