After consulting with writer Casey Dewey and former Tucson Weekly editor Dan Gibson, I removed a 2013 interview with tattoo artist Isaiah Toothtaker from our website.

Here is Dewey's comment on the article:

Eight years ago I wrote a cover story about Isaiah Toothtaker for the Tucson Weekly. The original idea was to write a shorter piece on his musical output, but it turned into something bigger. It became a sit-down “one-on-one” interview, something akin to a “sit-down with one Tucson’s most notorious residents.”



Looking back on it, it was pure exploitation and it stank of tabloid journalism. I haven’t thought about that article in some time, but numerous, horrific allegations about Toothtaker’s behavior have surfaced throughout this past week and that article has been gnawing away at me. If I had scratched under the surface I would’ve walked away from it, or turned it over to someone who was more capable of an investigative piece. I sincerely apologize to anybody who’s been hurt, abused or otherwise victimized by him. If you felt in any way I was legitimizing his behavior, I am truly sorry. I’m not speaking on behalf of the Tucson Weekly, but I will take full responsibility for this ill-conceived article.

You can ditch the suit-and-tie look while working from home, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't still dress in stylish T-shirts. That's why we're excited to announce that we are teaming up with Arizona Uniform in the TUCSON2GETHER program to offer a new T-shirt that allows you to look good in your next Zoom meeting and show off your Tucson Weekly pride.

The TW T is just one of several you can choose from when you visit this virtual showroom. Here's the deal: $10 of the $24 price goes to the Weekly (or any other biz or nonprofit whose shirt you purchase).

But don't delay: This limited-edition T-shirt will only be available through midnight on Wednesday, May 20.

With the current pandemic-related economic crash rippling across our newspaper enterprise just as it's hammering many others, you'll also be supporting independent local journalism, which is vital in this day and age. Plus, we'll be donating half of our $10 take to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, so you'll also be helping feed the community with your purchase.

Get yours today! 

It's Thursday, so a new edition of Tucson Weekly is on newsstands now! But with many of our distribution points closed under the stay-at-home order, you may be wondering where you can still find a copy of our latest issue. Good news: There are still plenty of places to pick us up. Here's a list of our current distribution locations. Remember you can find us at Albertson's grocery stores, Quik Marts and 7-Eleven stores. We've asked distribution points that are closed to set racks outside their place of business.

Central/UA/Downtown

Time Market, 444 E. University Blvd.
Downtown Dispensary, 221 E. Sixth Street
Empire Foods, 540 E. Ninth St.
Flying Saucer, 439 N. Sixth Ave
Tap & Bottle, 403 N. Sixth Ave
Miller's Surplus, 406 N Sixth Ave.
Moon Smoke Shop, 338 N. Fourth Ave.
Hippie Gypsy, 351 N. Fourth Ave.
Mr. Heads Bar, 513 N Fourth Ave.
Boca, 533 N. Fourth Ave.
Brooklyn Pizza, 534 N. Fourth Ave.
Martin's, 557 N Fourth Ave
Magpies Pizza, 605 N. Fourth Ave
Epic Café, 745 N. Fourth Ave.
YWCA, 738 N. Fifth Ave.
Moon Smoke Shop, 2351 N. Alvernon Way
Catalina Market, 2601 N. Columbus Blvd

Where do the days go? It might feel like the monsoons just got here but, somehow, we're approaching the end of July. When this month comes to a close, so too will your chance to vote in Best of Tucson.

Go vote!

You are just about out of time to vote in the first round of Best of Tucson. So, hop on over to the survey, give us your opinion on the 30 (or more!) people, places or institutions you think are the best of the best, and submit your ballot before 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday.

"But wait," you might be saying. "What do you mean 'first round'?"

A good question. A few years ago, the Weekly decided to shake things up a little bit and put the top five vote-getters in each of the many Best Of Categories up for a head-to-head battle and a second round of voting.

So, vote before the calendar flips over to June (!!! already? How?) if you want a say in who makes it into the finals, then check back on June 15 to see the finalists and help decide the victors. (Note: You can vote in the second round even if you don't vote in the first round—but it's way more fun if you vote in both).

Vote here! Vote now! Vote before the clock hits 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31!

I've lived in Tucson my whole life—Well, I grew up in Oro Valley, but try not to hold that against me. I flirted with the idea of moving to a bigger city when I was in my late teens, but somehow I couldn't quite bring myself to leave. These days, I'm not even tempted. For better or worse, I've fallen for this place and I don't see myself packing up in the near future.

