Excited about the new Calexico album due out tomorrow? Joey Burns compiled a track by track discussion, detailing how each song came together:

01. Falling From The Sky - (with Ben Bridwell from Band of Horses) Joey: written when landing in NewZealand as a side note as well as having read the children's book "The House in the Night" which has a similar phrasing as the chorus in this song. The song could be about not knowing where life is heading sometimes and with the first and second verses there is nostalgia and an attempt at to convey the importance of mystery and magic in our lives. Our instincts tell us to take giant leaps all the while our minds remind us to be more cautious. When we find ourselves truly alone or at our biggest challenges, it is then that we are most in tune with our true selves and the world around us, or in this case amongst the universe and stars above.

It appears that we now have at least three Republican candidates for this year's City Council election.

The three GOP hopefuls filed on Friday, April 10.

Bill Hunt, a pilot who takes trips with the Tucson chapter of the Flying Samaritans, wants to challenge Democrat Regina Romero, who is seeking a third term in westside Ward 1.

Kelly Lawton, who works for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, wants to take on Democrat Paul Cunningham, who is seeking his second full term in northeastern Ward 2.

And Margaret Burkholder, who serves on the Vail School District governing board, wants to unseat Democrat Shirley Scott, who is seeking her fifth term in southeastern Ward 4.

There's still no sign of a mayoral candidate. The Range had heard that a fellow named Zach Catsaros was putting together a campaign but his plans have hit some kind of snag. Catsaros has not replied to a Facebook message sent last week.

Every Tuesday, Pueblo Vida Brewing Co. downtown releases a new beer infused with inventive ingredients to enhance the flavor of the original brew. This month has some great infusions to be released still and all you have to do is head over to the brewery, located at 115 E. Broadway Blvd., to test out the unique and limited quantity creations.

On Tuesday, April 14, Pueblo Vida will be pouring pints of pink hibiscus-infused dry hopped pale ale. Nothing says "I don't care what you think of me" quite like sipping on a pink beer, but the tart and floral notes combined with the hoppy beer mean you'll be drinking something a lot more interesting than just the beer equivalent of Tab. 

Coming up on April 21, you can get the Belgian golden strong ale infused with dark sour cherries, which was made to mimic the flavor of a traditional Belgian Kriek. Then, on April 28, Pueblo Vida will be cracking a keg of another infused dry hopped pale ale, but this time it will use lemon and ginger to add some tang and spice to the beer.

All infusion release events take place from 4 until 10 p.m. at the brewery location. For more information on upcoming Pueblo Vida releases and other events, visit the Pueblo Vida website.

The University of Arizona has released its plans to increase tuition for most students to balance the budget after severe funding cuts from the state. 

Next Monday, the Arizona Board of Regents will host a series of public comment events at the universities, but you can also send the regents an email at [email protected]; a letter to 2020 N. Central Ave., Suite 230, Phoenix, AZ 85004; or a fax to (602) 229-2555. Do it before April 30.

Here's a little breakdown on the UA tuition proposition, which would need to be approved by the Arizona Board of Regents:

- New undergrads who are Arizona residents will pay $446 more a year, a grand total of $11,403. For out-of-state students, attending the UA would cost $33,630, a hike of more than $3,000 a year.

Chico—5-years-old-Terrier Mix—M—#799903
Trixi—6-years-old-Shepherd Mix—F—#638759


This bonded pair is petite and precious! Chico and Trixi love each other dearly, but they would like to add a family to their mix! These adorable pups are shy and well mannered, Trixi is eager to please when a treat is on the line, whereas Chico is all about exploring the world with you. These sweethearts will take some time to warm up to new situations, but once you get them comfortable they will simply steal your heart. If you are looking for a pair of calm and loving furry friends, come meet Chico and Trixi!

Democrat Ron Barber, who lost his last congressional race to Republican Martha McSally in November 2014 by just 167 votes, said he would not seek another rematch with McSally in 2016 during an appearance this morning on Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel.

"It's been a hard decision," Barber said. "For the last three-and-a-half months, we've been talking about within my family and with friends and with folks around the country. I've been urged to run by people here and back in D.C. Everything considered, my decision is we won't launch another campaign in 2016."

Barber cited his family as "the most important reason" he would not run again.

"I realized when I got back and was no longer in Congress, how much I missed time with my grandkids, my wife, my daughters and their husbands. And the last three-and-a-half months have given me time with them, and it's very precious time. I don't want to lose that again."

Barber was first elected to Congress in 2012 in a June special election to complete the term of his former boss, Gabrielle Giffords, who stepped down from Congress to concentrate on her recovery from injuries suffered when a gunman opened fire at her Congress on Your Corner event in January 2011. Six people were killed in the mass shooting and 12 others were wounded alongside Giffords, including Barber, who was shot twice.

