Daily Brief
September 23, 2026
Wednesday
🏛️ Government
Pima County halts new data centers for 120 days on a 3-2 vote. The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 on Tuesday to impose a 120-day moratorium on new data center development in unincorporated Pima County while staff works to update the zoning code. Green Valley News reports the pause could head off a proposed data center on land near Sahuarita.
Tucson Daily Brief, Green Valley News
Tucson council lowers water-use trigger for big users in 4-3 vote. The Tucson City Council voted 4-3 on Tuesday to lower the point at which the city's large quantity water user ordinance applies, and directed staff to return with tougher rules within 120 days.
Rio Nuevo has $725,000 left to commit this year as board backs Congress Street club. The district's CFO told the board Rio Nuevo has about $725,000 left to commit over the next 12 months after roughly $22 million in project commitments, as the board backed $355,000 for a Congress Street club.
Arizona Supreme Court strengthens public records law in ruling against U of A. The state's high court ruled Tuesday that destroying a public record after a member of the public has requested it should expose government agencies to legal trouble, according to Green Valley News. The ruling came in a case against the University of Arizona.
Watchdog group says ICE will expand Florence detention as Marana facility advances. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has awarded private security firm GardaWorld a $1.2 billion contract to expand detention capacity in Florence, according to the group Project Salt Box as reported by KOLD. The expansion adds to proposed ICE detention facilities in Marana and Surprise that have drawn questions from those communities and from Arizona lawmakers.
Marana weighs a new way to measure drought severity. As we reported after the town council's Sept. 15 meeting, Marana staff want new drought triggers that would weigh local aquifer levels and Long Term Storage Credits alongside Lake Mead, which sits at about 31% capacity. Tucson Spotlight reports the change proposed by Water Resources Administrator Jerry Huerstrel could delay mandatory water restrictions.
Tucson Daily Brief, Tucson Spotlight
🚨 Public Safety
Two arrested on child abuse charges after Three Points teen reported missing. The Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed that Daniella Lee-Sharp, 39, and Michael Menzie, 43, were taken into custody late Tuesday night on felony child abuse charges, KOLD reports. A 15-year-old had been reported missing from Three Points around 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Opening statements begin in trial of Tucson doctor accused of sexual abuse. Opening statements began Tuesday in the trial of Dr. Dung T. Nguyen, a Tucson osteopathic physician facing nearly 40 counts of sexual abuse and sexual assault involving more than 20 former patients. According to court documents cited by KOLD, the alleged incidents span roughly 25 years beginning in January 2000.
🎓 Schools
TUSD board approves what district says is Arizona's first substitute teacher contract. The Tucson Unified governing board voted 5-0 on Tuesday to approve a 30-page agreement with the Tucson Education Association covering substitute teachers, which KOLD reports is the first such bargaining agreement between substitutes and a district in Arizona. The contract includes pay increases, paid professional learning, a stipend for high-demand sites and standards for sick leave and healthcare.
TUSD notifies Van Buskirk families of an active tuberculosis case. The district sent a letter to parents saying a person associated with Van Buskirk Elementary School was recently diagnosed with active tuberculosis, according to KOLD. The school said it is working with the Pima County Health Department to identify students and staff who may have been significantly exposed; the health department has not characterized it as an emergency.
🏗️ Development & Business
City sets October meetings on the Arroyo Chico Greenway expansion. The Department of Transportation & Mobility said in a release it will host two public meetings in October on the project, the first Thursday, Oct. 1, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The work would close remaining gaps in a continuous three-mile greenway linking Reid Park to downtown along the Arroyo Chico and Citation Wash, funded through the voter-approved Proposition 407 bond program.
TMM Family Services opens a workforce training center. The Tucson nonprofit, founded in 1974 by Methodist churches and now an affordable housing provider with 80 units on its main campus, launched a Workforce Development Center over the summer, Tucson Spotlight reports. The center is aimed at helping residents and other community members build career skills and financial stability.
📢 What Your Officials Are Saying
Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-CD7). Grijalva issued a release reacting to the planned expansion of the Florence immigration detention facility.
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-CD6). Ciscomani announced he has joined the bipartisan 5G and Beyond Caucus, saying in a release that he will push for more reliable internet service across rural Arizona.
Sen. Mark Kelly (U.S. senator). Kelly said in a release that he called for urgent federal action on artificial intelligence in a Senate floor speech and announced a bill he is calling the Make AI Work for Americans Act.
Andy Biggs (R), governor campaign. The Biggs campaign released what it described as a joint policy platform with running mate Kerr. Gov. Katie Hobbs' campaign did not post anything in the same window.
Juan Ciscomani (R), CD6 campaign. The campaign announced an endorsement from the Tucson Business Council. Democratic challenger JoAnna Mendoza's campaign did not post this week.
🌵 The Desert Today
Heat: Sept. 21 high 97° (normal 94°, record 105°), low 72°. 77 days at or above 100° so far this year. Water: Lake Mead 1,038.2 ft on Sept. 21, down 18.5 ft in a year. Sky: air quality 30 (good), highest reading ozone. UV index 3. Power: TEP demand peaked at 2,539 MW on Sept. 20, solar peak 580 MW.
Life in the Desert: the season against prior years, and the long record
⛈️ Weather — Tucson
No active National Weather Service alerts.
Today: Partly sunny with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11 a.m., high near 92, southeast wind 3 to 12 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy, low around 70, with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11 p.m. Thursday: Sunny with a high near 94 and a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m.
Rain chances stay modest through the end of the week, with storm activity favoring areas south and east of the city. Drier, hotter air builds in behind it — Friday climbs to about 95 and Saturday to near 98.
NWS Tucson Forecast API
This brief was generated automatically by Claude Opus 5 from a review of 10 of 18 local sources fetched, at 6:02 AM MST on September 23, 2026, and published without human review. Every item links to its source. Read more about how this is made.
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