TCB Feb. 4, 2021 —Vaccine Verifications

Greensboro / Winston-Salem / High Point Feb. 4-10, 2021 triad-city-beat.com

VE Your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, answered.

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Black Mozart PAGE 12

RI

FREE

Was production rushed?

V FI A CA CC TI IN O E NS

Will it work against the new variants?

What are the side effects?

Pizza party PAGE 11

Tasha Thomas PAGE 6

Feb. 4-10, 2021

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

How they mess with us

T

hey came after the website this morning, all of a sudden.

I toggled the wifi, switched signals and restarted

by Brian Clarey my machine before I recognized it for what it was: a DDoS attack intended to overwhelm our server, crash our website, silence our voice.

It took me a year of operating our website to learn what a DDoS attack is: a coordinated swarm on a site from thousands of bot-driven devices at once, over and over and over. There’s more to it than that, but the goal is simple: Overwhelm the server.

They happened a lot in 2014, our first year of business — just about every time we broke a piece of news. The attacks still coincide with big stories, these days exclusively the ones about white supremacists and what we used to call the alt-right, which has these days Balkanized into Boogaloo Bois, Proud Boys, MAGAS and Qanons.

It took me another two years to figure out how to stop the attacks, or at least render them ineffective. By 2017, all news websites with any mettle had DDoS

protections in place. And now, halting a basic DDoS is just a matter of flipping a digital switch and asking your actual web visitors to check a box, which is what I did this morning.

The tactic is pretty ineffective, is what I’m saying, a nuisance on the order of a prank phone call or a recurring piece of emailed spam. And yet they persist, bless their hearts.

If the pattern recurs, sometime tomorrow I’ll get a notification from Google informing that our latest piece about white supremacists has been reported as “adult content,” affecting the programmatic ads served on the page. If I let these notices stand, they might cost us $10 a year. But I always appeal, and I always get the decision overturned.

Sometimes they call and leave shitty messages on our voicemail. Sometimes they write deplorable comments on our website under fake names and bogus email addresses. Sometimes they deface our newspaper boxes, but that is kind of old-school. A couple stalk our social media pages, ready to piss all over anything we post.

None of it does any good, from their perspective. But for me, feedback like this is invaluable. It lets me know we’re making all the best enemies, and that we’re still on the right track.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Dough is like a living thing. You really have to keep an eye on it because there’s only a couple of ingredients.

It can get away from you if you’re not careful.

— Joseph Ozbay, Cugino Forno pg. 11

BUSINESS PUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR Brian Clarey brian@triad-city-beat.com

PUBLISHER EMERITUS Allen Broach allen@triad-city-beat.com

ART DIRECTOR Robert Paquette

EDITORIAL SENIOR EDITOR Jordan Green

SALES

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sayaka Matsuoka

CONTRIBUTORS

jordan@triad-city-beat.com

sayaka@triad-city-beat.com

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1451 S. Elm-Eugene St. Box 24, Greensboro, NC 27406 Office: 336.256.9320 COVER: SPECIAL SECTION EDITOR Nikki Miller-Ka Answering questions about niksnacksblog@gmail.com the vaccine. [Design by Robert Paquette] ART robert@triad-city-beat.com

KEY ACCOUNTS Drew Dix

drew@triad-city-beat.com Michaela Ratliff, Carolyn de Berry, Matt Jones

TCB IN A FLASH @ triad-city-beat.com First copy is free, all additional copies are $1. ©2018 Beat Media Inc.

(As of Wednesday, Feb. 3, compared to last week)

Documented COVID-19 diagnoses 776,307 (+43,297)

Forsyth

28,501 (+1,509)

Guilford County

33,747 (+2,737)

PASTRY BOX:

Dirty Croissants and Macarons.

VALENTINES SAMPLER:

Four flavors of our famous cheescake.

Up Front

NC

Seasonal treats for Valentine’s Day

News

COVID-19 deaths NC

9,578 (+663)

Forsyth

283 (+7)

Guilford

391 (+36)

Forsyth

Preorder your gifts today 315 S. Elm St. Greensboro 336.273.0970

625 N. Trade St. Winston-Salem 336.893.8118

cheesecakesbyalex.com

Opinion

Documented recoveries NC

Feb. 4-10, 2021

Coronavirus in the Triad:

683,697 (+48,054)

22,958 (as of 1/16, no new data) 27,718(+2,172)

Culture

Guilford

Current cases 83,032 (-5,520)

Forsyth

*no data*

Guilford

5,637 (+528)

Shot in the Triad

NC

Hospitalizations (right now) 2706 (-599)

Forsyth

*no data*

Guilford

155 (-46)

Puzzles

NC

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Feb. 4-10, 2021

CITY LIFE Feb. 4-7

by Michaela Ratliff

Up Front

THURSDAY Feb. 4

Transportation Needs Survey @ City of Winston-Salem (W-S) Online City transportation planners need your input about the safe and reliable transportation of persons with disabilities, persons with limited income and elderly adults in the city and surrounding areas. Complete the survey by Feb. 24 online at WinstonSalemHST.com/getinvolved, or via phone by calling 336.923.4119.

FRIDAY Feb. 5

Winter Solo Show @ Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts (W-S) 9 a.m.

Opinion

News

Pop-Up Produce Pantry @ 733 N Research Pkwy (W-S) 8:45 a.m.

Weekly Wine Tasting @ Rioja! (GSO) 6 p.m.

Rioja! wine bar is offering weekly tastings of five unique wines. Capacity is limited to 20 guests, so be sure to visit the bar’s website to register and purchase wines to taste in advance.

A collection of works by artist Carolina Corona will be available to view in the Arboreal Gallery until Mar. 27. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Black History Month @ Historic Magnolia House (GSO) 11 a.m.

Puzzles

Shot in the Triad

Culture

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC is hosting pop-up produce pantries to help feed families in need. For more info, visit the event page on Facebook.

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Each Thursday-Saturday this month, the Historic Magnolia House invites you to visit and view several exhibits to celebrate Black History month, including the Oasis Spaces exhibit about travel during the Jim Crow era. Shoebox meals are available to purchase benefitting the Magnolia House Foundation. For more info, visit the HMH website.

