Editor's Note: 10 years later

This week, on the 10th anniversary of Tucson's mass shooting, Pima County will dedicate a memorial for the victims of that terrible day. In just a matter of seconds on Jan. 8, 2011, six people were killed: retirees Dorwan Stoddard, Dorothy Morris and Phyliss Schneck; U.S. District Court Judge John Roll, Giffords' community outreach director Gabe Zimmerman, and 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green. Thirteen others were wounded and countless other lives were shattered.

This week, we have reflections from two survivors: Gabby Giffords, who was shot through the head and who has made an extraordinary comeback, and Ron Barber, who was then her district director and who would go on to take Gabby's seat in Congress. Ron is now going to work for Sen. Mark Kelly, Gabby's husband, who won a U.S. Senate seat two months ago in a twist of fate no one saw coming a decade ago.

Thanks to the COVID outbreak, you can't attend the ceremony, but you can watch it on the county's Facebook page starting around 10 a.m. At 10:10 a.m., bells will ring to honor those lost in the shooting.

In other news: Things are changing fast in the cannabis biz now that recreational weed is on the way for adults, so we're making a change too: We're rebranding our weekly marijuana column as Tucson Weedly. This week, columnist David Abbott gives you some advice on whether you should grow your own weed or just stick with buying your bud at a dispensary.

Elsewhere in the book this week: Columnist Tom Danehy predicts 2021 will be a good year—once we get people vaccinated and get this COVID business behind us; staff reporter Nicole Ludden looks at Pima County's ever-worsening COVID situation; associate editor Austin Counts lets us know what's happening with restaurants along Fourth Avenue; student intern Joe Giddens lets you know how you can help TUSD students who visit the Cooper Center for Environmental Learning; most of the staff teamed up to bring you a preview of what's happening with road work around these parts in 2021 (spoiler warning: Broadway east of downtown will remain a mess for most of the year); and of course, we bring you the town's best comics, horoscopes, sex advice and more scattered around in our pages.

Here's to a better 2021 for all of us.

— Jim Nintzel Executive Editor

Hear Nintz talk about the latest on the outbreak and other news at 8:30 Wednesday mornings on The Frank Show on KLPX, 91.1 FM.