Inweekly April 25 2019 Issue

Independent News | April 25, 2019 | Volume 20 | Number 17

FREE â–¶

winners & losers

outtakes

4

5

news 6&8

Oh, I guess I’ll get on the dance floor.

cover feature

buzz

13

10

publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Michael Daw

contact us info@inweekly.net

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Jeremy Morrison, C.S. Satterwhite, Stephanie Sharp, Sydney Robinson

a&e 17

Independent News is published by Inweekly Media, Inc., P.O. Box 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591. (850)438-8115. All materials published in Independent News are copyrighted. © 2018 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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April 25, 2019

3

winners & losers

winners

PENSACOLA BEACH ELEMENTARY

The charter school was recently presented with a plaque commemorating its selection as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle and high schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps. Only four other elementary schools in Florida also received this designation. This marked the second National Blue Ribbon for PBES. The first was in 2007 during the Bush administration.

TODD THOMSON At their April board

MOMS & MIMOSAS

meeting, the Greater Pensacola Chamber Board of Directors voted to name Thomson president/CEO of the organization. Thomson replaces former Chamber President/CEO Clay Ingram, who was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to lead Volunteer Florida in January. Thomson joined the Greater Pensacola Chamber in February 2015 as its vice president of Public Aff airs. Most recently, he has served as the chamber's interim president/CEO since Ingram's departure.

HBA CONSTRUCTION TRADES ACADEMY The academy based at Pine Forest High

School and sponsored by the Home Builders Association of West Florida built 10 picnic tables for the outreach program at the Epps Christian Center. The HBA's Construction Trades Academy focuses on broad, transferable skills and stresses the understanding of all aspects of the building construction industry. Builders FirstSource donated the materials for the tables.

Mary Beth Jackson / Courtesy Photo

losers

MARY BETH JACKSON The Florida Supreme Court unanimously ruled last week that Gov. Ron DeSantis acted within his authority when he suspended the Okaloosa County Superintendent of Schools. Jackson's suspension was based, in part, on allegations that a teacher abused developmentally-challenged pre-kindergarten students at an elementary school during the 2015-2016 school year. JUDY MOREHEAD An Alabama circuit judge has sentenced the former CEO of the Navarre Beach Chamber of Commerce to five years in prison for her role in defrauding an elderly woman and another couple out of $300,000 to pay her own personal debts. Morehead was also ordered to pay $250,000 in restitution, according to the Alabama Securities Commission. Morehead served as the head of the chamber from October 2015 until her resignation in June 2017. Her indictment was revealed just days after her departure. ESCAMBIA COUNTY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE Complaints and

allegations continue to mount against the county-owned ambulance service that is currently under investigation by the state. Escambia County has written off $5.9 million in uncollected fees for the ambulance service, which is nearly three times the annual write-offs. According to county documents, the uncollected fees were from 12,760 accounts stretching back to 2005 and caused by a software glitch. Outgoing Acting County Administrator Amy Lovoy has brought in former County Public Safety Director Janice Kilgore to assess the entire Public Safety Department.

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outtakes

By Rick Outzen

TEAR DOWN THAT WALL The city of Pensacola and Escambia County have very entrenched bureaucracies. Much of what happens on a day-to-day basis remains hidden from the public. Mistakes are often covered up and kept away from the city council, county commission, taxpayers and media. We are left relying on administrators and their policies and procedures to hold their department heads and staffs accountable. Unfortunately, that hasn't always happened. Ashton Hayward had an excellent opportunity as mayor to open up the city's bureaucracy but blew it by replacing city officials with overpaid, inexperienced, incompetent boobs whose primary goals were to place him in the limelight and thereby keep their raises and paychecks coming. In the end, Hayward surrounded himself with the same bureaucrats that he promised to replace eight years earlier—Dick Barker and Rusty Wells. Hayward's successor, Grover Robinson, has been told by his advisors that he must preserve the institutions of city hall and retain many of the Hayward holdovers. However, he deserves credit for ridding the city of Edward Sisson, whose "Whack-A-Mole" management of the human resources department cost the city nearly a million dollars in settlements and legal fees in the bundled firing of its fire chiefs. Two blocks away, Escambia County's administration has a crisis. The acting county administrator, assistant county administrator, human resources director, public safety director, IT director and fire

chief have submitted their resignations. The operations of its Emergency Medical Services are under state investigation, and the commissioners were kept in the dark, even though the allegations are nearly a year old. Inweekly believes employment engagement surveys would improve transparency. The surveys would enhance the delivery of government services, improve the workplace and, thus, the community's quality of life, attract the top talent to county jobs and create a tool that gives valuable feedback year after year. Employees would voice their opinions without the filter of administrators. Commissioners, council members and the public would gain a better understanding of what's happening behind the scenes. Mayor Robinson pledged to do a survey last December, and the county commission approved doing it in January. However, city and county administrators have fought implementing the studies. We hear the city is about to start, but only after Quint Studer agreed to pay for it. After all, the mayor had to fork out almost $200,000 to get Sisson and Hayward's city attorney to resign, supposedly leaving little budget to fulfill his pledge to do the survey. I suspect the reluctance has been due less to finances and more to management's fear of what employees will say. The bureaucratic wall of secrecy must go away. We're long past time to tear down that wall. {in} rick@inweekly.net

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EMS: INSIDE PANDORA'S BOX

By Jeremy Morrison It's been nearly two years since the death of Dawn Bybee's son and more than a year since she last met with Escambia County officials about improving the county's Emergency Medical Services. Bybee was beginning to feel like nothing was going to happen, and her concerns about safety among emergency personnel were going to go unaddressed. Then she learned about Escambia County Medical Director Rayme Edler's letter to the Florida Department of Health. The letter accompanied a request for the state to investigate Escambia's EMS, and while it is exempt from public records request, the correspondence raises concerns ranging from falsifying reports to not having current certifications to lying about medications given in the field. Bybee said she's glad to see the medical director forcing a reckoning for EMS. She feels the process is needed to cleanse the department and isn't surprised by the recent flurry of high-level resignations that have occurred as the county is investigated. "The community has a hero in Dr. Edler, and they don't even know it," Bybee said. "She's opened Pandora's box; she's cracked the egg. That's why people are resigning." Jackie Nichols also has peered into that Pandora's box. She got a look a few years earlier when her son Aubrey died after being transported by Escambia's EMS. Aubrey Nichols was a local Pensacola musician. His mother recalls a song he was writing just before he passed. "Blindness is surely a curse, but seeing everything is so much worse," Nichols said, relating her son's words to the county's EMS issues. "We can't go back to not knowing."

SEEING EVERYTHING

Sean Harris was five days away from getting married, out celebrating his bachelor party. As a group he was with walked across Pine Forest Road, an SUV hit Harris and a friend. Bybee, a registered nurse, was waiting at the hospital when Harris arrived. She recognized his feet. 66

"I said, 'He's mine. I'm going with him,'" Bybee recalled, seeing her son come out of the ambulance. He would die hours later. His friend had already been pronounced dead. Sometime later, Bybee requested the evidence from her son's case from the Florida Highway Patrol. Along with the medical report and accident report was a video of the scene taken in the moments following the accident by the driver of the involved vehicle. Bybee watched the video along with her husband, Tobin Bybee, Sean's stepfather, who is also trained as a nurse. The two were surprised at what they saw. "We both look at each other in the same places, and we're like, 'did that really just happen?'" she said. In the video, a paramedic and EMT tend to the two men at the accident scene. There doesn't appear to be much care given, and the handling appears rough. At one point, a medic lifts one of the facedown men by his shoulders, only to let him flop back down onto the ground. "They followed no trauma protocol," Bybee said. Also, the first responders in the video were both males. This struck Bybee as odd since a female EMT was listed on her son's medical report. At first, the grieving parents chalked all this up to an isolated incident. Then in September, Tobin witnessed a man get hit near the intersection of Ninth Avenue and Creighton Avenue. It was pretty bad, and he stopped to help, waiting with the man as he gasped for breath and bled. But once EMS arrived, they yelled at him, told him to get back and proceeded to run a scene he considered to be fraught with error. That's when Bybee went to Escambia County with her concerns. She called thenMedical Director Paul Henning but had a tough time getting her messages returned and a meeting scheduled. "Never heard, never heard, never heard," Bybee said. So she decided to call then-County Commissioner Grover Robinson. "They were having a tough time getting

staff to meet with them," Robinson recalled about setting the meeting up recently. Around this same time, Bybee had also expressed her frustrations with the county's EMS on the Escambia Citizen's Watch Facebook page. She invited people on the community online forum to join her for the meeting with county officials. "Thirteen people went with us," Bybee said, "one of which was Dr. Edler." Edler, still months away from becoming medical director, had seen the video. She too was apparently concerned. "She was furious, like, 'are you kidding me?'" Bybee said. County officials attending Bybee's meeting included then-County Administrator Jack Brown, Assistant County Administrator Matt Coughlin, Mike Weaver, who recently resigned as public safety director, and Steve White, then-chief of EMS. During the meeting, Bybee showed the video of EMS at her son's accident scene and discussed the need for improved training and the importance of ensuring some measure of accountability among EMS responders. "It was all about education and change," Bybee said. Commissioner Robinson said he recalls that as well. "We wanted to change some of the ways we did stuff, our procedures," said Robinson, who now serves as Pensacola's mayor. That was in February of 2018. A couple of months later, Dr. Edler came on as medical director and was soon after that raising various concerns about EMS operations. According to a statement released by the county recently, an internal investigation based on the medical director's concerns—but "not tied to any case or external complaint"—was launched in January this year before being turned over to the state.