Feb. 4-10, 2021

SATURDAY Feb. 6

Vegan Weekend @ Duck Donuts (Triad-wide) 8 a.m.

SUNDAY Feb. 7

Small Dog Takeover @ Doggos (GSO) 3 p.m.

Up Front

Ice Cream for Breakfast @ Jamison Park (W-S) 9 a.m.

News

Duck Donuts will be offering vegan donuts for a limited time. Be sure to go grab yours!

Now is the time to let your small pup mix and mingle with other doggos their own size.

Doggos considers small dogs to weigh 20 pounds or less. All puppies must be at least 4 months old and have proof up-to-date rabies, distemper and Bordetella shots. Be sure to visit their website and review the house rules before arriving.

African Arts & Culture Day @ 121 S. Centennial St (HP) 2 p.m.

Opinion

The city of W-S is letting you live a little for National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. Visit Jamison Park for free ice cream, photo ops, treats and prizes for pets! Any donations made will benefit Forsyth Humane Society. To learn more, visit the event page on Facebook.

The High Point Arts Council invites you to an African-themed event filled with music, clothing, stories from various African cultures and more. Tickets are free but required and limited due to COVID-19 restrictions and can be purchased on eTix. The event will also be livestreamed from the HPAC Facebook page.

Culture

Build Black 2021 @ George K’s Catering and Banquet Hall (GSO) 12:30 p.m.

Shop with more than 25 vendors at this event designed to encourage support of Blackowned businesses. Don’t miss your chance to network, enjoy Big Apes food truck and dance to the sounds of DJ Rio. For more info, visit the event page on Facebook.

Shot in the Triad Puzzles

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Puzzles

Shot in the Triad

Culture

Opinion

News

Up Front

Feb. 4-10, 2021

NEWS

6

GCSO denies claims of physical abuse in death of Tasha Thomas

by Jordan Green

R

ochelle Thomas-Boyd addressed a crowd gathered outside the Guilford County Detention Center in downtown Greensboro on a sunny day in late June 2020.

“A lot of you knew Tasha,” ThomasBoyd said. “And if you knew Tasha, you knew what type of person she was: honest, outstanding, outspoken. And always right — that part’s a joke. Tasha gave so much to so many people. And I cannot give up the fight for justice for Tasha, because Tasha was my oldest child. Tasha gave me my only grandchild.”

Tasharra Thomas died at the age of 33 in the Greensboro jail on May 2, 2018, and her mother lamented that at the time news coverage had been fleeting. But on June 24, 2020, George Floyd had been dead for scarcely a month.

Cities across the country had erupted in a historic wave of protest against racist policing and incarceration. The world’s focus was squarely on people of color victimized by law enforcement. One of Tasha’s family members held a sign reading “Black Lives Matter.” Supporters chanted Tasha’s name.

The official cause of death was sepsis due to infective endocarditis, an infection caused by bacteria entering the bloodstream that undermines heart function and often causes damage to other organs. The infective endocarditis was caused, in turn, by chronic injection drug use, according to a report by a medical examiner and later confirmed by an autopsy.

But Tasha’s mother had long suspected a cause far more nefarious, and on that day in June 2020, she voiced her suspicions to the crowd of supporters outside the jail.

“What we think is they just killed her,” Rochelle Thomas-Boyd said. “She often told me: ‘Mama, they’re going to come one day and tell you that I’m dead.’ She said, ‘But just know that they killed me when they get tired of me. They’re sick of looking for me. They’re sick of picking me up.’”

Horrific injuries alleged by family contradict autopsy

Thomas-Boyd, as administrator of her daughter’s estate, filed a civil lawsuit against the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office for a claim of wrongful death in November 2020. Also named as defen-

dants in the lawsuit are Sheriff Danny Rogers; BJ Barnes, who was the sheriff at the time of Thomas’ death; Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America; and Wellpath, the medical provider contracted to provide healthcare at the jail.

The depiction of events during Tasha’s three-day jail stay in the spring of 2018, as detailed in the lawsuit, is horrific, and in almost every aspect diverges from the official narrative put forward by the sheriff’s office, which is in turn backed up by the autopsy completed by the NC Office of Chief Medical Examiner. Virtually the only points of agreement between the lawsuit and the autopsy is that Tasha had admitted to using heroin and Suboxone when she was booked into the jail around midnight on April 29, and that in the days leading up to her death she was running a fever.

The lawsuit asserts that “Tasharra was given drugs while in the custody” of the sheriff’s office “and was physically attacked while in custody,” while assigning responsibility to the defendants for either causing or ignoring those harms.

In stark contrast, the autopsy bluntly states: “No injuries were found that caused or contributed to death.”

The lawsuit provides a description of Thomas’ body that is gruesome: “Tasharra’s nipple had been ripped off; she had what appeared to be unexplained bite marks on her body; some of her hair had been ripped out; her wrist appeared to be bruised as if she had been handcuffed; she had other bruises and contusions; and some of her bones appeared to be broken.”

Reginald Alston, a Winston-Salem lawyer who represents the estate, told Triad City Beat the depictions of traumatic bodily injury come from a video that someone provided to Thomas’ mother.

Alston and Rochelle Thomas-Boyd did not respond to requests from TCB for the video purporting to show mutilation and other injuries to Thomas’ body.

Thomas-Boyd also did not respond to an invitation to comment on the lawsuit, and Alston said in an interview that he did not want to be quoted.

The lawsuit also references statements from a woman named Sharice Daughtery described as having shared a cell with Thomas. According to the lawsuit, Daughtery said she observed jail staff “harass Tasharra on multiple occa-

Tasharra Thomas

sions and recalls that one officer visited Tasharra in the cell that they shared on a regular basis.” The lawsuit describes the officer as bullying Tasharra and making “derogatory and/or threatening comments to her.” On at least two occasions, the lawsuit says, Tasharra was removed from her cell late in the evening without explanation.

On one occasion, according the lawsuit, when she returned to the cell, Tasharra “appeared despondent and quiet and she cried uncontrollably.

Tasharra also appeared to be in a great deal of pain upon her return and was barely able to move. She stated to Daughtery when discussing her interactions with [detention] officers, ‘You don’t know what they do to me.’”

