A roundup of the stories The Range has been following today:

• Pima County has had 464 of the state's 2,726 confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona as of Wednesday, April 8, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. The coronavirus had killed 80 people statewide, including 15 in Pima County, according to the state and county health departments.

• Tucson Mayor Regina Romero relaxed city regulations to allow restaurants to become pop-up grocery stores.

• The Arizona Department of Corrections has announced two cases of COVID-19 among prisoners.

• Here's a rundown of the 2020 candidates for Pima County Board of Supervisors.

• From ProPublica: Cancer surgeries and organ transplants are being put off thanks to COVID-19. Can they want? Meanwhile, Democratic senators are demanding answers about the Trump administration's push to deport thousands of migrants seeking asylum.

• A new logo for eegee's!

• The Arts Foundation for Southern Arizona is offering $50,000 in emergency arts grants while Tucson Federal Credit Union donated $65,000 in grants to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, Old Pueblo Community Services, Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse and the Children's Clinics' Comprehensive Services for Children and Teens. 

We’ve given our look a bit of a refresh 💁‍♀️ Our new look builds on our past logos, from our retro, angled “lightning bolt” logo to the friendly e’s of our 2008.

Our new logo and look is designed to be something our team and fans can be proud to see, wear, and represent! #eegees pic.twitter.com/vSC45Kbu2K

— eegees (@eegees) April 8, 2020

The kids in the Nintzel household, like all children in our burg, are fierce fans of eegee's, which is rolling out a new logo. It's a bit daring to go with cursive when it's not even taught in our schools anymore, but it does have a retro style. Still, I'm a fan of the old-school lightning bolt. And at an unsteady time like this, we sure could use an appearance by Captain Eegee, wherever he is... 

With local eateries pushed to the edge by stay-at-home orders that limit their service to take out and delivery during the COVID-19 outbreak, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero announced today that restaurants can operate as pop-up grocery stores and start selling packaged food, fresh produce, paper goods and cleaning supplies to customers without asking for changes to their certificates of occupancy that allow them to operate.

The announcement comes on the heels of Gov. Doug Ducey's executive order yesterday allowing restaurants to begin selling supplies normally labeled "not for resale."

“Our restaurant community is at the heart of Tucson’s cultural, social, and economic fabric,” said Romero in a prepared statement. “I encourage all Tucsonans to continue rallying around our restaurants by ordering takeout, purchasing gift cards, and now, by visiting them for their grocery needs.”

The new policy will be reassessed every two weeks, according to Romero's office.

The decision to allow retail sales was developed in partnership with the Tucson City of Gastronomy Board of Directors. Restaurants will be required to collect sales taxes on the sale of goods, which must be labeled in accordance with new FDA guidelines.

“As a chef and Tucson City of Gastronomy Board President, I appreciate and support this change in public policy," said chef Janos Wilder in a press release. "It will promote public safety and allow our restaurants to be another needed resource during these trying time.” 

Here are the stories The Range has been following today:

• Pima County had 415 of the state’s 2,575 confirmed COVID-19 cases of Tuesday, April 7, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. The coronavirus had killed 73 people statewide, the report said. A total of 15 people in Pima County have died after contracting the infection, according to a later report from the Pima County Health Department.

• Travelers to Arizona from areas of widespread COVID-19 spread will have to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival in the state under a new executive order from Gov. Doug Ducey, who issues a number of other directives today that included new guidelines for nursing homes and similar institutions; loosened regulations for restaurants that want to sell their inventory as grocery items; and increased data collection by hospital and healthcare professionals.

• Democrat Betty Villegas was named to the Pima County Board of Supervisors to fill the seat of the late Richard Elias. Because of the viral outbreak, supervisors forewent any process involving town halls and interviews with potential candidates.

• Congressman Raul Grijalva is one of 41 House Democrats calling for blue-collar workers to get hazard pay.

• A coalition of advocates for criminal justice reform is calling for health inspections of state prisons.

