Inweekly Aug. 19 2021 Issue

Independent News | August 19, 2021 | Volume 22 | Number 33

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winners & losers

outtakes

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August 19, 2021

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winners & losers

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winners GALLERY NIGHT PENSACOLA Due to

the recent spike of COVID-19 and Delta Variant cases in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, Gallery Night Pensacola decided to hold its Aug. 20 event virtually with Pensacola Artists Live, presented by Publix. "Unfortunately, Escambia County's vaccination rate is well under the national average and even the state average," explained Gallery Night Pensacola Board President Bobby Switzer. "Our number one priority is public health, which means doing whatever is necessary to drive access to vaccines. A higher vaccination rate leads to lower case numbers, fewer people in the hospital and fewer deaths."

DAVID BEAR On Friday, Aug. 13, Gov. Ron

DeSantis appointed David Bear to the Triumph Gulf Coast Board of Directors. The Pensacola resident is the vice president of the Lewis Bear Company. He is the current chairman of the Escambia County Tourist Development Council and vice-chair of the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance. Bear is also vice-chair of the Florida Beer Wholesaler Association, founder and trustee emeritus of Art, Culture and Entertainment, Inc. and a past president of the Creative Learning Academy.

ALLSTATE FOUNDATION The Allstate

Foundation presented a $10,000 gift to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida. For the past two years, the Allstate Foundation has presented the nonprofit with a grant through their Helping Hands initiative, which supported a school supply and backpack drive that benefited children from Pensacola to Panama City. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, group projects were postponed, but the Allstate Foundation wanted to continue supporting the local charities.

HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF WEST FLORIDA The HBA provided a bar-

beque dinner for the faculty, students and parents of Warrington Middle in late July to build community spirit. Principal Denny Wilson said, "I believe it's vital for our students and their families to connect with our team at Warrington Middle School. I am thankful to the Home Builders Association for their generosity for providing this opportunity for our school community." 44

losers MIKE LINDELL The MyPillow CEO proclaimed that former President Donald Trump would be reinstated as president on Friday, Aug. 13. He held an election fraud symposium in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he would provide evidence so compelling that China hacked the 2020 presidential election that Trump would be returned to the White House. Lindell even offered $5 million to any in-person attendee who can disprove his claims. The offer was taken off the table before the symposium ended. Biden is still the president. TIM SMITH The Escambia school super-

intendent apologized for a diversity training video that all district employees were required to watch. The video intended to train teachers and staff on educating and interacting with students of a different race. The well-intended effort backfired. The depiction of white teachers' perceived racial bias against African Americans upset teachers, staff, parents and school board members.

SCOTT RIVKEES The Florida Surgeon General has been suspiciously absent from Gov. DeSantis' press conferences regarding the alarming increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations and face masks in public schools. Rivkees is a former professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine and physician-in-chief of UF Health Shand's Children's Hospital, part of UF Health. He also serves as academic chair of pediatrics at Orlando Health and pediatric chair at Studer Family Children's Hospital at Sacred Heart in Pensacola. It seems Dr. Rivkees might have some expertise to offer. CRABZILLA We know MLB minor league affiliates have to have promotions to attract fans, but the Crabzilla uniforms were the most hideous outfits ever worn by a sports team. The uniforms, which were auctioned at the game with proceeds going to charity, featured violently orange tops and equally offensive orange pants. A cartoon crab made unflinching eye contact from the rear of the pants. Crab claws crawled down the legs of the pants. Please, never again. The nightmares won't stop. inweekly.net

outtakes By Rick Outzen

CHARTER CHANGES Pensacola's city charter mandates a commission to review the charter every 10 years. The group has begun meeting and will make recommendations for next year's ballot. Mayor Grover Robinson has told the media that he would have the mayor's tenure reduced from a maximum of three four-year terms to only two. Former Council President Jewel Cannada-Wynn, who is running for mayor, said on Newstalk 1370 WCOA's morning show that she doesn't want to see any changes made. "I would wait to change the charter," said Cannada-Wynn. "I don't think that you can make major changes based on just two leaders being in there. There may be some minor, minor tweaking, but major changes, no." I respect both leaders' opinions, but I have a few recommendations that I would like the Charter Review Commission to consider based on what I observed over the past 12 years since Pensacola voters approved the strong-mayor form of government. City council members should run every two years and be limited to three terms, or six years. Congressional and Florida state representatives have to run every two years. Yes, they constantly have to think about the next election, but they also have to pay attention to what is bothering the voters. We have seen past city council members who have forgotten who elected them, got bored attending meetings and rubber-stamped whatever was put in front of them. A four-year term makes them only think about their neighbors when their term is nearly up. Any restructuring of city government should require a council vote. The charter states the mayor is "to appoint the head of each department, with the consent of the City Council by an affirmative vote of a majority of City Council members." Mayor Ashton Hayward got around the requirement by giving his department heads different titles and claiming they didn't actually run a department. We saw several people hired and paid huge salaries without any council review of their qualifications. The charter needs to require that each