James Secor, the sheriff’s attorney, told TCB the sheriff’s office conducted criminal and administrative investigations into the allegations.

“Both investigations determined that Ms. Thomas was not physically abused,” Secor said.

Secor said investigators at the sher-

COURTESY IMAGE

iff’s office did not attempt to interview Daughtery for one simple fact.

“The first time we learned about Sharice Daughtery was when they filed a complaint in November,” he said. “The estate told us they had an affidavit from a witness. We said, ‘Great, we’d love to see it,’ but they haven’t turned it over to us. The reason she was not interviewed was she was not in the jail in the three and a half days that Ms. Thomas was there.”

Alston and Thomas-Boyd also did not respond to a request from TCB for the Sharice Daughtery affidavit, which together with the video in Thomas-Boyd’s possession, forms the basis of the most troubling claims in the lawsuit.

The sheriff’s office agreed to a request by the plaintiffs to publicly release surveillance video from inside the jail depicting Thomas’ interactions with detention and medical staff, and in November, Guilford County Superior Court Judge Stuart Albright signed off on the release. The sheriff’s office posted more than 23 hours of continuous video

Feb. 4-10, 2021 Up Front News Opinion Culture

A rally for Tasharra Thomas at the Guilford County jail in June 2020.

service,” he said. “To my knowledge, there was no request to the sheriff’s office. If they wanted to view the body at the hospital and they were denied access, I think any body that is received by the medical examiner’s office is going to be secured to make sure no one is able to tamper with the body.”

The lawsuit suggests a troubling theory for why the autopsy findings undercut the claims of physical abuse and access to drugs, as laid out in the complaint.

“Upon information and belief, GCDF did not use the medical examiner that it

iners,” Secor said.

“That conspiratorial allegation that Sheriff Barnes swapped out the medical examiners is untruthful,” he continued.

“In order to believe what the plaintiff is throwing out to be true, you’d have to believe that the medical examiner falsified the autopsy report. That’s implausible.”

Aurelius, who was appointed to the top job in the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in May 2019, could not be reached for this story.

While firm in its conclusion that Thomas had “no injuries causative of or contributory to death,” the autopsy cont. on pg. 9

Puzzles

An alleged cover-up deemed ‘implausible’ by sheriff’s office

typically uses to conduct autopsies,” the lawsuit says. “Instead, it used a medical examiner in another county with whom Sheriff Barnes had a close relationship.”

Records provided by the NC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner indicate that the autopsy was authorized by Timothy K. McNeal, a Guilford County paramedic EMT. The autopsy was conducted at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh, and certified by Dr. Michelle Aurelius and Dr. Adesuwa Egharevba.

“There’s three medical examiners listed on the report; Sheriff Barnes does not know any of those three people and will testify unequivocally that he had no role in cherry-picking the medical exam-

SAYAKA MATSUOKA

Shot in the Triad

on its website on Jan. 25. The agency explained in a note on the website that the video “speeds up the actual elapsed time of events and does not retain the actual date and time stamps.” The sheriff’s office is also providing news media with the original video on thumb drives that runs at actual speed and includes time and date stamps, along with the software necessary to view it.

“The video is striking in that it shows that Ms. Thomas never had a cellmate,” Secor said. “Ms. Daughtery doesn’t appear in any video.”

TCB was not able to reach Daughtery.

The lawsuit also describes a conversation between Rochelle Thomas-Boyd and Danny Rogers that took place “shortly after Tasharra’s death.” Rogers was elected sheriff on Nov. 6, 2018 — six months after Thomas’ death — defeating incumbent BJ Barnes.

“During the meeting, defendant Rogers contacted a GCDF [Guilford County Detention Facility] officer to gather more information about the circumstances surrounding Tasharra’s death,” the complaint says. “While defendant Rogers was in plaintiff’s presence, this officer read information to defendant Rogers from a GCDF record and told defendant Rogers in plaintiff’s presence that Tasharra died in jail of a drug overdose.”

Secor said Thomas-Boyd met Rogers in May 2018 when he was a candidate for sheriff, and that she showed him video or photographs of her daughter’s body. He said the two met again in a parking lot after the autopsy was completed in August 2018.

“As for this conversation where the sheriff has another officer read from a report which confirmed a drug overdose, there’s no truth to that,” Secor said. “It didn’t happen.”

Secor said there is no evidence that Thomas received drugs while she was in jail or that she overdosed in jail. Secor noted that toxicology testing detected fentanyl and methamphetamine in Thomas’ body, adding, “It’s my understanding those were trace amounts from prior to her coming into the jail.”

The lawsuit suggests a coverup, stating that Rochelle Thomas-Boyd asked to see her daughter’s body after learning of her death.

“GCDF refused to allow plaintiff to see Tasharra’s body while it was in the morgue, claiming that it was ‘on restriction,’” the lawsuit states.

Secor said that’s not true.

“The body lay in the cell waiting for the representative of the ambulance

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Feb. 4-10, 2021 Up Front News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

8

Healthcare experts address COVID-19 vaccine myths and realities

by Sayaka Matsuoka

A

s of Monday afternoon, 1.1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in North Carolina, according to data posted on the state Department of Health and Human Services website.

Of those, 38,578 were administered in Guilford County and 42,262 in Forsyth County.

As individuals nationwide call to schedule appointments or wait hours in their cars for their chance at receiving one of the vaccines, there are still portions of the population who remain skeptical about vaccination for one reason or another. According to an international survey by market research firm Ipsos conducted in mid-January, only 63 percent of those from the United States said they would be willing to get the vaccine if it were available to them. The survey allowed for multipleresponse and found that 60 percent said they were worried about side effects, while 37 percent said they didn’t think the vaccine would be effective. Twenty percent said they were against vaccines in general and 26 percent gave another reason. Among the countries where the survey was conducted, the United States also ranked as one of the lowest in terms of how much respondents had changed their mind in favor of getting the vaccine since mid-December, showing only a 4 percent increase.

Area health professionals like Dr. Pamela Oliver, the executive vice president for Novant Health and the president of the Novant Health Physician Network, are encouraging people to get the vaccine to help curb the spread of the virus.

