Cover Story
Christian Charity: The Sunday Morning WORKship aids people experiencing homelessness in the pandemic
For many, Sunday is a day of worship. At Z Mansion, it’s a day for WORKship. WORKship is a non-profit organization that provides food, clothing, pet care, harm reduction equipment and medical care to individuals experiencing homelessness in Tucson. It is run by the Hill family on their property which is also a wedding venue…
Unfinished Arizona border barriers harm environment, National Park Service, area ranchers say
ORGAN PIPE CACTUS NATIONAL MONUMENT – Replanted saguaros stand like sentinels along a wide access road and a towering, 30-foot bollard barrier that’s part of construction ordered by then-President Donald Trump. But farther along the border, the new barrier ends, the road is incomplete, construction materials lay scattered and uprooted plants have long since died.…
Arizona plans to use gas chamber again, sparking revulsion, disbelief
WASHINGTON – Reports that Arizona is preparing to execute death row inmates with gas similar to what was used in the Holocaust have brought responses ranging from “concerned” to “horrified,” but the most common reaction was disbelief. “What were they thinking?” asked Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, in response to…
Tucson halts operations at water plant threatened by toxic chemical
WASHINGTON – Tucson officials said they will indefinitely suspend operations at one of the city’s water treatment plants to keep it from being overwhelmed by an underground toxic chemical plume. City officials assured residents in a news conference Tuesday that water from the Tucson Airport Remediation Project treatment plant is safe, and that the decision to…
Three, two, one … Arizona high schools to weigh adopting a shot clock for basketball
PHOENIX — Mo [image-1] st youth who have played basketball at the park or in their driveway have likely done this: pretended to hit a high-stakes shot as the buzzer sounds. That could happen more often during Arizona high school basketball games if the state moves forward with a 35-second shot clock. The National Federation…
Arizona secretary of state, former TV anchor and others join 2022 governor race
TEMPE – Candidates are lining up to become Arizona’s next governor in 2022, when Republican Doug Ducey terms out under state law. Last week, two prominent women joined the race: Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who has gained national prominence defending the state’s 2020 election, wants to be the Democratic candidate, and former news anchor…
Long-running feud leaves two Catalina neighbors dead
A long-simmering neighborhood feud turned deadly in the Catalina area on Friday, June 4, leading to two deaths, including the shooter, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Jose Carlos Valdez, 60, was shot and killed, and deputies later found the apparent shooter, Benjamin Jacinto, 72, dead of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. The Pima County Sheriff’s…
Cities wait, worry over state budget that poses ‘huge hit’ to revenues
WASHINGTON – With less than four weeks remaining in this fiscal year, local governments in Arizona are anxiously watching state budget negotiations that they fear could end up delivering a “huge hit” to city and town finances. At issue in the stalled budget negotiations is a proposal to lower the state income tax to an…
Uber, DoorDash settle Arizona claim, end breaks for Black businesses
WASHINGTON – Uber Eats, Postmates and DoorDash said they will no longer waive delivery fees for customers who order from Black-owned restaurants in Arizona, to settle charges by the state that the deals violated the Arizona Civil Rights Act. The agreement, announced Wednesday, settles a claim by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office that waiving fees…
Scratchers, Zoo Tickets, Restaurant Gift Cards: Vaccine Incentives Continue This Weekend
The DiamondBacks in partnership with the state and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona will hold a family vaccination event at Chase Field today, Saturday, June 5. Families can receive Pfizer for ages 12 and up and will have the opportunity to run the bases and take family photos on the field. They can set…
Pima County Sheriff: Shooter reported near Catalina; avoid the area
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office is asking people to avoid the Catalina area because they have a suspected shooter barricaded. Residents are asked to find alternate routes near Coronado Sunset Drive and Coronado View. No further details are available.
