Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Posted By on Tue, May 19, 2020 at 5:30 PM

Let's close out this Tuesday with a look at what we covered today.
  • The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona reached 14,566, with the death toll now topping 700 as of Tuesday, May 19, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
  • Following last week’s sold-out performance by The Tributaries, the Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley is expanding this week’s drive-in concert to two shows.
  • If you have a child at home who is waiting to break out of isolation and have a little fun this summer, look no further than the Tucson Museum of Art’s art camp—registration for which is now open.
  • Downtown Tucson Partnership’s Clean and Safe Team are COVID-19-free after undergoing tests provided by El Rio Health, the organization announced Tuesday.
  • As the nation remains focused on COVID-19, the U.S. government has aggressively begun to rush the deportations of some of the most vulnerable migrant children in its care.
  • Contact tracing is a public health strategy that has been used successfully to combat infectious disease outbreaks across the globe, from the 1930s, when it helped get rampant syphilis under control in the United States, to the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

Posted By on Tue, May 19, 2020 at 4:00 PM

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published.

I want you to mentally prepare yourself for a phone call that you could receive sometime over the course of this pandemic: in the next few months or year.

Your phone might ring, and when you pick it up, you may hear someone say, “Hi, I’m calling from the health department.” After verifying your identity, the person may say something like, “I’m afraid we have information that you were in close contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus.”

The person calling is what’s known as a contact tracer. As most states begin to lift restrictions on movement and people once more start to eat in restaurants, work in offices and get on public transit, these phone calls will become more frequent. State public health departments are hiring thousands of these workers, and experts are calling for more than 100,000 contact tracers to be deployed across America.

I can only imagine how I would feel if I got a call telling me that I had been in close contact with a COVID-19 patient — shocked, a little scared and possibly a bit in denial. But after spending a week talking to contact tracing experts across the country, and taking an online course as well, I think I’d also feel one more thing: empowered. Here’s why.

Contact Tracing Will Help Us Reopen Safely


Posted By on Tue, May 19, 2020 at 12:30 PM


Downtown Tucson Partnership’s Clean and Safe Team are COVID-19-free after undergoing tests provided by El Rio Health, the organization announced Tuesday.

All 23 members of the group were tested last Thursday. The team, affectionately known as the “Purple People,” provides security and maintenance services to the Business Improvement District downtown. The group also acts as ambassadors to local businesses and visitors. During COVID-19, the team has also worked to remind people of social distancing procedures and educate homeless individuals about available resources.

“We’re so grateful to El Rio Health and all the amazing health-care workers, first responders, and other essential personnel who bravely provide COVID-19 testing and immediate treatment for those with the virus,” said Kathleen Eriksen, DTP President and CEO, in a statement. “El Rio Health has given our team peace of mind so we can continue caring for downtown, creating a welcoming, safe, and beautiful environment for Tucsonans when they are ready to return.”

Posted By on Tue, May 19, 2020 at 11:00 AM

If you have a child at home who is waiting to break out of isolation and have a little fun this summer, look no further than the Tucson Museum of Art’s art camp—registration for which is now open.

The camp is designed for young artists aged 5 to 13 and is inspired by the permanent collections and exhibitions located at the museum. While at camp, children will “discover new places and diverse cultures through visits to the galleries and historic buildings, express their creativity and produce original works of art,” according to the museum.

Activities include painting, printmaking, collage, and guided conversations about art and personal life stories translated through visual mediums. The camp takes place across eight weekly sessions, beginning June 1 through July 31, with a one-week break at the end of June.

The museum is taking extra precautions this year due to COVID-19. Each session will be limited to 36 campers in four different groups, and each session will only offer full-day programming. There will be no drop-in participation allowed, all families must register to send a child to camp.

In addition to size changes, the museum announced a series of health and safety precautions:

Posted By on Tue, May 19, 2020 at 10:30 AM

Following last week’s sold-out performance by The Tributaries, the Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley is expanding this week’s drive-in concert to two shows.

This Wednesday, May 20, and Thursday, May 21, the music hall will host FLG Frank Lopez Group - A Tribute to Santana. The Tucson-based band is composed of musicians dedicated to authentically presenting the music of the Grammy Award-winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician.

According to the group’s bio: “They pride themselves on giving audiences an authentic, Latin flavor that is accentuated with the motifs and signatures of Santana that have become familiar to audiences worldwide.”

The drive-in show will begin at 6:30 p.m. and run until 8:30. The Gaslight moved the shows back half an hour to lessen the time spent in the summer sun. Tickets are $25 per vehicle. A pizza and snack package is available at the time of reservation and delivered to the vehicle.

Attendees can sit in truck beds or sit in chairs, or in the vehicle and listen to the FM radio transmitter. Performances are broadcast on 102.9 FM. No season passes or gift cards will be accepted at shows, and all sales are final. There is a 24-hour cancelation policy.

For more information, including ticket sales, go online to gaslightmusichall.com. The company also posts regular updates on its Facebook page. The music hall is located at 13005 N. Oracle Road, $165.

Tucson Local Media is a sponsor of the Gaslight’s drive-in concerts.

Monday, May 18, 2020

Posted By on Mon, May 18, 2020 at 5:30 PM

As Monday comes to a close, let's take a look at some of the stories we covered for you today.