“I want people to understand that COVID-19 vaccine is the most effective way we can keep ourselves and our loved ones safe,” Oliver said in an email to Triad City Beat. “Yes, the 3 W’s continue to be important, but the vaccine is key to moving past the pandemic.”

Oliver said having questions and making an informed decision about the vaccine is a “good thing” and that individuals should look to reputable sources like the CDC for answers. Here’s what Oliver and other local health experts had to say in response to varying reasons why individuals might be hesitant to get the vaccine.

I feel like the vaccine was rushed, and I don’t trust it.

· Dr. Pamela Oliver, executive vice president for Novant Health and the president of the Novant Health Physician Network: The actual technology around [messenger RNA] vaccines has been in development for about a decade. The reason this seemed quick, but really wasn’t quick, is because a lot of things came together all at once. Number one, there was a common enemy. A pandemic virus appeared on the scene as a case for this technology that already existed.

Number two, a lot of money was poured into this from governments and industries around the world.

Number three, thousands upon thousands of people volunteered to be part of vaccine clinical trials. In the end, it all came together at the right time. No steps were skipped.

Scientists from all over the world were involved. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must verify that the vaccines are safe and can prevent COVID-19. The FDA can authorize the use of vaccine under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). · DeAnne Brooks, chief pharmacy officer for Cone Health: The vaccines were built on years of work to create vaccines for similar viruses using a method that has been studied for over a decade.

No steps were skipped in the studies to grant emergency use authorization. Many steps were run concurrently instead of consecutively. · According to the FDA: Vaccines undergo a rigorous review of laboratory, clinical and manufacturing data to ensure the safety and effectiveness of these products. On Dec. 11 and 18 the FDA issued an emergency use authorization for the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. In determining whether to issue an emergency use authorization, the FDA evaluates the available evidence and assesses any known or potential risks and any known or potential benefits. If the benefit-risk assessment is favorable, the product is made available to the agency. All the COVID-19 vaccines being used have gone

through rigorous studies to ensure they are as safe as possible.

This vaccine is totally new, and I don’t understand how it compares to other vaccines. · Dr. Pamela Oliver: The current COVID-19 vaccines use novel mRNA technology, and do not contain the COVID-19 virus itself.

Traditional flu vaccines use either live attenuated (weakened) flu virus or inactivated virus. Unlike some other vaccines, the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are not developed in eggs and do not contain any egg protein. Neither the Pfizer-BioNTech nor Moderna vaccine contain any preservatives or any latex. · DeAnne Brooks: Unlike other vaccines that contain dead or inactivated virus, the Modern and Pfizer vaccine use messenger RNA technology that tells our bodies to create antibodies to the virus.

I don’t want to get the vaccine because I’m concerned about side effects. · Dr. Pamela Oliver: It’s common for people to experience mild to moderate expected effects after vaccination, particularly after the second dose. In fact, the CDC estimates that at least 80 percent of people will develop at least one symptom. Arm soreness is the most common symptom, but people could also experience a low fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue.

Usually, the symptoms go away within one to three days. These are all normal responses; the symptoms are a good sign the immune system is doing its job. Some people won’t experience any symptoms at all, but that doesn’t mean the vaccine isn’t working. While some people are concerned about immediate effects, others worry about long-term effects. It is going to take some time for us to know of any long-term effects. However, we do know mRNA is very fragile and degrades quickly.

Therefore, we anticipate post-vaccination symptoms will only occur in the very short term, if at all. · DeAnne Brooks: The current two vaccines were very well tolerated with no serious safety concerns in

STOCK PHOTO

the clinical trials. There have been allergic reactions that occur, which is why recipients are monitored for a minimum of 15 minutes after vaccination. · According to the CDC: If you have pain or discomfort, talk to your doctor about taking an overthe-counter medicine like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. To reduce pain and discomfort at the injection site, apply a clean, cool wet washcloth over the area. To reduce discomfort from fever, drink plenty of fluids and dress lightly.

I’m afraid the vaccine won’t be effective against the new variants. · Dr. Pamela Oliver: Right now, we believe that our current vaccines still provide significant protection against the identified variants. What’s most concerning about the variants is that most people are not vaccinated. Since the variants are more contagious, it creates the possibility of future peaks in cases and hospitalizations. One of the variants has already been identified in Guilford County so it’s more important than ever that people practice the three W’s (wear a mask, wash your hands, watch your dis-

Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

call his physician to confirm he was prescribed to take the medications or use the inhaler, and after four days of begging for his medication he experienced a blackout and was rushed to Baptist Hospital for treatment. Seramba was more fortunate than Coley, and hospital staff was able to stabilize him after getting him his proper medication.

Ellin Schott died at Cone Hospital in 2015 as a result of “complications from prolonged seizure activity” following a stay at the Guilford County Detention Center in Greensboro. A medical examiner’s report stated that Schott requested her prescribed anti-seizure medications Keppra and Gabapentin, but never received them over the course of her three-day jail stay. In June 2017, Correct Care Solutions agreed to hire one additional pharmacy tech at each of the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office’s detention facilities in Greensboro and High Point to coordinate prescription medications for inmates booked over the weekend. The changes were made as a result of Schott’s death.

In December 2019, John Neville died at Baptist Hospital as a result of “complications of positional and compressional asphyxia during prone restraint” while in custody at the Forsyth County jail. A Wellpath nurse, along with five detention officers, face involuntary manslaughter charges in Neville’s death.

In the most recent legal challenge, Wellpath faces accusations that its staff failed to provide adequate care to Tasharra Thomas as she was undergoing withdrawal from heroin, leading to her death in the Guilford County Detention Center in Greensboro in April 2018.

Among other failings, the lawsuit says, Wellpath “violated its duty of care,” by failing to provide appropriate withdrawal treatment, failing to appropriately monitor her condition, and failing to ensure that her medical records were accurately maintained. The complaint faults Wellpath nurses, along with detention officers, for failing to call for emergency medical services or request authorization to transfer Thomas to the hospital when jail records indicated she “was ‘extremely warm to touch,’ had a temperature of ‘103.0,’ ‘experienced severe withdrawals’ and became diaphoretic.”

