Daily Brief
July 13, 2026
Monday
🏛️ Government
Sun Tran, Teamsters reach three-year contract deal, averting strike. Teamsters Local Union 104 voted Sunday night to accept a three-year contract offer from Sun Tran, ending weeks of negotiations and avoiding a potential transit strike. A press conference was scheduled to formally announce the agreement.
ESA voucher-restriction initiative likely headed for November ballot. A ballot initiative that would place new limits on Arizona's universal Empowerment Scholarship Account program appears on track to qualify for the November ballot, according to the Green Valley News. The measure would affect school voucher access statewide, including for Pima County families.
Arizona organizers train election observers amid federal monitoring concerns. With the U.S. Department of Justice announcing plans to send election monitors to Arizona and other swing states, community organizers in the state have trained hundreds of locals as election observers. Training has focused on procedures to follow if National Guard members or immigration agents appear at polling places, according to the Arizona Mirror.
Gov. Hobbs opens reelection campaign field office in Tucson. Gov. Katie Hobbs visited midtown Tucson on Sunday to help open what her campaign described as the first coordinated campaign office of the 2026 election cycle, according to KGUN 9.
🚨 Public Safety
Weekend monsoon storms bring floods, power outages, and swift-water rescue to Tucson area. Severe thunderstorms swept through Southern Arizona over the weekend, triggering flash flooding, blowing dust, and widespread Tucson Electric Power outages affecting thousands of customers. Tucson Fire crews rescued a person stranded in the Alamo Wash near Wilmot Road and 5th Street after fast-moving floodwater trapped them on a section of the wash bank; TEP restored power to most affected customers by Sunday.
KVOA, KOLD, KVOA – rescue, KOLD – rescue
Suspect in eastside gun shop break-in scheduled for preliminary hearing. A man accused of breaking into an eastside Tucson gun store is set to appear in court for a preliminary hearing, according to KVOA. Additional details about the case were not immediately available.
Crash closes eastside intersection Sunday evening, road since reopened. The Pima County Sheriff's Department closed an intersection near Escalante and Melpomene Sunday afternoon for a crash investigation, asking drivers to seek alternate routes. The road has since reopened, according to KVOA.
🏗️ Development & Business
Santa Rita Park set to reopen after $8 million renovation. An $8 million makeover of Tucson's Santa Rita Park, located along East 22nd Street and South Fourth Avenue, is nearly complete, with a reopening expected within weeks, according to the Arizona Daily Star.
Cushing Street Skate Park breaks ground downtown. The City of Tucson held a public groundbreaking ceremony on June 30 for the long-planned Cushing Street Skate Park in the downtown area, marking a significant milestone after more than a decade of advocacy for the project, according to Inside Tucson Business.
🎉 Community & Events
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum names rescued mountain lion cubs. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has named its two rescued mountain lion cubs Moonbead and Pretzel, through a partnership that gave children facing serious illnesses the opportunity to choose the names, according to Inside Tucson Business.
⛈️ Weather — Tucson
No active NWS alerts at this time.
Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy with a low around 75°F. Southeast wind around 2 mph. Precipitation chance: 40%.
Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely after 11 a.m. Mostly sunny with a high near 99°F, falling to around 94°F in the afternoon. Heat index values as high as 102°F. Precipitation chance: 60%.
Monday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2 a.m. Partly cloudy with a low around 76°F. Precipitation chance: 40%.
Tuesday: A chance of afternoon and evening storms, high near 100°F with heat index values up to 104°F. Precipitation chance: 40%.
Outlook: Active monsoon conditions will persist through the work week, with daily storm chances ranging from 40–70%. Highs will remain near or just below 100°F. Thursday currently carries the highest storm probability at 70%, with a high near 98°F — residents should monitor forecasts for flooding and high-wind potential each afternoon.
NWS Tucson Forecast API