Fifty years ago, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to ever set foot on the moon while 600 million people watched from Earth, and astronaut Michael Collins drifted quietly overhead. But what does that have to do with Tucson? As it turns out, quite a lot. 

Some of us Baby Boomers were blessed to have been just old enough to sort-of understand President Kennedy’s words when he said that we (the United States and/or mankind) were going to the Moon by the end of the 1960s. It energized us in a way that would shape our lives through an academic de…

For years, the young minds of Mesa Verde Elementary School have walked over and around the same, faded mural in the center of campus: a smiling mountain lion under which the words “BE YOUR BEST” were painted. 

Members of the Tucson City Council signed off on a preliminary agreement for a proposed hotel and casino on land owned by the Pascua Yaqui tribe last Tuesday afternoon.  

There was once a time when the days between mid May and early August were filled with adventures and summer camp, a carefree era of Fruit by the Foot and Capri-Sun before the perils of spiral notebooks and syllabi once again took over.

Nearly 19 pounds of cocaine was prevented from entering the country after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a 29-year-old Mexican citizen on Monday.

Marana constituents interested in speaking with members of Sen. Martha McSally’s staff have an opportunity to do so next Monday.

On Friday, June 28, local high school students gathered at Pima Community College Downtown to take part in the third annual Junior Shark Tank Competition, hosted by the S.Y.STEM Coalition and the Pima Joint Technical Education District. The students pitched products of their own creation in …

For reasons not entirely clear, the good people at BASIS Oro Valley asked me—a relatively unaccomplished 62-year-old man—to address the class of 2019 and guests at commencement in late May.

Don’t look now, but summer is almost gone. Prepare for the new school year with a fresh list of important dates to keep an eye on.

The idea of doing anything athletic in the midst of the oppressive heat which inundates Arizona during the summer might seem asinine to some. To others, the sky-high temperatures serve as an extra jolt of motivation to go the extra mile in preparation for their sport of-choice. 

It may feel like we just made it to the half-way point of the summer, but school starts in less than a month. That means it’s time for new school supplies: pencils, notebooks, erasers, backpacks, new shoes and new clothes. But for some families, it’s just not affordable. 

In the closing hours of the 2018 legislative session, Arizona Republican lawmakers passed a bill that changed the words in a statute from “primary” to “secondary.” That minor change resulted in millions of dollars pushed onto local homeowners within the Tucson Unified School District.

Nearly half of all teens in Pima County have tried a vape or e-cigarette, and the number is only growing. Part of preparing for the new school year means both school districts and health organizations alike are taking measures to educate students on the dangers of vaping. 

It’s hard to maintain a sense of humor when a traffic detour requires you to circumnavigate the globe instead of just crossing an intersection to get to your destination. With over a year remaining on the La Cholla Boulevard widening project, a sense of humor will be useful. Now that we’re s…

For years, Arizona teachers have struggled to make ends meet, while working in classrooms that are overcrowded, under-supplied and falling apart. This reality came to a climax last year, when the Red for Ed movement descended onto the capital and put pressure on the state government to adequ…

The summer heat may still be with us, but summer vacation is rapidly coming to a close, with most local school districts starting up their classes in early August. But never fear: Tucson Local Media is here with your guide to what’s happening in education this year.

Gin and Driving

There is no question that James McKinney murdered Christine Mertens and James McClain in two separate botched burglaries in the Phoenix area in 1991.

Over 400 community members joined forces by contributing $107,433 in gifts to Tucson Symphony Orchestra’s 90th Birthday Campaign, in support of TSO Music Education Programs.  Launched with a generous $37,000 matching challenge from the TSO Board of Trustees, Honorary Council and the Tucson S…

Stranded hikers might soon be rescued by a very different kind of first responder. 

Paragon Space Development earns NASA contract. Tucson’s Paragon Space Development Corporation, partnered with Giner Inc., recently announced they are now under contract for the development and testing of the “ISRU-derived water purification and Hydrogen Oxygen Production (IHOP) a patent-pend…

The Havasupai tribe is falling behind in education, health and emergency needs because, like many rural communities, it lacks affordable, reliable and high-speed broadband, a tribal councilwoman told a House committee last Thursday.

