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In today’s newsletter:
⚖️ Opponents of the Project Blue data center have sued Pima County, alleging officials failed to properly disclose key negotiations ahead of a rezoning vote. Read more.
🏫 The Amphitheater school board voted to close four elementary schools Tuesday night amid declining enrollment, drawing grief and anger from families at a somber meeting. Read more.
💧 Arizona reached a first-of-its-kind agreement with a major dairy farm in Willcox to curb groundwater pumping, fallow thousands of acres and compensate residents whose wells have run dry. Read more.
Featured stories
Project Blue opponents sue Pima County over alleged open meeting law violations
Attorneys representing the No Desert Data Center Coalition filed a legal complaint in Pima County Superior Court Wednesday alleging that county staff failed to give adequate public notice of how […]
Somber Amphi Board meeting ends with vote to shutter four elementary schools
The Amphitheater Public Schools Governing Board voted 5-0 Tuesday night to close down four elementary schools next school year. After the official vote, the meeting’s somber tone turned a bit […]
Arizona strikes agreement with dairy farm to limit groundwater pumping in Willcox
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here. PEARCE — Nearly two […]
Arizona voters approved in-state tuition for undocumented students. The state left implementation to chance.
From the start of high school, Ignacio knew he wanted to go to college to become a nurse practitioner. But when he learned that being undocumented disqualified him from in-state […]
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The University of Arizona has joined a team led by defense contractor Precise Systems competing for contracts under the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s SHIELD initiative, a program that could award up to $151 billion in work tied to the Golden Dome missile defense system. UA researchers and startups will contribute expertise in areas such as hypersonics, cybersecurity, and space science. Read more.
Poets Cameron Awkward-Rich and Franny Choi will headline the inaugural H.D./Bryher Residency Reading at the University of Arizona Poetry Center on Thursday, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m. The reading series, honoring LGBTQ+ voices, will also be livestreamed.
The YWCA of Southern Arizona will host the National Day of Racial Healing on Saturday, Jan. 17, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at 525 N. Bonita Ave. in Tucson. The free community event will feature circle dialogue, food, a youth activity room and a raffle. Details.
The University of Arizona Museum of Art will present “Bailey Doogan: Ways of Seeing” from Jan. 17 to April 4. This career-spanning exhibition honors the late artist and UA professor emerita with works that explore themes from surrealism to stark realism, including her groundbreaking depictions of the aging female body.
Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with the 2026 Tucson MLK march and celebration on Monday, Jan. 19 at Reid Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The march begins at the Reid Park band shell. Throughout the day, catch performances and speakers, artisans, food trucks and educational booths, outreach programs and community services. More on this free event here.
Explore the Yavapai Nation on a guided tour with River of Time and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. More information and dates here.
The 35th Tucson J International Film Festival is screening movies in person through Jan. 18 and virtually from Jan. 16-26. Doors open 30 minutes before listed screen times and tickets are available at the door for most screenings. Celebrate Jewish joy, culture and learning through “This is My Mother” at the Loft and “Ada – My Mother the Architect” at the Tucson Jewish Community Center on Jan. 15. See the complete schedule here.
TreeCycle runs through Jan. 29. Tucson’s annual holiday recycling program turns fresh-cut Christmas trees into compost for local parks and gardens. Remove all decorations and stands, then drop your tree at one of several collection sites around the city (curbside pickup isn’t available). Drop-off location and details here.
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