Tucson NewsNet Daily Digest - A Service of the City of Tucson

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT CONTINUES OPEN HOUSES THIS WEEK - The City of Tucson's Environmental and General Services Department (EGSD) is hosting open houses in each of the City’s six wards to present information about services available to residents and neighborhoods that support a clean community. The meetings are held in partnership with representatives from the Housing and Community Development department, the Tucson Police Department, and the Tucson Fire Department. The next open houses will be in person Wednesday, Feb. 8, at the El Rio Neighborhood Center, 1390 W. Speedway Blvd., and in person and virtual Thursday, Feb. 9, at the Quincie Douglas Center, 1575 E. 36th St. Both begin at 6 p.m. EGSD will provide updated information about the Brush & Bulky+ program, neighborhood cleanups, and Code Enforcement. There will also be information about the City’s Homeless Protocol, which brings together staff from multiple departments who are working to provide services to the unhoused population, as well as addressing neighborhood concerns about encampments around the community.
Read the news release
Attend Zoom session on Feb. 9

MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEETINGS TOMORROW - Tucson's Mayor and Council will meet tomorrow, Feb. 7, at 2 p.m., for its Study Session, and will reconvene at 5:30 p.m. for the Regular Meeting. You can watch the meetings live (and recordings of previous meetings) on the City of Tucson's YouTube channel, and you can also view the agendas by following the links below.
City of Tucson YouTube channel
Mayor and Council agendas

BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROFILE: RICHARD “HIGGIE” HIGGINBOTHAM - As part of our local Black History Month profiles, we focus today on Richard “Higgie” Higginbotham. His career included positions with Tucson Parks and Recreation and the Department of Corrections. He was also a key representative on the Pro Neighborhood Development and Grant Board. For many years, he worked as a high school and college sports official and was an accomplished senior Olympian who competed in many sporting events, winning more than 125 medals. Higginbotham volunteered in the Tucson community, and his efforts were recognized with a dedication and naming of the Donna R. Liggins Center gymnasium in his honor. He died in 2005. Look for more Black History Month local profiles in NewsNet throughout February.
Read Tucson Parks and Recreation Facebook post
Higginbotham's obituary

SEE BIG, BIG BUGS AT REID PARK ZOO - Giant, robotic bugs are buzzing and swarming throughout Reid Park Zoo. Free with Zoo admission or membership, the Big, Big Bugs exhibition presents more than 30 super-sized, animatronic insects and spiders. Guests can get a close-up view of these creatures, and they can also get a taste of an insect in the Zoo's gift shop.
Watch the video
Reid Park Zoo

FIND THE 'READY, SET, REC!' MOBILE RECREATION VANS THROUGHOUT TUCSON - Tucson Parks and Recreation's mobile recreation program, "Ready, Set, Rec!", is touring parks throughout Tucson. Play is for all ages, and the fun includes cornhole, board games, hula hoops, giant chess/checkers, giant Connect 4, music, giant Jenga, giant ring toss, walking sticks, etc. Find a schedule of where the vans will be on the website linked below or follow @readysetrec on Facebook or Instagram.
Ready, Set, Rec! website
@Readysetrec on Facebook
@Readysetrec on Instagram
Watch a video about Ready, Set, Rec!