Holding Onto the Stage in Tucson, a ‘Transient’ Theater Town

    By Adam Harris J209 When Keyanna Khatiblou and the nine other members of Short Attention Span Theatre got off the plane at the Fringe theater festival in Cincinnati, from Tucson, she could not help but reflect on the journey they took to get there. In the fall of 2011, Khatiblou, 21, auditioned for a […]

Legacy of a Wildfire on a Mountaintop Town: ‘Never, Never Give Up!’

Story and photos by Rebecca Noble J209 Perched on the peak of Mount Lemmon is Summerhaven, a small village that once was comprised of quaint cabins nestled among towering pines. Today, Summerhaven remains small, but absent on the forested ridges are the antiquated cabins for rent at an affordable price — and much of the community […]

Clearing Washes of Trash Ahead of Monsoon Rains

Story and photos by Nicole Kane J209 Two weeks ago , with monsoon season approaching, a city cop, a county constable and other community were busily cleaning trash and other debris from two washes behind the Tanglewood Apartments 5050 E. 5th St. in Tucson. The clean-up began at 7 a.m. as the volunteers began removing mattresses, broken […]

As Tucson Streetcars Roll, a Focus on Bicycle Safety {With J209 Video}

Story and video by Zach Hynek J209 With the new installation of the SunLink streetcar there have been new concerns over the safety of bicyclists following a report filed by the Living Streets Alliance that documented over 80 bike crashes along the tracks over 18 months. There has been much anticipation for the SunLink streetcar, which is […]

Children’s Museum Exhibit Emphasizes Hands-On Activities

By Sydnee Ortiz J209 With J209 Video by Sydnee Ortiz   The Children’s Museum Tucson will open an exhibit called “Build It!” this summer. Funds were partially raised through Arizona Gives Day on April 9. The new hands-on exhibit is designed to offer learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.) for children […]

Along the Streetcar Route, a Downtown Revival?

  By Annie Dickman J209 The city of Tucson has emphasized a goal of fostering new jobs and economic growth in the Fourth Avenue and downtown areas though the website of the new Sun Link’s streetcar line. The website optimistically projects that 1,500 long-term jobs will be created as a direct result of the streetcar, […]

Going Digital at the Loft Cinema

Story, photos and audio by Megan Litwicki J209 When major film studios created a mandate for movie theaters to switch from standard 35-millimeter film projection to digital, the difficulties surrounding converting fell hard upon independent movie theaters.   Unlike major theater chains, which have revenue flow and the support of major studios such as Paramount, […]

Apartment Complex Tip: Please Don’t Feed the Javelinas

Story and photos by Aubrey Coil J209 As more people feed them, javelinas are getting bolder and wandering more into residential areas. Campus Crossings At Star Pass apartments a case in point. At the Tucson apartment comple, javelinas are finding ways to enter the gated residential community, looking (of course) for food. And with more […]

Call to the Post: Saving Unwanted Racehorses {With J209 Video}

Story, video and photos by Bridget Grobosky J209 Patti Shirley poured me a glass of water before sitting down in the kitchen of a home on her 120-acre horse property outside of Tucson. She adjusted her butterfly-print neck scarf and began telling me, without pause, the story of her nonprofit Thoroughbred retirement organization, Equine Encore […]

Feting a Patron Saint of Water in a Drought {With J209 Video}

Story and video by Morgan Treat J209 The Dia De San Juan festival takes place every year in Tucson on June 24. The festival honors the birth of St. John the Baptist, the patron saint of water. Mid June is also the start of the monsoon season, crucial to the people and the desert landscape […]

A5: Draft Bisbee Pride Festival

In the Kitchen With Nicole Kane

By Zach Hynek J209 Butter lettuce tossed over champagne dressing, four-cheese turkey lasagna with a light pasta salad on the side, all to be finished off with “Grandma Pat’s double-fudge brownies:” This is the type of meal that you could expect if Nicole Kane were to cook you her meal of choice — if she […]

Harris in a Leading Role: Adam Harris

By Allie Harmon J209 21-year-old Adam Harris is using his theatrical skills to set him for life. A fifth-year senior at the University of Arizona, Harris majors in theater arts with a minor in journalism. “I have to enjoy school to do well; that’s why I chose theater,” Harris said. Besides the class work, Harris […]

Saddling Up With Bridget Grobosky

By Trevor Thornburg J209 When it comes to an equine pursuit, Bridget Grobosky doesn’t horse around. Grobosky — an accomplisher equestrian — was born in Youngstown, Ohi,o and then moved to Vienna, Ohio, where she lived until the age of six, when she moved again, this time to Canton, Mich., where, she lived until graduating […]

A Vegetarian Choice for Annie Dickman

By Aubrey Coil J209 Annie Dickman, 19, a student at the University of Arizona, follows vegetarianism. She is currently double-majoring in political science with an emphasis in international relations and journalism. From the San Francisco Bay Area to Tucson, Dickman has maintained a love for adventure, but one thing has remained consistent in her life: […]

A Film Buff Who Loves the Hobbits: Megan Litwicki

By Molly Eisele J209 There are many people who can pinpoint the exact moment when they decided what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives. For University of Arizona film and television student Megan Litwicki, 20, that moment happened in 2001. She had been visiting family in Sedona over her second-grade winter […]

Trevor Thornburg and Marijuana Reform

By Bridget Grobosky J209 Trevor Thornburg, 29, received his medical marijuana card in the summer of 2013. It inspired him to create a new club at the University of Arizona, Students for Sensible Drug Policies. The club works on matters related to marijuana legalization, harm reduction and other political activism in its partnership with Campus […]

Sam Collins: Combining Political Science With Journalism

By Sydnee Ortiz J209 Sam Collins was born in Tucson on June 7, 1990, but considers himself from Clarkdale, Ariz. Collins has had a lot of school experience. After graduating from Prescott High School, he went to Northern Arizona University, where he pursued his political science major. Unfortunately, Collins had to drop out for personal […]

Sports is Life with Allie Harmon

By Adam Harris J209 When Allie Harmon was a child, she was a self-proclaimed tomboy. She remembers times sitting on her father’s lap watching sports more fondly than she remembers being girly. “My mom couldn’t get me in a dress,” Harmon said. Harmon, who is 20 years old and is going to be a senior […]

Adding Up the Costs of College

By Allie Harmon J209 Rent is $300 to share a four-bedroom apartment with three other people; your car payment and car insurance? Say about $400 a month; gas to get to work is more than $100. And then there are groceries. Costs of living and financial instability are among the biggest obstacles some college students face. As […]