I couldn't be prouder of the team here at Tucson Local Media. Over the weekend, we learned that Tucson Weekly and five sister publications brought home 29 awards from the Arizona Newspapers Association's annual competition. You'll find details on Page 9, but the Weekly and its writers brought home 10 first-place awards and a second-place finish in the General Excellence category. Congrats to all the winners.
In this week's special section dedicated to the battle against breast cancer, Brittany Conklin of the American Cancer Society tells us there's good news: The percentage of women dying from breast cancer has declined 40 percent over the last three decades. But there's also bad news: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women after skin cancer and is the second leading cause of death caused by cancer after lung cancer. So there's much work to be done—and early detection is key to surviving the disease.
Calendar editor Emily Dieckman looks at how St. Elizabeth's Health Center helps breast cancer patients who don't have insurance; staff reporter Kathleen Kunz catches up with a local woman who provides support to women who are fighting the disease; and associate editor Jeff Gardner tells you about how the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance has teamed up with Roche Tissue Diagnostics to present a show of mammogram capes that have been turned into inspirational works of art.
Elsewhere in this week's issue of Tucson Weekly: Staff reporter Christopher Boan profiles a pumpkin carver who hit the big time on the food network; arts writer Margaret Regan previews Tucson Modernism Week; longtime columnist Tom Danehy sings the praises of Smokey Robinson, who is performing at Centennial Hall on Saturday night; music contributor Eric Swedlund talks with Gabe Sullivan ahead of his new CD release party at Hotel Congress; movie critic Bob Grimm finds Downton Abbey fit for a king but not so much for a commoner like himself; Chow writer Mark Whittaker gets a taste of country cooking at Sonoita Café; and there's a bunch more, so it's time to sit down and read this award-winning paper!
See you in the pink!
— Jim Nintzel Executive Editor
Hear Nintz talk about what's happening in Tucson's entertainment scene Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. during The Frank Show on KLPX, 96.1 FM. Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel airs at 4 p.m. Sunday on KXCI, 91.3 FM.