Barber, who inherited much of Giffords' well-organized political machine, defeated Republican Jesse Kelly in the special election and then went on in the November 2012 to defeat McSally by fewer than 2,500 votes in Arizona's Congressional District 2, which has a slight Republican edge but remains one of the most competitive districts in the country, as it is evenly split between Republicans, Democrats and independents.

Other candidates looking to challenge McSally in 2016 include state lawmaker Bruce Wheeler, who has already filed paperwork with the FEC to explore a campaign, and former state lawmaker Matt Heinz, who recently quit his D.C.-based job with the federal Health and Human Services and returned to Tucson, where he works as a physician.

Any Democratic challenger will have to demonstrate an ability to raise millions of dollars to be competitive with McSally. Between McSally, Barber and various outside groups, some $14 million dollars was spent in Congressional District 2 in 2014.

Barber noted on Zona Politics that it was an outrageous amount of money for a single congressional race.

"That's absurd," Barber said. "No congressional race should be $14 million."

He said that the high spending levels were "hurting out democracy. … We have to take action, in Congress and across the country, to deal with this dark money and the millions of dollars—billions of dollars, really—that can be spent. It's just not good for democracy and I think we need to put an end to it. … The American people have to realize that this is taking their vote away. When you buy an election because you've got billions of dollars, that's wrong and it needs to stop."

McSally, who raised $4.8 million in the 2012 election cycle (compared to Barber's $4 million), announced yesterday that she had raised another $640,000 in the first quarter of 2015.

Whether the district will stay in its current competitive form stay that way remains to be seen. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, a lawsuit filed by GOP state lawmakers to eliminate the authority of the Independent Redistricting Commission to draw congressional lines in Arizona. Many court watchers believe that the court's majority is leaning toward ruling in favor of the lawmakers, who maintain that the U.S. Constitution gives them the sole authority to draw congressional district boundaries.

Barber said there were many things he misses about being in Congress.

"I enjoyed the job immensely but I think it's time for me to stick with the family and do the things we enjoy doing together," he said.

Did our picks for Tucson's 100 Essential Dishes make you mad? Did you just discover Tucson's best thrift store? Do you want to make sure your Vet gets the recognition he or she deserves? Well, it's time. Best of Tucson time. 

We have (finally!) released the ballot for this year's Best of Tucson. We're running the voting like last year: You have until June 15 to nominate anyone for any category. Then, we'll tally up the votes and open up a second round of voting where the top three contenders can fight for your love. 

So, go vote! Tell your friends to vote. Go to that bar/sporting goods store/bike lane you've been thinking about and then come home and fill out the survey. 

You can save your ballot and come back to it if you need more time—we get it, it's tough to choose sometimes—just make sure it's all filled out by June 15.

Democrat Ron Barber, who lost the closest congressional race in the country last year by 167 votes to freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, will announce whether he's in for a rematch on Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel, airing this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on KGUN-9.

Barber was first elected to Congress in June 2012 in a special election to complete the term of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who stepped down to concentrate on her recovery from a gunshot wound to the head. Barber, who was also shot twice in the January 2011 mass shooting, went on to defeat McSally in a close race in November 2012.

McSally defeated Barber in a race so close that it required a state-mandated recount. Barber's supporters say that in a presidential election year, he could make up the difference and he remains the strongest candidate among Southern Arizona Democrats, particularly when it comes to name ID and the ability to raise the millions of dollars required for a competitive race.

Listen up, juicers and healthy eaters. Dallas-based Smoothie Factory is serving up a variety of, you guessed it, smoothies for folks who like to drink their meals now near the UA campus.

In addition to the Smoothie Factory location at 4246 N. 1st St., local franchise owner John Wilfert added a second smoothie spot to his repertoire at 1031 N. Park Ave., Suite C.

Smoothie varieties come in classic, berry, tropical, protein and specialty. Some classic smoothie flavors you can look forward to include banana with rice milk, honey, vanilla and turbinado sugar and the fruit-packed Factory Original with strawberries, banana, pineapple, mango, peaches, papaya, honey and turbinado sugar.

The smoothies can also be boosted with creatine, a cleansing blend, liquid ginseng, bee pollen and a meal replacement formula. The Park Avenue location also serves an expanded line-up of fresh cold-pressed juices, flatbread sandwiches, salads and Red Mango frozen yogurt in a variety of rotating flavors with a toppings bar.

Wilfert plans to open a third Smoothie Factory location in Tucson early this summer. 

The new Smoothie Factory is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m., Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m., Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.