MILES FROM THE HOSPITAL

Sometime during her mission to get Escambia County to address what she considered shortfalls with its EMS, Bybee met a couple of other local parents unfortunately familiar with the heartbreak of losing a child. Tony and Jackie Nichols lost their son, Aubrey, in 2014. A local musician, Aubrey suffered a heart attack and was cared for by Escambia EMS. Aubrey had complained of chest pains when he was on the road with his band Timberhawk—"He said, 'Guys, I feel like I'm having a heart attack,'" his mother recalled—but felt better after a nap in the back of the van. But one night in October, he felt the pains again. His girlfriend called 911, and EMS was on the way. While on the scene, EMS attempted two intubations, or the tracheal insertion of a tube to allow for air flow.

Aubrey died at the hospital, and his parents noticed something weird when they got a bill in the mail. It listed an intubation at the hospital as well. Upon inquiring, the Nichols were told that the additional intubation was required because the one provided by EMS was accidentally inserted into the esophagus. "So, they apparently threw our son in the back of the rig and filled his belly full of air," said Tony. Jackie, also a nurse, wonders why EMS even attempted to intubate in the field. She said, "Just shock, CPR, get him to the hospital—that's all they needed to do." Aubrey Nichols' parents say they don't know if the care their son received from Escambia's EMS contributed to his death. But they do know that responders spent precious time inserting a tube into his esophagus before getting him to the hospital. "I don't know if my son would have lived; he may not have," Jackie said. "But he was four miles from the hospital."

HOPING FOR CHANGE

Neither the Nichols nor the Bybees have the option of suing Escambia County about the care EMS provided their sons. They've checked around. "I've talked to four attorneys," said Bybee. In Florida, a person can't sue on behalf of someone who was 25 or older, unmarried and without children. Bybee didn't let the fact that her son was so close to being married go unnoticed during one of her meetings with Jack Brown last year. "I said, 'The reason I can't hold Escambia County responsible is because my son was 28 and five days away from getting married,'" she told Brown. But both the Bybees and Nichols say that's not why they're interested in pushing Escambia to address its EMS division anyway. They're motivated to speak up by an aching question left lingering in the wake of their loss—"Would our kids have lived if it had been exposed?" These parents are hoping that their input—and the input of others—will spur change and lead to improvement within a system they see as in need of attention. "You're only putting more and more lives at risk if you're not doing it properly," Bybee said. Another question also nags at Bybee. She knows the problems identified with her son's EMS service were only learned because she dug into the records, and her voice was only heard by Escambia County because she was persistent in her pursual. How many people never ask any questions, never know about the specifics of the emergency services provided to their loved ones? "Most people have no clue," Bybee said. "They have no clue. It was an accident; he died. That's what they were told at the ER without ever digging in." {in} inweekly.net

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MAY RESPONDS TO CRISIS By Rick Outzen Escambia County's administration is in crisis. Over the past few weeks, the acting county administrator, assistant administrator, human resources director, public safety director and fire chief have submitted their resignations. Last month, the Board of County Commissioners learned that Medical Director Dr. Rayme Edler pointed out nearly a year ago multiple issues with the county's Emergency Medical Services department, ranging from the falsification of certifications and credentials to EMTs lying about medications given in the field. The media has been told that Dr. Edler has detailed her allegations in a report, but the county administration has refused to release it, citing an ongoing investigation of EMS. "We are unable to comment specifically about ongoing investigations," said county spokesperson Joy Tsubooka in the statement. "However, we can tell you that our own processes through our medical director alerted county leadership to possible training discrepancies and other areas of concern within EMS in 2018." Commissioner Lumon May voiced his concerns with EMS and the overall leadership of county administration in a joint press conference with the News Journal and Inweekly on Friday, April 19. Amy Lovoy has served as acting administrator since last October when Jack Brown announced he was stepping down to care for his ailing wife. May assumed the commission chairmanship six weeks later. "I'm disappointed in that the EMS investigation started over a year ago in May or June of 2018, and it's just been within the last month that commissioners were informed," said Chairman May. "And so ultimately, whether the investigation is perceived as major or minor, it has to be communicated to the five policymakers." May said that he has met with Lovoy, County Attorney Alison Rogers, former

Public Safety Director Mike Weaver and former Fire Chief Rusty Nail. He has read Dr. Edler's report and said many of her claims are "damning, if true."

"You have a medical director at odds with the administration." Lumon May "If you talk to administration, they say that the falsification of the certifications is not substantiated," he explained. "You have a medical director at odds with the administration." He continued, "We didn't know the details of what happened, and if there's anything that adversely affects the citizens, we should know. The bottom line is the issues in EMS have been going on well over a year, and it's inexcusable." Though he spoke calmly, May's frustrations with the lack of communication and transparency were obvious. He said, "You have commissioners who are the policy body, and we shouldn't be managing or administrating. That's why you pay somebody almost $200,000 a year to be an administrator, and they have to administrate and have policies, procedures and processes in place. It's not our job to administer those policies." In January, the commissioners instructed Lovoy to hire an outside company to do an employee engagement survey so the board could hear from the frontline employees what was going well in their departments and to identify areas of improvement. After two months of little action on implementing the survey, May told the PNJ and Inweekly that he had asked Lovoy to talk with Quint Studer about how to get the process started nearly three weeks ago. Studer chaired Mayor Grover Robinson's transition team and had helped the city with its survey. May said Lovoy still hadn't contacted Studer. "When I took over the chair, one of my goals was an employee engagement survey,

like what the city's doing right now," said May. "So what would have been the result had we implemented the employee survey?" While May was meeting with the local newspapers, Commissioner Jeff Bergosh was being interviewed by WEAR-TV about a proposed non-interference ordinance that would require commissioners to stay away from the day-to-day operations of county employees. The county already has such a policy on the books, but the ordinance would have commissioners facing fines or potentially removed from office if violated. May said he felt such an ordinance was premature. "You have to do a real diagnosis before you do surgery," he said. "You have to look at the overall system and overall county before you start enacting ordinances." He suggested the board should look at whether a social media ordinance is needed and discuss whether the commission should have the power to ratify the top directors hired by the county administrator. "I think we gotta look at processes and protocol and where did those processes fail the citizens of Escambia County. You can't have a knee-jerk reaction without conclusive evidence," said the commission chairman. While he recognized the potential problems with commissioners getting involved in the county's day-to-day operations, May believes there needs to be an open line of communication with staff. "I'm not going to let anyone say to me that I can't communicate with the custodian," he said. "Because you know what? People forget many times that the people that work in the county also vote in the county. They're employees, and they're constituents." May added, "Multiple employees have come up who've had horrible experiences, whether it be on EMS or whether it be corrections or it might just be in litter pickup. They have a right to speak with me about those experiences." The chairman wants departments and

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employees to be held accountable and believes an open dialogue is essential. "We have some great employees, but within every organization, you have some employees that from time to time need to be censored, need to be reprimanded, need to be held accountable," he said. "I don't have any problem being responsible for those things that I have knowledge and authority of. I certainly take issue when there are things that happen internally within this county and the first knowledge and detail is from a media source or social media. I think that means there's been a real breakdown in communication."

"We're still closing on Outlying Field 8. Right-of-ways are still being cut. Our summer youth programs are still being developed. " May May wants the public to understand that not all news at the county is terrible. He said, "The county today, although it may not be run as efficiently as we want it to run, things are still happening. We're still closing on Outlying Field 8. Right-of-ways are still being cut. Our summer youth programs are still being developed. Our budget is going forward. Good news, we just got $45 million from our flood money." He remains optimistic about the future of Escambia County. He said, "I think many people look at this as a tragedy or a bad time, but this is a great opportunity to redesign our county. New administrator, new directors, new direction." May continued, "Now, we get an opportunity, in many of these leadership positions, to bring in some of the bright minds, some of the young minds, some of the people who have different experiences. I mean, we get the time to mold the county government. Not ever before in history have we've been able to mold the direction in which this county will go in the next 10 or 20 years." {in}

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9

Chairman Lumon May held out on naming his additions until the Tuesday, April 16, meeting—local Kimberly Washington and Ricardo Mendez, of Miami. Bender requested May limit his addition to one candidate, but the chairman declined, noting that the county would only be footing the bill to bring in one candidate from out of the area and that both of his selections broadened the pool.

"They bring diversity. They both bring a different ethnicity to the board." Lumon May

PETITION FAILED City officials say the deadline petition drive to disrupt the expansion of MRO campus has passed without the group ever presenting any signatures to city hall. In February, Citizens against Corporate Welfare announced that it wanted the Pensacola City Council to reconsider its approval of an interlocal agreement with Escambia County Commission regarding the expansion of the maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at the Pensacola International Airport. The group had 60 days to collect at least 4,055 signatures from registered voters living inside city limits. The petition would have forced the city council to reconsider its vote. Had the council refused to reverse it, the issue would have been voted on by city voters. City spokesperson Allie Norton told Inweekly late last week, "The petition was to be turned in by 5 p.m. on April 5. Mr. Cosson (Citizens against Corporate Welfare co-founder) did not make the deadline."

