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Chow: Gut Check
Tucson Restaurants and Bars Are Reopening. Do You Have Reservations?
Your Southern AZ COVID-19 PM Update for Wednesday, May 20: What We’ve Covered Today
We’ve passed the threshold, and we’re officially halfway through. Let’s see what we’ve covered today and what we look have to look forward to for the rest of the week. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona reached 14,897 as of Wednesday, May 20, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of…
University of Arizona Unveils Campus Reentry Plan
Since the University of Arizona announced they will resume in-person classes for the fall semester, President Dr. Robert Robbins has employed a team to find ways to do so as safely as possible. “Thinking about a city of 60,000 people coming back after being on pause for several months is a daunting task and we’re…
Groups step up efforts to help refugees grappling with COVID-19 fallout
PHOENIX – Sharing meals is generally frowned upon in the socially distanced, stay-at-home world of COVID-19, but one aid group is embracing the notion – figuratively, at least. “Share a Meal With a Refugee,” a program run by the Welcome to America Project, collects donated gift cards to share with refugee families, a group that…
New Alliance To Help Southern AZ Businesses Adopt Green Practices
A new business initiative created by Local First Arizona aims to help regional businesses of all sizes find ways to adopt more environmentally responsible practices and become resilient in a post-COVID-19 world. Today, Local First Arizona announced the Southern Arizona Green Business Alliance and its intention to “drive sustainability practices that help mitigate the significant…
Powwows move online to keep Indigenous communities together
PHOENIX – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, some Native Americans have found a way to safely host traditional powwows by moving them online. In many Indigenous communities, powwows are celebrations of culture in which tribes gather to share art, stories, food, song, dance and the company of one another. But the ongoing pandemic has made…
Old Tucson Reopens (With Safety Precautions) for Memorial Day Weekend
Old Tucson will welcome guests this Memorial Day weekend with new safety precautions in place. They will be open from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 22 through Monday, May 25. The outdoor entertainment venue hopes to protect public health and provide their “spirit of the Old West” experience through the use of social…
Pima County Board of Supes Will Meet Again Tomorrow To Hash Out Restaurants Regs
The Pima County Board of Supervisors yesterday delayed revising new regulations added to the county health code to help prevent a COVID-19 outbreak as the state reopens for business during the pandemic. The Board of Supervisors will meet again on Thursday, May 21, to finalize an easing of the new restrictions. The move to change…
Eller Profs: Economic Recovery to 2019 Level Could Take Until 2022
The University of Arizona has launched a new webinar series aimed at analyzing the ways COVID-19 has impacted the university, the state, and the entire world, and what our post-pandemic future might look like. In the first installment of the series, professors from the Eller College of Management discussed the varying impacts on the local…
Your Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup: Confirmed Cases Rise to 14,897; 747 People in AZ Now Dead After Contracting Virus; Pima County Supes Put Off Revising Restaurant Regs Until Tomorrow; City Buildings Closed to Public Through June 8
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona reached 14,897 as of Wednesday, May 20, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County had 1,903 confirmed cases. The coronavirus had killed 747 people statewide, including 167 in Pima County, according to the report. In Maricopa County, the number of…
Claytoonz: White Women White House
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Your Southern AZ COVID-19 PM Update for Tuesday, May 19: What We’ve Covered Today
Let’s close out this Tuesday with a look at what we covered today. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona reached 14,566, with the death toll now topping 700 as of Tuesday, May 19, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Following last week’s sold-out performance by The Tributaries,…
You Don’t Need Invasive Tech for Successful Contact Tracing. Here’s How It Works.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published. I want you to mentally prepare yourself for a phone call that you could receive sometime over the course of this pandemic: in the next few months or year. Your phone might ring,…
The Trump Administration Is Rushing Deportations of Migrant Children During Coronavirus
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published. This article is co-published with The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan local newsroom that informs and engages with Texans. The girls, 8 and 11, were alone in a rented room in a dangerous…
Downtown Tucson Partnership’s ‘Purple People’ test negative for COVID-19
