What a distant quasar and a ‘young’ black hole could reveal about the universe
PHOENIX – A team led by University of Arizona astronomers has discovered the most distant quasar found to date. Researchers hope the quasar, which is more than 13 billion light-years from Earth, will provide answers to how galaxies formed after the big bang. “It was a relief to find,” said Feige Wang, lead author of…
As demand surges, advocates worry food stamps miss eligible Arizona families
Editor’s note: A earlier version of this story misstated the number of SNAP-eligible people who actually received the benefit in 2017. A Census Bureau report said that about one SNAP-eligible recipient in six did not get the benefit that year. WASHINGTON – The number of food stamp recipients in Arizona has surged over the past…
Tucson Councilman Steve Kozachik: State-Run Vax Center at UA Is a Net Negative for County
Working directly with the State Department of Health, bypassing Pima County Health officials, the UA plans to open a state vaccine Point of Distribution (POD) on the UA mall. This will be detrimental to the county efforts to get vaccines into the arms of the most vulnerable in our community. Since the pandemic began, UA…
W. Anne Gibson-Esmond Station Library with Limited Services Opens on Southeast Side
On Tuesday, Feb. 16, the Pima County Public Library officially opened the W. Anne Gibson-Esmond Station Library on the far southeast side of Tucson at 10931 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way. Due to COVID, there is no public entry at this time, but the library is offering curbside pickup. Books can be reserved online or…
Pima County Most At-Risk for Winter Weather Vaccine Delays, Banner Leader Says
Severe winter weather across the nation is causing delays to vaccine shipments and some appointments may be delayed as a result, said Dr. Marjorie Bessel, the top clinical leader of Arizona’s largest hospital system. Of the 15 counties in Arizona, the delays are affecting Pima County the most. While Bessel said there’s enough vaccine for…
MHC Healthcare No Longer Providing First Time Vaccine Doses, For Now
As Pima County struggles with a reduced vaccine supply this week, MHC Healthcare is one of the community health centers cutting back on vaccines as the county rations which vaccination centers receive a supply. While MHC Healthcare previously scheduled appointments for the 70+ population in the Marana and Oro Valley areas, all online registrations are…
Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Wednesday, Feb. 17: Deaths Top 15K; Cases Top 800K; Vaccine Supplies Remain Limited but 65+ Can Now Register; How To Sign Up for Vaccine, COVID Test
With 1,315 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 801,000 as of Wednesday, Feb. 17, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County, which reported 188 new cases today, has seen 107,401 of the state’s 801,055 confirmed cases. A total of 15,063 Arizonans have died after…
Experts: New enrollment for Obamacare could be ‘really good’ for Arizona
WASHINGTON – Health advocates welcomed the reopening of enrollment for Affordable Care Act coverage, saying the opportunity for more people to get or renew their health insurance could be “really good for Arizona.” The normal period for Americans to sign up for coverage ended Dec. 15, but President Joe Biden called for this special 90-day…
Listen to Katie Haverly’s new song ‘Get Ready’
As we approach the anniversary of pandemic shutdowns, Tucson musician Katie Haverly has released a new song to put some wind in our sails. Written in March 2020, “Get Ready” is a surprisingly hopeful track, but avoids sounding cloying thanks to its unique chord structure and frantic shifts in tempo — reflecting a kind of…
65+ Can Now Register for COVID-19 Vaccine Starting Thursday
Pima County residents ages 65 and over will be able to pre-register for COVID-19 vaccine appointments starting 9 a.m., Thursday, the Pima County Health Department announced Tuesday. Pima County Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco Garcia said the announcement comes not because of increased vaccine availability, but to avoid confusion as the new state-run site at…
Unequal Access: With limited vaccine supply, minority and low-income residents of Pima County face challenges in getting a shot
Pima County’s vaccine allocation from the state has been cut again, making it even more difficult to reach the populations who need it most. This week, the county’s vaccine supply was decreased to 16,300 doses of Moderna, down from the 17,850 doses of Moderna and Pfizer allocated last week. The state is now controlling all…
Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Tuesday, Feb. 16: Total deaths close in on 15K; COVID cases declining in Pima County; Vaccine supplies remain limited, county cutting back appointments; How to sign up for vaccine, COVID test
With 1,132 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases hovered just below 800,000 as of Tuesday, Feb. 16, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County, which reported 155 new cases today, has seen 107,213 of the state’s 799,740 confirmed cases. A total of 14,981 Arizonans have…