Judy Lilley, the vice president for corporate communications and public affairs at Wellpath, said the company does not comment on active litigation.

“Additionally, due to privacy laws,” she said, “Wellpath is unable to comment on the care provided in this case.”

Opinion

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit the CDC website. To learn about getting the COVID-19 vaccine, visit covid19.ncdhhs. gov/findyourspot.

In addition to its claims against jail does cite “blunt force injuries” that have staff, the lawsuit also accuses medical not been explained. The autopsy lists a provider Wellpath (formerly Correct “red superficial abrasion” measuring a Care Solutions) of negligence and delibquarter-inch in diameter on Thomas’ erate indifference. right thigh and another “red superficial Wellpath has come under significant abrasion” on the backside of Thomas’ scrutiny for its handling of inmate lower right leg measuring 3/16-inch by medical care over the past decade due 1/8-inch. Those are in addition to multo medical emergencies in jails in both tiple scars on different parts of Thomas’ Guilford and Forsyth counties that ended body that are cited as “evidence of injecin inmate deaths. tion drug use.”

Dino Vann Nixon died in the Forsyth One detail in the autopsy report is also County jail in 2013 as a result of withconsistent with the characterization in drawal from benzodiazepine, accordthe lawsuit that “some of her hair had ing to a medical examiner’s report. His been ripped out.” family alleged in a lawsuit that medical The autopsy report reads: “Accomstaff denied his request for the prescribed panying the body are two separate hair medication.

Forsyth County settled the braids wrapped in multi-colored yarn.” lawsuit with a $180,000 payment to Victoria Sheppard-Anderson, an assisNixon’s widow. tant sheriff’s attorney, said that shouldn’t Jennifer McCormack Schuler died necessarily be taken as evidence that at Baptist Hospital after experiencing a Thomas’ hair was were forcibly reheart attack at the Forsyth County jail moved. Speaking as someone who has in 2014.

Her family claimed in a lawsuit worn her hair in braids for more than 20 that she died as a result of nursing staff years, Sheppard-Anfailing to provide derson said, “Those her with Zofran, an things do easily come The depiction of events anti-nausea medicaout.” tion, and as a result The lawsuit also during Tasha’s jail stay, she was unable to hold faults the jail staff down other medicaas detailed in the for failing to place tions. Correct Care Thomas on “fourSolutions settled with lawsuit, is horrific, and times-per-hour direct McCormack’s estate observations watch,” in almost every aspect for an unspecified contending that it was amount. diverges from the required by state law.

Stephen Antwan Secor said in reofficial narrative by the Patterson was one of sponse that Thomas two men who died in did not qualify for four sheriff’s office. the Forsyth County checks per hour based jail in May 2017. Paton her condition, but terson died from an irhe added that other regular heartbeat caused by hypertensive inmates on the cell block did qualify so cardiovascular diseases, according to an detention officers included Thomas in autopsy report.

In 2020, Patterson’s famthe full rotations. Secor said when invesily and Wellpath settled a lawsuit under tigators tabulated the round count, they undisclosed terms. actually came up with more than four Deshawn Lamont Coley died the checks per hour. same month as a result of complications The lawsuit also charges that detenfrom asthma, and medical staff ignored tion officers “shirked their constituhis pleas for help and failed to get him tional duties and failed to provide proper medical treatment, as alleged in a lawsuit protocol” by failing “to render CPR to brought against Wellpath by his family.

Tasharra for more than six minutes” The case is scheduled to go to trial in after she was found unresponsive.

April 2023.

James Seramba described Secor did not directly address the a similar medical emergency when he claim in his comments to TCB. was incarcerated in the Forsyth County “The issue of CPR is something jail in November 2015 stay, although he we’re going to address during the course fortunately survived.

Seramba told TCB of the lawsuit,” Secor said. “We were he had an inhaler and prescribed medimore concerned about allegations in the cations, along with a sheet from the US complaint that Ms. Thomas was subject Department of Veterans Affairs listing to horrific physical abuse. We wanted to his medications, when he was arrested. dispel that.”

Seramba said the jail nurse refused to

News

· Dr. Pamela Oliver: One of the first things we must do as a society is understand and acknowledge the historic distrust of the medical establishment by communities of color. With a history that includes the Tuskegee syphilis study and surgical experiments on enslaved people — not to mention the ongoing disparities they confront in the US healthcare system, we understand why some communities, especially Black communities, do not trust us.

That distrust is well-founded and we in the medical community must work to earn that trust back. · DeAnne Brooks: Acknowledging our difficult history of unethical research practices is important.

It is also important to mention that in the studies conducted for these vaccines, 1 in 5 participants were people of color. · According to the CDC: Long-standing system health and social inequities have put many people from racial and ethnic minority groups at increased risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19.

Racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately represented among COVID-19 cases.

Wellpath under fire, again

Up Front

In the past, healthcare systems have mistreated marginalized individuals through forced sterilization or medical testing, so I have a hard time trusting the health care system.

‘Tasha Thomas’ cont. from pg. 7

Feb. 4-10, 2021

tance) and, when eligible, seize the opportunity to get vaccinated. · According to the CDC: Viruses constantly change through mutation and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time.

Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants emerge and persist. So far, studies suggest that antibodies generated through vaccination with currently authorized vaccines recognize these variants. This is being closely investigated and more studies are underway.

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Puzzles

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Feb. 4-10, 2021

OPINION

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EDITORIAL

Claytoonz

by Clay Jones

The new GOP litmus test

O

nce, it was Republicans themselves who administered the litmus test: Anyone who strayed from party orthodoxy on bedrock issues such as abortion, guns, school choice or, for some reason, relations with Israel could get labeled a RINO and risk a primary challenger from the right, or a sustained online smear campaign, or a kink in the flow of political donations.

This was before the Jan. 6 Trump Insurrection, when everything changed. Since that day, along with a handful of GOP elected officials and appointees who have stepped down or announced their retirement, hundreds of thousands of rank-and-file American voters have renounced the Republican Party by changing their affiliation.

Between Jan. 2 and Jan. 30, 2021, the number of registered Republicans in North Carolina dropped by 86,815. Forsyth County contributed 3,603 of them, certainly enough to sway a close countywide election these days. Guilford County lost 4,208 registered Republicans in that timeframe.

