Plugsy is a big, energetic, goofy guy who has spent WAY too long at HSSA waiting for his forever family. HSSA staff know Plugsy quite well and we're proud to say that he is a New Beginnings Canine program graduate. Plugsy is high energy, loves toys, and will play fetch with you from sunrise to sunset. We know he would make the right family very happy. Interested in meeting this boy? Visit him at HSSA Main Campus at 635 W. Roger Rd. or call 520-327-6088, ext 173 to learn more.

Bisbee's historic Copper Queen Library earned the recognition of Best Small Library in America 2019 on Sept. 6 from Library Journal, a library industry publication that's been around since 1876.

The Copper Queen was chosen for the honor due to the staff's "can-do attitude and the ability to combine and capitalize on assets and potential in unusual forms," according to a press release announcing the recognition.

LJ Editorial Director Rebecca T. Miller wrote that they were thrilled to honor Bisbee's library.

"This library, chosen from a competitive field, celebrates community engagement, models creativity, and makes the most of partnerships," she said.

The Copper Queen was founded in 1882 before Arizona was a state and it is the first Arizona library to receive the award.

The LJ article commended the library's attention to the diverse community it serves, which has a high population of low income residents.

Library Manager Jason Macoviak gave a lot of credit to the volunteers who are the heart of the library in LJ's article and encouraged other small libraries to be creative and take risks.

“A lot of our success just comes in trying random things and seeing if they work,” he says, then building on what resonates with the community."

Cooper Queen will receive $5,000 along with the cover of the September 2019 edition of Library Journal.

Read the full article from LJ here.

For more information on the Copper Queen or to see the programs they offer, visit their website. 

Arizona's only premier underground cult film festival is returning to for the 12th year in a row! The Arizona Underground Film Festival is on a "sole mission to showcase the work of filmmakers with defiantly independent visions," ranging from documentaries to horror to experimental and more. The fest runs from Friday, Sept. 13 to Sunday, Sept. 22. Ahead of a week of cinematic goodness at The Screening Room, we asked AZUFF founder David Pike to share the 10 films he's most excited about this year. 

Artik
A critically acclaimed action horror film that takes the viewer into a world where a comic book obsessed serial killer clashes with a straight edge purist. The screening includes lead actor Jerry G. Angelo in attendance. (Screening at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13)

Name
A look at the significance of names, how they affect our lives and shape the world around us. (Screening at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14)
Man in Camo
Critically acclaimed documentary about what it means to be a modern artist. (Screening at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15)
Impossible Monsters
A fun and twisted story that has critics calling it a fantastic and unforgettable thriller. A film that is not to be missed. (Screening at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16)
Mentally Al
A look at the life of one of the best comedians that no one has heard of, Al Lubel. (Screening at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18)
Thursday night Shorts
Some of the best shorts on the festival circuit with many filmmakers in attendance. Shorts with Tom Skerritt, Jason Schwartzman, Jennifer Morrison and others. (Screening at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19)
Foosballers
A quirky and heartwarming story of a group of professional athletes the world doesn't know exists. Starring Tucson native Robert Mares, and directed by Tucson native and UA alumni Joe Heslinga, who will both be in attendance. (Screening at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20)
Bronko
Ascetic vision about a being who detests the dysfunctional social model that this society proposes and opts for the way of self-destruction. Spanish filmmakers will be in attendance. (Screening at 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20)
A Ship of Human Skin
A gothic tale of mysticism told like a true crime story. Filmmaker will be in attendance. (Screening at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21)
The Duckpond
A wild and funny film that is not be missed from Sweden. (Screening at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22)

The Arizona Underground Film Festival runs from Friday, Sept. 13 to Sunday, Sept. 22 at The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress Street. For more information, visit azuff.org

At Pima County Public Library, it starts with a seed...

Were you one of the thousands of Pima County residents that checked out Black Russian Sunflower seeds as part of the Library's 2019 One Seed program? For many of you, now could be the time to start harvesting and saving your seeds! If you planted Black Russian Sunflowers back in April or May, your sunflowers are probably ready for harvest.

Our wonderful Seed Librarians have put together a helpful guide on how to tell if your seeds are ready for harvest or what to do if they're not quite ready.

We'll be wrapping up this year's program at our Weigh-Off Party on Saturday, September 21 at Martha Cooper Library from 8 to 11 am. Bring your saved Black Russian Sunflower seeds and your donation will join the donations of other gardeners to ensure we have seeds to plant for seasons to come.