Many people believe that water aerobics or other types of aquatic exercise are for those with bad knees or brand-new hips—a last resort for staying fit. But in fact, working out in water is great for everyone. People of all ages, abilities, and fitness levels can use aquatic exercise to impr…

With deportation sweeps expected to start in major cities last weekend and footage of migrant families held in what critics call “deplorable” conditions at the border, immigration rhetoric heated up last Friday on Capitol Hill.

Kyle Lee Montgomery, 25, who led multiple law enforcement agencies on a day-long manhunt across parts of Marana and Tucson last week, was in possession of several firearms when he was arrested—despite being a convicted felon whose rights were not restored.

The Oro Valley Police Department has released the name of a woman who passed away the night of Sunday, July 14 after a fatal head-on collision.

A mental health check lead to a vehicle pursuit and aggravated assault on an officer in Pima County, according to information released by the Marana Police Department.

In late February, the current Oro Valley Town Council held its first and only meeting for public input on the town-owned golf courses and community center. In the four months since, little else has been said about the subject.

A 45-acre development for cyclists in Saguaro National Park East received the green light from the Pima County Board of Supervisors last Tuesday morning. 

As one would expect after the narrative of the 2018 election in Oro Valley, there are those within the community who believe the future operations of the town-owned 45 golf holes and the community center are of the utmost importance to the town’s financial future. At least, that’s what it se…

Did you know that animals at the Reid Park Zoo eat popsicles? They’re not the same kind we buy in the frozen section at the grocery story, but they’re popsicles all the same. Some are filled with delicious berries, while others contain whole fish and blood.

If you live in the Rita Ranch area, you’ll see an assortment of family-friendly suburban homes. One of the most welcoming homes is that of Cressi Brown and her daughter, Joleen Hosler, who share space with many species of reptiles and other animals.

Golder Ranch Fire District Division Chief Joshua Hurguy and Battalion Chief William Seeley successfully completed the Executive Fire Officer Program, an arduous, four-year executive leadership program offered through the National Fire Academy located in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Pima County District 1 Supervisor Ally Miller hoped to deliver a new budget that did not include year-over-year increases in the primary and secondary property tax rates, but her efforts were squashed at last week’s board meeting.

A new Tucson Cooperative Network has formed recently in Southern Arizona and Local First Arizona is a partner in these important efforts to develop more worker cooperatives in the region and throughout Arizona in which workers share in management and ownership. 

A long a parched riverbed where only dust and wild grasses have held sway for the past 70 years, the Santa Cruz now flows again.

Cardiothoracic surgeon Zain Khalpey could have worked anywhere when he joined Northwest Healthcare earlier this year. He has worked at Columbia University, Harvard University and was awarded the Distinguished Fulbright Chair in Medical Sciences in 2016. Serving the Tucson community since 201…

Get out your bird book and binoculars—it turns out that birdwatching offers a flock of benefits for Aging Well. And luckily for Tucsonans, our area’s climate, geography, and location along migratory flyways attract more than 500 species of birds. You don’t necessarily have to hike into the d…

Back on July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted for independence from Great Britain and two days later delegates from all 13 colonies set history in motion (with the help of Thomas Jefferson) by signing and adopting the Declaration of Independence. 

Loosen your belts, Trident Grill’s northside location is opening for Independence Day.

Marana Water customers will likely see a small increase in their water rates next year, as costs for services and resources continue to grow.

Friends and family members of 19-year-old Raymundo Lopez Casillas have rallied to support him after he accidentally shot and killed his 17-year-old nephew last month. They describe him as a reserved, non-confrontational and harmless young man who made a mistake, but a U.S. Magistrate judge b…

Despite serving as the Southern Arizona Research Science and Engineering Foundation’s first CEO for the last decade, Kathleen Bethel assumed only a handful of people would show up to her retirement party. But when the party got started Monday, June 24, the SARSEF offices were flooded with gu…

The intersection of North La Cañada and West Naranja drives is one of the busiest in Oro Valley. Nearby residents are no stranger to this fact, and they’re now concerned about a proposed commercial development that would fill in the last of the intersection’s empty space, at its northwest corner.

According to court records, the man responsible for killing two motorcyclists on Tucson’s north side last weekend didn’t know he struck anyone along Roller Coaster Road near North Grande Avenue.