Wednesday, July 29, 2020
PHOENIX – Thousands of gallons of wasted milk. Unpredictable, zigzagging prices. Abrupt dips and surges in demand.
The past four months have been a roller coaster for Arizona dairy farms, as the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the way some of their biggest clients did business.
The ride isn’t over yet: Arizona is a COVID-19 hotspot, meaning impacts on school and restaurant operations – and their dairy needs – remain uncertain.
Food banks find themselves overwhelmed with community demand, yet some struggle to safely store and distribute the flood of milk being donated.
And beyond Arizona’s borders, foreign dairy markets continue to evolve.
“In 46 years, I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Keith Murfield, chief executive officer of United Dairymen of Arizona.
The market value for dairy products made in Arizona exceeds $762 million and is one of the top five agricultural commodities for the state, according to the Arizona Commerce Authority.
The past four months have been a roller coaster for Arizona dairy farms, as the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the way some of their biggest clients did business.
The ride isn’t over yet: Arizona is a COVID-19 hotspot, meaning impacts on school and restaurant operations – and their dairy needs – remain uncertain.
Food banks find themselves overwhelmed with community demand, yet some struggle to safely store and distribute the flood of milk being donated.
And beyond Arizona’s borders, foreign dairy markets continue to evolve.
“In 46 years, I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Keith Murfield, chief executive officer of United Dairymen of Arizona.
The market value for dairy products made in Arizona exceeds $762 million and is one of the top five agricultural commodities for the state, according to the Arizona Commerce Authority.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona climbed past 168,000 as of Wednesday, July 29, after the state reported 2,339 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had seen 15,601 of the state's 168,273 confirmed cases.
A total of 3,454 people have died after contracting the virus, including 431 in Pima County.
Maricopa County had 113,148 of the state's cases.
Hospitals remain under pressure, although they report a slight decrease in the number of Arizonans hospitalized with COVID-19-related symptoms. The report shows that 2,424 COVID patients were hospitalized yesterday in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13. That’s the lowest number of hospitalized COViD patients since June 24, when 2,453 people were in hospital beds.
A total of 1,225 people visited ERs yesterday with COVID symptoms, a slight increase from yesterday's low when 1,158 people sought help in ERs for COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.
A total of 800 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds yesterday, the lowest number since July 4, when 821 COVID patients were in ICU. The number of COVID patients in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.
HUCKELBERRY: UNSAFE TO OPEN SCHOOLS IN AUGUST
Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry yesterday said schools should not reopen for in-person instruction on Aug. 17, based on the county’s current data on COVID-19 community spread.
Huckelberry sent a letter to all Pima County public school superintendents on Tuesday, July 28, to follow up on Gov. Doug Ducey’s recent executive order, which directed all county health departments to work with local school districts to determine when it is safe to return to school campuses.
“Clearly, County public health agencies with real-time information and data regarding the pandemic are in the best position to offer public health advice regarding school activities related to managing the spread of COVID-19,” Huckelberry wrote.
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
If you happened to be around the west coast's garage rock revival back in the early 2010s, then I'm sure you know of Tucson's Prom Body. Their 2014 high energy scuzz-rock album Naughty by Natural is still as Tucson as it gets and deserves a place in your record collection.
With that being said...
Prom Body frontman Michael Fay recently released his fifth album from his solo project, Pollution Salute, called Happy You're Here. The mostly instrumental work builds upon seemingly quirky soundscapes while slightly exposing the darker underbelly hare and there—a bit like old Broken Social Scene demos meets The Rentals, in the best of ways.
The album's opening track, Lazyboy Recliner, is an infectious down and dirty ditty building on a drum loop ala Tony Basil's Hey Mickey, using a hypnotic drone to progress the song and then follows it up with a blown out fuzz bass and spacey one-key keyboard melodies.
Songs like No Fear of Big Dogs was made for the Mac Demarco lover in you—tasty guitar arpeggios that switch from augmented to diminished, yet flow together effortlessly in a wash of reverb and chorus. Others tracks like Dog Is My Co-Pilot sound like an early Kraftwork throwback by building on top of various synth sounds while still leaving a lot of open space. The final track Everybody Gets A Trophy gets major props for it's opening John Carpenter vibes that cut into funky dystopian 80s breakdown.
Happy You're Here is a great example of a creative piece of work that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's perfect to throw on while social distancing with friends this summer.
Check out Happy You're Here by Pollution Salute by clicking here.
With that being said...