Local authorities are currently on the search for a male shooting suspect on Tucson’s southwest side. 
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene of a shooting in the 4000 block of West Camino Elario on Wednesday, Sept. 4 just before 2 p.m.

According to the PCSD, they received a call of someone who was shot in a residence and sustained non-life threatening injuries.  The individual was taken to the hospital.

The suspect, described as a Hispanic male in his 30s, goes by Nico and was last seen in a pink or red shirt near Tetakusim Road.

It is believed that when the suspect fled he might have crossed through Pasqua Yaqui land, so there is a Pasqua Yaqui police deputy working with the Sheriff's Department.

According to PCSD, he may be armed with a rifle.

Residents in the area are encouraged to stay inside, lock their doors and stay alert as authorities work to locate him.

Police do know his name and residence.

Anyone who has seen a man matching the description or has any information should call 9-1-1 or 88-crime.

Get out your aprons and spatulas, Tucson. It’s time to find the best tailgate cook in the Old Pueblo.

At each University of Arizona home football game, starting this Saturday, Sept. 7 against Northern Arizona University, Casino Del Sol Executive Chef Ryan Clark will search for the best tailgate dishes. His goal? To crown one cook as the “Sol Bowl Tailgate Champion of the Week.”

“As a Tucson native, I’m a huge Wildcats fan so tailgating has always been something I look forward to,” said Clark in a release. “I thought it’d be a fun way to show our support for the home team and let local chefs and foodies boast their game day specialties.”

The weekly competition will take place at each of the six Saturday home games at Arizona Stadium: Sept. 7 vs. NAU, Sept. 14 vs. Texas Tech, Sept. 28 vs. UCLA, Oct. 12 vs. Washington, Nov. 2 vs. Oregon State and Nov. 23 vs. Utah.

Starting three hours before kick-off, Clark will be at the tailgate section of the UA Main Campus Mall looking for tailgaters with the best tailgate masterpieces. He will taste one dish from each contestant and select one winner.

Each week’s winner will join Clark on the field during the game, where they will be presented with an official Sol Bowl chef’s apron from Chef Works, and $500 in gift cards.

Tailgate cooks are encouraged to register online prior to each game at casinodelsol.com/solbowl. Entrants must be 21 or older, have tickets to the game and an official tailgating location at the tailgate section of the UA Main Campus Mall.

May the best chef win!

The Reid Park Zoo said goodbye to one of its animal inhabitants this week, 20-year-old Elinor the reticulated giraffe. Born in the Knoxville Zoological Gardens on May 29, 1999, Elinor came to Tucson when she was 11 years old in 2010.

According to the zoo, Elinor died Monday, Sept. 2, just a day after “demonstrating signs of respiratory distress.” The zoo’s medical team responded to the situation, but were unable to keep Elinor alive.

She did have a history of breathing problems, and a necropsy performed at the University of Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory will reveal more information in the coming weeks.

The median life expectancy of giraffes like Elinor is 19 years. Elinor lived at Reid Park Zoo with two other giraffes: Jasiri, an 8-year-old male, and Denver, a 30-year-old female who is the second oldest giraffe in the United States. Giraffes are listed as a vulnerable species and less than 70,000 animals remain in the wild.

Friday, Aug. 30

Neoperreo is a mashup of reggaetón and digital culture. Chilean singer, "La Reina del Neoperreo," Tomasa Del Real rose up from the L.A. underground—where she slogged away as a tattoo artist—to the vanguard of reggaetón's freakiest offshoot. Perreo is a sexually uninhibited dance that challenged the sensibilities of Puerto Rican status quo, where it originated, during the '90s. Female-led reggaetón is moving the genre forward. For Del Real this is natural and "parallel to our generation, who is more accepting." Feel the heat when El Tambó presents Tomasa del Real, Ms Nina, San Cha, Mexican Jihad y un chingo mas. At Hotel Congress.

Death metalists Gatecreeper descend into "Sweltering Madness" at 191 Toole. With Candy, Show Me The Body and others.

Club '90s L.A. presents Get Low: Throwback Hip Hop Night. DJs spin 1990s and '00s hits. At the Rialto Theatre... "

And as the Waters Go." Downtuned guitars generate squalls of feedback that set off a sonic cascade. Montreal's BIG|BRAVE share the stage with ambient experimentalists Trees Speak. At Owls Club...

Humphouse spins at Cobra Arcade...

Bay Area post-hardcore trio, Holy Fawn are four creatures making "loud, heavy, pretty noises." They will just do that at Wooden Tooth Records. Flanked by Super Unison and Lychee...