Downtown Tucson Partnership’s Clean and Safe Team are COVID-19-free after undergoing tests provided by El Rio Health, the organization announced Tuesday. All 23 members of the group were tested last Thursday. The team, affectionately known as the “Purple People,” provides security and maintenance services to the Business Improvement District downtown. The group also acts as…
UPDATE (Found): Sheriff looking for missing vulnerable adult on Tucson’s north side
Martin Valenzuela was located Monday night around 9 p.m. in the area of East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue. He is recovering in a local hospital and being treated for possible dehydration, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. ORIGINAL STORY: The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is looking for any information leading to the…
Register now for Tucson Museum of Art summer camp
If you have a child at home who is waiting to break out of isolation and have a little fun this summer, look no further than the Tucson Museum of Art’s art camp—registration for which is now open. The camp is designed for young artists aged 5 to 13 and is inspired by the permanent…
Gaslight Music Hall expanding drive-in concert to two shows this week
Following last week’s sold-out performance by The Tributaries, the Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley is expanding this week’s drive-in concert to two shows. This Wednesday, May 20, and Thursday, May 21, the music hall will host FLG Frank Lopez Group – A Tribute to Santana. The Tucson-based band is composed of musicians dedicated to…
Your Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Tuesday, May 19: Board of Supes to Revisit New Health Regulations; Libraries Have Reopened; Confirmed Cases in AZ Reach 14,566; Death Toll Tops 700
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona reached 14,566, with the death toll now topping 700 as of Tuesday, May 19, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County had 1,888 confirmed cases. The coronavirus had killed 704 people statewide, including 158 in Pima County, according to the…
Claytoonz: Sucky Medical Advice
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Your Southern AZ COVID-19 PM Update for Monday, May 18: What We’ve Covered Today
As Monday comes to a close, let’s take a look at some of the stories we covered for you today. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona topped 14,000 as of Monday, May 18, jumping by more than 1,000 cases since Friday, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.…
The Living Breathing debut music video for ‘Take It Easy’
Tucson rock band The Living Breathing recently released a music video for their song “Take It Easy,” which was originally released on their 2019 album What Is Me? The song is a standout track from their second album, showing off many of The Living Breathing’s strengths: a mellow combination of rock and folk, uplifting melodies,…
Tumamoc Hill reopening Memorial Day
Hikers will be required to wear face masks and stay at least six feet apart from other visitors to Tumamoc Hill once the popular outdoor attraction reopens Memorial Day, next Monday, May 25. The University of Arizona announced the change, which will include new arrows along the path spaced 10 feet apart in order to…
Despite bankruptcy, JCPenney reopening Tucson Store
Despite news of a filing for bankruptcy protection and a national pandemic, JCPenney will reopen its Tucson store Wednesday, May 20, the company announced Monday. “We are thrilled to welcome our associates and customers back to JCPenney in Tucson, and our top priority remains on the health and safety of our associates, customers, and communities,”…
Crest Insurance donates to Community Food Bank
The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona recently received a leg up from Crest Insurance in the form of a $35,000 check. The funding will towards meeting an increasing need for emergency food supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are working as hard as we can to get food to people in the community,” said…
“Immune to Evidence”: How Dangerous Coronavirus Conspiracies Spread
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Stephan Lewandowsky studies the way people think, and in particular, why they engage in conspiracy theories. So when the cognitive scientist from England’s University of Bristol observes wild speculation related to the COVID-19…
Public Allowed to Attend Tomorrow’s Board Of Supervisors Meeting
The Pima County Board of Supervisors are allowing the public to attend and speak at tomorrow’s meeting but attendees will need to follow new COVID-19 guidelines. Participants will need to undergo a wellness check and sanitize their hands before entering the hearing room. Anyone who has a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher or exhibits COVID-19…
As if firefighting wasn’t dangerous enough, crews grapple with COVID-19
TEMPE – As if fighting fires wasn’t dangerous enough, firefighters now have to worry about COVID-19 while they’re on the job, making for what fire officials say will be the “most challenging season we’re going to have.” Strategies to check the spread of the disease include everything from avoiding eating together in large mess halls…