010 1

Inweekly reached out to Cosson, who refused to comment or confirm the petition drive was over.

DOWN TO EIGHT Escambia County com-

missioners will be selecting the next county administrator from a pool of eight candidates. Commissioners finalized the candidate list last week, with several adding their own picks to an existing pool selected by a team from the Florida Association of Counties. The candidates selected by FAC that are still on the list are Craig Coffey, Patrick Thompson and David Strahl. Two weeks ago, Commissioner Jeff Bergosh chose to throw Chris Martin's name onto the list. Martin is the recently retired commanding officer of NAS Pensacola. Bergosh said, "If we're going to add names, we're going to honor some military service." Commissioner Steven Barry selected Janice Gilley, a former county commissioner (2002-04), to place in the pool. Commissioner Robert Bender decided to include Cedric Alexander, of Pensacola, on the prospective list.

"They bring diversity," May said, adding that he'd done his homework on each candidate. "They both bring a different ethnicity to the board." On Monday, April 29, the candidates will meet privately with each commissioner before sitting for sessions with the entire board. The commissioners will rank the candidates until they've settled on the top three, which will then be whittled to one.

'DIRTY AND DANGEROUS' Environ-

mental organization Oceana last week released a report that the group says finds offshore oil drilling to be a precarious proposition. The report runs counter to a narrative being put forward by the American Petroleum Institute, which hopes to open up new offshore territory and contends drilling has become safer since the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The report, titled "Dirty Drilling: Trump Administration Proposals Weaken Key Safety Protections and Radically Expand Offshore Drilling," comes at a time when the federal government is finalizing a fiveyear drilling plan that determines offshore leases and could potentially open up additional areas to drilling, including in the Gulf of Mexico off of Florida. "Less safety and more drilling are a recipe for disaster," Oceana Campaign

Director Diane Hoskins said in a statement. "President Trump must drastically reverse course to prevent another BP Deepwater Horizon-like disaster." The Oceana report contends that the offshore drilling industry is poorly regulated, inherently risky and ill-equipped to deal with an oil spill or leak. It points out that The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement incorporates industry-written standards into regulations, then routinely grants exemptions to those regulations. It also touches on blowout preventer technology—a technology touted by API—which it describes as "the last line of defense against a catastrophic spill," and argues it remains untested in the extreme environment encountered in a real-world scenario. Also in the report, Oceana provides data designed to deter. The organization notes that there were at least 6,500 oil spills in U.S. waters between 2007 and 2017 and that the sizes of those spills are routinely lowballed. It also argues that the relatively low financial penalties incurred by drilling operations—$44,675 per violation, per day—do little to deter corner cutting in an industry accustomed to $1 million-per-day operating costs. "We should not be expanding dirty and dangerous offshore drilling to new areas when there's overwhelming bipartisan opposition," Hoskins said in the release. To read the full Oceana report, visit usa. oceana.org/dirtydrilling.

FLORIDA DEMS LOVE BIDEN The latest Inweekly/Political Matrix poll revealed that former Vice President Joe Biden has an enormous lead in Florida over the field of Democratic presidential hopefuls—leading with 42.4 percent, followed by Bernie Sanders at a distant second at 12.7 percent. Sanders is immediately followed by South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (8.6 percent) and then Sen. Kamala Harris (CA) and former Congressman Beto O'Rourke— both with 7.1 percent. The survey sampled were 840 likely

inweekly.net

Florida Democratic voters with a perfect voting score for the general election cycles. The voters were called using an Interactive Voice Response system during the hours of 5-7 p.m. on April 11-14. The margin of error for this study is +/- 3.5 percent with a confidence level of 95 percent.

SUMMIT TO STOP THE VIOLENCE

Pensacola government and citizens don't spend a lot of time thinking or talking about gang activity. But ignoring something doesn't make it go away. Kenneth Daggans and the Black Fist Outreach Ministry are hoping to change the conversation and decrease gang activity in the process. Earlier this year, Inweekly covered the inspiring turn-around of Pensacola resident Daggans. A former gang member and addict who served significant time in prison before turning his life around, Daggans is now working to create his own reform program to prevent Pensacola youth from going down the same path. Daggans' ministry, Black Fist Outreach Ministry Inc., will be hosting its first-ever Gang Prevention Summit noon-3 p.m., Saturday, April 27, at the Fricker Community Center, 900 N. F St. The event will feature multiple speakers and performances, including artistic and spoken presentations from graduating members of the Healthy Opportunities and Options to Promote Success (HOOPS) program—which is an organization contracted by the Department of Juvenile Justice to reform and deter juveniles. The youth, ranging from ages 12 to 17, have been part of the 90-day mentorship program which Daggans volunteers with and will share the coping mechanisms and tools they have learned. In addition to speakers, there will be a Tai Chi demonstration and musical performances by the Pensacola Persuaders Gospel Band. Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson and Escambia District 3 Commissioner Lumon May will be in attendance, and the event will be hosted by radio personality Sonshine of Magic 106.1. Dr. Emma Watts, a Pensacola resident who has spent decades ministering to and counseling inmates at the Escambia County Jail, also helped to organize the event. Watts, who began her mentorship after her brush with crime decades ago, offered valuable insight about what makes a gang member. "Ninety percent of our juveniles, they are searching to belong to something," said Watts. "[Daggans] was looking for that love that he wasn't getting. Now, he is trying to instill into [the juveniles] that a gang is not where you want to be. He is trying to show them a different type of unity. You can structure your life to become whatever you want it to become." The term "gang" conjures up an orgaApril 25, 2019

nized crew of strongly-bonded individuals whose goal is to maintain clout and protect those on their team. On the contrary, the image of gangs we see here in Pensacola are most often disorganized, loosely-affiliated groups of young men without leadership who may be willing to do whatever it takes to prove themselves. This lack of structure means that vigilante violence, assaults, attempted murders and more can happen seemingly anywhere at any time. Daggans says his ministry seeks to turn around the lives of young juveniles who are either in gangs or considering joining. "I am reformed due to a structured organization. Black Fist offers structure," Daggans said. Intervention, Daggans says, is vital. He told Inweekly, "If I had someone stepping up and out when I was 14 years old and addicted to drugs, I would have had a better chance at having a productive life. When I became a leader, I did it to make a difference. When I step out into society and meet the guys who want to be reformed, I know where they hurt." Watts says that alongside religious ministry, the essential step of reforming juveniles is showing them that there is another way to live. "I want them to know that, 'I don't have to be a bad person. I can become the person God created me to be.' [God's] purpose surely wasn't to go out there and destroy other people's lives."

PARK ENTRANCE FEES WAIVED In

honor of the sacrifice paid by Rosamond Johnson and his family, the National Park Service will waive entrance fees to all park areas during the annual commemoration on May 4 from 9 a.m.-noon. The annual commemoration event will be held on the same day at 10 a.m. at Johnson Beach. The national seashore was granted a fee waiver by the NPS regional director at the park's request. After enlisting in the U.S. Army at 15 years old, Johnson died in combat two years later on the Korean Peninsula. While engaged with the enemy, on July 26, 1950, Private Johnson carried two wounded soldiers to safety. He was fatally wounded while attempting to save a third injured man. On August 21, 1950, Rosamond was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart for wounds he sustained while saving his fellow soldiers. At the time of his death, Pensacola beaches were racially segregated. The Sunset Riding Club, Inc. leased a county-owned recreational area in 1950 for the sole use of bathing and recreational facilities for "colored citizens." In honor of his ultimate sacrifice, and in recognition as the first Escambia County resident to die in the Korean Conflict, the recreational area became known as Rosamond Johnson Beach. The area became part of Gulf Islands National Seashore in 1971, and the name was retained.

