Tucson Pulse: Mars Seaplane Lands, Military Spouse Program, and Murals Refreshed

Good morning, this is Tucson Local Pulse for Saturday, June 28th, 2025. We wake up to clear desert skies and a warm start to our weekend, with today’s high expected to push into the upper nineties. Monsoon season is inching closer, but for now, keep sun protection handy and stay hydrated, especially if you’re headed outdoors. Our top story this morning is a piece of living history arriving in town. The massive and rare Philippine Mars seaplane, a World War II veteran, completed its journey from Lake Washington to settle at the Pima Air and Space Museum. This is a huge addition, marking another milestone for the museum and giving us the chance to connect with our aviation heritage in a hands-on way. From City Hall, there’s good news for Tucson’s military families. The city has been selected to participate in a new nationwide effort to boost career opportunities and support for military spouses. City leaders hope this will help Tucson stand out as a welcoming community for those who serve and sacrifice. There’s also progress on the recreation front. City planners are finalizing details for the new Mission Manor Park Aquatic Center. Construction is set to kick off soon and, once open, it should give our southside families more ways to splash, play, and keep cool during the long summer months. Turning to real estate, local agents report a slight uptick in listings compared to earlier this year, but prices are holding steady. The median home price in Tucson is hovering just under 350 thousand dollars, with buyers acting fast on well-priced homes in neighborhoods like Sam Hughes and Rita Ranch. In local business news, we’re seeing a mix of new openings and farewells. Downtown welcomes two new eateries this week on Congress Street, while a longtime gear shop near Fourth Avenue is closing its doors for good after more than thirty years. Job seekers will find openings in health care, hospitality, and logistics, with the city noting more than 2,000 active job postings right now. Now to what’s happening this weekend. Sports fans have their pick tonight between FC Tucson and City FC at Kino Sports Complex, or the Tucson Saguaros baseball just across the way. For families, the Loft Kids Fest is in full swing all weekend on Speedway, offering movies, crafts, and activities for the little ones. And if you’re drawn to nature, the Southwest Wings Birding and Nature Festival continues, bringing visitors from across the region to our rich desert habitats. On the education front, Tucson Unified students wrapped up another strong year, with several high schools reporting record scholarship offers and successful summer athletics. Our local robotics teams are already gearing up for next season after a standout showing in last month’s state finals. The overnight crime report was quiet by big city standards, though police responded to a car fire near South Houghton and Sahuarita that temporarily closed the northbound lanes yesterday afternoon. The fire was conta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.