  • The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona topped 14,000 as of Monday, May 18, jumping by more than 1,000 cases since Friday, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
  • Floaters are common in hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies, and they play a critical role in making sure that these facilities have enough staff to properly care for patients. But in a pandemic, workers who pitch in at multiple sites could be at higher risk of both contracting and spreading the coronavirus, forming an overlooked link in the chain of transmission.
  • If there’s any doubt that wildfire poses a high risk to property in Arizona, the U.S. Forest Service would like to paint a different picture – in blazing reds and flaming yellows.
  • An Omaha, Nebraska-based private jet company whose principal owner donated generously to Donald Trump and Republicans ahead of the 2016 election received $20 million in taxpayer aid from the federal bailout package passed in March.
  • The Pima County Board of Supervisors are allowing the public to attend and speak at tomorrow's meeting but attendees will need to follow new COVID-19 guidelines.
  • As if fighting fires wasn’t dangerous enough, firefighters now have to worry about COVID-19 while they’re on the job, making for what fire officials say will be the “most challenging season we’re going to have.”
  • Stephan Lewandowsky studies the way people think, and in particular, why they engage in conspiracy theories.
  • The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is looking for any information leading to the location of Martin Valenzuela, 60, who was last seen around noon on Monday.
  • As if fighting fires wasn’t dangerous enough, firefighters now have to worry about COVID-19 while they’re on the job, making for what fire officials say will be the “most challenging season we’re going to have.”
  • The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona recently received a leg up from Crest Insurance in the form of a $35,000 check.
  • Hikers will be required to wear face masks and stay at least six feet apart from other visitors to Tumamoc Hill once the popular outdoor attraction reopens Memorial Day, next Monday, May 25.
  • Despite news of a filing for bankruptcy protection and a national pandemic, JCPenney will reopen its Tucson store Wednesday, May 20, the company announced Monday.
  • Tucson rock band The Living Breathing recently released a music video for their song "Take It Easy," which was originally released on their 2019 album What Is Me?

Posted By on Mon, May 18, 2020 at 5:00 PM

Tucson rock band The Living Breathing recently released a music video for their song "Take It Easy," which was originally released on their 2019 album What Is Me?

The song is a standout track from their second album, showing off many of The Living Breathing's strengths: a mellow combination of rock and folk, uplifting melodies, powerful vocals, and smooth production from Tucson's 4Rail Studio.

The music video was filmed in Santa Barbara this January, and features Natale's son walking through the woods and beach. The video captures the 6-year-old being himself, which the band says is a central message of the song. 
According to Natale, the song is about "holding on to your youth and trying to remember the innocence before 'life sets in'. To remember that feeling and use it in difficult times/relationships. Basically, try not to stress about every little thing that life throws your way. Take a deep Breath and 'Take It Easy'."

Watch the music video below:

Posted By on Mon, May 18, 2020 at 4:30 PM

click to enlarge Tumamoc Hill reopening Memorial Day
Tucson Local Media / File Photo
Hikers will be required to wear face masks and stay at least six feet apart from other visitors to Tumamoc Hill once the popular outdoor attraction reopens Memorial Day, next Monday, May 25.

The University of Arizona announced the change, which will include new arrows along the path spaced 10 feet apart in order to help maintain distance and flow of foot traffic up and down the hill. In addition to masks and physical distancing, visitors will also be asked to limit group sizes to three people, use hand-sanitizing stations along the path and not touch the gate at the top of the hill.

Posted By on Mon, May 18, 2020 at 4:00 PM

click to enlarge Despite bankruptcy, JCPenney reopening Tucson Store
Courtesy photo
Despite news of a filing for bankruptcy protection and a national pandemic, JCPenney will reopen its Tucson store Wednesday, May 20, the company announced Monday.

“We are thrilled to welcome our associates and customers back to JCPenney in Tucson, and our top priority remains on the health and safety of our associates, customers, and communities,” said Jim DePaul, executive vice president of stores at JCPenney, in the statement announcing the reopening. “We want to ensure everyone is safe and feels comfortable as we continue to provide an engaging shopping experience.”

The location located at the Tucson Spectrum shopping center, 5265 S. Calle Santa Cruz, will open Wednesday and take precautions “to provide a safe environment in which to shop and work,” including contact-free curbside pickup, store cleaning throughout the day, social distancing guidelines, masks for employees and plexiglass shields at registers.

Posted By on Mon, May 18, 2020 at 3:30 PM

click to enlarge Crest Insurance donates to Community Food Bank
Austin Counts
National Guard troops have a conversation while opening boxes of milk during a drive-thru food bank at Kino Stadium located at 2500 E Ajo Way.
The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona recently received a leg up from Crest Insurance in the form of a $35,000 check. The funding will towards meeting an increasing need for emergency food supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are working as hard as we can to get food to people in the community,” said food bank president and CEO Michael McDonald, in a release. “This donation from Crest Insurance allows us to keep responding to a high need, providing fresh produce and non-perishable food to families, seniors, and children including many people who have suffered layoffs or job losses.”

The food bank recently moved its drive-thru services to Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium to help serve a larger portion of the community faster and more efficiently. The Arizona National Guard provided aid distributing supplies. The Community Foodbank of Southern Arizona's drive-thru service is on Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. For more information please contact the food bank at communityfoodbank.org/. The sports complex is located at 2500 E. Ajo Way.

“We are so thankful, as a company, to be able to help our Southern Arizona families by meeting some of their needs,” said Cody Ritchie, Crest Insurance CEO. “Hopefully it can help make their difficult journey just a little easier. In addition to our original $25,000 donation, we are excited to contribute, at his request, another $10,000 in Golden State Warrior Head Coach Steve Kerr’s name.”