The heat this week was not a metaphor. Tucson spent the better part of seven days under an Extreme Heat Warning, with thermometers pushing past 110 and overnight lows barely dipping into the low 80s — the kind of weather where the darkness doesn't actually cool anything down. If you made it through with your sanity intact, welcome to Sunday. Pour something cold and settle in.

Correction: due to a production error, last week's newsletter named the winner of the Oro Valley mayor's race as David Barrett. She is Melanie Barrett, the town's vice mayor.

What's worth knowing

The verdict in the Jack Upchurch trial brought a measure of resolution to a case that had shaken a lot of people. A Pima County jury found Upchurch guilty on all 11 counts — first-degree murder, armed robbery, arson, car theft, tampering with evidence — in the killing of Paul Clifford, a man who stopped to help at a roadside incident and never made it home. Upchurch showed little reaction as the verdicts were read. Sentencing is set for September 28, and Clifford's family is pushing for the maximum penalty. It's the kind of case that stays with you: a man punished for being decent.

Downtown is still reckoning with the mass shooting two weeks ago, in which nine people were shot outside Empire Pizza. The suspect has been ordered held without bond and faces 19 charges, with more potentially coming. The bigger ripple this week, though, was what the shooting set in motion: Empire Pizza announced it's likely abandoning its planned expansion into the Hydra building, sixteen downtown businesses began using ID-scanning devices that, KOLD reported, "share real-time flagging data across participating venues," and the Downtown Tucson Partnership is working on a road-closure plan for large events. Whether all of that adds up to a safer Congress Street or just a more bureaucratic one remains to be seen.

The federal government dropped a significant piece of news Friday that didn't get as much local attention as it deserved: the Bureau of Reclamation released its final environmental review for post-2026 Colorado River operations, and the proposed cuts to Arizona's share are steep — as high as 77 percent in some scenarios. Tucson Water said it's reviewing the document and that the city's supply remains resilient for years to come, but the proposal sent state water officials and farmers scrambling. Every Arizona delegation member with a pulse issued a statement. This is one to keep watching.

And then there's the A-10. Two Warthogs made a final pass over Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on Wednesday before landing for the last time, ending more than 40 years of the aircraft's presence at the base. For anyone who grew up in Tucson hearing that unmistakable engine sound overhead, it was genuinely the end of something.

What changed around town

The Pima County Board of Supervisors had a consequential Tuesday. They appointed Jorge Soto as county treasurer on a 4-0 vote — Jorge Soto being an independent consultant with 17 years at Citi, now the fourth person to hold the job in just over two years. The seat came open when Brian Johnson resigned in June amid a sexual harassment investigation. In a wrinkle that could get expensive, Johnson has since filed a notice of claim against the county, alleging he was unlawfully pushed out. That's not yet a lawsuit, but it's the step before one.

At the same meeting, the board voted 5-0 to remove all five members of the county's Industrial Development Authority — the public corporation that issues bonds for nonprofits to fund things like low-interest mortgages and small business loans — and seated three replacements on 4-1 votes. The full board removal was notable; supervisors had declined to do it back in May. Board Chair Jennifer Allen was clear that the move wasn't meant as a rebuke of the outgoing members, calling it an opportunity for structural change and emphasizing that better reporting requirements were the goal. The IDA has 60 days to fill the remaining seats.

Tucson Mayor and Council approved a landmark fiber-optic internet deal this week: a Fiber to the Premises agreement with Wyyerd Fiber, backed by more than $200 million in private investment, to bring 8-gigabit service to Tucson neighborhoods over the next five years. Also worth noting for anyone who drives Grant Road: the long-running reconstruction project at the Union Pacific underpass wrapped up, and the corridor reopened to traffic early Saturday morning. Crews will stay in the area through August finishing final work, but the road is open.

What's opening

A few spots worth knowing about on the food-and-drink front. Masa Madre Bakery & Market, at 2025 W. Grant Rd., has applied for a restaurant liquor license — a signal that the West Side bakery is expanding what it offers. La Indita, the longtime Tucson restaurant at 722 N. Stone Ave., has similarly applied for a new license, suggesting some kind of update to its operation. And Catrina's, at 5754 E. 22nd St., has an application in the works as well. None of these are brand-new openings based on what we know, but they're names to keep on your radar.

Over in Oro Valley, Code Ninjas — a coding education franchise — opened a new location this week, funded in part by local parents who pooled their own money to bring it to the community. The story KOLD told about it was a good one: neighbors who wanted something for their kids and made it happen themselves. Also taking shape: the Mosaic Quarter development on Tucson's south side, out by the Kino Sports Complex, got its first public look inside the ice complex this week — one of the project's main draws, and one that's targeting a 2027 opening.

Further out on the horizon, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe's new casino on Tucson's west side is on track for a November opening, the Arizona Daily Star reported. That's been a long time coming for that part of town.

One thing to watch

Wednesday's Tucson Mayor and Council meeting — 5:30 p.m. at City Hall — has a genuinely important item on the agenda: a public hearing on new zoning regulations for large-scale data centers. Data centers are water- and energy-intensive, and Tucson is already staring down potential Colorado River cuts. How the city decides to regulate where these facilities can go, and under what conditions, will shape growth and resource use for a long time. If you have thoughts on that, Wednesday is the rare moment when showing up actually matters. The meeting also includes a rezoning request for a parcel near Limberlost and 1st Avenue, converting land from medium-density residential to neighborhood commercial — something Ward 3 neighbors near that intersection will want to know about.

The Tucson Mini

This week's crossword is ready and waiting. Play it here — it's a 5x5, it won't take long, and it's a nice way to spend five minutes before the afternoon heat sets in.

Stay cool out there. The forecast shows some storm chances creeping back in this week, and honestly, we could use it.