Lobos Closing In On State Playoff Berths
It’s been a long uphill climb, but the state playoffs are within reach for the Patagonia High girls and boys basketball teams.
WHAT’S NEW?
Callaghan, Four Tails Earn Medals at San Francisco Chronicle Competition
Elgin-based Callaghan Vineyards won 15 medals, while Cochise County-based Four Tails Vineyards, which has its tasting room in Sonoita, earned seven.
[Press Release] Hermosa CPBA Signatories Report December Work
In a Jan. 30 press release, the City of Nogales, the Town of Patagonia, Santa Cruz County and South32 outlined how they were advancing a Community Protection & Benefit Agreement.
[Press release] Staged Reading of AI Family Drama ‘Marjorie Prime’ Coming to Tin Shed
The four-person 2014 science fiction play, directed by Gail Cleveland, will be presented Feb. 20, 21 and 23 in Patagonia.
LOCAL NEWS
Flux Canyon Fire Destroys Family Home
Crews from six agencies responded to the blaze shortly after the Ike Isakson memorial last Saturday afternoon. There were no injuries.
ADOT, DPS Adjust Scheduling of Wide Loads to Reduce Congestion on 83
Escorted wide loads are now limited to certain routes between 8am and 1pm on specific weekdays, at a one-per-hour interval. Here are the details.
Revitalization Efforts Underway for Sonoita-Elgin Chamber of Commerce
Local business owners are looking to reinvigorate the dormant organization with new members and a refined mission. An information meeting is set for March 2.
Scheid Sentenced to 32 Years in Murders of Father, Stepmother
A plea bargain avoided a trial and a possible ‘guilty but insane at the time’ defense.
State Education Head Visits Elgin School, Addresses Hot Topics
Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne defended his department’s controversial policies during a Q & A session with staff and media on Tuesday.
COMMUNITY
Wildlife Habitat Restoration, One Step at a Time
In just four years, Anne Vogt has radically expanded the wildlife populations and biodiversity on her Wood Canyon property—even the fireflies have come back. Here’s how she’s done it.
Special Delivery: Sonoita Bids Farewell to UPS Tom
UPS driver Tomas Rojel, whose last day on the job was Christmas Eve, has been a fixture in the area for the past 22 years. “We will miss Tom,” said one local. “His service has been above and beyond.”
The Way It Was
Longtime locals reminisced at the Patagonia Library’s second ‘Living Treasures’ event.
The Headless Horseman at the Circle Z
The irrepressible Gilbert Quiroga brims over with tales about life in Patagonia over the last 70 years.
SCHOOL NEWS
Civics Summit Provides Inspiration for Patagonia High Students
Patagonia High School National Honor Society and Student Government members trekked to State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Jan. 20 for the Civics Matters Arizona Summit.
Lobos Closing In On State Playoff Berths
It’s been a long uphill climb, but the state playoffs are within reach for the Patagonia High girls and boys basketball teams.
[Press release] Free Fridays STEAM Class for Grades 4-8 Offered in Patagonia
Art and science nonprofit Mat Bevel Company’s ‘Power Up Communities’ program is designed to help students understand how energy works while building confidence, creativity and purpose.
State Education Head Visits Elgin School, Addresses Hot Topics
Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne defended his department’s controversial policies during a Q & A session with staff and media on Tuesday.
New Biking Program Launched at Patagonia Middle School
This fall, Patagonia sixth-graders had something new to look forward to in PE class: riding brand new mountain bikes.
ARTS & CULTURE
Our Falstaff
Writer Jim Harrison, a winter resident of Patagonia for 24 years, wrote a lot, and lived a lot. The recently published ‘Devouring Time: Jim Harrison, a Writer’s Life’ by Todd Goddard is a full and fascinating biography.
![[Press release] Staged Reading of AI Family Drama ‘Marjorie Prime’ Coming to Tin Shed](https://i0.wp.com/patagoniaregionaltimes.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2153346553034748103.jpg.jpeg?resize=1200%2C900&quality=89&ssl=1)
[Press release] Staged Reading of AI Family Drama ‘Marjorie Prime’ Coming to Tin Shed
The four-person 2014 science fiction play, directed by Gail Cleveland, will be presented Feb. 20, 21 and 23 in Patagonia.
Great Trees of Eastern Santa Cruz County: The Grand Sycamore of Harshaw Road
Generations have come and gone, each with their own history, each with their own memories of their time under this grand tree, estimated to be around 200 years old.
Great Trees of Eastern Santa Cruz County: The Contorted Oak of Piper Gulch
This could possibly be the most contorted oak in the entire county. Here’s how to visit it.
Check It Out at the Library: What’s New
Looking for something to read to welcome in the new year? We’ve just received a shipment of highly acclaimed bestsellers.
COLUMNS
Nature Journeys: Vanishing Winter
Climatologists predict increasingly warm weather for the planet. What specific effects can we anticipate in the Madrean Archipelago?
Notes From SEFD: Responding to Highway Accidents
Traffic collisions on our local highways are taking a toll on everyone, from those injured to those who respond.
Take a Hike!: Dutch John Spring Trail #91
This trail is one of the shortest in the Santa Ritas. It is by no means the easiest.
Starstruck: Andromeda, John Muir and Me
Every time I find Andromeda I let go a muffled shout and I think of John Muir trying to grasp the enormity of what is now Yosemite National Park. I am seeing so far into the past I can barely comprehend the view.
OPINION
Sing Along If You Know the Words
I wanted so bad to remain relevant to my niece and nephews that I unleashed something that I could not control.
The PRT Needs More Writers
Help the PRT give the people something good to read: volunteer as a citizen journalist!
Food Insecurity in an Uncertain World
The lapse in SNAP benefits in November was a crisis for many of our neighbors. Here’s how we responded—with help from our generous community—and some thoughts on where we go from here.
You Say Tomato, I Say Treemato
I’ve planted, watered and fertilized five trees over the past two and a half years and been rewarded with nothing that even reaches my chin. But now, Mother Nature has come to the rescue.
Letter to the Editor – Dec. 2025
Bronwyn Zuchowski of Wisconsin writes a letter of praise for the PRT.
FROM THE PRT ARCHIVES…
Sonoita Neighbors Upset by Deer Hunters
Two Representatives from AZ Game and Fish met with more than 50 residents after complaints were raised about hunters seen taking a deer in the Sonoita Hills area.
Locals Share Memories of Growing Up in Patagonia
Maureen De La Ossa, Cynthia, Matus-Morriss, Emma Matus-Voss, German Quiroga and Sylvia Benedict shared memories of their early years here during the May 3 “Living Treasures” event at Patagonia Public Library.
Taxes, Secession Topics at Sonoita Town Hall Meeting
More than 100 Sonoita and Elgin residents gathered on Nov. 12 at the Sonoita Fairgrounds to discuss property taxes and the possibility of joining Cochise County.
Rotary Park Opens in Sonoita
The Sept. 29 opening ceremony for the Fred Sang Memorial Park was the culmination of eight years of hard work by the Mountain Empire Rotary Club.
Informed Mowing: Sustaining the Sonoita Grasslands
Haying our high desert native perennial grasses at the peak of their green growth can be a real threat to the long-term sustainability of our grasslands.