From Illinois, this singer-songwriter tweeted that he "is making indie rock history by being the first artist to eat a whole catering tray of impossible meatballs backstage." Ryley Walker is at Che's Lounge with Wild Pink and Pearl Charles...

During the 1920s, Claire Higgins ran the Pima County Juvenile Detention Center. An austere woman, the mere mention of "Mother Higgins" instilled fear in would-be juvenile delinquents. Billy Sedlmayr & The Mother Higgins Children's Band keep the legend alive at Exo Bar. With folk singer Melaena Cadiz...

Following the arrest of 12 people after a noise demo outside of Pima County Jail on Aug. 14—noise demonstrations are held outside of detention facilities to protest the isolation experienced by prisoners with a display of festive joy and caring towards those held captive on the inside. Perish, BYOM, Hallow, It Might Not Change and Igloo Martian gather to perform a benefit show. At Blacklidge Community Collective...

The polished neo-soul fusion of Street Blues Family along with the R&B/Europop of Seanloui promise to make you swoon. At R Bar...

At once sophisticated, yet whimsical, if not quirky. Two-Door Hatchback perform in the tasting room at Sand-Reckoner...

Pushing Buttons: A Monthly Producer Getdown create beautiful noise at Thunder Canyon Brewstillery...

Fiendishly rad indie rock 'n' rollers The Exbats smack their bubblegum and crank out The Monkees-inspired pop goodness. At Saint Charles Tavern...

Mexican-American singer-songwriter/actor Pepe Aguilar croons at AVA Amphitheater...

Akin to a shaman-led ayahuasca ceremony—through a surreal desert landscape where grinding cumbia rhythms melt like a Willy Wonka chocolate bar into darkwave synth patches propelled by a wicked "Mexican Thin Lizzy" twin-lead guitar attack—XIXA preside over the ritual at Hotel Congress. With Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra, Maggot Heart, Las Chollas Peligrosas y más...

With roots in witch house and early 2010s rap culture, Wicca Phase Springs Eternal shapeshift sound. While former metalhead turned rapper Dana Dentata will "Make It Bounce" at 191 Toole...

They are Original Hot. Yes, freewheeling retro hell riders Taco Sauce add a sprinkle of glitter to Rockstar Wrestling Aliance's Día De Las Luchas. At The Rialto Theater...

Featuring DJs, live music, freestyle b-girl/b-boy breakdance battles and more, Southwest Shogun Jam slams at Thunder Canyon Brewstillery. Runt and Roch host...

"Do You Really Want Me?" Dogbreth deliver huggable power-pop with a youthful tinge of self-doubt. All-ages mayhem. At Wooden Tooth Records. With L.A. (by way of Tucson) riot grrrl inspired punk rockers Foxx Bodies and others...

From Vancouver, BC, minimalviolence offer a full-throttle ride through a raw techno landscape. With Brazilian avant-garde/experimentalists DEAFKIDS and more. At Owls Club...

In a 2016 project, Cumbia Corridos, Tucson cumbiancheros Vox Urbana explored the plight of the immigrant; Their hopes and heartbreaks too often encountered on a journey through the unforgiving Sonoran Desert. They perform at The Boxyard...

Over the years, man about town Clif Taylor (aka Chick Cashman) has worn many hats (that of filmmaker, musician, designer) as well as his signature Texas cowboy hat and is a beloved fixture in the Tucson music scene. Cashman adds with excessive modesty, "I started playing guitar at age 11 and have not gotten any better." Cashman performs at Che's Lounge with the legendary Kid Congo Powers (The Cramps/Nick Cave), The ExBats and Anchor Baby...

"I'm the most unprofessional DJ...I just youtube and mp3 songs up there on stage on the spot," L.A. producer Nedarb tweeted. He spins along with FoxWedding and Positive Satan at Cobra Arcade...

When this DJ "isn't robbing banks with baseball bats, he's rocking late night discotheques with soul songs for the Armageddon." Zackey Force Funk, Phatsoul and Alias smash at Thunder Canyon Brewstillery...

Take a plunge: Black Renaissance: Immersion is a night of mixed media performances at R Bar...

Little Cloud, Origami Ghosts and Human Ottoman form a trifecta for the win. At Sky Bar...

Singer-songwriter Amy Rude and Mamma Coal unite for an evening of folk songs, country and storytelling. At Exo Bar...

Sunday, Sept. 1

Their mission statement: "Not a band. Not DJs. We throw parties for the music we love." The infamous Emo Nite L.A. hits the Rialto Theatre for the very first time...