Another Private Jet Company Owned by a Trump Donor Got a Bailout — This One for $20 Million
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published. An Omaha, Nebraska-based private jet company whose principal owner donated generously to Donald Trump and Republicans ahead of the 2016 election received $20 million in taxpayer aid from the federal bailout package passed…
Tool shows what many know: State communities at high risk for wildfire
PHOENIX – If there’s any doubt that wildfire poses a high risk to property in Arizona, the U.S. Forest Service would like to paint a different picture – in blazing reds and flaming yellows. Those colors blanket the state in a tool the service released last month that attempts to show wildfire risk to communities…
Substitute Pharmacists Warn Their Co-Workers: We’ll Probably Bring the Virus to You
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published. He joined Walgreens around a decade ago, fresh out of pharmacy school and eager to learn. Like many new grads, he started as a floater — a substitute for employees who call out…
Your Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Monday, May 18: AZ Cases Top 14K; 686 Now Dead After Contracting Virus; Board of Supes To Revisit New Restaurant Regs; Libraries Reopening Today
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona topped 14,000 as of Monday, May 18, jumping by more than 1,000 cases since Friday, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County had 1,825 of the state’s 14,170 confirmed cases. The coronavirus had killed 686 people statewide, including 157 in…
Claytoonz: (P)oodles of Corruption
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Your Southern AZ COVID-19 PM Update for Friday, May 15: What We’ve Covered Today
Happy Friday, and Congratulations to the University of Arizona Class of 2020! Here are the stories we covered today: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona topped 13,000 as of Friday, May 15, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Fast-Med Urgent Care has announced that the healthcare centers…
Running Through the Outbreak: Joggers Lose the Social Connections of Major Races, Weekly Gatherings
Although Gov. Doug Ducey has allowed gyms to reopen this week, runners who enjoy the social aspect of group activities will likely have to wait longer before they see an opportunity to join an organized pack. While it hasn’t been hard to see runners jogging solo or in pairs through Arizona’s stay-at-home order, there are…
GOP State Lawmakers Seek To Overturn Pima County’s Emergency Rules on Restaurants, Other Biz
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 along party lines this week to update health code regulations for restaurants and bars to reduce transmission of COVID-19, but three state lawmakers are asking the Arizona Attorney General’s Office to step in and force the county to rescind the rules. State Sen. Vince Leach and state…
A Trump Official Tried to Fast-Track Funding for His Friend’s Unproven COVID-19 “Treatment,” Whistleblower Says
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Last November, Rick Bright, then the director of a federal office that approves funding for medical emergencies, sat in on a meeting between his boss and two men — a pharmaceutical and biotech…
Tucson on Forbes ’10 Cities Best Positioned To Recover From Coronavirus’
On Tuesday, May 12, Forbes published a list detailing the 10 US cities best poised to economically recover from coronavirus – as well as the 10 worst. While the list was not ranked, Tucson landed among those best positioned to recover, which share traits like being college towns, tech hubs, and having fast growth pre-coronavirus.…
The Trump Administration Says a New Bailout Program Will Help 35 Million Americans. It Probably Won’t.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Within a few weeks, the Federal Reserve will start a $600 billion lending program that the Trump administration says will help 40,000 midsized businesses that employ 35 million Americans. The Main Street Lending…
Fast-Med Urgent Care Opens Two Testing Centers in Tucson
Fast-Med Urgent Care has announced that the healthcare centers have two locations open for COVID-19 testing in Tucson. The locations are 2510 E. Broadway Blvd. and 1895 W. Valencia Road, suite 101. Both of these locations will now be able to test you if you suspect you have COVID-19. They do ask that you follow…
Your Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Friday, May 15: Last Day of State’s Stay-at-Home Order; Mayor Romero Says Gov. Ducey Is Moving Too Fast To Reopen State; AZ’s Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Top 13K; Death Toll Rises To 651
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona topped 13,000 as of Friday, May 15, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. ‹ Pima County had 1,750 of the state’s 13,169 confirmed cases. The coronavirus had killed 651 people statewide, including 155 in Pima County, according to the report. In…
Claytoonz: Sniveling Corona Cowards
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Your Southern AZ COVID-19 PM Update for Thursday, May 14: What We’ve Covered Today