• Dr. Bob England, Pima County's health director, says creating a map of local cases of COVID-19 is "meaningless."

• Arizona may the temporary home of Major League Baseball.

• High school students reflect on the year without a graduation.

• Tucson Values Teachers is seeking video nominations from students and their parents for a special edition of its monthly award program.

• Midtown institution Kingfisher is closing for the duration of of the outbreak as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 8.

• Here's some guidance on using your face mask properly.

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to wreak havoc in the restaurant world, a longtime institution in midtown Tucson is announcing that takeout won't keep them going through these stay-at-home days: Kingfisher will cease operations for the duration of the pandemic as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 8.

Kingfisher is still doing takeout between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. today and tomorrow.

Man, I'm gonna miss that menu for the duration, especially that glorious burger.

Here's the note from Kingfisher owners Jeff Azersky and Jim Murphy:

Today, Jeff and I have made the decision to announce the closure of Kingfisher for the remaining duration of this crisis. We will be closing Kingfisher on Wednesday April 8, 2020 at 6pm. We feel the strength that your support brings to what Kingfisher and its staff represents in the community The last 3 weeks, in particular, has been inspiring and we thank you for it.

We have spent the last 27 years of our lives getting to this place and it is difficult to hit the pause button. We are all going home to be with our families, but will return when the crisis has abated. When we come back, it will be with new spring/summer menus, Road Trip menus. and a renewed sense of purpose and commitment. The Love you have shown us since closing the dining rooms on March 17th has gone a long way to help support our staff.

Fourth Avenue’s favorite chicken spot is doing its part to help those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic by launching a new program through which customers can purchase a meal or beer for a healthcare professional.

According to Drunken Chicken co-owners Ben Sattler and Micah Blatt, they launched the Pay It Forward Program because they believed it was the right thing to do considering the unprecedented circumstances we’re living through and the dangerous nature of the healthcare industry right now.

“We decided to do this because we realize that times are tough for everyone, and we wanted to do something for those who are literally risking their lives to help our entire community,” Sattler and Blatt told Tucson Weekly.

To participate in the pay it forward program, all you have to do is make a donation when you’re placing an order. The restaurant has set donations amount that correlates to a food item (or beer). There is also an option to donate however much you want.

Once enough money is raised for a food run, Drunken Chicken will load up a delivery vehicle and head to a predetermined healthcare facility. According to Sattler, they will change facilities with every order.

In addition to the free meals, the eaterie is also donating 10 percent of all sales from the program to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

“We have seen an unprecedented response from those in the restaurant/service industry, and it's the reason that many restaurants, such as our own, can continue to exist,” Sattler and Blatt said. “We’re doing our best to survive these times, much like others, and in keeping our strong sense of community, we can all overcome this terrible disaster together.”

The Tucson restaurant community is asking for your help to keep our UNESCO city of gastronomy alive by ordering takeout once a week.

In a new video released on YouTube this morning, four restaurateurs—The Parish's Travis Peters, Senae Thai’s Dee Buizer, El Taco Rustico’s Juan Almanza and Tanque Verde Ranch’s Janet Balderas—urge you to visit a local eatery for a takeout meal once a week.

"With everything that we're going through right now, we need to make sure to support local and help out your family and our families survive and get through this together," Balderas said. "Our family wants to feed your family."

The video was filmed and produced pro bono by Scot Litteer and the Litteer Films crew. The production company has worked with Tucson Electric Power, Visit Tucson and Sun Tran/Sun Van.

Peters' Facebook post about the current crisis a few weeks back was the catalyst that brought the restaurant community together in solidarity to ask The Old Pueblo for a helping hand. 

While April Fools Day marks a new month, the struggle for restaurants across the nation—and locally—is no laughing matter.

Last week, The Cheesecake Factory sent a letter to the landlords of their 294 restaurants, spread out across 39 states, explaining they would not be paying rent at any of their restaurants or affiliates for April 2020. 