FREE SHREDDING EVENT Gilmore Services, WEAR-TV, Cat Country 98.7 and the

Better Business Bureau are offering individuals an opportunity to shred their sensitive documents 8 a.m.-noon, Saturday, April 27, at the Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds. In addition to shredding, resources on how to protect your identity will be provided. An individual may bring up to 50 pounds of their personal sensitive information to be shredded. Documents to be shredded should be removed from binders, but staples and paper clips are acceptable. Please do not tie bags or tape boxes. The Community Shred Event is not for businesses; no corporate business/company documents will be accepted.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS Women for Responsible Legislation will hold their monthly meeting at 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday, April 25, at Pensacola City Hall. This month's WRL speaker will be Escambia County Tax Collector Scott Lunsford. The City of Pensacola will celebrate Arbor Day at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 26, at Miraflores Park, 1601 East La Rua St. In addition to planting a live oak at the park, Parks and Recreation invites guests to register for a free raffle for one of three trees to be given away. The City of Pensacola invites you to a ribbon cutting at 4:15 p.m. on Friday, April 26, for the new playground at Armstrong Park, 300 W. Lakeview Ave. The new playground features new climbers, slides and interactive elements for all ages. Downtown Improvement Board will meet 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, in the Bowden Building, Room #1, 120 Church St. The women of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart are holding their annual Spring Fling Event, which is a huge Flea Market and Arts and Crafts Fair, 8 a.m.- 3 p.m., Saturday, April 27, in the Parish Hall and surrounding grounds at the corner of 12th Avenue and Moreno Street. Escambia County Extension will host a special "Growing with Extension" Open House from 8:30-11:30 a.m., Saturday, April 27, at its office, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment. The event will feature gardening demonstrations, an introduction to various 4-H youth programs, a healthy-eating seminar, cooking demonstrations, discussions about coastal sustainability practices and livestock management. The 2019 "Walk for Mommy & Me" will take place 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, at Carpenter's Park on Munson Highway in Milton. The walk is sponsored by the Florida Department of Health in Santa Rosa County WIC Program and supports the Department of Health's Healthiest Weight Campaign, emphasizing the importance of physical activity and good nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle. Mayor Grover Robinson and Councilwoman Sherri Myers will host the District 2 Town Hall at 6 p.m., Monday, April 29, at Asbury Place behind Cokesbury United Methodist Church, 5725 N. 9th Ave. {in} 11

Pensacola is the 2019 Strongest Town Winner Pensacola has been named the strongest town in the world by StrongTowns.org after competing in four rounds of voting against sixteen other communities.

To recognize this achievement, Chuck Marohn will make a special visit to Pensacola to celebrate our victory and share a free Strong Towns presentation, open to the community. Later this year, Pensacola will be featured in a detailed profile on the StrongTowns website.

CIVICCON ONLINE pnj.com/topic/civiccon facebook.com/civiccon

StrongTowns.org is the website of the international Strong Towns movement dedicated to making communities across the United States and Canada truly thrive by being financially strong and resilient.

SIGN UP FOR CIVICCON EMAILS studeri.org/newsletter-signup QUESTIONS? Terry Horne: thorne@civicconversations.org

The Center for Civic Engagement is an arm of CivicCon, a joint partnership between the Pensacola News Journal and Studer Community Institute. 212 1

inweekly.net

By Savannah Evanoff

April 25, 2019

13

FEMFEST 2019 Intersectional feminism is a term coined by black feminist scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw. Norris thinks that tidbit of information is the most important. "It's a concept from a black woman, but so many of us have no idea who she is," Norris said. "So often, white voices take over the narrative written by people of color, and the cause becomes gentrified. It's vital that our feminism is for everyone and that we create spaces in which everyone can not only participate but feel safe and accepted and celebrated."

Every feminist journey starts somewhere. For Kirstin Norris, the founder of FemFest, it was with her mom. "From the get-go, she made sure that I knew I could do and be whatever I wanted," Norris said. "She taught me that I had autonomy over my body and allowed me the freedom to make my own choices." Norris' aunts took her to marches in Washington D.C., and her church's leaders didn't reinforce traditional gender stereotypes. Throughout her life, many people played a part in helping her figure out what she believed and why she believed it. "I can be a bit hot-headed," Norris said. "When I started figuring out how to articulate my frustrations with a patriarchal society, I realized that not only was I a feminist, but I was a feminist with an urge to act." In response, she immersed herself in politics, community issues and women's issues. That's how a 20-something-year-old Norris birthed FemFest, she said—out of this "crazy urge" to involve the community in something she passionately believed in. Never in a million years did Norris think FemFest would come to fruition. It was a pipe dream at best, she said. As the event—a multi-day celebration of intersectional feminism — approaches its third year, Norris reminisces about the first. She remembers it touching so many individuals and the joy of just getting to hang out with like-minded people. "It was just really special," Norris said. "FemFest is my baby. I pour my heart and soul into it. It is a labor of love. The really cool thing is to be able to do it with people I care about and for us to do this together and for us to present to Pensacola something that is so important to us. Really, it's a privilege." "It's the most fun week of the year for me," she said.

If Your Feminism Isn't Intersectional…

This year's FemFest will feature familiar events—such as Womanhood in Lavender, which is an evening of performances by female artists of color—and new ones, such as a Trans Art Expo. 414 1

"It's vital that our feminism is for everyone and that we create spaces in which everyone can not only participate but feel safe and accepted and celebrated." Kirstin Norris It has to be more inclusive, Norris urges. "You can't just pull up a chair at the table and expect everyone to sit down when what's being served isn't offered to everyone," Norris said. Haley Morrissette, the founder of Womanhood in Lavender, developed an understanding of feminism and its intersectional nature as a little girl. Her parents promoted black culture and worked to create a better community. "I've always had conversations with my parents like, 'What does it mean to be a black girl in our society?'" Morrissette said. "I've also had to witness what that means for other people and how it's hurt them and how it's hurt me as far as oppression goes and why it's so important for all of us to be a part of it." Morrissette has always seen the big picture. "This isn't just me that's experiencing this; this is everybody," Morrissette said. "This is all the people that look like me and share parts of my identity." Morrissette often looks to her heritage and family for inspiration. "My father's father was one of the first black foremen at International Paper, which was formerly Champion," Morrissette said. "My grandmother, my mother's mother—who lives around the corner from me and she's my queen—she was the first black female cashier in NAS Whiting Field's Navy Exchange." "I internalize those stories because it helps me keep going," Morrissette said. "Like, 'This is the right thing. You're supposed to make joy for people and celebrate heritage and being able to overcome so much stuff and having to make it different for everybody.'" Having role models is essential to intersectional feminism. Women can't have liberation or visualize what it looks like unless they have people to keep them hopeful, Morrissette said. Her mother did that.

"Thinking back on the things she had to go through and the things she did in her life, it keeps me going, Morrissette said. It's super important we always have our female role models right here at the forefront and that we're hearing their voices and we have their stories to go back and listen to, read or just think about."

DETAILS: facebook.com/femfestpcola

FEMFEST 2019 EVENTS Trans Art Expo Devin Cole was ready for something fresh. The president of STRIVE—which stands for Social Trans Initiative and serves the transgender community in Escambia County—wanted the organization's FemFest event to differ from previous years. "We wanted to do a departure from our normal forum or panel," Cole said. "We were brainstorming, and we came to the conclusion that transgender artists are not represented enough in the world of art. Usually it's something very low budget or it's us, as transgender people, being exploited by other major artists." Based on that, STRIVE decided to host the Trans Art Expo, which is an exhibit to display artwork and host performances by transgender people in the community. The event will offer wine and hors d'oeuvres for a suggested donation.

"We wanted to highlight the art we create, our words and our struggles played out through music or visual mediums or poetry." Devin Cole "We wanted to highlight the art we create, our words and our struggles played out through music or visual mediums or poetry," Cole said. Cole wasn't sure how much participation they would have. "We were a little nervous at first that we weren't going to get a big response. Maybe people are gun shy and don't want to promote their art," Cole said. "We've had about nine or 10 people respond, and that's good for our first time out of the gate." The event will feature poetry readings, live music, plus sculptures and paintings on display. Everyone who submitted has

multiple works. "Even though it's only nine or 10 people, it's going to be a full exposition," Cole said. The idea for an art exposition came from a simple Google search for transgender artists. "The transgender people you see in media—there are a few, but there's not a lot," Cole said. "We want to bring up all aspects of transgender life and put it out for people to see, to let people know, 'Yes, we are here. We're creating art. It's great.'" The art expo will cover the entire spectrum of transgender people, which is vast, Cole said. "In order to fully appreciate this exhibition, people are going to have to unravel their minds from the binary way of thinking," Cole said. "To see things beyond male and female, to see gender fluidity, queerness, no gender whatsoever, non-binary." Proceeds will benefit STRIVE and its mission to provide materials to transgender people in need. "What that looks like is if somebody who is transgender needs food or transportation to and from work, we try to help them," Cole said. "Our main goal is our emergency housing program. We're working to create a network of people who can provide safe and secure housing for homeless transgender people in the area because there are currently no shelters in this area that will accept transgender people. They will not accept us as we are."

TRANS ART EXPO

WHAT: Art exhibit and performances hosted by STRIVE WHEN: 6-9 p.m. Thursday, April 25 WHERE: Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox COST: Suggested donation, proceeds will benefit STRIVE DETAILS: facebook.com/socialtransinitiative

Womanhood in Lavender Morrissette dreamt up Womanhood in Lavender—literally. "I had a dream about black women washed in purple and performances," Morrissette said. "It was almost like a juke joint. It was beautiful and very central to art and everything that's magical about black women." Norris approached Morrissette a week or two later with the idea for the first FemFest, and from there, Morrissette manifested her dream. "I said, 'Can I please have a show that's just black women performing?'" Morrissette said. "She was like, 'What do you mean, can you do it? Do it.'" Womanhood in Lavender is one of FemFest's most popular and well-attended events, Norris said. The event features a diverse collection of female performers of color—such as singers, actors, dancers, poets and visual artists. It was held at chizuko the first year, and they outgrew the space instantly. inweekly.net

FEMFEST 2019

Haley Morrissette / Courtesy Photo

"There were people standing all the way outside the door still trying to hear the women performing," Morrissette said. For more space, she moved the event next door to the Historic Bunny Club its second year. "Low and behold, we still had a huge crowd show up," Morrissette said. "I'm still mind blown by it. I can't even begin to say how much I've underestimated the support." The 2018 Womanhood in Lavender was the first that was divided into acts with a theme. It was titled "Four Women," after the Nina Simone song. "It really focused on the stereotypes of black women in society and how we embrace those stereotypes in order for them to work for us," Morrissette said. "I want people to get away from viewing black women as one solitary thing. I want them to see how encompassing black womanhood really is." Morrissette wrote and performed a monologue. Her segment featured a poet, singer and burlesque dancer. "One of those stereotypes was the jezebel, how we hypersexualize black women," Morrissette said. "I wrote a monologue talking about how I do love sex and that is OK. I'm also a mother. I'm someone's therapist. It's OK if I drip of sex all the time. That is gonna be OK, and you'll have to deal with it. That doesn't distort my magic. It doesn't make me an object. It makes me a person." This year's theme is "Ode to Black Girl Magic"—shout out to CaShawn Thompson, who popularized the phrase, Morrissette said.