That’s another Thursday in the books. Here are some of the stories we’ve covered today. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona reached 12,674 of Thursday, May 14, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Casa Video and Film Bar is open for business for the first time since…
Dr. Bob Clarifies New Health Code Enforcement and Lack of PPE for Reopening Businesses in New Video
Dr. Bob England, director of the Pima County Health Department, clarified how the county health department would enforce the new guidelines approved by the Pima County Board of Supervisors yesterday. “We are not going to have people sitting in the bushes while you eat,” Dr. Bob said. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about our…
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero: “The Governor Is Moving Too Quickly” on Reopening AZ
Today’s updates, criteria for reopening Tucson, Move Tucson Virtual Townhall, and more. Pima County Health Department Recommendations:https://t.co/8oEiQOZM1A Move Tucson Virtual Townhall: https://t.co/4upNOAzdMC pic.twitter.com/XHNcoqCVP3 — Regina Romero (@TucsonRomero) May 14, 2020 Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said today that Gov. Doug Ducey is moving too quickly by allowing the state’s stay-at-home order to expire after tomorrow, Romero’s…
Oro Valley Finalizing Contract with New Golf Course Operator
Oro Valley is bringing in a new company to manage the town-owned golf courses. Billy Casper Golf will take over management from Troon Golf within the next 90 days. It’s the latest twist in the town’s management of the golf course, which has been a major controversy since the Oro Valley Town Council agreed to…
No pressing the flesh, but candidates learn to campaign under COVID-19
TEMPE – In any other election year, Eva Putzova would be driving across Arizona’s sprawling 1st District to get to in-person campaign events in her challenge to Rep. Tom O’Halleran, D-Sedona. But this is not any other election year. Faced with the stay-home orders and social distancing brought on by the coronavirus, Putzova and her…
Trump’s Lawyers Argue for “Temporary Presidential Immunity”
Stay up to date with WNYC and ProPublica’s investigations into the president’s business practices. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday, via teleconference, about the power to investigate the president. President Donald Trump has objected to subpoenas for his tax returns and other financial records. New York City prosecutors have demanded the documents as…
Parks and trails in Arizona to continue safety measures amid stay-at-home order extension
PHOENIX – Arizona’s outdoors continue to be a source of solace and relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Grand Canyon National Park, Saguaro National Park and other national sites remain closed, state parks, the Phoenix Mountains Preserve and other popular hiking spots remain open with some restrictions. Gov. Doug Ducey deemed outdoor recreation essential in…
Guest Commentary: Voting by Mail, Your Life May Depend On It
Tucson City Councilman represents Ward 5. The Weekly welcomes guest commentaries from elected officials, candidates for office and anyone with something important to say. Send yours to executive editor Jim Nintzel at jimn@tucsonlocalmedia.com. Richard Fimbres is the Councilmember for Tucson’s Ward 5. This nation is facing a health crisis, with the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than…
Supervisors Temporarily Ease Regulations on Outdoor Dining for Unincorporated County
The Pima County Board of Supervisors adopted a set of temporary regulations to help restaurant owners expand their outside dining area while under new indoor occupancy restrictions during Wednesday’s emergency meeting. The county’s new temporary regulations allow restaurants in the unincorporated areas “to use outdoor spaces for additional customer service, including the use of portions of…
CVS Opens Three Drive-Thru COVID Test Sites In Tucson
Starting on Friday, May 15, CVS Health will be operating three new drive-thru testing sites in the Tucson area as part of a nationwide response to COVID-19. The locations are at 3832 East Speedway, 8920 East Tanque Verde Road and 10650 North Oracle Road in Oro Valley. These new sites will utilize self-swab tests as…
Your Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup: Confirmed Cases in AZ Reach 12,674; Death Toll Tops 600; Stay-at-Home Order Expires Tomorrow; Gyms, Movie Theaters Can Reopen; Pima Supes Create New Restaurant Regs; DM Flyover Today Salutes Healthcare Workers
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona reached 12,674 of Thursday, May 14, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. ‹ Pima County had 1,696 confirmed cases. The coronavirus had killed 624 people statewide, including 152 in Pima County, according to the report. In Maricopa County, the number of…
Claytoonz: Acceptable Answers
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Editor’s Note
Curve Balls
Southern Arizona Weekly COVID-19 Roundup
This week in COVID-19 News
Danehy
Tom really, really misses sports, and esports don’t count.
The Dark Arts
“Woman-Ochre” won’t be coming back to Tucson any time soon.
MMJ: Crickets for Cannabis
When the state enters crisis mode, priorities become clear
