

Cover Story
Outpouring of Optimism: Local venues scheduling shows and opening their doors
Hamilton is on its way. That’s proof that the arts are coming back. Or so we hope. The highly prized musical, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is scheduled to play in Tucson from Nov. 17 to Dec. 5, this year, at Centennial Hall. The hip-hop/jazz/R&B musical about the early years of the American Republic has been…
Arizona’s current historic drought may be ‘baseline for the future’
WASHINGTON – Arizona and other Western states just lived through the driest year in more than a century, with no drought relief in sight in the near future, experts told a House panel Tuesday. The period from last April to this March was the driest in the last 126 years for Arizona and other Western states,…
Do voting laws protect or restrict access? House echoes state debate
WASHINGTON – They came with studies, they came with polls, they came with statistics. And after more than two hours of a congressional hearing Monday, they walked away no closer to agreeing on how voting restrictions affect ballot access. Democratic and Republican members of the House Administration Committee stuck largely to their talking points during…
Fox Theatre announces return to live shows
The return of live music has been a vague hope for more than a year, but downtown’s Fox Theatre now has a date: Thursday, Aug. 19, will see country band The Mavericks take the Fox stage and kick off its 2021/22 live performance season. “This is a bit of a teaser of what is to…
One for the aged: Is Mickelson’s victory at 50 sign of things to come in sports?
PHOENIX – As Missy Farr-Kaye watched her friend Phil Mickelson master the PGA Championship, the Arizona State women’s golf coach said what everyone was thinking: “He is a fountain of youth right now.” The legendary lefty and Arizona State alumnus became the oldest golfer to win a major at 50, capturing the PGA Championship Sunday.…
Affordable Care Act sign-ups continued surge in Arizona, U.S. in April
PHOENIX – Health care coverage in Arizona under the Affordable Care Act is at its highest level in three years, as enrollment continued to climb in April during a special open enrollment period, according to the latest government data. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported that 17,081 Arizonans had selected insurance plans for…
eegee’s Opening ‘Prototype’ Location at Irvington, I-19
On Tuesday, eegee’s will open a new prototype location in South Tucson that will feature an “eegee-only” drive-thru window. The new location is at the Landing shopping area, 4765 S. Landing Center Dr., near Interstate 19 and Irvington Road. The new 2,200 square-foot space will feature a full drive-thru with a walk-up order window and garage…
This week’s Pima County vaccination sites
Here are this week’s vaccination sites in Pima County. For more information, head to the Pima County COVID-19 information site. If you know of other sites we’ve missed, please send an email to mtruelsen@timespublications.com. No appointment needed Monday, May 23 – Tuesday, May 25 COPE Community Services, 5401 E. 5th Street, 10 a.m. – 8…
Arizona Health Director Says It’s OK To Waste a Little Vaccine If More People Get Vaccinated
The Arizona Department of Health Services is asking health care providers, especially pediatricians, to prioritize vaccinations over the fear of vaccine wastage. ADHS Director Dr. Cara Christ said they had heard that some providers may be fearful of opening a bottle to pull out a couple of doses when they may not have to use…
‘Last responders’ answer the call to bury the dead in a year of unprecedented tragedy
Editor’s Note: Cronkite News photographer Alberto Mariani spent several months documenting the work at Peace Chapel Funeral Home. This story contains images that some may find graphic. PHOENIX – At 10 p.m. no words are spoken, but a loud buzz reverberates throughout Peace Chapel Funeral Home. It’s the rhythmic beat of an embalming machine pumping…
Zack Snyder Gets Carried Away Again With Latest Zombie Flick…But You’ll Have Some Fun With It.
MOVIE REVIEW: ARMY OF THE DEAD NOW PLAYING AT HARKINS TUCSON SPECTRUM 18 (AND STREAMING ON NETFLIX) Zack Snyder returns to his zombie roots with Army of the Dead, a typically bloated, sometimes slow affair that, nonetheless, delivers the goods if you are a zombie genre fan. Just as his Snyder cut of Justice League…
Daniel Hernandez Joins Congressional District 2 Race
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Blue and Red: Desert Heart, Mountain Soul traces the Southwest with a blend of Americana
Bluegrass music hails from the rolling hills of Kentucky, but fans of Chris Brashear and Peter McLaughlin know the musical style fits quite well between saguaros and canyon walls. The duo’s latest collaboration, “Desert Heart, Mountain Soul,” combines a variety of rustic and lonesome songs into a musical map of the American Southwest: creosote, pastures,…
City Week: Weekly Picks
Cat Bingo. Need a last-minute Friday evening activity? Look no further than Cat Bingo, the game you didn’t know you needed. Just head on over to our adorably cozy local cat lounge, El Jefe, for an evening among the kitties. There are only 12 spots available for this event, so make your reservation now. You’ll…
Sniff Test: Local startup studies the science behind freshening dog breath
We ask our dogs a lot of questions, and oftentimes “Who’s a good boy?” is second only to “Oh no, what did you eat?” Oro Valley’s bioscience industry has gained a new member with uPetsia, a University of Arizona startup that has developed a bacteria strain to quell bad breath in dogs. uPetsia’s technology was developed…
Editor’s Note: Setting the Stage
The pandemic hammered a lot of sectors over the last year, but it’s safe to say that the performing arts was one of the hardest hit. The very nature of the business, whether it’s screaming guitars in the Rialto or a Shakespeare production at the Temple of Music and Art, involved bringing people together in…
Quick Bites
Flying Aprons Pizza Class Flying Aprons, Tucson’s own teacher-chefs, are hosting an event where you can learn about pizzas inside and out: forming crusts, balancing flavors, and even using a pizza peel and pizza stone. Flying Aprons is partnering with Zio Peppe owner and pizza master Mat Cable (interviewed on page 12), who will discuss…
Pie Eyed: Zio Peppe fuses classic Italian with flavors of the Southwest
All it took to connect the Rillito River to the Mediterranean Sea was a shared respect for Old World wisdom and an abiding love of hometown, plus a little inspiration from Uncle Joe. This confluence of culinary cultures is now on display at Zio Peppe, a new restaurant co-owned by Tucson natives and longtime chefs…
White on Green A conversation with Arizona cannabis mogul Steve White
The sale of Harvest Health & Recreation to Florida’s Trulieve in a deal said to be worth $2.1 billion has created the largest marijuana company in the U.S., with a combined 126 dispensaries and operations in 11 states. Harvest has 39 operating shops in five states, including one in Tucson at 2734 E. Grant Road,…
The Skinny: Big Lie Gets Bigger: Maricopa County GOP officials call Cyber Ninja crew ‘grifters and con men,’ say they are done with election audit nonsense
The Skinny spilled a lot of ink on the Arizona Senate’s ridiculous “audit” of the 2020 election in Maricopa County last week, noting that if the Cyber Ninjas released a false-but-damning report, it would just add fuel to the belief that the election was stolen. As if on cue, the audit’s Twitter feed claimed last…
Pima County, TMC offer Pfizer vaccine for those 12 and older starting today
Pima County, Tucson Medical Center and the state of Arizona began offering vaccinations for those 12 and older at multiple locations last week. This follows the approval by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on the FDA’s emergency use authorization of Pfizer for children 12-15 on Wednesday, May 12. The county, which has provided primarily Moderna…
Unmasked at Last: County lifts face covering mandate, but urges continued use for unvaccinated people
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted to 4-1 to repeal the mask mandate and continue recommending masks at the emergency meeting last week. In order to stay in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated guidance on Thursday, announcing fully-vaccinated individuals can go unmasked in indoor and outdoor settings in most…






