Overcoming vaccine doubts, fears requires outreach and education, experts say
PHOENIX – As the daughter of a medical technician, Hanna Hyland was raised to put her faith in science. But Hyland, 18, also was raised as a person of color in a country with a health care system marred by historic instances of racism. When it comes to deciding whether to get vaccinated against COVID-19…
Banner Hospitals Expanding Elective Surgeries; Hospitals Remain Overwhelmed with Patients
While COVID-19 cases have declined for the second week in a row, the top clinical leader of Arizona’s largest hospital system warns the state’s medical facilities remain overloaded. Banner Health’s Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Marjorie Bessel said 44% of Arizona’s hospitalized patients have COVID-19 while 60% of ICU hospitalizations are for coronavirus patients. The state’s…
Hughes Credit Union offers $1,000 scholarships to HS seniors
Graduating high school seniors could get some financial help for college, thanks to Hughes Credit Union. Any local senior, who is a primary member of Hughes and entering a college, university, trade school or certification program in the fall, can apply for one of 10 $1,000 scholarships in Hughes’ 16th Annual Scholarship Program. Applicants will…
Tucson Mayor Proposes Appointing Ex-Ward 3 Councilmember Uhlich To Complete Paul Durham’s Term
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero has proposed replacing Council Member Paul Durham with former Ward 3 Councilmember Karin Uhlich, who served three terms on the council between 2005 and 2017, when she decided against seeking reelection. Durham announced earlier this week that he would resign on March 1 rather than complete the final year of his…
Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Wednesday, Feb. 3: State looking at opening 24-hour vaccine site in Pima County; Vaccine now available in Marana
With 2,296 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases surpassed 767,000 as of Wednesday, Feb. 3, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County, which reported 392 new cases today, has seen 102,712 of the state’s 767,379 confirmed cases. A total number of 13,576 Arizonans have died…
AZ Secretary of State calls for expanded voting rights, blasts GOP election proposals
WASHINGTON – Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said the 2020 elections “challenged our democracy in ways we’ve never seen before” but that officials still managed to deliver a safe, secure election with record-breaking turnout in the midst of a pandemic. Hobbs, speaking as part of a panel of election officials Tuesday, also blasted what…
Vaccination sites opening in Marana, Oro Valley for those 75+; scheduling has begun
MHC Healthcare is currently scheduling COVID-19 vaccine appointments for those above 75 in the Marana and Oro Valley areas. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, appointments will take place at MHC Healthcare Marana Main Health Center at 13395 N. Marana Main St. Beginning this week, vaccinations will take place every Thursday at the James D. Kriegh…
State Plans 24-hour Vaccine Site in Pima County
After some communication troubles between Pima County and the state, Arizona Department of Health Services Director Cara Christ said plans are the works to set up a 24-hour vaccination site in the county. Although County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry has requested the state’s help in setting up a 24-hour point of distribution site at Rillito Park,…
Local restaurants earn ‘City of Gastronomy’ certifications
Tucson has proudly sported its “City of Gastronomy” designation from the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization since 2015. And while this designation celebrates the entire region’s unique and influential food culture, individual restaurants are also earning designations for their role in local cuisine. The Tucson City of Gastronomy is a nonprofit organization that…
Pima County Makes Progress with Limited Vaccine Supply
Pima County has administered 114,165 COVID-19 vaccines as of Feb. 1 but has only completed 18,691 series of the two doses needed to be fully immunized. This week, the county’s vaccine allocation from the state rose to 165,950, up from 140,425 doses last week, according to Arizona Department of Health Services data. While Pima County…
Pima County Library names Gregory McNamee as Writer In Residence
Twice a year, the Pima County Public Library selects a local writer in residence to teach writing workshops and hold office hours for the community. For the upcoming spring semester, PCPL has selected Gregory McNamee, a local writer, photographer and journalist who has released multiple books on the culture and history of Arizona. McNamee’s selection…
Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Tuesday, Feb. 2: 238 New Deaths; Cases on a Decline but AZ Remains Nation’s Hot Spot; Variant Strains Remain a Concern