Prom Body frontman Michael Fay recently released his fifth album from his solo project, Pollution Salute, called Happy You're Here. The mostly instrumental work builds upon seemingly quirky soundscapes while slightly exposing the darker underbelly hare and there—a bit like old Broken Social Scene demos meets The Rentals, in the best of ways.
The album's opening track, Lazyboy Recliner, is an infectious down and dirty ditty building on a drum loop ala Tony Basil's Hey Mickey, using a hypnotic drone to progress the song and then follows it up with a blown out fuzz bass and spacey one-key keyboard melodies.
Songs like No Fear of Big Dogs was made for the Mac Demarco lover in you—tasty guitar arpeggios that switch from augmented to diminished, yet flow together effortlessly in a wash of reverb and chorus. Others tracks like Dog Is My Co-Pilot sound like an early Kraftwork throwback by building on top of various synth sounds while still leaving a lot of open space. The final track Everybody Gets A Trophy gets major props for it's opening John Carpenter vibes that cut into funky dystopian 80s breakdown.
Happy You're Here is a great example of a creative piece of work that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's perfect to throw on while social distancing with friends this summer.
Check out Happy You're Here by Pollution Salute by clicking here.
On Wednesday, July 29, the Pima County Health Department will begin offering free saliva testing for COVID-19 at the Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center, 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road. The testing requires pre-registration and is conducted by Arizona State University in partnership with the Arizona Department of Health Services.
PCHD continues to offer free COVID-19 testing via nasal swabs at the Kino Event Center by appointment only.
To register for a test, go to pima.gov/covid19testing, then:
Staff located at the Ellie Towne Center will provide assistance for anyone who has trouble registering ahead of time. Other important reminders:
Pima County also plans to offer a third testing site on eastside at Udall Park and a mobile testing site in the coming weeks. Visit pima.gov/covid19testing for details.
Meanwhile, Pima County is one of several regions in the country where a new COVID-19 vaccine is being tested. The National Institutes of Health is conducting phase 3 trials on a vaccine co-developed by Moderna, Inc. and the National Insitute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
“I am hopeful that the phase 3 clinical announced will be an effective way to protect Americans from the wrath of COVID-19, and I am pleased that the National Institutes for Health has selected a diverse location like Pima County as one of the sites for this vaccine trial,” said U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva in a prepared statement. “Latinos are being hospitalized at four times the rate of white people, and we’ve seen in communities across the country that Black, Latino, and Native individuals are more likely to contract severe cases of COVID-19 and ultimately succumb to it. These vaccine trials are an important step toward ensuring that we can quickly develop a safe, effective vaccine to stop the spread of COVID-19, keep our communities safe, and get back to some semblance of normalcy. It’s essential that diverse individuals are included in the trial so that we can ensure an appropriate response across the board.”
If you’re interested in volunteering, visit www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org or ClinicalTrials.gov and search identifier NCT04470427 to find a study center.
- Click the link Schedule my test.
- Click the “Pre-register” button for the Ellie Towne Community Center
- Use Agency code: FvCmy1fGe
- Create a username (email address) and password.
Staff located at the Ellie Towne Center will provide assistance for anyone who has trouble registering ahead of time. Other important reminders:
- You must bring a photo ID and the QR code shown in your confirmation email.
- Make sure you are well hydrated at least 30 minutes ahead of your appointment time.
- At 30 minutes prior to your appointment, rinse your mouth with plain water for 20-30 seconds and then spit out the water.
- Please do not eat, drink (even water), smoke, vape, or chew gum for at least 30 minutes prior to your appointment.
- When you arrive at the site, wear a protective face covering - either cloth or surgical mask.
- To cancel or reschedule your appointment, log in to your account at asubioempportal.pointnclick.com
Pima County also plans to offer a third testing site on eastside at Udall Park and a mobile testing site in the coming weeks. Visit pima.gov/covid19testing for details.
Meanwhile, Pima County is one of several regions in the country where a new COVID-19 vaccine is being tested. The National Institutes of Health is conducting phase 3 trials on a vaccine co-developed by Moderna, Inc. and the National Insitute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
“I am hopeful that the phase 3 clinical announced will be an effective way to protect Americans from the wrath of COVID-19, and I am pleased that the National Institutes for Health has selected a diverse location like Pima County as one of the sites for this vaccine trial,” said U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva in a prepared statement. “Latinos are being hospitalized at four times the rate of white people, and we’ve seen in communities across the country that Black, Latino, and Native individuals are more likely to contract severe cases of COVID-19 and ultimately succumb to it. These vaccine trials are an important step toward ensuring that we can quickly develop a safe, effective vaccine to stop the spread of COVID-19, keep our communities safe, and get back to some semblance of normalcy. It’s essential that diverse individuals are included in the trial so that we can ensure an appropriate response across the board.”