One can only presume that this defection is the direct result of the insurrection at the US Capitol, which was clearly incited by then-President Trump and some key allies.

And yet, the Guilford County GOP is doubling down as the party of Trump in advance of the next election cycle. A group email from Executive Director Tina Forsberg sent last week asserts as much. Some excerpts: · “As I watch the damage being done to America by the fascist oligarchy (aka Biden administration), I weep (literally) for the wrecking ball that has been taken to America — the America I sought to preserve for my grandchildren and yours.” · “[I]t is my assignment to think on things that are true, noble and admiBetween Jan. 2 and rable. My thoughts turn to President Jan. 30, 2021, the Trump and his ‘leadership in exile.’

While you may be tempted to only number of registered read provocative headlines (third parties and such), don’t be fooled Republicans in North by them.... America First, the Trump Agenda, is firmly at the helm in the Carolina dropped by RNC.” · “Going forward...these next weeks, 86,815. as the sham impeachment redux rolls out, you will be further challenged.

Remember the words of Ben Franklin: We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall surely hang apart. Grieve the injustices we have suffered, but don’t get stuck there.

Eventually, we must all come together to undo the significant damage we are witnessing and once again, as far as our politics goes, put America First.”

Believe it: The Guilford County GOP, and what remains of the party at large in North Carolina, is working to maintain the Big Lie — that Trump actually won the 2020 election — and is continuing to peddle insurrectionist rhetoric.

And while it’s true that we can’t paint all registered Republicans with the same brush, party leadership has spoken.

So, there’s a new bar to clear for Republicans now, and it’s being set by everyone else. All who run under the GOP banner from here on out must renounce the Big Lie, or risk feeding into sedition.

claytoonz.com

Jen Sorensen

Feb. 4-10, 2021

Nik Snacks The life of pies: Crafting the perfect pizza for National Pizza Day

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Up Front News Opinion Culture

An arugula-and-prosciutto pizza with balsamic glaze by David Fleming

To stay true to tradition, at Cugino Forno, every ingredient is imported from Italy to stay true to the art form. The pizzaiolos even use bottled water to maintain consistency to ensure every pie tastes the same.

Their sauce is a blend of San Marzano or Italian plum tomatoes, sea salt, olive oil and black pepper.

While the classic Neapolitan-style pizza calls for simple ingredients to start, the toppings can be what lets creativity shine. Pepperoni is popular, but it’s also a fine time to find out if pineapple really does belong on pizza. Too many toppings and the dough is weighed down and all of the chemistry of the cooking process is lost. Toppings are a personal preference. No matter the size, any pizza can become a personal pizza if you try hard enough.

“Whenever you make pizza, it’s always a thing,” Fleming says. “You’re never going make just one with one topping. Before you know it, you have two or three prosciutto, pear, goat cheese pizzas with a honey drizzle.”

Puzzles

thing: the fungus responsible for kicking off fermentation in the dough and developing the complex flavors commonly identified in pizza crust.

Making the perfect pizza dough at home is a balance of ratios, timing and patience. For every 500 grams of flour, add 250 grams of water to achieve proper hydration. If the dough is too dry, it’s difficult to manipulate.

If the dough is too wet, it becomes sticky and difficult to control. Resting the dough under refrigeration for 24 hours will help achieve the perfect balance for a perfect pizza.

“Make sure the dough rests to room temperature,” Ozbay says. “Otherwise, the gluten will seize up and the crust will be tough.”

There is no place for mediocrity to hide when so few ingredients are involved. After the dough is ready, says Ozbay, be sure to use a preheated oven.

“Preheat the oven and use the middle rack. If you don’t preheat the oven, the gluten will not release,” he says.

DAVID FLEMING

Shot in the Triad

am perpetually consumed with thoughts of pizza — the crust, the sauce, the cheese and, most of all, the aesthetic. I have a whole section of my wardrobe devoted to what to wear while eating pizza.

I have pizza-themed jewelry,

by Nikki Miller-Ka pizza-themed bathroom décor; I even subscribe to a trade publication, Pizza Today, so I can keep up with national pizza restaurant trends.

All of that infatuation is just service-level appurtenance in comparison to others who live the art and craft of pizza-making. They are called the culinary arts for a reason, and I believe that reason begins with pizza.

There’s Chicago deep dish, Sicilian, Detroit-style (Think Little Caesars), California-style (thin crust with gourmet toppings), St. Louis-style, New Haven-style apizza (pronounced “ah-beets” by locals), NY-style and the original pizza — Neapolitan. Neapolitan-style pizza is characterized by a soft, tender crust that’s a little wet in the center with lots of black blisters around the rim caused by the highest temperatures in the oven.

The char is the result of the cooking process and pure, simple ingredients are placed on top. The queen of all pizza styles dates all the way back to 18th century Naples. The most popular and simple style is the margherita: mozzarella di bufala cheese — made from Italian buffalo’s milk — tomato sauce and fresh basil.

The art of its making is included on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage. This style of pizza gave rise to New York-style pizza that was first made by Italian immigrants in the US in the early 20th Century.

Making pizza seems like it could be as easy as tying your shoes but just as there was a lot of trial and error to learn that task, David Fleming of Winston-Salem is going through the learning process of perfecting homemade pizza. Fleming fell into pizza-making at the beginning of quarantine and hasn’t stopped since.

“I really like the Neapolitan style pizza and I wanted to recreate that at home,” Fleming says of his foray into pizza-making. “Part of the reason why I wanted to try it is because it looked so easy. But in the end, that is certainly not the case. I didn’t realize how involved it was.

It seems so basic, but it really is an art form.”

He explained that while watching YouTube videos, he realized the process is more than mixing flour, salt and water to get a good crust.

Joseph Ozbay, owner/operator of Cugino Forno in Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Clemmons, admits that the hardest part is making the dough.

“Dough is like a living thing,” Ozbay says. “You really have to keep an eye on it because there’s only a couple of ingredients. It can get away from you if you’re not careful.”

He suggests starting with “00” flour and fresh yeast.

