Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: How a Mansfeld school garden is growing Bobby Gentry’s legacy
Make time for Mainly Murals Walking Tour-Jan 3rd on the Tucson Patch calendar
Good day Tucson! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- How a Mansfeld school garden is growing Bobby Gentry’s legacy
- Why the Tucson mayor’s son’s DUI case changed courts
- Why a South Tucson community space just won a key eviction reprieve
Also on today's calendar: Mainly Murals Walking Tour-Jan 3rd and 9 more events.
Find out what's happening in Tucsonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Find out what's happening in Tucsonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Thursday: Mostly cloudy with showers, with a high of 69 and low of 52 degrees.
- Friday: A couple of morning showers, temps: high: 69, low: 48.
- Saturday: Partly sunny and warm, with a high of 72 and low of 50 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Planting seeds of learning at Bobby's Garden (tucsonlocalmedia.com) — A new garden and teaching kitchen at Mansfeld Middle School, part of the University of Arizona’s School Garden Workshop with Tucson Unified, is taking shape as a tribute to longtime TEP employee and avid gardener Bobby Gentry. Students will eventually grow seasonal produce, learn cooking skills in repurposed historic bungalows, and use a shaded outdoor classroom, all while honoring Bobby’s passion for sharing knowledge and food. 
2. TPD report: Tucson mayor's son appeared high on marijuana when arrested for DUI (tucsonsentinel.com) — A Tucson police report details a December traffic stop where Mayor Regina Romero’s 19-year-old son was cited for running a red light downtown and charged with misdemeanor DUI involving drugs, not alcohol. The case has already shifted from city to county court to avoid conflicts of interest, and a new judge and hearing date are still pending while a separate traffic ticket also moves through the system.
3. Judge dismisses Casa Maria's eviction case vs. PUES Collective (tucsonsentinel.com) — A county judge has dismissed, for now, Casa Maria Tucson’s eviction case against PUES Collective, which runs a pay-what-you-can coffee and community space in South Tucson. The ruling keeps the group in place temporarily while Casa Maria weighs next steps, highlighting ongoing tensions over affordable, community-focused spaces in the mile-square city.
4. Friend of slain bicyclist believes safety on the Loop is improving after TPD deployment (kvoa.com) — Tucson Police say their Safe City Initiative is making the Chuck Huckelberry Loop and nearby river paths feel safer, with hundreds of arrests and tons of trash removed since October. Cyclists, including a friend of a rider killed there in September, report fewer troubling encounters, while the city continues pairing enforcement with offers of housing, mental health, and addiction services.
5. Arizona lawmaker: Turn vacant schools into affordable housing (tucson.com) — Tucson’s school districts could see some of their surplus campuses turned into affordable housing under a new statewide proposal. A bill by Sen. John Kavanagh would let districts, including Tucson Unified and Amphitheater, sell or lease unused schools for workforce housing after public review and a supermajority board vote, potentially funding upgrades at remaining schools.
📸 Around Tucson
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🗓 Upcoming Events in Tucson
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
- Community Meeting: Gourd Club Play Day
Flowing Wells , 1730 W. Wetmore Rd. , Tucson
10:00 am - The Drawing Studio Presents: Color Mediums!
Valencia Branch Library , 202 West Valencia Road , Tucson
2:30 pm - Mainly Murals Walking Tour-Jan 3rd
Presidio San Agustín del Tucsón Museum , 196 N Court Ave , Tucson
10:00 am - Toddler Storytime
Flowing Wells , 1730 W. Wetmore Rd. , Tucson
10:15 am - Preschool Storytime
Flowing Wells , 1730 W. Wetmore Rd. , Tucson
11:15 am - Candlelight: 90s Hip-Hop on Strings
La Rosa , 800 N Country Club Rd , Tucson
8:30 pm - Trades, Skills, Arts, and Crafts of the Historic Southwest Living History
Tucson Presidio Museum, 196 N Court Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701
10:00 am - Lucy/Lucille
The Historic Y , 738 N 5th Ave , Tucson
2:00 pm - Candlelight: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons
Tucson Scottish Rite Cathedral , 160 S Scott Ave , Tucson
6:30 pm - Candlelight: 90s Hip-Hop on Strings
Tucson Scottish Rite Cathedral , 160 S Scott Ave , Tucson
8:30 pm - Lucy/Lucille
The Historic Y , 738 N 5th Ave , Tucson
8:30 pm - Candle Making Workshop
Presidio San Agustín del Tucsón Museum , 196 N Court Ave , Tucson
10:00 am
Friday January 2
Saturday January 3
Tuesday January 6
Friday January 9
Saturday January 10
Sunday January 11
📣 Tucson Shout Outs!
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Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Just an FYI: Beware of any callers who claim they are with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department and that your loved one is in custody.
Someone with a Phoenix number, which could possibly have been hijacked, called me today, knowing both my full name and my husband’s full name, and… (Nextdoor Continental Reserve) - Good afternoon neighbors i hardly ever post, but i wanted to share and say thank you to a very honest person, today i went to the bank and then to subway, i accidentally dropped an envelope with a check and little over $3,500 dlls in the parking lot
of Subway, a man named Eddie found the envelope and figure out a way to call my client, he found her name on the check that was with the money, then… (Nextdoor E Stallion Ln)
- All City of Tucson offices, except for emergency services, will be closed Thursday, Jan. 1, in observance of New Year's Day. Trash and recycling will... (X: cityoftucson)
- Tucson's "Safe City Initiative" has led to over 270 arrests and 25 tons of waste removal along the Chuck Huckelberry Loop. A local cyclist shares the... (X: KVOA)
- Allied Universal posted a job opening for Janitor - Tucson in Tucson. Apply here.
- i9 Sports Corporation posted a job opening for Sport Coordinator Flag Football in Tucson. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Tucson here.
Ok Tucson! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I just heard a golfer say he had four strokes on the first hole!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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