Local Business · Tucson, AZ
The Pima County Board of Supervisors approved more than $1 million in funding on Oct. 13 for the See YOU Downtown initiative, which supports small businesses, strengthens public spaces, and expands access to County-owned downtown parking facilities in Tucson. The investment builds on the One Pima Initiative and directs resources to the Downtown Tucson Partnership for Clean & Safe services, facade improvement grants, storefront activation, and new shuttle and connector cart services. County parking facilities will receive equipment and security upgrades to allow public access during evenings and weekends when spaces are not used for regular operations. District 5 Supervisor Andrés Cano and County Administrator Jan Lesher endorsed the plan as a long-term investment in downtown's economic and cultural vitality.
Local Politics · Marana, AZ
Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva spoke at a Pima Resists ICE press conference preceding the Oct. 6 Marana Town Council meeting, where residents voiced opposition to a planned private ICE detention facility operated by Management and Training Corporation (MTC). Immigration attorney Daniela Ugaz urged the town to review MTC's records for potential business-license disqualification and raised public-nuisance legal options. Councilmember Patrick Cavanaugh expressed personal opposition while acknowledging the Town Council lacks legal authority to stop the federally contracted facility on private property. Marana leadership stated in late September it holds no authority over whether the site operates as a prison or detention center, with Mayor Jon Post pledging police cooperation with the facility's operators.
Transportation · Pima County
U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ 7th District) is questioning a $63 million federal contract for a proposed Border Patrol checkpoint expansion along Interstate 19 in southern Arizona, saying she has seen no evidence it would improve border security. DHS acquisition planning records list an estimated cost range of $50 million to $100 million for the project, with completion projected by September 2029. Grijalva raised concerns that additional checkpoint delays could harm produce transport and discourage visitors to communities such as Tubac, Arivaca, and Three Points. She said local officials have not received sufficient information about the expansion's design or operations, and she plans continued congressional inquiries into the project.
Local Business · Tucson, AZ
Etherton Gallery, a Tucson photography institution operating since 1981, will close its Barrio Viejo location on Convent Avenue in late November after Bacon Industries declined to renew the lease. Owner Terry Etherton says there is an 80% chance the gallery will relocate to the Bautista complex in the Mercado District, with a goal of opening by Jan. 15. The final exhibition, "Lou Peralta: Expanded Portraiture, The Matter of the Invisible, with Elizabeth Z. Pineda: Maíz," is currently on view through the closing. Etherton said Bacon Industries gave conflicting explanations for the non-renewal, citing both a property sale and a family division of assets. The gallery had occupied Odd Fellows Hall for 33 years before moving to Barrio Viejo in 2021.
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Local Politics · Pima County
Jake Martin, 23, resigned as Pima County Deputy Treasurer on Wednesday after new Treasurer Jorge Soto asked him to leave the position. The departure marks the second major leadership change in the county Treasurer's Office within months, following former Treasurer Brian Johnson's June resignation amid allegations of inappropriate behavior toward a female staffer. Martin, an at-will employee hired by Johnson, said he did not know why Soto requested his resignation but planned to step down regardless. Soto declined to provide a reason for the personnel change and had not yet responded to a public-records request regarding Martin's position.
Community News · Tucson, AZ
Clínica Amistad, operated by the nonprofit Amistad y Salud since 2003, provides free primary care to Tucson's uninsured residents and recorded over 3,000 visits last year, up from 2,400 the prior year. Executive director Nicole Glasner attributes the increase to recent reductions in Affordable Care Act and Medicare coverage, citing data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The clinic operates Tuesday through Thursday evenings and one Saturday monthly, staffed by approximately 50 credentialed volunteers and 75 student volunteers from UA and Pima Community College. Services include medical evaluations, dermatology, diabetes management, psychology, acupuncture, physical therapy, orthopedics, EKGs, and ophthalmology. The organization relies entirely on donations, with its upcoming annual Gala serving as a key fundraising event.
Community News · Tucson, AZ
Revolutionary Grounds Books and Coffee, located near East Speedway Boulevard and North Swan Road at Mission Plaza shopping center in Tucson, had its 24/7 public water station moved indoors in September after a security guard complained to the landlord. The relocation limited access to business hours only, prompting a petition started Sept. 16 that gathered more than 450 signatures. On Oct. 15, co-owner Joy Soler said the landlord granted permission to return the station outside, where it had operated for two years in partnership with mutual aid group Community Care Tucson.