appointee appear before the city council and answer questions from the board. Former Fire Chief David Allen was appointed in June 2016. City Administrator Eric Olson blocked the council members asking him any questions before the vote approving him. Olson did away with an independent review process for employees to appeal disciplinary actions and terminations. When Interim Fire Chief Matt Schmitt and Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Glover were railroaded out of their jobs, they had to appeal the decision to those set on getting rid of them. The city later had to pay the fire chiefs $575,000 to settle a lawsuit. In 2018, Olson abolished the employee manual after being accused of harassment and creating a hostile work environment. Fortunately, Mayor Robinson has reinstituted an appeal process for employees and an HR manual, but nothing prevents future mayors from abolishing them again. The charter needs to have an employee rights section. Employees need an independent, non-political appeal process. An HR manual must be approved by the city council, as well as any changes to it. The City of Pensacola's annual budget is nearly meaningless because the mayor can move money around departments without council approval. The council may want the city to increase funds for job training or more sidewalks, but the mayor doesn't have to do it. He can move the money to his pet projects and then ask the council to approve budget amendments after spending the dollars. Former Finance Director Dick Barker constantly moved money around to make it appear that departments were operating within their budgets. The city council lost control of finances once the budget was approved. The charter review commission needs to limit the ability to do that without council approval. Lastly, the council must approve all lawsuit settlements, even those involving employees, over $50,000. Too much was being paid out without the public's knowledge. {in} rick@inweekly.net

We have seen past city council members who have forgotten who elected them, got bored attending meetings and rubber-stamped whatever was put in front of them.

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GET VACCINATED She added, "There's another component here that we're monitoring, which we did not have a year ago. We did not have the vaccination. And so we are monitoring those hospitalized that have been vaccinated. A high, high percentage of our hospitalizations are unvaccinated persons." The facts support her statement. "In our hospitals, since July 14, 100% of our patients that are COVID positive on a ventilator are unvaccinated, and 100% of our current COVID-positive patients in ICU are unvaccinated." Ascension Sacred Heart was the first area hospital to require all of its employees to be vaccinated. Baptist Hospital recently did the same. Why was it important for Ascension Sacred Heart to lead in the vaccination requirement? "We are health care providers," answered Rudolph. "We have to ensure that we have a culture of safety for our associates and our patients and for the families that come visit. We felt it was very important to join the hundred other hospitals and health care associations across the country that are mandating this policy. We want to make sure that everyone is cared for in the safest possible environment." Last year, the Florida Department of Health issued daily reports by county that tracked COVID cases and deaths by age and other demographics. The city- and countymaintained dashboards were also updated every afternoon. Escambia County issued press releases twice each day. The daily reporting stopped in early June. Gov. Ron DeSantis has ordered FDOH to release information weekly with very little county data. Deaths are no longer reported. Recently local hospitals have begun to give the county and city their hospitalization numbers but nothing else, which has been frustrating for the media and public. "The state has made some decisions about how they publish that data," said Rudolph. "From a vaccination view for Escambia County, you can go to the CDC tracker by county. We have to track all the vaccinations they go up through for the shots, so we have validated information for that. That's real-time." She said tracking death isn't beneficial. "I think having a marker of death isn't a terribly useful way we want to look at this disease. There are long-term effects that we still don't know about COVID-19."

