Valley NewsNew Mexico and Arizona Butt Heads Amid COVID-19
Jimmy MagahernSeptember 16, 2020
New Mexico and Arizona fought differently in the COVID-19 battle. Now the states are pitted against each other in the recovery process.
coronavirus Archives
Valley NewsWhen is it Safe to Go Back to School?
Jim SharpeSeptember 16, 2020
Opinion columnist Jim Sharpe ponders why we shouldn’t be able to do things if they’re done safely.
On a typical day, OdySea Aquarium visitors could find Jessica Peranteau feeding sea lions and penguins or chatting up guests with an exotic bird or reptile perched on her arm. But these days, it seems, a typical day doesn’t exist. Peranteau is OdySea’s director of animal care and education, which means she’s in charge of “basically any animal that isn’t a fish” as well as the education team and volunteer program. It also means she...
The PHiXStart School Strong: Five Tech Tips for Online Students and Their Families
Alison CutlerAugust 31, 2020
Online school isn’t always easy. According to a recent Gallup poll, 49 percent of parents are concerned that coronavirus could affect their child’s education, especially since so many have transitioned to an online module. Even though they can be isolating, your child’s high-tech classes don’t have to feel so lonely. There is an abundance of resources to help kids and their families navigate their digital instruction this year. It can be difficult to know where...
Desert DigestPHXTogetherArizona Bar Owners Sue Governor’s Office Over Executive Order
Marilyn HawkesAugust 20, 2020
Bar owners across Arizona have joined a lawsuit to sue the governor’s office after an executive order was issued June 29 to shut them down in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. In late July, Governor Doug Ducey extended the closure order, which will be reevaluated every two weeks. The lawsuit, filed by Ilan Wurman, an attorney and associate professor at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, originally represented 26...
PHXTogetherThe PHiXCoronavirus Chronicles: How Bayless Integrated Healthcare is Providing Whole-Person Care Amid the Pandemic
Madison RutherfordAugust 13, 2020
Dr. Kristen Ray knows that a person’s physical health is an important component of their mental wellbeing. “People experience and manifest stress and illness in a lot of different ways and a lot of those ways overlap,” she says. As Bayless Integrated Healthcare’s Vice President of Wellness and Lifestyle Medicine, it’s her job to promote this correlation to patients. Bayless is an integrated health care agency, which means its services focus on whole-person care. It...
As with so many businesses in the age of coronavirus, Arizona-based event company Cloth & Flame has had to adjust to the new normal. Since Governor Doug Ducey’s executive order prohibiting large gatherings went live, Cloth & Flame has been concentrating on smaller gatherings, including corporate events (splitting larger parties into smaller groups) and micro weddings. They specialize in “boundary pushing” custom-designed experiences in “accessible and seemingly impossible locations.” We recently spoke with owner Matt...
Case Count Surpasses 188,000 With 1,213 new cases reported today, August 11, Arizona’s total COVID-19 case count has risen to 188,737, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Cases have risen by 4.6 percent since last Tuesday, August 4. Death Toll at 4,199 The ADHS reported 45 new COVID-19 deaths today, bringing the total to 4,199. People aged 65 and older continue to remain the most affected, at 71.7 percent of total deaths. Testing...
PHXTogetherThe PHiXCoronavirus Chronicles: How Unlimited Potential is Providing Crucial Programs to the Community
Madison RutherfordAugust 5, 2020
Local nonprofit Unlimited Potential focuses on empowering low-income families in South Phoenix through education initiatives. The pandemic put its in-person programming on hold, but it pivoted by continuing classes online and providing food from community gardens and local farms to families in need. “Unlimited Potential ignites unity, pride and dignity through education and advocacy,” board treasurer Joan Brunner explains. Since 1985, Unlimited Potential has addressed the needs of underserved populations. It focuses on the whole...
If you have cleaned your car since the pandemic started, you may be ahead of the curve. According to an Expedia group study, one third of Americans only clean their car once a year and 12 percent don’t clean it at all. It doesn’t take a pandemic to threaten hygiene in your car, though. In fact, the National Center for Biotechnology Information released a study which found that steering wheels can be four times dirtier...
Case Count Surpasses 180,000 With 1,008 new cases reported today, August 4, Arizona’s total COVID-19 case count has risen to 180,505, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. This is an 8.8 percent increase in cases since last Tuesday. Death Toll at 3,845 The ADHS reported 66 new COVID-19 deaths today, bringing the total to 3,845. Nearly 450 deaths have been reported since last week. People aged 65 and older remain the most affected,...
Valley movie theaters are still shuttered, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still catch some cool indie cinema screenings. Here are five virtual film screenings and events from local organizations that should help keep your celluloid dreams alive. Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful No Festival Required presents this documentary about famous photographer Helmut Newton, whose work exploring the female form gave him a cult star status that endures long after his death in...
Desert DigestPHXTogetherHere’s How Restaurateur Christopher Collins is Coping with COVID-19
Marilyn HawkesAugust 3, 2020
More than four months into the pandemic, many Valley restaurants are struggling. Between state-mandated regulations limiting the number of people they can serve in-house and a very frightened public, some local restaurant owners have safely divided up their dining rooms and/or turned to enhanced takeout options with contactless curbside pickup. We recently caught up with Christopher Collins of Common Ground Culinary, who owns local favorites Grassroots, Twisted Grove Parlor & Bar, Wally’s, Sweet Provisions, The...
With the suspension of large events and our favorite Valley venues shut down until further notice, it’s time to get creative when it comes to things to do. Here are five things to do in the Phoenix area this weekend – while still abiding by CDC guidelines. 1. Wander around Wonderspaces. This immersive art installation features 13 new artworks never before seen in Arizona, including a dragon made out of tea bags and a sewing...
LifestyleThe Show Must Go Online: Valley Arts Organizations Get Creative in the Wake of COVID-19
Leah LeMoineJuly 31, 2020
The arts have always been a comfort during our toughest times. What happens when the arts go through a tough time?