Managing the Tucson Botanical Gardens takes more than a green thumb, it involves oversight of 25 staff, 14 directors, 600 volunteers and 5,000 members — something the gardens’ executive director Michelle Conklin does passionately and proficiently. 

Even though she’s only worked at Pima Animal Care Center for 18 months, Kristen Auerbach has made her mark as director of animal services. She won the award for Executive Level Department Leader of a Large or Nonprofit Company at the Executive Excellence awards Nov. 14.

Governor Doug Ducey cruised to reelection last week over Democratic challenger David Garcia.

Tucson Electric Power recently released a statement urging customers to learn how to protect themselves from scammers who impersonating TEP employees “while trying to steal money using suspicious phone calls, text messages, letters and visits.”

The Oro Valley Council Chambers was packed with residents last Wednesday, Nov. 7, as new Mayor Joseph Winfield and councilmembers Melanie Barrett, Joyce Jones-Ivey and Josh Nicolson were sworn into office and conducted the first council meeting of their four-year terms.

The Oro Valley community welcomed a new credit union to its growing business portfolio with great fanfare last Friday, though handmade quilts were given much more attention than the actual cutting of a ribbon.

The Marana Police Department is now fully  part of the Pima County Wireless Integrated Network, joining 55 other local agencies. 

Arizona Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema claimed victory in a tight U.S. Senate after last night’s vote count gave her a lead of more than 38,000 votes.

Stan Lee, former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, has reportedly died at 95 years old in Los Angeles.

As water utility officials in Marana and Tucson combat elevated chemical levels in the wells servicing their residential and commercial areas, the two municipalities have jointly filed a lawsuit against the five companies they deem responsible.

What cuter way to kick of the holiday season than with your pets and Santa?

On Oct. 23, dozens of local veterans and businesses met up at Pima Community College for the inaugural job fair of the Southern Arizona Veterans Workforce Initiative. Thirty veterans scheduled follow-up interviews with local aerospace and technology companies, and four veterans were offered …

The Pima County Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that installation of the final stretch of new pavement along West Cortaro Farms Road will take place next week.

Richard Tracey, retired Navy Quartermaster 3rd Class, served in the North Atlantic from 1951 to 1954 on the first ever aircraft carrier with an angled flight deck, the USS Antietam. As Quartermaster and Signalman, Tracy and the crew of the ship traveled through Europe, giving touch-and-go de…

One of the last Oro Valley Town Council actions before leadership changes hands was to give the town manager a $20,000 raise, approved unanimously on Oct. 3. 

Just miles from a major research university, there is often a plethora of interesting science and technology news to be found throughout Southern Arizona. Here’s a breakdown of the most interesting developments from the region: 

Open enrollment began Thursday for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, with most Arizonans seeing more choices and better prices, a sharp change from recent years when the state was the poster child for Obamacare problems.

The owners of Tap & Bottle hold numerous events and festivals in their shops throughout the year. The only issue is the events are still in their shops. The owners have long wanted to host a bigger event outdoors, and starting their open-air bar “Westbound” at the MSA Annex gave them the…

Part ecological reserve, part urban hiking trail and part research facility, Tumamoc Hill is visited by over 1,500 people each day. When Benjamin Wilder became interim director of the hill’s Desert Laboratory in October 2016, he made it his mission to shake things up in two key ways: Engagin…

Each day is filled with many choices that may reflect on the future of our health. For instance, we could choose to go for a walk, or go to the gym, stretch or meditate. What we put into our bodies is also a choice. It’s a way to create permanent change towards a healthy lifestyle; to make p…

After the Associated Press declared him the winner in the race for Arizona governor, Doug Ducey released the following statement:

As of 9 a.m. the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 7, Martha McSally leads Kyrsten Sinema by 15,908 votes. According to the Arizona Secretary of State's unofficial results, 99 percent of precincts have reported in.

Marquez Peterson thanked her friends, family and campaign team as she conceded her run for Congress to political veteran Ann Kirkpatrick.

Raul Grijalva won his ninth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, beating out his opponent Republican Nick Pierson.

Democratic candidate Victoria Steele is projected to beat Republican challenger Randy Fleenor in Arizona Senate District 9, which stretches from Casas Adobes and midtown Tucson to the Sabino Canyon area.

It seems Arizona voters have decided against Proposition 127, which would have required electric companies to receive half their energy from renewable sources by 2030.

LD9 House incumbents Randy Friese and Pamela Powers Hannley have steady lead over Ana Henderson, in repeat of 2016 election. Henderson says she's not interested in doing interviews. 

Toni Hellon has served as Clerk of the Superior Court since 2013, when she was appointed by Governor Jan Brewer to replace former clerk Patricia Nolan. Before getting involved in the clerk's office, Hellon served as a Republican state senator from 2001 to 2006.

With numbers pouring in from across the state, Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick will win out over Republican Lea Marquez Peterson in the race for Arizona Congressional District 2.

The Arizona Secretary of State's office is reporting (as of Wednesday, Nov. 7) that 99 percent of precincts have submitted totals in the 2018 General Election:

Update:

It appears that Pima County voters are not willing to spend more money on roads. Prop 463, which would allow the county to borrow $430 million for road bonds is failing, 56 percent to 43 percent.

On the statewide props, voters appear to be rejecting a major expansion of vouchers in Arizona. Prop 305, a referendum that was placed on the ballot by voters who were unhappy with a law passed by the Arizona Legislature, is failing, with 65 percent voting no and 34 percent saying yes.

In the marquee race of the night that will decide Arizona’s next U.S. senator, Republican Martha McSally has a thin edge over Democrat Krysten Sinema, 49 percent to 48 percent.

After suffering the deaths of his brother and mother in the space of two days, Kevin Miller was admitted to the hospital himself, due to an unknown illness. Doctors found a dark spot, which was eventually determined to be stage one liver cancer.

The motel is plain vanilla. Motorists streak past it on Interstate 10 without notice or memory. But inside the gates of the complex, over several days in October, 112 migrants, many from Guatemala, turned the motel into a temporary neighborhood.

Marana’s Community and Neighborhood Director Lisa Shafer has got out of bed in the middle of the night more than once to deal with a call about an animal. Shafer runs Marana Animal Services along with Bill Lorefice, the town’s chief code enforcement and animal control officer. And they are h…

Traffic cones, construction crews and reduced speed limits will soon be commonplace along several miles North La Cholla Boulevard after clumps of dirt were thrown in the air by dignitaries last week.

On Oct. 17, Oro Valley town council authorized and approved the 2018 Potable Water Master Plan. 

Forty-eight years after a structural fire tore through the downtown Tucson landmark, the Pioneer Hotel has unveiled its newly refurbished dining room. The 2,500-square foot space was restored to its 1930 brilliance after a year of work by a team of local developers and artists. 

By the time you read this column I’ll be a few hundred miles away enjoying winter in Flagstaff once again, frolicking through nature and enjoying the quieter side of life.

The Marana Chamber continues our mission to be the voice of business that works to build economic growth and quality of life in our community.

It’s that time of year when people with Medicare review their health insurance choices and enroll in a Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug plan for the coming year.

The number of people apprehended at the Arizona border jumped more than 50 percent in fiscal 2018 from the year before, according to numbers released Tuesday by U.S Customs and Border Protection.