With fewer than 3,000 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases surpassed 765,000 as of Tuesday, Feb. 2, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County, which reported 504 new cases today, has seen 102,320 of the state’s 765,083 confirmed cases. The death toll jumped by 238…
Vaccinating the homeless: Some have received doses, others await their turn
LOS ANGELES — Clayton Foster was living out of his car when he contracted COVID-19. The 67-year-old knew he faced higher risks of death or severe outcomes during the pandemic because of his chronic heart and bladder conditions, but for Foster and thousands of other homeless people across the Southwest, it’s been hard to protect…
Your Cinema Update: Two Movies: One Good, One Not So Good
A lot of great performances in two films released to cinemas this week. One of those films is very good, the other falls short. Read below to find out which one is the winner… SUPERNOVA Now playing at Roadhouse Cinemas and Harkins, Tucson. Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci make for 2020’s most endearing and convincing…
UA to Deliver 800 COVID-19 Vaccines a Day This Week
The University of Arizona has delivered 5,810 COVID-19 vaccines after opening as one of Pima County’s five points of distribution, according to the university’s President Dr. Robert C. Robbins. The POD is targeted toward educators and childcare providers, and Robbins estimates it can deliver 800 shots per day this week while it’s open Monday through…
Tucson City Councilman Paul Durham Resigns
Tucson City Councilman Paul Durham, who was first elected in 2017, is resigning from the job. “Representing the constituents of Ward 3 has been a profound privilege,” Durham wrote in his letter of resignation. “However, in order to attend to personal matters, I am now compelled to resign from my position as the Ward 3…
Arizona COVID-19 Cases Decline for 2nd Straight Week; State Still Tops Transmission List
COVID-19 cases have decreased in Arizona for the second week in a row, but the state remains the nation’s highest for transmission of the virus. CDC data shows Arizona’s average transmission rate is at 75 daily cases per 100,000 population. The state has held the first or second spot through most of January. The week…
Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Monday, Feb. 1: Pima County Has Delivered More Than 112K Vaccine Doses to Residents; Fewer Patients in Hospitals but Numbers Remain High; Variant Strains Raising Worries
With nearly 14,000 new cases reported since Friday, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases surpassed 762,000 as of Monday, Feb. 1, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County, which reported 504 new cases today, has seen 101,961 of the state’s 762,145 confirmed cases. A total of 13,124 Arizonans have…
Biden ban on new private prison contracts will not reach ICE detainees
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden’s order that the Justice Department stop contracting with private prisons could eventually affect thousands of inmates – but not the roughly 3,000 immigrants being held in private facilities in Arizona. Biden said Tuesday that his executive order is part of an effort to promote racial equity and is needed to “stop…
COVID-19 forces Arizona community college baseball to prepare differently for spring season
PHOENIX – Anthony Gilich remembers March 16, 2020, the day when the National Junior College Athletic Association announced it was canceling the remainder of the spring sports seasons because of COVID-19. The Central Arizona College baseball coach, now in his seventh year, had to tell his players something he never thought he would have to…
Judge Denies Pima County’s Challenge to Resume Curfew
A judge has rejected Pima County’s efforts to reinstate its mandatory curfew that was temporarily halted after it was challenged by local bars. A group of Tucson bars sued the county for the harm they faced from the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and was granted a preliminary injunction on Jan. 19 preventing the…
Pima County Delivers 95K COVID-19 Doses; Officials Need More To Vaccinate 65 and Older
In a matter of days, Pima County is on track to pass the paradoxical intersection of administering 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines after surpassing 100,000 coronavirus cases today. On Thursday, the county administered 94,370 doses and reported 100,272 coronavirus cases Friday, according to Arizona Department of Health Services data. “Our vaccination plan was really designed to increase…
Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Friday, Jan. 29: AZ Death Toll Tops 13K; Pima County Tops 100K Cases; State Closes in on 750K cases; Hospitals Remain Under Pressure