"Black girl magic is basically resiliency." Haley Morrissette "Black girl magic is basically resiliency," Morrissette said. "It takes black women from every socioeconomic class status—any type of background—not just cis-gender black women, but also queer black women, trans black women. All black women have this cerApril 25, 2019

tain magic deep within us that makes us able to be human but still overcome." But the magic is not otherworldly, she explained. "It's not from space. The magic is embedded in our natural resources," Morrissette said. "Being able to access that that's already in us—it helps us keep going." This year's event will feature rappers, singers, actors, poets, photographers, artists and DJ Too Easy (Dee Johnson)—who has been part of every Womanhood in Lavender. All the vendors are black female-owned businesses, such as UnicornCandy, which will provide signature drinks. Proceeds will benefit the Black Women Empower Collective. Morrissette is its community director. "We have annual community baby showers for black and brown parents that wouldn't be able to have baby showers," Morrissette said. "We do them during the summer here, in Tallahassee, and we're working on expanding those to a couple of other cities in Florida."

WOMANHOOD IN LAVENDER WHAT: A night of performance art built around the theme an "Ode to Black Girl Magic" WHEN: 7-10 p.m. Friday, April 26 WHERE: Belmont DeVilliers Cultural Center/ Historic Bunny Club, 500 W. Belmont St. COST: $7 suggested donation at the door, proceeds will benefit Black Women Empower Collective DETAILS: facebook.com/blackwomenempowercollective

"Lysistrata" presented by Arrant Knavery Ashley McGlothren couldn't have planned it any better. When Norris asked the nonprofit theater company Arrant Knavery, Inc. to participate in FemFest in 2018, McGlothren

had the ideal performance. "I had already been working on a female-centric Shakespeare show I was writing, and it all fell into place," McGlothren said. "It was perfect last year, so we decided to come back this year." Arrant Knavery, Inc. will return this year with another fitting performance, the Greek comedy "Lysistrata" featuring an all-female, six-member cast. The theater's board voted for Aristophanes' ancient play, because its theme fits well with FemFest. The plot is about the women of Greece coming together to change their political climate. "The way the women change the political climate is they're trying to end the Peloponnesian War," McGlothren said. "They refused to have sex with their husbands until their husbands signed a treaty with Sparta. Traditionally, this show is about sex, but we tried to concentrate more on the strength of womanhood and the powerful things women can do when they come together." McGlothren is excited because Arrant Knavery hasn't done a Greek show before. "We like to do classical and under-pro-

"We like to do classical and underproduced works, so this is our first time branching out with Greek theater." Ashley McGlothren duced works, so this is our first time branching out with Greek theater," McGlothren said. "So we're really excited to show what we've worked on and bring a message of female solidarity to the community."

LYSISTRATA

WHAT: A comedic production featuring an all-female cast WHEN: 7-9 p.m. Saturday, April 27 WHERE: Pensacola Opera, 75 S. Tarragona St. COST: $10 (plus $1.26 fee at eventbrite.com), proceeds will benefit the Lakeview Victim Services and Trauma Recovery Program DETAILS: facebook.com/arrantknavery

Self Love Sunday Norris took a note from #SelfCareSunday for this year's Sunday event. She and Madison Anstett co-organized the inaugural Self Love Sunday, in which guests can enjoy different booths promoting self-love and care. The event was a response to one notion culture perpetuates—we aren't good enough, Norris said. "We're shamed for being too fat, having cellulite, going gray, getting wrinkles, struggling with mental health," Norris said. "And

then we're bombarded by beauty products, diet pills, photo filters, and we spend our days staring at 'beautiful' people on screens and then wonder why we're depressed. " "Self Love Sunday is the remedy to all of the negative energy that surrounds us," she told Inweekly. The evening of positivity will feature music from the all-female grunge band Anti-Queens and a signature drink. "There is going to be a massage booth and a glitter booth, where you can get all kinds of glitterfied," Norris said. "Glitter on your hair, glitter on your face—make yourself feel sparkly. We will also have a photo booth where you can use different props and take some fun photos with your friends." After three days of FemFest events, this one will be low-key.

"Self Love Sunday is the remedy to all of the negative energy that surrounds us." NORRIS "It's going to be a really fun event— nothing really heavy, nothing intense to deal with," Norris said. "We wanted to create this space to celebrate who you are just as you are." {in}

SELF LOVE SUNDAY

WHAT: A body-positivity event featuring self-care booths, live music and more WHEN: 7-10 p.m. Sunday, April 28 WHERE: chizuko, 506 W. Belmont St. COST: $5 at the door, proceeds will benefit the Lakeview Victim Services and Trauma Recovery Program DETAILS: facebook.com/femfestpcola

Cover Photo Credits Photographer: Natalie Allgyer @nallgyer photosbynallgyer.com Models: Amanda McAdams @aylajoie Jordan Washington @jvyythegoddess Jessica Emerson @jessicaaemerson Hair Stylist: Alexis Jackson @badd_hairday Makeup Artist: Karen Rush @krush_esthetics Wardrobe: Saturn Collection Vintage @saturncollection saturncollectionvintage.com Wardrobe Stylist: Anastasia Moray @howdypouty Earrings: Reema Eqab @convenientfeels etsy.com/shop/convenientfeels 15

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inweekly.net

WEEK OF APRIL 25-MAY 1

Arts & Entertainment art, film, music, stage, books and other signs of civilization...

Dark Surf Sounds By Savannah Evanoff

Mariah Fortune writes the kind of love songs you run from or at least hide from. The woman behind the solo project Woven In likens herself to Pepé Le Pew, the French skunk featured in "Looney Tunes." He craves love but often sends the other characters running from his odor and overly aggressive personality. The comparison has plausibility. Woven In's latest album, "Hexed to Death," is composed of what Fortune calls "dark surf anti-love songs" featuring baritone guitar, drums and synthesizers. The opening track is "Do You Really Mean It?" "(It's about) how people say one thing and they might not really feel that way, or you take it to heart when they say they have feelings for you and it turns out that they didn't," Fortune said. "It's really trying to be truthful about your feelings, even if they're not, 'Oh, I'm head over heels for a person.' They should still be honest feelings you're conveying." The album is divided into two parts, each eight songs. Fortune alternates between instrumental songs and those with lyrics. "Part one is just listed at $1 on my Bandcamp so people will be like, 'Yeah, I'll pay $1 and see what this Woven In is,'" Fortune said. "The second half is for fans only." "Killings Happen" is one of her favorites featured on the second half. It experiments with sounds and has strong lyrics, she said. "I would like people to listen to that one," Fortune said. "It's an important idea that people die every day and people are killed, and sometimes there's nothing we

can do about that. It doesn't matter where you live. There's no safe place away from that. It's a brute reality check." Fortune has a grip on reality. She works at a hospital in Baltimore, Md., fixing printers, and, honestly, some days are really hard. Playing guitar helps. She started playing the instrument as a teenager. "My dad moved me down to Florida from Philadelphia, and the agreement was I wouldn't be mad about it if he bought me a guitar," Fortune said. "I didn't know anybody down in Florida, and it was an abrupt thing. So I was like, 'Well, if you get me an electric guitar, I'm not gonna be upset about it.' That wager paid off."

