Following more than three weeks of investigation into the July 26th Guadalajara Fiesta Grill fire, the Tucson Fire Department is still classifying the incident as "undetermined," though it did reveal that the origin of the fire was in the southeast corner room of the building.

In response to daily inquires regarding the early morning Guadalajara Fiesta Grill fire, TFD Captain Barrett Baker said in a released statement that based on witness statements; fire patterns and fire dynamics; and other data that investigators collected, "undetermined" was the only acceptable classification for the fire at this time. "TFD does recognize that this was a high profile fire in our community. It should be noted that there were no indications that this was an incendiary fire through the investigative process."

Baker explained that the "classification of undetermined is assigned when 'the cause cannot be proven to an acceptable level of certainty'. The exact cause may be determined later with the introduction or discovery of new information." Shortly after the fire had been contained, TFD declared the building a total loss.

Though Guadalajara Fiesta Grill changed its name and became an independently owned business in November of 2011, this early morning fire on Saturday, July 26, came just months after a small fire at the Guadalajara Original Grill on May 29, 2014, closed down that restaurant. The original location on 1202 E. Prince Rd. opened in 2002 and is currently under renovation.

In related news, a Series 12 liquor license application was received by the Arizona State Liquor Board on Tuesday, August 5th, seven business days following the latest fire, for a business going by the name of "Guadalajara Mexican Grill." The business address is listed at 4901 E. Broadway Blvd, the former location of TGI Friday’s. The application is to be reviewed by late September. More details on this location to follow. (Editor's note: We attempted to reach the owner of the Fiesta Grill, but haven't heard back yet.)

Here's your last chance to catch the Tucson Improv Movement before they hit their new stage on Fourth Avenue in September. TIM's Soap Box group are performing tonight at 7 p.m. at Fluxx Studio and Gallery, 414 East Ninth Street. The cast includes Jessica Crombie, Michael Dean, Ben Dietzel, Cory Jenks, Daniel Kirby, Mishell Livio and Justin Lukasewicz.

We should note that this could be Livio's last performance considering that her and Fook (former KFMA talk show hosts) are relocating to another city to deejay for a bigger network.

Dan Gibson and I will be telling stories from our pasts to inspire the performers' improv sketches.

Admission is only $5 (cash only) and it's an all ages event.

Click here to RSVP on Facebook.

We've got a pair of tickets for Friday's Hope Revolution Tour with Hawthorne Heights and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at the Rialto to give away today for the lucky nostalgic emo fan. All you have to do is go to our Free Stuff page, click a button (if you're already signed up for our website) or fill some stuff out (if you haven't yet) and we'll pull a winner at 5 p.m (hurry!). The winner will be notified by email and can pick up their tickets at will call tomorrow night.

Want more info on the show? Head over to the Rialto's website.

Good luck!

I'm confused by the NRA's Trigger the Vote campaign and how it's supposed to encourage gun rights supporters to vote this upcoming election. The "Top 10 Reasons" video with Chuck Norris, I'm guessing, is supposed to get me excited; get a fire burning in me to vote and make sure I vote for the gun lobby.

But seriously? Maybe the NRA's use of Norris is just getting old and, well, maybe the NRA in this day and age is having a hard time making sense of it all when you have father's like Richard Martinez making it so darn difficult.

Rebekah L. Sanders of the Arizona Republic reports that state Rep. Adam Kwasman, one of three Republicans vying for the chance to take on Democratic Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick in CD1, has a blood cancer:

dam Kwasman, a candidate in the 1st District, says he has a slow-growing blood cancer that was caught early, has presented no symptoms and will likely require no treatment for at least a decade. The cancer is called chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Kwasman, 31, said he learned he had cancer last year, just before launching his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. He said he did not tell the public because it has not affected him.

"I have cancer but I'm not sick," Kwasman said in an interview with The Arizona Republic. "I still go to the gym three times a week."

In 2012, with help from fellow musician Gabriel Sullivan and other Tucson friends, Billy Sedlmayr launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to record and produce his first solo record, Charmed Life, recorded at Waterworks Studio by Gabriel and Jim Waters and mixed at Wavelab Studio by Craig Schumacher.

Well it's getting close to celebration time.