At his presser on Monday, Aug. 9, Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson said we should focus on reducing hospitalizations by getting more people vaccinated and not on deaths. Standing with Rudolph, Smiley and the leaders of Baptist Hospital and West Florida Hospital, Robinson said, "Every speaker here has said, 'Get the vaccine.' That's what we've got to do." Rudolph agrees. "We do know the efficacy, and we do know how vaccines are made. And so that's my push for today— relying on modern science, the vaccine is overwhelmingly showing that it's keeping people out of being hospitalized. And that's the important piece that I think we need to focus on." She believes that once people have good information about the virus and the vaccine, they see the risk-to-benefit ratio and get vaccinated. "What I can tell you, from Aug. 3 until Aug. 11, according to the CDC tracker for people over the age of 18 years, we had 5,000 people become vaccinated with their first shot," she said. "That moves the needle from 55.3% of our population vaccinated to 57.2%. So just in that short period of time, we moved two percentage points. And so we want to keep that momentum going." Rudolph continued, "And I'll keep going here, if you don't mind. I'm really, really proud of the population over 65. There has been a huge effort across the state, across the country to protect our seniors. There was such a demand when the vaccine was made available, people were waiting in line to get it." According to Rudolph, for persons over the age of 65, 78% have been fully vaccinated as of Aug. 11. She added, "But what really impressed me was that with at least one dose is now 90.3% of our seniors. So I think that ties to why we're seeing a younger population being hospitalized with COVID. Our seniors over the age of 65 have gotten their vaccinations." Community Health CEO Chandra Smiley hopes younger people will get vaccinated. At the mayor's press conference, she shared what Jonathan Douglas, age 15, had told her at a recent vaccination event at the Brownsville Community Center. The teen said about the COVID shot, "Get it so we can get over it already." Expect to see those words on a T-shirt soon. {in}

"In our hospitals, since July 14, 100% of our patients that are COVID positive on a ventilator are unvaccinated, and 100% of our current COVIDpositive patients in ICU are unvaccinated." Dawn Rudolph

By Rick Outzen Community Health Northwest CEO Chandra Smiley and Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital President Dawn Rudolph urge people to get the COVID-19 vaccine to help curb its spread, especially since the Delta variant has hit our area. "This particular variant is highly contagious; it's spread so quickly," said Smiley. "That's why we're seeing the numbers jump like they are. And what's different this year than last year, we have another weapon in our arsenal to fight this, and that's the vaccine." Escambia County is experiencing COVID hospitalizations at record-breaking levels. All COVID patients on ventilators and in the ICUs at Ascension Sacred Heart and Baptist Hospital are non-vaccinated patients. She added, "The message from the hospital CEOs, health department and myself is for those who have not received the vaccine to step forward and get it because, clearly, it's helping to keep people out of the hospitals." Last year, hospitals were most concerned about the elderly. Smiley said, "This year, it's our 12 and under. There was no vaccine available for our children at this point, so they're the ones that are exposed and most vulnerable this year." On Thursday, Aug. 12, Escambia County enhanced the COVID-19 dashboard at myescambia.com/covid19dashboard to include a breakdown of local hospitals' 66

adult and pediatric hospitalizations data. It also displays the percentage of partially and fully vaccinated Escambia County residents with data sourced from the CDC. The dashboard is updated Monday-Friday. Community Health and Ascension Sacred Heart have done the majority of Escambia County's COVID testing and made the vaccine available to the public as soon as possible. Smiley explained the Community Health is a federally qualified health care center. "Our mission and purpose are we believe every human being has the basic right to quality health care services," Smiley stated. "And so we take care of people regardless of ability or pay or insurance status." She added, "We are a primary medical home for over 55,000 Escambia and Santa Rosa residents. We provide not only primary care services, but we have pediatric services, dental services, optometry, behavioral health and wellness, pharmacy services and some specialty services at 17 locations throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties." Ascension Sacred Heart President Rudolph pointed out that the hospitalizations since July 1 have been younger and sicker than those last year. "The first thing we noticed was this is a younger population that's being hospitalized," Rudolph told Inweekly. "The second thing we noticed was the rapid increase of the hospitalizations and what we call the acuity or how sick our hospitalizations are."

"Relying on modern science, the vaccine is overwhelmingly showing that it's keeping people out of being hospitalized." Rudolph

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WHY NOT AUDIT?