With roots in Arizona, this off-kilter L.A. hip hop trio's first two albums, Live From the Dentist Office and Floss, were literally recorded after hours in their producer's grandfather's dental office. The lyrics to "Oh Shit!!!" demonstrate their sense of comedy. Injury Reserve are at 191 Toole. With Fat Tony, Psypiritual & Sadgalnina and Yung Davon...

Lo-fi folkster Bill Callahan's voice conveys solitude. His words hold the power of shared human experience. And on his lo-fi recordings he whispers his presumptions into your ear. Callahan shares the plaza stage with Howe Gelb, Jake Xerxes Fussell, June West and Casey Golden. At Hotel Congress...

With its origins deeply rooted in the Gypsy culture of Spain, this traditional art form presents the interactions between song, dance and guitar, executed on a percussive wooden platform. Tablao Flamenco perform at Exo Roast Co...

Mashing-up Latino/Indigenous/Caribbean/African beats, from Brooklyn, NY, DJ Bembona's work aims to empower and bridge the gap between POC communities and beyond. Sonido Tambó add their distinct flavor to this cultural remezcla. Poolside at Hotel McCoy...

Canadian indie rockers The Courtneys' infectious brand of sunny Flying Nun-influenced pop songs, like worms, burrow into your ear canals. At Wooden Tooth Records. Backed by Hotline TNT, Toner and Stripes...

Roy the Cat presents Loveland—the wonderful and expansive country collective stewarded by the inimitable David Bryan—at Che's Lounge...

Death Bells are Standing at the Edge of the World. Well, perhaps metaphorically. But along with Cold Showers, Marbled Eye, Lié and Droll they are bringing HOCO Fest 2019 to an equally morose and raucous close. Djentrification spins, firing off the final salvos. At Club Congress...

Monday, Sept. 2

Wanna jam? Tucson Eclectic Jazz Jam kicks off at Solar Culture. Trumpeter Glen Gross, saxophonist Malik Alkabir, bassist Michael Grigsby and pianist Gehrig Burnett comprise the core band...

Peggy Noonan, founder and CEO of marijuana edibles company Copia Edibles, knows first hand how vital blood donations can be.

Diagnosed with Leukemia in 2017, Noonan felt inspired to shine a light on the importance of donating blood. Now, Copia will be organizing a statewide blood drive in partnership with the American Red Cross association.

“Having relapsed with Leukemia, I became aware of the shortage of blood supply," she said in a press release. "Being directly affected I thought, OK, we need to do something about it and determined to hold statewide blood drives."

"I request that the whole community join us in these drives. As far as I’m concerned, I truly appreciate everyone's love and support. And remember, I’m Magic and Miracles, Health, Love and Light. Vibrant Health.”

Copia will have it's first official blood drive on Tuesday, Sept. 3 at Prime Leaf Dispensary, 4220 E Speedway Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To be eligible to donate blood, people must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health.

Registered medical marijuana patients who donate blood will get a free infused goodie from Copia and Prime Leaf.

Their first goal is to get blood donations from at least 20 people, which be enough blood to potentially save 60 lives in the United States.

Copia is also accepting cash donations which will go to directly to the American Red Cross.

To schedule an appointment at the bloodmobile or for more information, contact 1-800-733-2767 or visit redcrossblood.org. 

After two inmates escaped custody while being transported to the Pima County Adult Detention Complex, the Sheriff's Department has suspended it’s use of Kansas-based transport company Security Transport Services (STS).

On Aug. 26, STS was transporting 56-year-old Blane Barksdale and 59-year-old Susan Barksdale, who were being extradited to Tucson in relation to charges connected in the murder of Frank Bligh, a 72-year-old Tucson man.

The Barksdales overpowered STS guards in Utah, escaping and driving near to St. Johns, Arizona.

According to a press release from the department, there is no indiction the Barksdales are traveling towards Pima County.

STS has been contracted with the county since November 2016 to provide transport services. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is one of eight counties in the state who use private transport companies to help keep costs down.

Other reasons for using a private company have to do with the high cost of extradition, distance and deadlines when an inmate has court proceedings.

STS transported 15 inmates in 2006, 100 in 2017 and 100 in 2018. So far this year, they have transported about 70 inmates.

The contract as is expires in November and the Sheriff’s Department has suspended use of their service "pending a review of the incident/escape.”

Anyone with information on the escape or the Barksdales should contact 9-1-1 or 88-crime. They are believed to be armed and dangerous.