Billy and friends released a track from the album today, "Two Angels," and you'll be able to download the record on Sept. 30. For more info, go to Billy's Facebook music page. But news also went out that a CD release show is happening at Club Congress, Friday, Oct. 3 with Billy Sedlmayr & The Mother Higgins Children Band. Doors at 7 p.m. Joe Pena and Billy's longtime friend Van Christian is also playing that night.

News about the CD release party also came with info that the album will be available online on Sept. 30, and there are some tour dates:

Tour dates:

10-01-14 - Prescott, AZ - Raven Cafe
10-02-14 - Phoeniz, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
10-03-14 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress

More on Billy from supporter and occasional Weekly contributor Carl Hanni:

For well over three decades Billy Sedlmayr has been at the hot and dry beating heart of Tucson music.

From his teenage years in early Tucson punk bands like The Pedestrians, Billy went on to become a founding member of the legendary Giant Sandworms, later and still known as Giant Sand. That combo - Sedlmayr, Howe Gelb, Dave Seger and the late, legendary Rainier Ptacek - laid down a blueprint for Tucson music that is still being played out over thirty years later. Billy was a key player in a scene that included such other much loved bands like Naked Prey, Doo Rag, Al Perry & The Cattle, Green on Red and The Sidewinders. He later went on to play and record with Tucson local Rich Hopkins, and front other acts like Las Cruces.

It hasn’t always been an easy journey for Billy, and he spent portions of the 80s and 90s in lockup. It was, however, during his time inside that he really found his voice as a songwriter and storyteller, and boy does he have some stories to tell. With considerable help from Tucson musician Gabriel Sullivan and a huge cast of locals, Billy has finished recording his official first solo record, Charmed Life. Recorded at Waterworks Studio by Gabriel and Jim Waters, mixed at Wavelab Studio by Craig Schumacher, and featuring a numerous local and international musicians backing him up, the story-songs on Charmed Life are some of the most brutally honest and beautifully evocative tales to ever emerge out of the Sonoran Desert and Tucson’s kaleidoscopic musical underworld.

Michael Cera dropped a subtle and folksy surprise on us today. The 26-year-old actor and singer song writer debuted his latest album titled True That on Bandcamp. Cera is no stranger when it comes to making music. He drummed in The Long Wait and did some vocals for Weezer. Who can forget Scott Pilgrim vs. The World?

There's 18 tracks, and I really enjoyed 2048 and ohNadine.

You can listen to the entire album below:

What else is there to say about Dwain, who's running for "Sekretary of Freedum," that his slogan doesn't say already: "I Am For Being Against No Freedum!" The only problem I can see is, Dwain makes other "Freedum" candidates look good by comparison.

It's a decade-old study about the relationship between books in the home and student achievement, but the study is new to me and every bit as relevant now as it was then, especially right now at the beginning of the school year.

The study looked at the difference between black and white children's reading and math test scores in kindergarten and first grade. Taking the children's race as the only factor, the black children scored quite a bit lower than the white children — 40 percent of a standard deviation lower for the stat-savvy among you.

When the study controlled socioeconomic status (SES), the gap went down to 13 percent of a standard deviation difference between the black and white kids. That's still a significant difference, but the gap has closed considerably.

Then the study added the number of children's books in the home into the equation. Just like that, the gap between the black and white children essentially disappeared.

Racial factors were irrelevant in the kindergarten and first grade test scores of the children, according to the authors of the study. Take race out of the picture and keep the parent(s)' occupation and income more-or-less equal, and the controlling factor in student scores on the tests was simply the number of children's book the child had access to. And not just in reading where you would expect a correlation. It was equally true with math.

The Humane Society of Southern Arizona presents Snoots
9 Years Old – Labrador Retriever – Female
Reference no.: 788331 


Don’t you want to give Snoots a great big, Labalicious hug? This darling people-pleaser is searching for a cozy retirement where she can spend as much time as possible with family. Snoots bonds close to her favorite people and hopes that you’re interested in becoming her best friend forever. Not only is she unwavering loyal - Snoots is also super smart, sweet and pretty peppy for an older gal. She enjoys going for walks, playing in kiddie pools and stretching... followed by plenty of tummy rubs, of course! Want to be on the receiving end of some of Snoots’ world famous kisses? Call the Humane Society of Southern Arizona at (520) 327-6088 and ask to meet this very special Hidden Gem today!