There are places in Tucson that I love and visit more than others and they, of course, usually get my vote when it comes to Best of Tucson. This year, I'm looking at my ballot under slightly different lighting: I've got some family coming to town and next week my full time job is entertaining them.

The visitors are my dad, and his wife and daughter. Dad lived in Tucson for years, but left almost 15 years ago. My stepmother is visiting the United States for the first time, and my sister hasn't been here since she was a toddler. This city is essentially new to them, which means it's up to me to make it look good.

Thoughts like that run through my head now, as I'm filling out my Best of Tucson ballot. Time is running out for me to decide what is going to make the cut on my little family tour of Tucson—they fly in on Friday. But you've got until May 31 to fill out your ballot and tell me all about what you consider the Best of the Best the Old Pueblo has to offer.

Get voting!

Today's the day! The results are in for Best of Tucson. You can read up on the winners here, but you should pick up a physical copy and keep it in your glove compartment for the next time you find yourself in need of a veterinarian, comic book or a really good veggie burger. 

The other reason you should pick up a copy of the paper is to enjoy the lotería cards our in-house graphic designer Oliver Muñoz made for the issue. It's been a few years since we've had any made-for-Best-Of-Tucson illustrations, and we're pretty excited about it. 

Below is a slideshow of the 11 cards (we're just 43 cards short of a functional deck!) and the cover Oliver made for us.

The Weekly brought home five writing awards in this year’s Arizona Newspaper Association's Better Newspaper Contest in the competition among large non-daily papers.

Political writer Jim Nintzel won two first place awards. His long-running Skinny column took first place in commentary/analysis with “Technical Issue” (Jan. 28, 2016), a look at how Gov. Doug Ducey and GOP lawmakers zeroed out funding for career and technical education at high schools and were dragging out efforts to restore the JTED dollars, threatening highly successful programs across Arizona. The Skinny also took home first place in the feature column category for Nintzel’s remembrance of his late father. (“Goodbye, Dad,” Jan. 21, 2016).

Nintzel won second place in the Best News Story category for “Bern Notice” (July 30, 2015), his examination of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign after Sanders visited the Netroots Nation conference in July 2015. And he nabbed third place for sustained news coverage for his work on the 2015 Tucson City Council elections. The judges observed that Nintzel provided “well balanced coverage” and “has a knack for colorful quotes and language, without distracting from the issues.”

Former staff writer Maria Ines Taracena won third place in the Best Feature Story category with “Dignity” (July 16, 2015), a look at the plight of the homeless.

Elsewhere in the Tucson Local Media family, Marana News staff writer Brad Allis won second-place in Best Sports Column for “Me, Jimmie Lee and Willie McGee,” a tribute to his late grandmother. 

In the Excellence in Advertising Awards, the Explorer Newspaper production manager Brandon Hays brought home first-place honors in the Best Special Section category for the “Best of the Northwest” edition (April 6, 2016). The judge noted that it was a “fun, informative section. I’d keep it in the glovebox to consult while on a road trip!”

Ad graphic designer Louie Armendariz won third place in the Best Paid Ad—Color category for his Title Boxing ad.

Congratulations to all the winners.

It's time! Stop your Netflix binge, put down your watermelon eegee and put your thinkin' cap on because you need to fill out your Best of Tucson ballot by the end of the day Sunday—or what is even the point of being such a Tucson expert? 

If you're not familiar: Best of Tucson is our annual guide to the city. It helps new Tucson transplants navigate the Old Pueblo, it gives longtime residents some insight into what their fellow Tucsonans love about our city, it shows our local chefs/artists/business owners that we appreciate what they do for us culturally. We run the voting in two rounds: First, you can nominate anyone for any category. We look at the votes, pick the people/places that got the most votes in the first round, and open up a second round of voting with only the finalists. That's where we're at now.

Time is running out, and this is not a short survey—well, you don't have to fill out the whole thing, but it's still a lot to go through. So get going! 

Having trouble logging in? Email me: chelo@tucsonlocalmedia.com. 

It always seems to happen so quickly: The final round of Best of Tucson® is about to come to a close. Have you voted? Are you sure?

Best of Tucson is a long survey, we know, so we try to help you out. You can save your ballot and come back to it, no problem. But what happens if you don't come back? We've got more than a thousand ballots sitting in Best Of limbo. 

Remember that however you typed your name the first time you filled our a survey on our website is your forever password into all surveys on our website. Remember that we're not going to count your ballot if you don't vote in at least 30 categories. Remember to hit the "submit" button at the end of the ballot so your votes don't get completely ignored when we're tallying everything up.

Best of Tucson voting ends next Sunday, July 31. Get yourself a watermelon eegee and fill out your ballot before the month comes to a close.