Eviction prevention event slated for Tuesday
Pima County residents in danger of being evicted can get help and resources at a Tuesday event. The Amphi Coalition and Pima County’s One-Stop will hold an Eviction Prevention Resource Fair from 8 a.m. to noon at Literacy Connects, 200 E. Yavapai Road. In addition to rent and utility assistance, more than 25 organizations will…
TMC to host vaccination party
Still haven’t gotten your COVID vaccine? TMC hopes its vaccination party will convince you to finally get it done. Tucson Medical Center and Pima County will host a free Vaccine Fiesta on Saturday for those 12 and older. The party will offer entertainment, prizes, games and food for those who get their shots from 9…
A Dream at Arm’s Length: Musician Brian Berggoetz gathers the good from last year on ‘Wildflower’
Brian Berggoetz can lay claim to something few can: He had a good 2020. Though the past year gave the Tucson songwriter his fair share of difficulty, it also provided ample time for music and the inspiration to write his first official solo album. Berggoetz fronts the Brian Berggoetz Band, which plays a blend of…
Female Gaze: This year’s Mujeres, Mujeres, Mujeres exhibit tackles old injustices in a virtual gallery
For centuries, the Akimel O’odham—the River People—lived on the banks of the Gila River. The bountiful river attracted birds of all kinds, and its waters irrigated the Akimel’s crops—corn, beans and squash and, eventually, white winter wheat. The river provided them with food to eat and wares to sell; by the 19th century they were…
Flattening the Curve, Finally: UA COVID researcher: ‘We’re past the worst of it in Arizona’
It may be hard to imagine a time when 20 confirmed COVID cases in the entire state was newsworthy, but thanks to the diligence of an associate professor out of the University of Arizona, the public can look back on weekly reports tracking how the virus spread throughout Arizona. Joe Gerald, PhD, who works in…
Editor’s Note: Shelter from the storm
With temperatures rising, it’s getting increasingly challenging to live without shelter in Tucson—and that’s without addressing the challenges of the novel coronavirus. This week, UA student Davina Dobbins brings us a story about how some folks, motivated by their Christian faith and a desire to help others, have embraced a Sunday WORKship session to provide…
Tucson Salvage: Meet Dar: Playing with Infinity
“When I was 12 I had a download,” she says, lifting her hands above her head and pulling them slowly down, “I was going to live where the big cactuses and cowboys and Indians are.” So she hitchhiked across the U.S.A., head crammed with glossy girl dreams born of an Arizona Highways subscription she’d procured…
Let’s make some noise: A Quiet Place II is worth a return to the theater
A Quiet Place Part II hits theaters after a 14-month pandemic delay, and three years since theatergoers had their initial, oddly silent experience in a theater watching the scrappy Abbott family deal with malicious alien monsters that attack based on sound. Writer-director John Krasinski made a fun feature helming debut, albeit one filled with all…
Threadbare suit: Lawmaker threatens legal action against recall proponents
State Rep. Mark Finchem sent a “cease and desist” order to the group petitioning for his recall, threatening to sue the group for defamation. The Republican, who represents District 11, faces a recall by Rural Arizonans for Accountability, a group of his district’s constituents, for spreading voter fraud conspiracy theories and his ties to the…
The Skinny: Ducey’s giveaway to the rich stalls at the Arizona Legislature—for now
A few Republican holdouts managed to stop Gov. Doug Ducey from achieving his dream of massively cutting taxes for his rich pals while simultaneously ensuring cities and towns will be hamstrung from providing government services in the future. We refer, of course, to Ducey’s mad scheme to shove through a flat income tax with virtually…
Ruled Out: Draft of Social Equity Rules Hits Sour Note With Pot Activists
A handful of cannabis activists led by Julie Gunnigle, Arizona NORML’s director for politics and civic engagement, showed up at the Capitol last week to protest proposed rules governing the distribution of 26 social equity licenses, one of the key selling points of Prop 207 that legalized marijuana in Arizona. At issue is a perceived…
City Week: Weekly Picks
Kingfisher Road Trip. Oh, this is a true rite of summer, and we are so glad it’s back this year at the Kingfisher! This six-week virtual tour features cuisines from six distinct regions of the U.S., so you can feel like you’re traveling across the country even if you won’t be going on any trips…
Safe to come out: As long as you’re vaccinated, experts say you can resume most of your old activities
Almost as fast as the nation entered quarantine more than a year ago, businesses and governments are now lifting mask mandates and COVID restrictions. Last month, the CDC announced those who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, except where required by state or local rules.…