"My dad moved me down to Florida from Philadelphia, and the agreement was I wouldn't be mad about it if he bought me a guitar." Mariah Fortune Playing guitar has been one of her favorite things to do since. "It really relieves me in a lot of ways and has brought a lot of comfort in hard times," Fortune said. "It reminds me of a human voice. You can make it talk. For me, it feels like string instruments are the closest to human vocal chords." At first, she recorded guitar with no vocals and experimented with other musi-

"I would love to play someone's prom or cians who didn't take music as seriously as wedding—anything like that," Fortune said. she did. Then, she started the solo project "I play a lot of love songs, so I do feel that Woven In and began weaving lyrics back in. old-timey prom feeling in a weird way." "I was in Florida, and I was thinking about how there's a lot of interconnectivity between people's lives and how nothing is one incident on its own; it's a ripple effect," Fortune said. "Other things happen from it, so Woven In is a synopsis of that idea." Fortune calls her genre "dark wave music," which she attributes to her time living in Jacksonville. "The surf influence comes from a lot of the instrumental surf rock music I used to listen to when I started picking up guitar and taking it more seriously," Fortune said. "I think those If it isn't a prom, it's a reunion. surf-y undertones never left … the reverberated "The people that aren't really familiar sound reminiscent of water." with my music are definitely drawn into a way No matter where you are, water makes where it's like, 'Oh, I guess I'll get on the dance an impact, she said. floor,'" Fortune said. "They start out hesitant "Not even just artistically, your mood and the way you think about things—your environ- but still creep toward. The people who already know the songs and are fans are like, 'Oh ment plays a huge part," Fortune said. "I was in yeah, come on out and join me in the circle.' Florida for 12 years, and those were my formaIt seems like a pleasant experience—kinda tive years. It has a lasting impact. In Philly, it's spooky but also enticing. I'm hoping to entice nonstop busy, concrete, buses and bells and some more fans to come dance." {in} birds and catfights in the alley—all that kind of stuff. I think I would be making a different type of music if I had got my musical grounding while I was living in Philly." WHAT: Woven In with Cookies and Cake, The Woven In's music is dark—it Coefficients and Fly Bai$e always has been. But at her core, WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday, April 25 Fortune is a romantic. WHERE: chizuko, 506 W. Belmont St. She compares herself to a loveCOST: $5 sick cartoon character the same way DETAILS: facebook.com/wovenin she compares her concerts to a prom.

" I was in Florida, and I was thinking about how there's a lot of interconnectivity between people's lives and how nothing is one incident on its own; it's a ripple effect." Fortune

WOVEN IN

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EATS, DRINKS & SMILES BIG ASS SMILES @THEMAGNOLIAEPH NOW OPEN ON SUNDAYS 17

calendar THURSDAY 4.25

WORK ON THE FLORIDA TRAIL 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Every Thursday. Three miles north of Deaton Bridge Road. meetup.com/ftawesterngate YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Community Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org PILATES MAT 12:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org AWM WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Free. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. 9th Ave. facebook.com/ aragonwine CHRISTOPHER'S CONCERTS 6-8 p.m. Free. Reunion Band. St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, 3200 N. 12th Ave. scpen.org TRANS ART EXPO -PRESENTED BY STRIVE

6-9 p.m. Part of FemFest 2019. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox St. facebook.com/socialtransinitiative/ MEDITATION AND ENERGY HEALING 6 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org FRENCH WINE DINNER 6 p.m. $92.87. So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com CLEAN WATER PADDLE SERIES 6 p.m. Aloha Wine and Liquor, 649 Pensacola Beach Blvd. Paddle around Sabine Bay with environmental education to follow. healthygulf.org ZUMBA WITH SHANNON AND FRIENDS 6-7 p.m. $4. Homestead Community Center, 7830 Pine Forest Road. END OF THE LINE THURSDAY DINNER 6-9 p.m. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. Sign up for the newsletter for menu. eotlcafe.com LATIN DANCE CLASSES 6:30-9 p.m. $10. Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha and more. Professional dance instruction for all skill levels. No partner required. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com OF MONTREAL 7 p.m. $20. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com UWF JAZZ COMBO AND ENSEMBLE 7:309 p.m. Free. UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. uwf.edu/cfpa WOVEN IN 8 p.m. With Cookies and Cake, The Coefficients and Fly Bai$e. $5. chizuko, 506 W. Belmont St. facebook. com/chizukopensacola

FRIDAY 4.26

COLUMBUS SHIP REPLICAS: NINA AND PINTA 9 a.m.-6 p.m. $6.50-$8.50, free for

children 4 and under. Perdido Key Oyster Bar Restaurant & Marina, 13700 River Road. thenina.com

INTERSTATE MULLET TOSS AND GULF COAST'S GREATEST BEACH PARTY 10 a.m. Flora-Bama

Lounge, Package and Oyster Bar, 17401 Perdido Key Drive. florabama.com ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 10 a.m. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com PENSACOLA CRAWFISH FESTIVAL 11 a.m.-11 p.m. $6 daily admission, free admission for children 12 and under. Community Maritime Park, 351 W. Cedar St. fiestapensacola.org GARDEN AND GRAIN CRAFT CLUB 5 p.m. Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco 818 1

HAPPY HOUR COOKOUTS 5 p.m. Drink specials, free cookout. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com EVER'MAN COOKS: HEALTHY FRENCH COOKING 6 p.m. Free. Ever'man Education-

al Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org

CROWN THE EMPIRE, WE CAME AS ROMANS

6 p.m. $22-$25. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com DATE NIGHT DANCE CLASSES 6:30-8 p.m. $8. Learn several romantic ballroom dance styles in unique group classes. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com OPEN MIC 7-11 p.m. Café Single Fin, 380 N. 9th Ave. facebook.com/cafesinglefin WOMANHOOD IN LAVENDER 7-10 p.m. Part of FemFest 2019. $7. Belmont DeVilliers Cultural Center - Historic Bunny Club, 500 W. Belmont St. facebook.com/femfestpcola

SATURDAY 4.27

2019 DELUNA'S BEACH GAMES 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Flounder's Chowder House, 800 Quietwater Beach Road. pensacolasports.org/ delunasbeachgames PARKRUN/WALK MEETUP 7:30 a.m. University of West Florida, Rec Plex North Field, 11000 University Parkway. parkrun.us/recplexnorth MARINE CORPS LEAGUE VEHICLE & CYCLE SHOW 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Vehicle registration

8-11 a.m., cost is $20. Five Flags Speedway, 7451 Pine Forest Road. BROGA 9-10 a.m. $10. Asher & Bee Apothecary and Tea House, 7 E. Gregory St. facebook.com/asherandbee U.S. FINALS 9 a.m. $18-$22 for one-day tickets. Cheer and dance. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 W. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com SANTA ROSA FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Fresh local produce, honey, baked goods and live music. Pace Presbyterian Church, Woodbine Road. HEALTHY KIDS DAY AT YMCA 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Two locations: Bear Levin Studer Family Y, 165 E. Intendencia St.; Betty J. Pullum Y, 2379 Pawnee Drive. ymcanwfl.org PALAFOX MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fresh produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art and antiques. Items originate directly from participating vendors, including dozens of local farmers, home gardeners and area artists. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com YOU SELL IT HERE FARMER'S MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free admission. Every Saturday. 8600 Pensacola Blvd., facebook.com/yousellithere SOUTHERN SELF STORAGE FUNDRAISING YARD SALE AND PET ADOPTION 9 a.m.-2

p.m. Free. Southern Self Storage Pensacola, 9311 Pine Forest Road. southernselfstorage. com/self-storage-pensacola OCEAN HOUR CLEAN-UPS 9-10 a.m. Two locations: Park East, Pensacola Beach located off of Parking Lot H, 2.5 miles east of Casino Beach; and Pensacola Beach Dog Park East on FL-399. oceanhourfl.com COLUMBUS SHIP REPLICAS: NINA AND PINTA 9 a.m.-6 p.m. $6.50-$8.50, free for

children 4 and under. Perdido Key Oyster Bar Restaurant & Marina, 13700 River Road. thenina.com

INTERSTATE MULLET TOSS AND GULF

COAST'S GREATEST BEACH PARTY 10 a.m. Flora-Bama Lounge, Package and Oyster Bar, 17401 Perdido Key Drive. florabama.com PAWS ON PALAFOX 10 a.m. 3K fun walk. Plaza de Luna, S. Palafox. pensacolahumane.org BE MY NEIGHBOR DAY 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. More than 50 indoor and outdoor exhibitors/ activities. Jean and Paul Amos Performance Studio, 1000 College Blvd. wsre.org/neighbor PENSACOLA CRAWFISH FESTIVAL 10 a.m.-11 p.m. $6 daily admission, free admission for children 12 and under. Community Maritime Park, 351 W. Cedar St. fiestapensacola.org FLORIDA'S FLORA: NATURE TOUR OF ARCADIA MILL 10:30 a.m. $2-$4 admission for

kids. Arcadia Mill Archaeological Site, 5709 Mill Pond Lane. historicpensacola.org GRILLIN IN THE BREEZE 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. $10-$12 general admission, $35-$40 VIP. Free admission for children 10 and under. Shoreline Park, 800 Shoreline Drive. grillininthebreeze.com BLUES & BAR-B-Q 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Historic St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 140 W. Government St. NATURAL HEALING/CANCER STUDY 2-4 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org CONCERT IN THE PARK: GYPSY SPARK BAND

4-6 p.m. Free concert with park admission ($4 for one person, $6 for up to eight people). Big Lagoon State Park Amphitheatre, 12301 Gulf Beach Highway. WALKING CEMETERY TOURS 5:30 p.m. $12 plus tax. St. John's Historic Cemetery, 301 N. G St. goretro.us DANCE PARTY 7 p.m.-midnight. $10-$20. One-hour workshop followed by a mix of swing, country and ballroom music. No partner required. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. 850-503-1123. dancecraftstudios.com LYSISTRATA: PRESENTED BY ARRANT KNAVERY 7-9 p.m. Part of FemFest

2019.$11.26. Pensacola Opera, 75 S. Tarragona St. facebook.com/femfestpcola

CULTURES COOK: FLAVORS OF PUERTO RICO 7-9 p.m. $39 per person. Pensacola

Cooks, 3670 Barrancas Ave. pensacolacooks.rezclick.com

PENSACOLA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS: CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA

7:30 p.m. $23 and up. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com BIG DEAL BURLESQUE 8 p.m. $12-$45. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com

SUNDAY 4.28

PENSACOLA TRIATHLON 6:15 a.m. Maritime Park, 301 W. Main St. WAKE UP HIKE 7 a.m. Meet at Bay Bluffs Park, Scenic Highway at Summit Ave., for a brisk one- to two-hour walk with brunch to follow at an area restaurant U.S. FINALS 8 a.m. $18-$22 for one-day tickets. Cheer and dance. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 W. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com COLUMBUS SHIP REPLICAS: NINA AND PINTA 9 a.m.-6 p.m. $6.50-$8.50, free for

children 4 and under. Perdido Key Oyster Bar Restaurant & Marina, 13700 River Road. thenina.com

INTERSTATE MULLET TOSS AND GULF COAST'S GREATEST BEACH PARTY 10 a.m.

