Tucson Weekly founder Doug Biggers, who launched this paper way back in 1984, told me a long time ago that the only constant in the newspaper biz is change.
He got that right. In the three decades I've been working around here in various roles, it's been my great pleasure to work with a long line of kick-ass journalists, photographers and artists. Together, we've hounded politicians, interviewed rock stars, chased after space robots, shamed scoundrels, been hassled by The Man and basically had more fun than should be legal. Some former colleagues remain good friends and others curse my name—it's all part of the gig as the changes roll by.
Another big change was announced last week. Tucson Weekly and its sister publications in the Tucson Local Media empire have a new owner: Times Media Group, which publishes more than two dozen weeklies, mostly in Maricopa County. Most of their publications are more akin to the community papers that we now publish on the north and west sides. But the new owners tell us they want us to keep doing what we're doing right here, so that's what you can expect us to do.
In the paper this week, staff writer Christina Duran fills you in on the latest on COVID's persistent spread in Pima County; managing editor Austin Counts explains why the Pima County Attorney's Office is unlikely to file any charges related to a shooting at a Marana shopping mall; The Skinny looks at how Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy got hoodwinked by a bogus study on face masks; columnist Tom Danehy shares his thoughts on the "audit" (or, as some are calling it, the "fraudit") of the 2020 election underway in Maricopa County; calendar editor Emily Dieckman shares some pandemic-safe and fun things to do this week; Tucson Weedly columnist David Abbott looks at some of the loco weed legislation at the state Capitol; and we've got restaurant news, a Bisbee travel feature, horoscopes, sex advice, Tucson's best comics and all the other usual features that keep you coming back every week. Despite our cover, we don't actually have the latest swimsuit models in our pages, but we do a have look at post-pandemic fashion for those of you emerging from a year of sweatpants and T-shirts.
Stay safe out there—this pandemic ain't over yet.
— Jim Nintzel
Executive Editor
Hear Nintz talk about the latest on the outbreak and other news at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday mornings on The Frank Show on KLPX, 91.1 FM.