If you’re interested in volunteering, visit www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org or ClinicalTrials.gov and search identifier NCT04470427 to find a study center.
Monday, July 27, 2020
ICYMI, here are the stories we covered today.
Don't forget to vote for the winners of Best of Tucson® 2020!
Don't forget to vote for the winners of Best of Tucson® 2020!
- The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona climbed past 163K as of Monday, July 27, after the state reported 1,813 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
- When he announced an extension Thursday of his order closing bars, gyms, movie theaters and more, Gov. Doug Ducey acknowledged that “businesses and employees have sacrificed” as the state fights the spread of COVID-19.
- An accidental shooting at Canyon Del Oro High School has left one man dead and placed the school on lockdown while Oro Valley Police conduct an investigation into how the shooting occurred on Monday, July 27.
- As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the state, testing sites have experienced inconsistencies in the number of Arizonans seeking tests and in the time it takes to get results.
Friday, July 24, 2020
ICYMI, here are the stories we covered today.
- The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona climbed past 156K as of Friday, July 24, after the state reported 3,349 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
- The Sundance Film Festival Shorts Tour “Virtual Edition” is coming to you via The Loft’s streaming series, and this collection is a winner. The Festival has helped launch the likes of Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson (Both Andersons!), Lynn Ramsay, and Taika Waititi, and this year’s selection has some new candidates for greatness.
- As activists nationwide vandalize, topple and demand the removal of Confederate statues and memorials, the United Daughters of the Confederacy on Wednesday removed two monuments from the Capitol complex and along U.S. 60 near Gold Canyon.
- Arizona skywatchers have been over the moon about a comet that has graced the night sky since July 11.
- Arizona schools must open their doors to at least some of their students on Aug. 17, state officials said Thursday, but districts will have the flexibility to offer alternative schooling to students who want to stay home.
- Professional spring sports are back after COVID-19 delayed or canceled numerous leagues' seasons.
- Gyms, bars, nightclubs and more will remain closed past next week as the state continues to fight a disease that is “highly contagious and in every part of the state,” Gov. Doug Ducey said Thursday.
- Downtown Tucson will be getting another fantastic taproom, by a fantastic local brewery in one fantastic location by 2021.
- The WNBA and NBA have allowed players to choose a variety of social justice messages they would like on the back of their jerseys once regular season basketball resumes.
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
ICYMI, here are the stories we covered today:
- In today's coronavirus news: AZ has passed the 150K threshold in cases … hospitalizations are trending downward as Arizonans embrace masks … Gov. Doug Ducey is expected to give more guidance to schools tomorrow as State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman calls for metrics rather than calendar dates to determine when it is safe to return to schools … Ducey calls on Congress to extend the unemployment benefit that provides an extra $600 a week to out-of-work Arizonans … and more.
- Conservationists expressed anger and frustration over the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision not to hear an appeal to stop construction of the southern border wall.
- Navajo leaders said the tribe could begin moving toward the phased reopening of the reservation as early as next week, but they continued to urge members to take precautions to keep the number of COVID-19 cases trending downward.
- President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will exclude undocumented immigrants in the 2020 Census when it comes to allocating seats in Congress, a move critics called unconstitutional and unenforceable.
- Opponents to the effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona filed a legal challenge in Maricopa County Superior Court Tuesday in an attempt to stop the initiative from making the state's November ballot.
- A federal appeals court Tuesday rejected a long-simmering challenge to Proposition 123, the voter-approved 2016 measure that is set to redirect an estimated $3.5 billion to Arizona public schools over a decade.
- Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement Tuesday that fans will not be allowed to attend college sporting events in the state of New York during the fall shed light on an interesting discrepancy between New York and Arizona.
- With Arizona's COVID-19 cases now topping 150,000, the University of Arizona and the State of Arizona have expanded their free COVID-19 antibody testing program to include 15 new categories of essential workers considered at high risk for exposure.
PHOENIX – A federal appeals court Tuesday rejected a long-simmering challenge to Proposition 123, the voter-approved 2016 measure that is set to redirect an estimated $3.5 billion to Arizona public schools over a decade.
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling in the case, which has been pending since the day after Prop 123 was passed by a margin of just 1.5%.
Phoenix resident Michael Pierce had argued that the state could not transfer funds from the state’s land trust, as the proposition does, without congressional approval and a federal district court agreed. But the appeals court said Tuesday that Congress made the necessary approvals in 2018, leaving Pierce “without a case or controversy,” and it reversed the lower court.
