Monday, March 22, 2021
OK, it’s 11 a.m. on a weekday morning. Most decent people are working. Spring Break is over and some politicians have declared that the pandemic is no longer a thing, so kids can be back at school. But a few of us lucky ones get to be at home, watching the University of Arizona women’s basketball team play their first game in the NCAA Tournament.
I’ve got my laptop in front of me, with the TV a little bit off to the side. Giant mug of Diet Pepsi and a bowl of microwave popcorn. I eat the plain kind of popcorn, so it kinda tastes like sawdust. I’ve never tried the “butter” flavor; I’m afraid that it will taste like feet (not that I actually know what feet taste like).
It’s been almost two decades since the UA women made it to the NCAAs. They certainly would have been in it last year, but the pandemic canceled everything. While I believe that the NCAA acted quite responsibly in most things last year, I think that they made a big mistake in not announcing the brackets for the men’s and women’s tournaments. It would have given fans something to chew on and given the players the satisfaction of knowing that they would have been in the tourney were it not for the coronavirus.
Gov. Doug Ducey announced today that Arizona's state-run vaccine sites in Maricopa, Pima and Yuma counties will be open to all Arizonans 16 and older beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
“Our goal has been and remains to get vaccine into the community as quickly, widely and equitably as possible,” said Gov. Ducey. “Given a thorough review of vaccination data, anticipated vaccine supply, and current demand among prioritized groups, now is the time to take this critical next step.”
The governor's announcement means that anyone 16 and older can schedule appointments at state distribution pods and private pharmacies. Pima County runs separate vaccination clinics and has not yet followed suit with Ducey's announcement.
As of this morning, Arizona had administered nearly 3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 1,831,456 individuals, including 1,136,413 who are fully vaccinated.
Information about all vaccination sites across Arizona can be found at azhealth.gov/findvaccine, but the website was not loading as of Monday morning, likely because of heavy traffic.
With 484 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 836,000 as of Monday, March 22, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County, which reported 87 new cases today, has seen 111,912 of the state’s 836,737 confirmed cases.
With no new deaths reported this morning, a total of 16,745 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 2,326 deaths in Pima County, according to the March 22 report.
A total of 647 coronavirus patients were in the hospital as of March 21. That’s roughly 13% of the number hospitalized at the peak of the winter surge, which reached 5,082 on Jan. 11. The summer peak was 3,517, which was set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent lowest number of hospitalized COVID patients was 468, set on Sept. 27, 2020.
A total of 940 people visited emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on March 21. That number represents 40% of the record high of 2,341 set on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. That number had peaked during the summer wave at 2,008 on July 7, 2020; it hit a subsequent low of 653 on Sept. 28, 2020.
A total of 180 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on March 21, which roughly 15% of the record 1,183 ICU patients set on Jan. 11. The summer’s record number of patients in ICU beds was 970, set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent low was 114 on Sept. 22, 2020.
Photos were shot in and around the Tucson Mountains, especially in Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National Park West. All photos were shot with an iPhone 6, except for a few recent ones on an iPhone 12. There is no photo manipulation except the color filters in-camera. These are all straight shots.
PHOENIX – Being an environmentally friendly consumer means more than recycling paper and avoiding plastic. For those who avoid fast fashion – cheap, trendy items that often come from sweatshops – thrift and resale/trade shops have offered a smart way to shop.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic changed how such stores could operate, Goodwill locations and smaller shops have been regaining their footing in recent months. About 16% to 18% of Americans indicated they will shop at a thrift store at some point during a given year, according to an August 2020 report by the Association of Resale Professionals, the largest trade group for resellers. Economic pressure and job losses during the pandemic increased demand for secondhand goods, too.
When COVID-19 shut down much of the economy a year ago, more than 100 Goodwill stores in northern and central Arizona had to lay off workers, but spokesperson Courtney Nelson said 70% have been hired back.
“We are a nonprofit organization in addition to a thrift store, so the revenue directly from our stores goes to helping people here in the community,” Nelson said.
The Humane Society of Southern Arizona has made it to the championship round in March Muttness 2021.
Voting started on Saturday and continues through Tuesday vs. Ten Lives Club in Blasdell, N.Y.
HSSA defeated another Tucson entity, The Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter, outraising it $5,267 to $5,129.
In earlier rounds, HSSA defeated Your Humane Society SPCA in Lake Panasoffkee, Fla., $12,322 to $11,855, in the Excellent Eight; Animal Care Sanctuary in East Smithfield, Penn., $17,274 to $13,039, in the Sensational 16; and Special Pals Shelter of Houston, Texas, in the Thrilling 32, $3,986 to $952. The Humane Society of Southern Arizona is competing against 31 other animal shelters across the country in this year's March Muttness, Feb. 27-March 24.
Winners advance depending on how much money is donated to each organization. You can donate here. Winners advance to the next round, and voting continues.
Sunday, March 21, 2021
Photos were shot in and around the Tucson Mountains, especially in Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National Park West. All photos were shot with an iPhone 6, except for a few recent ones on an iPhone 12. There is no photo manipulation except the color filters in-camera. These are all straight shots.
Saturday, March 20, 2021
Photos were shot in and around the Tucson Mountains, especially in Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National Park West. All photos were shot with an iPhone 6, except for a few recent ones on an iPhone 12. There is no photo manipulation except the color filters in-camera. These are all straight shots.