Pandemic prompts changes to HIV testing and treatment across Arizona
PHOENIX – In a downtown parking garage, a health care worker, dressed in protective gear, waits for cars to pull up for drive-thru HIV tests. Inside the building, volunteers assemble packages of at-home tests and condoms to be shipped across the state. Elsewhere in metro Phoenix, a van travels to neighborhoods whose residents may face…
Movie Roundup: Two Great Movies Now Showing This Week in Tucson
Tucson has a nice bounce-back week with the openings of two films that make my personal Top Ten list for 2020. /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Calibri”,sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} MOVIE REVIEW: JUDAS AND THE BLACK…
As 20th anniversary of death at Daytona nears, Earnhardt remembered as great friend, unfortunate safety pioneer
[image-1] PHOENIX – Dale Earnhardt, or “The Intimidator” as most fans knew him, was probably the most-feared driver in NASCAR history. His black No. 3 Chevrolet was almost always running at the front or near the front of the pack on Sundays. Even the asphalt he drove on seemed to be afraid of him. This…
Arizona’s COVID-19 Cases Decline for Fourth Straight Week
With the fourth week in a row of declining COVID-19 cases in Pima County, Arizona has evolved from a state of “crisis” to one of “elevated risk,” according to Dr. Joe Gerald, a University of Arizona professor who creates weekly coronavirus epidemiology reports based on Arizona Department of Health Services data. According to Gerald’s latest…
Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Monday, Feb. 15: Cases in Decline but Virus Remains Widespread as State Nears 800K Cases; Vaccine Supplies Remain Limited, County Cuts Appointments; How To Sign Up for Vaccine, COVID Test
With 1,338 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases closed in on 800,000 as of Monday, Feb. 15, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County, which reported 246 new cases today, has seen 107,058 of the state’s 798,608 confirmed cases. A total of 14,978 Arizonans have…
Glacier.WAV’s debut blends environmental anxiety and electronic nostalgia
The debut release from Tucson electronic duo Glacier.WAV is equally paradoxical and practical. Written in the desert, but featuring icy imagery and cool synths, the self-titled album fuses environmental concepts and personal anxiety: climate change, government failure, pandemic isolation and romantic deficiency. It’s a singular album, looking both forward and back, but capturing that dizziness…
Pima County’s Reduced Vaccine Supply Causes PODs to Reduce Hours and First Dose Appointments
Despite a widening population of eligible vaccine recipients and the addition of a state-run POD at the University of Arizona set to open on Thursday, Pima County’s vaccine allocation from the state has been cut yet again. Last week, the county’s vaccine supply was decreased to 17,850—a 40% deduction from the previous week. This week,…
Want to attend spring training? Cactus League teams begin to roll out plans
PHOENIX – Batter up. Mask up. Despite an offseason that suggested a delay to the start of spring training, Major League Baseball pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report Tuesday, with games kicking off on Feb. 27. Arizona is home to 10 stadiums where 15 Cactus League teams prepare for the regular season each year.…
Tucson Brother, Sister Arrested in Capitol Riots
A Tucson brother and sister have been arrested after evidence surfaced of the duo participating in the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol. Felicia and Cory Konold were listed on a criminal complaint filed by the FBI for their participation in the riot that resulted in five deaths as insurrectionists invaded the Capitol in…
Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Friday, Feb. 12: AZ Death Toll Closing in on 15K; State Opening Vaccine Distribution Center in Pima County but Pulling Vaccine Doses from Other County Sites; New Cases, Hospitalizations Continue to Decline
With 2,426 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 793,000 as of Friday, Feb. 12, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County, which reported 685 new cases today, has seen 106,253 of the state’s 793,532 confirmed cases. With 172 new deaths reported today, a total…
Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Thursday, Feb. 11: Pima County Death Toll Tops 2K; State Opening Vaccine Distribution Center in Pima County but Doses Remain Limited; New Cases, Hospitalizations Continue To Decline
With 1,861 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 791,000 as of Thursday, Feb. 11, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County, which reported 685 new cases today, has seen 105,909 of the state’s 791,106 confirmed cases. With 200 new deaths reported today, a total…
The Skinny: Mayor Romero Sets March 1 Meeting to Replace Councilman Durham; Plus, Will We Have a City Council Election This Year?