The legal challenges did not hold up the school money, but Chris Thomas, general counsel for the Arizona School Boards Association, said it is still “good to get this chapter behind us.”
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling in the case, which has been pending since the day after Prop 123 was passed by a margin of just 1.5%.
Phoenix resident Michael Pierce had argued that the state could not transfer funds from the state’s land trust, as the proposition does, without congressional approval and a federal district court agreed. But the appeals court said Tuesday that Congress made the necessary approvals in 2018, leaving Pierce “without a case or controversy,” and it reversed the lower court.
The legal challenges did not hold up the school money, but Chris Thomas, general counsel for the Arizona School Boards Association, said it is still “good to get this chapter behind us.”
Opponents to the effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona filed a legal challenge in Maricopa County Superior Court Tuesday in an attempt to stop the initiative from making the state's November ballot.
But rather than challenge the validity of the signatures, Arizonans for Health and Public Safety is taking issue with what they call misleading language in Smart and Safe Arizona's 100-word summary. Among other complaints, they say the group redefines marijuana because the initiative includes cannabis extracts along with marijuana flower. The opposition group believes marijuana extracts should be defined differently since they contain more THC than typical marijuana buds.
"Cannabis THC is highly concentrated," said Arizonans for Health and Public Safety chair Lisa James. "For example, five grams of marijuana concentrate that they allow is approximately 2,800 doses of pure THC for one person."
The group's lawsuit also challenges the Smart and Safe Arizona proposition essentially eliminates restrictions on weed-impaired drivers by not relying on marijuana metabolites tests to check if a person is impaired while driving.
"(Smart and Safe) eliminates all current marijuana DUI violations based on the percentage of marijuana impairing metabolites in the driver's system," James said. "That's no longer enough to convict for a DUI."
Critics of marijuana metabolite testing cite the test's unreliability to determine when the last time a person used marijuana since those metabolites can stay in a person's system for weeks or months.
But rather than challenge the validity of the signatures, Arizonans for Health and Public Safety is taking issue with what they call misleading language in Smart and Safe Arizona's 100-word summary. Among other complaints, they say the group redefines marijuana because the initiative includes cannabis extracts along with marijuana flower. The opposition group believes marijuana extracts should be defined differently since they contain more THC than typical marijuana buds.
"Cannabis THC is highly concentrated," said Arizonans for Health and Public Safety chair Lisa James. "For example, five grams of marijuana concentrate that they allow is approximately 2,800 doses of pure THC for one person."
The group's lawsuit also challenges the Smart and Safe Arizona proposition essentially eliminates restrictions on weed-impaired drivers by not relying on marijuana metabolites tests to check if a person is impaired while driving.
"(Smart and Safe) eliminates all current marijuana DUI violations based on the percentage of marijuana impairing metabolites in the driver's system," James said. "That's no longer enough to convict for a DUI."
Critics of marijuana metabolite testing cite the test's unreliability to determine when the last time a person used marijuana since those metabolites can stay in a person's system for weeks or months.
PHOENIX – Conservationists expressed anger and frustration over the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision not to hear an appeal to stop construction of the southern border wall. But they’re moving ahead on other legal fronts while monitoring construction as it chews through land marked by towering saguaros and home to the endangered jaguar.
“It’s upsetting that they’re not willing to consider the (Trump) administration’s obvious abuse of the law to fast-track border wall construction,” said Laiken Jordahl, borderlands campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity in Tucson.
The appeal had sought to block 145 miles of steel-bollard barrier construction in Arizona, California, Texas and New Mexico, arguing that dozens of environmental, health and safety laws were illegally waived to speed wall construction.
In Arizona, construction on sections of the U.S.-Mexico border wall continues across the San Pedro River, which begins in Mexico and flows north into Arizona near Hereford. Activists contend this barrier will halt the natural cross-border migration of wildlife and make flooding worse.
“It’s upsetting that they’re not willing to consider the (Trump) administration’s obvious abuse of the law to fast-track border wall construction,” said Laiken Jordahl, borderlands campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity in Tucson.
The appeal had sought to block 145 miles of steel-bollard barrier construction in Arizona, California, Texas and New Mexico, arguing that dozens of environmental, health and safety laws were illegally waived to speed wall construction.
In Arizona, construction on sections of the U.S.-Mexico border wall continues across the San Pedro River, which begins in Mexico and flows north into Arizona near Hereford. Activists contend this barrier will halt the natural cross-border migration of wildlife and make flooding worse.
