Tortoise monitoring program keeps tabs on beloved desert animal
The tortoises were nowhere in sight.
A small group trudged through a bumpy stretch of Tucson Mountain Park under a morning sky frosted over with clouds. They ducked under thorny branches, gingerly lowered themselves into a rocky wash, and carefully climbed up the other side – all while keeping an eye out for the elusive reptiles.
Every three years, staff from Pima County Conservation Lands & Resources’ Ecological Monitoring Program heads out to the Tucson Mountains in search of the Sonoran Desert tortoise. It's a long-term program designed to track how the small animals are distributed throughout the region – and how well they're thriving.
Kicking off El Tour with new Loop jerseys
Join fellow cyclists at the Rillito Racetrack at 7 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, for Loop de Loop, the annual kick-off to the El Tour de Tucson season. Ride The Loop and learn about the agencies that cyclists sponsor for their tour rides. Then join the after-party at the track, featuring food, music and new Loop jerseys for sale.
And don't forget to mark the calendar: The 43rd annual El Tour is scheduled for Nov. 21. USA Today has named El Tour the best road cycling event in the U.S.
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Sunrise Drive is ready for next year’s monsoon.
The Pima County Transportation Department recently completed a project designed to make the busy Catalina Foothills road safer during the rainy season.
The project entailed replacing the old metal culverts that provided drainage for the wash under Sunrise Drive with six concrete box culverts.
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Recorder’s Office is hiring
The Pima County Recorder’s Office is hiring multiple positions for the 2026 General Election Nov. 3. Temporary positions include early voting staff, data entry and phone operators (English and Spanish), ballot processors, IT aides and couriers. Apply here.
And remember, Oct. 5 is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 3 General Election. General Election.
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ICYMI: County’s westside shooting range closed for storm repairs
Pima County Parks and Recreation has temporarily closed its shooting range in Tucson Mountain Park due to significant storm-related damage to the facility. A date for reopening the range, located at 2405 S. Kinney Road, has not yet been announced. The facility will reopen to the public once the necessary repairs have been completed. The westside range is one of several operated by Parks and Recreation.
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Free College and Career Night set for Sept. 29
Students and families are invited to attend Southern Arizona College and Career Night on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at the Tucson Convention Center. This free event, organized by the Southern Arizona Education Council and Tucson Unified School District, gives students a chance to explore educational, training and career paths in one location. More than 100 colleges, universities, nonprofits and employers will be present.
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Sahuarita Library wins award
The Sahuarita Regional Library has received the 2026 Elev8 Design Award, its eighth design award to date. The 17,000 sq. ft. library, located at 670 W. Sahuarita Road, received the award for Grand Citation, New Construction. The library was designed by Line and Space, a Tucson-based design firm that is also overseeing the Downtown Library Building Project.
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