Tucson City Councilman Paul Durham threw an unexpected twist into this year’s City Council races when he announced he would be calling it quits in the final year of his first term. “Representing the constituents of Ward 3 has been a profound privilege,” Durham wrote in his letter of resignation last week. “However, in order…
Big changes at Borderlands Brewing Propel the Once-Struggling Company to One of S. Arizona’s Top Beer Producers
It’s easy to sense something has changed at Borderlands Brewing Company when walking through their doors these days. It’s not that the brewing equipment moved to a new facility a few years back and created more space in their taproom or that they’ve added a barbershop to the floor plan. It’s not even that they’ve…
Editor’s Note: Just Brew It
With this pandemic with us for nearly a year now, who couldn’t use a cold beer? Unfortunately, fear of spreading COVID-19 has taken its toll on brewery tasting rooms (as well as restaurants where craft beers are sold), so it’s been a tough year for local breweries. More people are drinking at home instead of…
Tucson Craft Brewers Look for Hope in Pandemic’s Aluminum Lining, But Shortages Present Challenges
Craft beer fans in the Old Pueblo certainly have noticed their local bottle shop is now sporting larger selections of 4-packs and 6-packs from a variety of local and national breweries these days. Independently owned beer and wine shops like Tucson Hop Shop, Arizona Beer House and Tap & Bottle are updating their beer selections…
Brewers Crafting Special Beer to Support Struggling Arizona Craft Brewers Guild
This year has been a struggle for Arizona’s craft brewers. Not only have they witnessed their wholesale profits drop as bars and restaurants shut down and then reopen to low capacity, but they’re also watching retail profits stall due to a national aluminum can shortage. While this community is finding new ways to survive the…
A New Book Tells the History of Artist Colony Rancho Linda Vista
Below the slopes of the Catalinas’ north face, the Bachman Wash twists its way through thickets of mesquite and creosote. Given a German name loosely translated as “man by the brook,” the beloved wash snakes through the Rancho Linda Vista artist colony in Oracle. It’s an arroyo both sandy and rocky, and it changes with…
AZDHS denies licenses, faces lawsuit
A lawsuit working its way through the Arizona court system is challenging Arizona Department of Health Services’ denial of four dispensary licenses in rural Arizona counties, as a Phoenix-based company attempts to fill empty spaces in the cannabis landscape and increase patient access where there currently is none. The lawsuit pits four LLCs—Joshua Tree, Cactus…
Tucson Salvage: COVID, Guns and Love, I Am the Day Watchperson
She is standing in front of the blue and silver Bank of America, the word “security” emblazoned in large block letters on the back of her clean, white shirt. She cuts a foreboding presence in her uniform, a palpable aura of protection. She is middle-aged, solid, armed, wraparound mirror shades ornamented with a Dallas Cowboys…
In Wake of Recreational Sales Kickoff, Lab Association Seeks To Hold Off Testing Legislation That Could Damage Industry
This report has been edited to reflect that the Arizona Dispensary Association does not support SB 1646. As patients and adult-use customers jockey for position in the long lines outside cannabis dispensaries throughout the state, dispensary owners and testing labs are struggling to adjust to the new realities of a market that saw a massive…