With 5,028 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases surpassed closed in on 750,000 as of Friday, Jan. 29, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County, which reported 698 new cases today, clearing the six-figure threshold, having seen 100,272 of the state’s 748,260 confirmed cases. A…
The deadliest year: Overall death toll grew by 25% in Arizona in 2020
WASHINGTON – Total deaths in Arizona rose 25% in 2020 over the previous year, with some counties seeing increases approaching 50% for the year in which COVID-19 became the leading killer in the state. While data on the causes of death is not expected until later this year, experts attribute the “exceptional increase” in deaths…
Recreational Weed Now on Sale at Desert Bloom Re-Leaf Center Dispensary
A second Tucson dispensary is now offering recreational weed for sale to adults 21 and over. Desert Bloom Re-Leaf Center, 8060 E. 22nd St., opened to recreational sales yesterday. Desert Bloom, which carries a wide range of flower, edibles, concentrates, lotions and similar products, follows midtown dispensary Harvest, which began recreational sales last Friday. Other…
December Job Recovery Rates Slow Trend, Eller Economic Report Shows
As the spread of COVID-19 forced social distancing policies and widespread business closures, many have lost their jobs since the virus reached Arizona in January 2020. December saw the smallest gain in employment since recovery began in May, with only 900 jobs added across the state, according to the latest data analyzed by George Hammond,…
Barking Mad: A Statement from The Werewolf Party On Werewolf Derangement Syndrome
The Werewolf Party’s leaders want you to know the werewolf must be left in his lair, undisturbed. There’s no way the werewolf will ever be a threat again because he’s learned his lesson and full moons are hoaxes and don’t really transform him into a bloodthirsty canid. Not a problem. Go out and shop, spend…
Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Thursday, Jan. 28: Pima County Nearly at 100K Total Cases; Banner Chief Warns AZ Death Toll Likely To Surpass 18K by May; Total Number of Cases in State Surpasses 743K
With 4,671 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases surpassed 743,000 as of Thursday, Jan. 28, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County, which reported 698 new cases today, has seen 99,441 of the state’s 743,232 confirmed cases. A total of 12,819 Arizonans have died after…
All in the Family: Three Generations of Wyeths on Display at Tucson Museum of Art
Brandywine Creek meanders through one of the most beautiful landscapes in the country. Flowing past the rural town of Chadds Ford, 25 miles west of Philadelphia, the stream curves through woods, meadows, hills and farms, impossibly green in summer and blindingly white in winter. This land is also chock-a-block with American history. It was the…
Editor’s Note: Just Deserts
You might know ethnobotanist and author Gary Paul Nabhan from his work founding Native Seeds/SEARCH, the massive seed bank that preserves all manner of indigenous plant variants to ensure future genetic diversity as corporate farming operations embrace monoculture. You might know him from his work as science director at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, or his…
Excerpt from The Nature of Desert Nature: A Deep History of Everything that Sticks, Stinks, Stings, Sings, Swings, Springs, or Clings in Arid Landscapes
Our deepest knowledge of most places in which we have lived and loved—a landscape or the edge of a seascape—may well come to us in waves. Yet, what if our recognition of desert nature comes to us in dowsing splashes, hot flashes, or sharp-edged gashes? Perhaps our recognition of what a desert is or can…
Tucson Salvage: Portrait of the old moccasin seller
The COVID pandemic is one certainty that has mortally wounded Steve Osborne’s world. A lesser certainty is recalled in the bewildered timbre of a car-accident survivor: On Christmas Eve, Osborne said goodbye to his few employees, locked the door to his shop, stepped into his car and drove off toward home, overworked and dehydrated. He…
Flowering Market: Recreational Cannabis Sales Begin Weeks Sooner Than Expected
In a move that gave local cannabis watchers—and many dispensary owners—a serious case of whiplash, the Arizona Department of Health Services gave the green-light to recreational pot sales last week, catching a lot of people in the industry off guard. Harvest Enterprises, Inc., founded by CEO and Tempe native Steve White, had the first-ever Arizona…
The Skinny: Oddball Oro Valley lawmaker abandons Twitter, embraces honey badger as spirit totem on something called Gab
State Rep. and Old-West cosplay aficionado Mark Finchem has always been one of the nuttier lawmakers at the Capitol, what with his bills to make gold legal tender, his links to far-right organizations such as the Oath Keepers and the Coalition of Western States, and his peculiar fashion choices. But Donald Trump’s loss in the…