Double zero, also referred to as doppio zero flour, is Italian flour ground to a fine powder. It creates a dough that is silky and maintains a chewiness when the gluten is properly hydrated and cooked. Yeast is indeed a living

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Feb. 4-10, 2021 Up Front News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

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CULTURE W-S Symphony and NC Black Rep unearth the ‘Black Mozart’

by Sayaka Matsuoka

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virtuoso violinist and composer.

A champion fencer and rider. A friend to Mozart and a teacher to Marie Antoinette. An abolitionist. A Black son of a slaveholder.

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de SaintGeorges, was all of these things and more. And despite being known for his prowess as a musician during the 18th Century in France, Bologne’s accomplishments and life have gone largely unrecognized until recently.

“His story needs to be told and perhaps his time is now,” says Timothy Redmond, the music director of the Winston-Salem Symphony in “The Chevalier: A Voice to be Heard,” a 15-minute film about a new project that aims to highlight Bologne’s life through art and storytelling. The short film, released on the symphony’s website last month, acts as a preview of a larger, collaborative project between the symphony, the NC Black Repertory Company and Authoring Action that will premiere at the NC Black Theatre Festival this summer. The final work, which is in production now, comes in the form of a play accompanied by live music called The Chevalier, written by Bill Barclay.

Bologne was born in the French colony of Guadeloupe in 1745 to a white slave owner, George Bologne de Saint-George, and his enslaved mistress Nanon.

Despite the circumstances of his birth, Bologne’s father ensured that his son received a world-class education in Paris, where he befriended Mozart and eventually began teaching weekly music lessons to Marie Antoinette. In addition, he composed several classical works, became a virtuoso violinist and was a candidate for music director of the Paris Opera, but lost the chance after performers protested, claiming they wouldn’t work under a Black director.

“If you look at the play and look at Chevalier’s life, what you have is a storm that is never settled,” Nathan Ross Freeman, the co-founder and artistic director of Authoring Action, says in the film. “A creature that celebrates the conditions under which he was able to proliferate but at the same token, where he was hidden.”

Redmond, music director for the Winston-Salem Symphony, says telling Bologne’s story is more important than ever given the renewed racial justice movement from 2020.

“There was a lot of looking in the mir-

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges was a virtuoso violinist and composer who befriended Mozart and taught Marie Antoinette. His story and legacy is now being told all over the world.

COURTESY IMAGE

ror in the classical music world,” Redmond says. “Questions sources. After being released a year later, Bologne attempted like, Do we represent the world in which we live? And it was, No. to re-establish an orchestra and died in 1799. and then, Well, why is that?”

These days, the Chevalier is known as one of the first clasRedmond says the project began after his friend Bill Barclay sical composers of African ancestry and is often referred to as approached him about a play that he had written chronicling the “Black Mozart.” But Bologne is an individual to be celBologne’s life. Performers with the project did a community ebrated on his own, Redmond says. And imperative to telling reading of the work last year and after receiving feedback, his story is a critical look at how the classical world can be Barclay is still revising the play to be finalized for the Namore equitable for artists like Chevalier now. tional Black Theatre Festival this summer. The symphony also “This is a person to be celebrated,” he says. “We should be partnered with Authoring Action, a local youth-centered arts asking ourselves, What could we be doing? What should we be organization that encourages creative writing as a way to doing today to ensure that racial equity in classical music isn’t develop life skills. something that needs to be discussed in 100 years time?”

“We teach our students that the pen is mightier than the According to Redmond, other companies like the Los Answord, and we challenge them to meditate on the quesgeles Opera have also taken notice of Chevalier recently and tion: What if you could change the world with just one word?” performed his works. says Love’ Lemon, the program and outreach coordinator of “His music just has this feeling of something of real qualAuthoring Action. “And I believe that Chevalier’s life answers ity,” Redmond says. “Like when you put on a really well-made that question and teaches us those jacket or you taste a really amazing mantras.” wine. You think, This is really quality Jackie Alexander, artistic director of and this is engaging.”

Learn more about the Chevalier the NC Black Repertory Company and Alexander hopes that those who see project and watch the film at National Black Theatre Festival, says the final work this summer, whether wssymphony.org/chevalier. that Bologne’s story should have been it’s in person or online, will be comtold a long time ago. pelled to learn more about Bologne “Hopefully this project will make and others like him. He hopes to use a the world recognize him today,” Alexander says. “I feel like hybrid model for the festival this year with plans to premiere he has been forgotten…. His life was an accomplishment that The Chevalier live on-stage with an audience. anybody could look at and appreciate. What an amazing per“When I first learned about him, I started Googling this son, artist, will of spirit he must have possessed to accomplish guy,” Alexander says. “I ordered a book and from that I what he accomplished.” learned more about other artists. No one lives in a vacuum.

During the French Revolution, Bologne led an all-Black So, it’s a great feeling when you know an audience is going to military regiment which resulted in him being hailed as a hero leave a piece and their lives will be enriched and they’ll know for a short time. However, his ties to the aristocracy made him more about the world.” vulnerable and led to his imprisonment, according to multiple

by Michaela Ratliff

I

Up Front News Opinion

“Sea Goddess” by Corona depicts the ocean as a goddess, with tanned skin, blue eyes and freckles.

COURTESY IMAGE

Shot in the Triad Puzzles

With earrings made of seashells and a gold high-neck necklace Salem/Forsyth County Public Art Commission. Behind those covered in jewels, it’s evident she is a deity. The piece reflects waiting at the Reynolda Road bus stop sits “Nature’s Home,” a the “radiant and positive energy” Corona feels from the ocean dedication to plants and pollinators native to North Carolina. when visiting the beach.

The bold, yellow hues found in the bright swallowtail butShe mostly works in her home studio, but when she’s up for terfly and Carolina lily stand out against the reds of the Venus lugging her large collection of art materials outside — easels, flytrap and cardinal. Another notch in Corona’s public art belt brushes, the works — she may work includes a vibrant hummingbird there, valuing its quiet. mural downtown that she painted in “That feeling of being outdoors is November 2020.

The free exhibit is available to view so peaceful and serene,” she says.