Flora-Bama Lounge, Package and Oyster Bar, 17401 Perdido Key Drive. florabama.com THEMED BRUNCH AT PERFECT PLAIN

10 a.m. Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco BRUNCH WITH LIVE MUSIC 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Café Single Fin, 380 N. 9th Ave. facebook. com/cafesinglefin TRANSMISSION GROUP WORLD SERVICE MEDITATION 10:30 a.m. Free. Ever'man

Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org VEGAN BRUNCH 11 a.m.-2 p.m. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. Sign up for the newsletter for menu. eotlcafe.com PENSACOLA CRAWFISH FESTIVAL 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $6 daily admission, free admission for children 12 and under. Community Maritime Park, 351 W. Cedar St. fiestapensacola.org SUNDAY BRUNCH AT H20 11 a.m. $28.95 for adults. Free valet parking and 15 percent off with local ID. H20 Hilton, 12 Via de Luna Drive. facebook.com/hiltonpensacolabeach BLUES & BAR-B-Q 1-6 p.m. Historic St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 140 W. Government St. SWING DANCE CLASSES 4-7 p.m. $10. Professional West Coast swing instruction for all levels. No partner required. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS 7 p.m. $30-$32. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com SELF LOVE SUNDAY 7-10 p.m. Part of FemFest 2019. chizuko, 506 W. Belmont St. facebook.com/femfestpcola

MONDAY 4.29

COLUMBUS SHIP REPLICAS: NINA AND PINTA 9 a.m.-6 p.m. $6.50-$8.50, free for

children 4 and under. Perdido Key Oyster Bar Restaurant & Marina, 13700 River Road. thenina.com RESUME HELP 11 a.m. Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A. mywfpl.com PILATES MAT 1:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org SEVILLE QUARTER MILERS 6 p.m. Runners meet in front of Seville Quarter for a run around downtown Pensacola. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com OPERA UNIVERSITY: MOZART'S MAGIC

6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Pensacola Opera, 75 Tarragona St. pensacolaopera.com HIP-HOP & CONTEMPORARY DANCE CLASSES 8-9 p.m. $5. Learn amazing moves from

professional instructors. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com

TUESDAY 4.30

YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Community Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org BLUE ANGELS PRACTICE 11:30 a.m. Free. National Naval Aviation Museum, 1878 S Blue Angel Parkway. navalaviationmuseum.org HOMEMADE PASTA TUESDAY Noon. $10. So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com TRYON FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT 4 p.m. Tryon Branch Library, 1200 Langley Ave. mywfpl.com COMPLIMENTARY WINE TASTING 4-6 p.m. inweekly.net

April 25, 2019

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calendar So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com WALKING CEMETERY TOURS

5:30 p.m. $12 plus tax. St. John's Historic Cemetery, 301 N. G St. goretro.us MERRY EDWARDS WINE DINNER AT POT ROAST & PINOT 6 p.m. $89

per person. Pot Roast & Pinot, 11-B S. Palafox. potroastpinot. com/winedinner FUNKY YOGA 6 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org ZUMBA WITH SHANNON AND FRIENDS 6-7 p.m. $4. Homestead

Community Center, 7830 Pine Forest Road. COUNTRY DANCE CLASSES 6:30 p.m. $10. Country two-step, East Coast swing, competition choreography and more. No partner required. World championship dance instruction for all skill levels. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com SCOTT BRADLEE'S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX 7 p.m. $35. Vinyl Music

Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com

BANDS ON THE BEACH 7-9 p.m.

Dave Matthews Band / Courtesy Photo

Free. John Hart Project. Gulfside Pavilion at Casino Beach. visitpensacolabeach.com COMEDY NIGHT 7 p.m. Swan Neck

Meadery, 2115 W. Nine Mile Road. swanneckwinery.com DAVE MATTHEWS BAND 8 p.m. $39.50-$95. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com

WEDNESDAY 5.1

BLUE ANGELS PRACTICE 11:30 a.m. Free.

National Naval Aviation Museum, 1878 S Blue Angel Parkway. navalaviationmuseum.org ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 3 p.m. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com VEGAN AND VINO SUNDAYS 4-7 p.m. Skopelos at New World, 600 S. Palafox YOGA FLOW 6-7 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org SWING DANCE CLASSES AND PARTY 6:30-10 p.m. $10 lesson, $5 party. Professional West Coast swing instruction for all levels followed by fun and friendly social dancing on the best wood dance floor in the area. No partner required. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com BLUE WAHOOS VS. BILOXI SHUCKERS 6:35 p.m. $5 and up. Blue Wahoos Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. bluewahoos.com FREE DANCE LESSONS 8-8:30 p.m. Free. Beginner West Coast swing dance lesson. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola S. Blvd. dancecraftfl.com

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DIFFERENCE MAKERS

UWF HONORS LOCAL TRAILBLAZERS The University of West Florida Office of Equity and Diversity and Epps Christian Center recently partnered to award nine community members who inspire and empower the Pensacola area. at its third annual Trailblazer Awards luncheon was hosted at the Museum of Commerce in downtown Pensacola on Feb. 20. "The whole idea of the Trailblazer Awards is recognizing those community members who have made a lasting impact on the community," said Dr. Kim LeDuff, UWF chief diversity officer and vice president for the Division of Academic Engagement. "All of the award winners have served segments of our community that often go unnoticed." After three successful years, the committee has recognized numerous members of the community and has awarded 27 recipients to date. "I appreciate the continued partnership between Epps Christian Center and the University of West Florida" said the Rev. Sylvia Tisdale, founder of the Epps Christian Center, who worked with UWF on the event. "My heart was overwhelmed with joy as I watched the honorees step from behind the scenes and have their moment in the spotlight." The following people were named recipients of the Trailblazer Awards: Paula Doty and Linda Scott, Helping Hand Award Willie Demps Sr., Faith and Service Award Priscilla Sapp, Community Service Award Dr. Angela McCorvey, Educational Leadership Award Georgia Blackmon, Servant Leader Award Rodney Jones, Community Voice Award James Edward Smith, UWF Alumni Trailblazer Award Aaron Watson, Trailblazer Award Watson, a personal injury lawyer and owner of The Watson Firm, PLLC, was honored with the signature Trailblazer Award. The award committee selected Watson for his impact on the community through his involvement with several civic and community organizations, mentoring relationships and leadership roles. "The Trailblazer Award simply confirms what I always knew—if you come back, your community will appreciate it," said Watson. "Rev. Tisdale and UWF have seen what we're doing in the community—giving back, working hard and showing our future leaders that they can do it too." For more information about UWF's Office of Equity and Diversity, visit uwf.edu/respect.

Sponsored by The Studer Family April 25, 2019

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free will astrology WEEK OF APRIL 25 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): In the U.S.,

the day after Thanksgiving typically features a spectacular shopping orgy. On Black Friday, stores sell their products at steep discounts, and consumers spend their money extravagantly. But the creators of the game Cards Against Humanity have consistently satirized the tradition. In 2013, for example, they staged a Black Friday anti-sale, for which they raised their prices. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to try something similar. Is it possible you're undercharging for your products and services and skills? If so, consider asking for more. Reassess your true worth and seek appropriate rewards.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Whether or not you believe in magic, magic believes in you right now. Will you take advantage of the fancy gifts it has to offer? I guess it's possible that you're not interested in seeing deeper into the secret hearts of those you care for. Maybe you'll go "ho-hum" when shown how to recognize a half-hidden opportunity that could bring vitalizing changes. And you may think it's not very practical to romance the fire and the water at the same time. But if you're interested, all that good stuff will be available for you. P.S. To maximize the effects of the magic, believe in it. GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): In 1815, the

most ferocious volcanic eruption in human history exploded from Mount Tambora in what's now known as Indonesia. It flung gas and ash all over the planet, causing weird weather for three years. Sunlight dimmed, temperatures plummeted, skies were tumultuous and intense storms proliferated. Yet these conditions ignited the imagination of author Mary Shelley, inspiring her to write what was to become her most notable work, "Frankenstein." I suspect that you, too, will ultimately generate at least one productive marvel in response to the unusual events of the coming weeks.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): For over 40 years, Cancerian musician Carlos Santana has made music that blends rock and roll with Latin and African rhythms. In the early