"Please understand that we do not take this action or make this decision lightly, and while we hope to resume our rent payments as soon as reasonably possible, we simply cannot predict the extent or the duration of the current crisis," wrote Cheesecake Factory Incorporated CEO David Overton in a letter to landlords. "We are continuing to evaluate the implications of this situation on our business and we realize the impact this action will have on our landlords. We appreciate our landlords' understanding given the exigency of the current situation."

When you have Cheesecake Factory clout, you can get away with holding your landlords over a barrel. But working with landlords in The Old Pueblo is like walking a fine line, according to Nick Heddings, owner of Arizona Pizza Company on Sabino Canyon Road and Upper Crust Pizza.

"Landlord and tenant relationships are unique," Heddings said. "Everything is great until you don't pay the rent."

Heddings said he plans on continuing to pay rent for the time being, but will not be paying his sales tax this month. Taxes for both of Heddings pizza parlors usually total upwards of $11,000, he said. That money could be better spent keeping his doors open and his employees working, according to Heddings.

"I'm going to file (sales tax) so they know how much money I'm supposed to give them," Heddings said. "But that's about $11,000 that can stay in the account until the next problem comes up."

Tucson’s superb breakfast and brunch scene are a little less delicious this week after Bisbee Breakfast Club announced it would close all Tucson locations due to growing concern over the COVID-19 pandemic.

The closure includes carry-out and curbside pickups and took effect on Tuesday.

“Through no lack of support from you wonderful folks, we've powered through the last few weeks, doing our best to adapt,” the company wrote in a statement released to its Facebook accounts. “Now, however, given the growing concern over COVID-19, we've decided it's in our staff and guests' best interest to batten down the hatches and wait this terrible situation out.”

According to the company, locations will reopen “as soon as the situation allows.”

Bisbee Breakfast Club has four locations in the Tucson area: 4131 W. Ina Road on the north side, 4811 E. Sunrise Drive in the Foothills, 2936 E. Broadway Blvd in central Tucson and at 410 N. Wilmont Road on the east side.

With the novel coronavirus COVID-19 particularly deadly to seniors, the Salvation Army of Tucson announced plans yesterday to launch food deliveries to anyone over the age of 65 who cannot shop for themselves.

But first, they need a lot of groceries—which is where you come in. They are asking the public to donate non-perishable food and emergency relief supplies.

In particular, the are asking for juice boxes, canned food, peanut butter & jelly, crackers, water, paper towels, shampoo, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, hand soap, masks, gloves, rubbing alcohol, Ensure and adult briefs.

"This program is so valuable, because it keeps our vulnerable citizens supplied with the necessary food and emergency relief supplies," said Captain Ellen Oh, Salvation Army Tucson city coordination officer, in a prepared statement. "Any food or supply donation will help us immensely, so we can continue our mission serving the Tucson community during this time of need."

The drive runs through May 8. Here's where you can drop items off:

• For downtown and west Tucson: The Salvation Army Hospitality House, 1002 N. Main Ave. 520-795-9671. 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., 7 days per week

• East and central Tucson: The Salvation Army All Nations Corps Community Center, 1001 N. Richey Blvd. 520-795-4504. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday,

• North Tucson: The Salvation Army Amphi Corps Community Center, 218 E. Prince Road. 520-888-1299. 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday

• Green Valley: Salvation Army Green Valley Service Center, 555 N. La Canada Drive, Suite 101A, Green Valley. 520-625-3888/ 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday

Contact for registration of food and supply delivery to your home:
Call Genesis Carcamo, 520-795-4504 (bilingual: Spanish, English)

If you're not over 65 but still feeling a Here are other food resources if you're in a pinch:

• The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona has adjusted its service hours and switched to a drive-by model for food distribution in Marana and at the Country Club location in Tucson. Temporary hours are below. Call 622-0525 or visit communityfoodbank.org/covid-19-update for more information on where to find food.