She says that she creates based Each piece begins with a drawing on her feelings of freedom that Monday through Friday from 9 of 5-minute sketch of the landscape she senses when immersed in the a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from on site. Corona then paints the outdoors.

9 a.m. to 3 p.m until Mar. 27 at the image on a canvas, declining to do “When I’m outside I feel those a larger sketch first as she’d rather same feelings I felt when I was growMilton Rhodes Center for the Arts. make changes with the paint as she ing up in Mexico,” she says.

Learn more about Carolina Corona goes.

She wants spectators to feel the on her website and Facebook page.

Although the pieces in the exhibit same way, losing themselves in the are paintings and prints, Corona also art and nature when viewing her creates from recycled materials, pieces. She believes the Earth should once using old magazines to make be admired, and its resources cherbaskets. She even moves beyond the canvas to beautify the ished, and works with the Gateway Nature Preserve to further world around her. protect the place she views as a sanctuary. With her art, she Recently, Corona was chosen as one of twelve Winstonaims to send just one message.

Salem artists to decorate bus stops around the city as part of “Preserve, conserve and explore the environment,” she says. the Artistic Bus Shelter Program organized by the Winston-

Culture

t started with a call from Shannon Stokes.

Stokes, the patron services and events manager at Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, remembered Winston-Salem based artist Carolina Corona from her previous work with the Arts Council of Winston-Salem. She contacted Corona to flaunt her creations in the Arboreal Gallery of the venue, an offer she couldn’t refuse.

“I accepted because I have a lot of pieces I want to display,” she says.

Corona is from Veracruz, Mexico near the Gulf and moved to Wilmington at age 10, falling more in love with the beach. She attended Salem College where she earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and arts education with a concentration in painting and printmaking.

She taught for two years in the public school system before deciding to focus on her art full-time.

With a hammer in hand, Corona began arranging Reflections: A Collection of Works by Carolina Corona in the gallery about two weeks ago, completing setup in two days. It features watercolor paintings, acrylic paintings and archival prints, the pieces hanged and arranged by season. Corona, a nature enthusiast, finds beauty in the small things, from the dots on a ladybug’s back to the peeling bark on a tree.

“I find something beautiful in just about any landscape,” she says.

She displays her love of nature and its conservation in her art, gathering inspiration from places she’s experienced in the United States.

“All these paintings are inspired by one photograph or a series of photographs that I’ve taken myself on different road trips or vacations I’ve taken around the United States,” she says.

Wrightsville at Sunset is a watercolor painting featuring a single gray bird on the shore of the beach. The ocean is created by shades of navy, orange and pink, imitating how the ocean reflects colors in the sky.

According to Corona, one highlight of the exhibit includes the Goddess series, paintings of female figures surrounded by the natural elements. “Sea Goddess” puts the full beauty of the ocean on display as the goddess’ tanned skin, freckles and piercing blue eyes immediately captivate the viewer. Different shades of blue, teal and purple create foamy waves that encapsulate the goddess.

Feb. 4-10, 2021

CULTURE At Milton Rhodes, Carolina Corona makes a nature preserve

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South Church Street, Greensboro

Feb. 4-10, 2021 Shot in the Triad

Culture

Opinion

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SHOT IN THE TRIAD

Puzzles

Student artwork hangs outside the Experiential School in downtown Greensboro.

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CAROLYN DE BERRY

Across

by Matt Jones

Down

News Opinion

© 2021 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com)

SUDOKU Culture Shot in the Triad

Answers from last issue

©2021 Jonesin’ Crosswords

(editor@jonesincrosswords.com)

Puzzles

1 Pen parts 2 Period of quiet 3 Haunted house challenge 4 Hearth leftover 5 Brazilian beach city, briefly 6 “It was ___ blur” 7 “Feed me or I’ll knock your drink over” 8 “Splendor in the Grass” Oscar winner 9 Piglet’s home 10 High-end hotel amenity 11 Fiber-rich cereals 12 “Cheers” bartender Woody 15 Philosophies that regard reality as one organic whole 17 Lettuce variety 18 “___, With Love” (Sidney Poitier movie) 23 Golden State traffic org. (as seen in an Erik Estrada TV show) 24 Philbin’s onetime morning cohost 25 “It’s Shake ‘n Bake!” “And ___!” (old ad tagline) 26 Pager noise 27 Persian Gulf country 29 Arctic floaters 30 Burning 31 B equivalent, in music 34 Contrite phrase 35 A few feet away 36 Greek consonant 38 Happy fun Ball?

42 Code where B is -...

43 Some TVs 47 Frayed 48 Ecological community 50 “Be My Yoko ___” (Barenaked Ladies song) 51 “Wheel of Fortune” action 52 Eight bits, computerwise 53 One side of the Urals 54 Address abbreviation 56 Country star McEntire 57 Former dictator Idi 59 “Boardwalk Empire” actress Gretchen 60 Battleship score 61 That, in Madrid

Up Front

1 Life force, to an acupuncturist 4 One of the Three Musketeers 10 Consumer protection gp.

13 “___ Wiedersehen!”

14 Like the opening letter of each of the four longest answers 15 “Dog Barking at the Moon” artist Joan 16 Magazine whose website has a “Find a Therapist” feature 19 “Away!”

20 Stunned state 21 How hair may stand 22 Maritime patrol org.

25 “The mind ___ own place ...”

(John Milton) 26 Offer on eBay 28 Japanese grills 32 “Common” chapter of history 33 Flavor on a German schnapps bottle 37 Rank between marquis and viscount 39 Bell or whistle?

40 “Peter Pan” henchman 41 Device that records respiration 44 Went nowhere 45 Tightly cinched 46 “How We Do” singer Rita 47 “Fun, Fun, Fun” car in a ‘60s hit 49 British mil. decorations 51 Breezes (through) 52 Scrooge’s comment 55 Filmmaker Ephron 58 Math conjecture regarding a quadrilateral inscribed in a circle 62 “I identify,” in online comments 63 Ear ailment 64 Baseball stat 65 “Bill ___ Saves the World” 66 Hastily arrive at, as a conclusion 67 Celebrity chef Martin

Feb. 4-10, 2021

CROSSWORD ‘Quiet Onset’—I can’t hear you.

Answers from previous publication.

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