By Rob Brezsny

years, his creations sold well, but by the mid1980s his commercial success declined. For a decade, he floundered. His fortunes began to improve after a spectacular meditation session. Santana says he was contacted by the archangel Metatron, who told him how to generate material for a new album. The result was "Supernatural," which sold 30 million copies and won nine Grammy Awards. I mention this, Cancerian, because I suspect that you could soon experience a more modest but still rousing variation of Santana's visitation. Are you interested? If so, the next seven weeks will be a good time to seek it out—and be very receptive to its possibility.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): "Expergefactor"

is an old English word that has fallen out of use. In its original sense, it meant something that wakes you up, like an alarm clock or thunderstorm or your partner's snoring. But I want to revive "expergefactor" and expand its meaning. In its new version, it will refer to an exciting possibility or beloved goal that consistently motivates you to spring out of bed in the morning and get your day started. Your expergefactor could be an adventure you're planning or a masterpiece you're working on or a relationship that fills you with curiosity and enchantment. In my astrological opinion, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to identify and fine-tune an expergefactor that will serve you well for a long time.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): We live in a

cultural moment when satire, sarcasm, cynicism and irony are prized as supreme emblems of intelligence. If you say that you value sincerity and earnestness, you risk being considered naive and unsophisticated. Nevertheless, the current astrological omens suggest that you will generate good fortune for yourself in the coming weeks by making liberal use of sincerity and earnestness. So please try not to fall into the easy trap of relying on satire, sarcasm, cynicism and irony to express yourself. As much as is practical, be kindly frank and compassionately truthful and empathetically genuine. (P.S. It's a strategy that will serve your selfish aims quite well.)

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): "Most people don't find their creativity," mourned Libran

author Truman Capote. "There are more unsung geniuses that don't even know they have great talent." If that describes you even a little bit, I'm happy to let you know that you're close to stumbling upon events and insights that could change that. If you respond to the prompts of these unexpected openings, you will rouse a partially dormant aspect of your genius, as well as a half-inert stash of creativity and a semilatent cache of imagination.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Do you

know the word "sfumato?" Its literal meaning in Italian is "smoked." When used to describe a painting, it refers to blurred borders between objects or fuzzy transitions between areas of different colors. All the forms are soft and hazy. I bring this to your attention because I suspect the coming weeks will be a sfumato-like time for you. You may find it a challenge to make precise distinctions. Future and past may overlap, as well as beginnings and endings. That doesn't have to be a problem as long as you're willing to go with the amorphous flow. In fact, it could even be pleasurable and useful. You might be able to connect with influences from which you've previously been shut off. You could blend your energies together better with people who've been unavailable.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): "You

have a right to experiment with your life," declared author Anaïs Nin. I agree. You don't necessarily have to be what you started out to be. You can change your mind about goals that you may at one time have thought were permanent. I suspect you could be at one of these pivot points right now, Sagittarius. Are there any experiments you'd like to try? If so, keep in mind this further counsel from Nin. It's possible "you will make mistakes. And they are right, too."

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): You

have one main task to accomplish in the coming weeks, Capricorn. It'll be simple and natural if you devote yourself to it wholeheartedly. The only way it could possibly become complicated and challenging is if you allow your focus to be diffused

by less important matters. Ready for your assignment? It's articulated in this poem by Rupi Kaur—"bloom beautifully / dangerously / loudly / bloom softly / however you need / just bloom."

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): When the forces of the Roman Empire occupied the British Isles from the years 43 to 410, they built 2,000 miles of roads. Their methods were sophisticated. That's why few new roads were built in England until the 18th century, and many of the same paths are still visible and available today. In this spirit, and in accordance with astrological omens, I recommend that you make good use of an old system or network in the coming weeks. This is one time when the past has blessings to offer the future. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): "I'm not enigmatic and intriguing enough," writes a Piscean blogger named RiddleMaster. "I really must work harder. Maybe I'll start wearing ankle-length black leather coats, billowing silk scarves imprinted with alchemical symbols and wide-brimmed hats. I'll listen to Cambodian folk songs and read rare books in ancient Sanskrit. When someone dares to speak to me, I'll utter cryptic declarations like, 'The prophecies will be fulfilled soon enough.'" I understand RiddleMaster's feelings. You Pisceans need mystery almost as much as you need food. But I believe you should set aside that drive for a few weeks. The time has come for you to show the world who you are with crisp candor. THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Compose an exciting prayer in which you ask for something you're not "supposed" to.

freewillastrology.com

freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2019

Adoption • Paternity • Dependency/DCF Hearings Prenuptial Agreements • Postnuptial Agreements Divorce • Child Custody and Timesharing Child Support • Child Support Modifications Alimony • Collaborative Divorce • Divorce Mediation • Pre-Suit Family Law Mediation

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news of the weird ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT Scientists are aghast at an eBay listing offering a rare baby T-rex fossil for a $2.95 million buy-itnow price. Fossil hunter Alan Detrich, who discovered the fossil in 2013, is believed to have created the listing in February for the 68 million-year-old artifact, which until recently had been on loan to the Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas. CNBC reported the specimen has a 15-footlong body, 21-inch skull and serrated teeth, and Detrich estimates its age at death to be about 4 years. The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology issued a statement expressing concerns that "the fossil, which represents a unique part of life's past, may be lost from the public trust. ... Only casts and other replicas of vertebrate fossils should be traded, not the fossils themselves." ANOTHER DAY AT WALMART At around 8:30 p.m. on April 10, things got interesting at an Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Walmart store. Lisa Smith, 46, entered the store with her unleashed dog, Bo, according to police, and as Bo distracted shoppers and store staff, Smith pulled apart store displays, putting them in her cart. After being asked by workers to leave the store, Smith went out to the parking lot and started practicing karate moves. Bo grabbed a box of Jiffy Cornbread Muffin Mix and also attempted to leave the store. Meanwhile, Smith's son, Benny Vann, 25, had made his way to the back of the store, where he completely undressed, exposing himself to other shoppers, and grabbed new clothes from store racks before attempting to run over police officers with his scooter. WHO TV reported Smith was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and misdemeanor bail jumping. Vann racked up charges of lewd and lascivious behavior, disorderly conduct and retail theft. Bo, police said, received only a warning for his theft of the muffin mix. •Crossville, Tennessee, police officers pulled over Sally Selby, 45, at 5 a.m. on April 5 as she motored down Highway 127—in the slow lane—driving a Walmart mobility scooter. She was on her way to the Waffle House, she said, to buy a cup of coffee. WTVF reported that Selby initially told officers she had built the scooter, but Walmart confirmed it was one of theirs and had surveillance video of Selby driving the scooter out of the store to back up their story. She was arrested for theft. THE CONTINUING CRISIS In Cary, North Carolina, Wake County Deputy J. Rattelade, responding to a report of a car crash on the evening of April 5, found one of the drivers, Derwood Johnson, 36, of Fort Worth, Texas, had gotten out of his car and removed all his clothes before starting to walk across the street. As Deputy Rattel-

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

ade tried to arrest him, Johnson hit her on the head, reported WTVD. With the help of other first responders and some pepper spray, Rattelade was able to subdue Johnson, who was charged with assault on a government official. Rattelade was unhurt; Johnson was taken to an area hospital for further evaluation. •On April 13, a family in Newtown, Connecticut, returned home from a morning shopping trip to find Joseph Achenbach, 35, wandering around inside their home naked. The Watertown man had crashed his SUV in the homeowners' backyard and moseyed inside through an unlocked glass door. Achenbach's clothes could not be found at the scene, leading police to believe he had been naked when he crashed. FOX61 reported that he was charged with second-degree criminal trespassing and driving while intoxicated. CAUTIONARY TALE Paramedic Natalie Kuniciki, 23, was lying in bed watching a movie in her London flat when she stretched her neck and heard a loud crack. Thinking nothing of it, she went to sleep, but soon reawakened to realize she couldn't move her left leg. "I got up and tried to walk to the bathroom and I was swaying everywhere. I looked down and realized I wasn't moving my left leg at all, then I fell to the floor," Kuniciki told The Sun. She called an ambulance, and a CT scan confirmed that she'd had a stroke. When her neck cracked, it had caused her vertebral artery to burst, sending a clot to her brain and triggering the stroke. Kuniciki spent a month in the hospital while she regained mobility on her left side. Doctors hope she can return to work in six to 12 months. EWWWWW! We've all swatted at pesky sweat bees buzzing around our heads, but a Taiwanese woman suffered a more invasive form of irritation after participating in the Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, when Taiwanese people visit their families' graves to spruce them up. The 29-year-old woman, identified by her surname, He, thought she had gotten dirt in her eye, but when the eye later swelled shut, she went to Fooyin University Hospital for help, The Washington Post reported. Hung Chi-ting, the hospital's head of ophthalmology, looked in her eye through a microscope and was startled to see insect legs wiggling in her eye socket. The doctor eventually extracted four sweat bees from her eyelid. The bees, which crave salt, were feeding off of He's tears, he explained. He is expected to fully recover, and the bees, still alive, were kept for further study. {in}

From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2019 Andrews McMeel

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