Stories - AZPM

County puts off vote to raise tobacco age to 21

The delay caused the city to postpone its vote, and council members say they may try to pass an ordinance on their own.

Teacher vacancies hit a new low in Tucson Unified School District

The district says vacancies are now down to fewer than one per school.

Jessica Sheava of the Foodbank of Southern Arizona talks nutrition and price with client Kathy Abbazia

Food bank teaches nutrition and effective food shopping

The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona trains families to save money and eat nutritiously.

Harvey Girls at the lunch counter of the Harvey House in Winslow, Arizona circa 1910.

Arizona Spotlight for August 1st, 2019

Looking back at a 1979 radioactive contamination in Tucson, and citizens working together; exploring the history of Harvey Houses in Arizona; and a couple finds common ground with "One Small Step".

Arizona files suit against family behind OxyContin

The suit alleges the family made it more difficult for parties suing it to get money.

A sign indicating a polling place near Fourth Avenue in Tucson, Election Day, Nov. 7, 2018.

Arizona sees nearly 50,000 new voters in last four months

The report says the state currently has 3.8 million active, registered voters.

Ozone goes over EPA standard in Pima County for first time this year

The county has breached the federal levels 22 times since 2013. Maricopa County has exceeded the standard 20 times this year.

A national report shows a lack of inventory is a key factor in higher housing prices in 2018.

Trump signs Sinema bill to protect vets from predatory mortgages

The new law targets the period before certain VA loans can be resold.

A juvenile brown pelican is corralled by Marana Police officers before being taken to the Tucson Wildlife Center on July 26, 2019. Pelicans are sometimes blown off course into the desert by hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico.

Lost pelican lands in Tucson

The seabird is being treated by wildlife specialists.

The Tucson Unified School District office, 1010 E. 10th St., Tucson, Arizona.

TUSD takes steps to update its sex ed curriculum

The proposed update will have a more evidence- and research-based focus.

Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, is photographed collecting lunar samples at Station no. 1 during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity at the Descartes landing site. This picture, looking eastward, was taken by Astronaut John W. Young, commander. Duke is standing at the rim of Plum crater, which is 40 meters in diameter and 10 meters deep. The parked Lunar Roving Vehicle can be seen in the left background.

Geoff Notkin on the past - and future - of space exploration.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Mexican rock stars sing out about immigration; and a party to celebrate the "The Queen of the Night" at Tohono Chul.

A view from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, next to the Kolb Studio.

Arizona seeing record numbers for tourism, state office says

Tucson's UNESCO gastronomy designation was a game changer, according to the deputy director.

Madonna Thunderhawk and her daughter, Marcy Gilbert, at Standing Rock 2017. The pair were featured in "Warrior Women," a film about the women of the American Indian Movement in the '60s and '70s.

Arizona Spotlight for July 18th, 2019

Flagstaff Red Screen Film Festival presents indigenous stories for all to see; Retired astronaut Mark Kelly reflects on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing; and a Spotlight Session from Heather Hardy & Alvin Blaine.