By Rick Outzen Escambia County's Tourist Development Council has tried to get an independent audit of bed tax expenditures for nearly a year. County Clerk and Comptroller Pam Childers has blocked the effort, telling the Board of County Commissioners in December the audit wasn't necessary because she didn't see the expenditure as "a high-risk area." The bed taxes are the Tourist Development Taxed (TDT) collected and remitted to Childers' office monthly on the total payment received for the rental or lease of living quarters and accommodations in a hotel, condominium, Airbnb or other short-term rentals for a period of six months or less. Childers has deducted 3% from the collections, which is set by Florida law. With the 2021 bed taxes expected to reach $17 million, her haul will be $510,000 this year. Not chump change. TDC chair David Bear wants to see what it costs her office to handle the bed taxes and whether the expenses former County Administrator Janice Gilley charged to bed taxes were legal. In April, he asked the State Auditor General to investigate. "The Tourist Development Council is an appointed board of people who are interested in tourism, folks that are members of the industry, tourism industry, and a couple of elected officials from the city of Pensacola and Escambia County," Bear shared on NewsTalk 1370 WCOA's morning show. "We really have three things that we're supposed to do. One is to review all the expenditures of the tourist development tax, two is to make recommendations for the development of tourism and three is to report any unauthorized expenditures of the tax. That's really our only authority and obligation. That's what we do." According to Bear, Childers prompted August 19, 2021

his board to ask for an independent audit when she sent a request to Visit Pensacola for a sworn affidavit as part of its appropriation agreement, requiring two TDC members to certify Visit Pensacola's bed tax expenditure as authorized under the statute and the county ordinance. "We're not on the Visit Pensacola board," said Bear. "That's exactly why the clerk retains a portion of the tax for administration of the program. They actually retain 3% of the entire collected tax." The TDC chair believes Childers was insinuating that his board didn't review bed tax expenditures. He said, "That's just not true. I think she was trying to imply that we don't review Visit Pensacola, Pensacola Sports, ACE (Arts Culture & Entertainment) or any of the other outside agency expenditures. We get those presented to us at every single meeting." Bear continued, "What we don't get is how the county is spending it or how the clerk has been spending that administrative fee, and we don't really think it's appropriate." According to Bear, the State Auditor General says the clerk's office must provide a cost analysis on what it's spending the TDC money on and what it costs to administer this program. He said, "It has to be based on the real actual labor or the people who are doing the job—what you're paying them. I asked for that, and we didn't get it. The clerk said it didn't exist." The TDC board requested an audit because it believes the county was spending bed taxes on items not deemed appropriate under Florida law. "The statute is pretty detailed, and it's specific on what is and what is not authorized. It says if it's not listed here, then it's unauthorized expenditure." He continued, "And the clerk just didn't have this cost analysis done, so we asked them for it, and they wouldn't give it to us. So that's when the TDC called for an audit." Instead of an independent auditor reviewing the expenditure, Childers provided the TDC board with what she called a "desk audit." "There was nothing specific about the clerk's 3% that they retained," said Bear. "It was just showed that they retained what they call 'indirect costs.' We got all of the details that they called an 'expenditure audit trail.' It was the journal showing the expenditures, and it breaks it down." On Friday, April 9, the TDC chair sent a letter to the Florida Department of Revenue and then-County Administrator Janice Gilley revealing its findings of

alleged irregularities in how the county has handled its administration fee and other expenditures using the bed tax funds. In his letter, Bear also pointed out the lack of cost analysis from Childers. He also cited how the county has also allocated a flat fee of 5% of the TDC's total budget to indirect costs purportedly performed by the Board on behalf of the TDC. Florida allows TDC funds to be used to "acquire, construct, extend, enlarge, remodel, repair, improve, maintain, operate or promote one or more zoological parks, fishing piers or nature centers which are publicly owned and operated or owned and operated by not-forprofit organizations and open to the public." However, the county has used the funds for landscape maintenance at Pensacola Beach ($125,000 annually), the salary of the Marine Resources Department director ($185,000 annually) and other expenses that TDC believes are unauthorized under Florida law. On April 26, Childers provided the TDC board unaudited financial reports that she said documented both direct and indirect amounts collected and costs incurred from the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) for fiscal years 2018, 2019, and 2020. In her email, she wrote, "This documentation is the same documentation we would provide in an audit environment." In June, the clerk tried to stir up trouble for the TDC and Visit Pensacola, warning them that an independent audit might hurt them. At a budget workshop on Wednesday, Childers told Visit Pensacola CEO Darien Schaefer that he should be worried about Visit Pensacola's procurement process. "I'd like to bring something to your attention, Darien, and this has to do with something the commission has requested," said Childers to Schaefer after his presentation. "And I want to make sure that it's communicated because Darien is new, and that is your solicited bid for your marketing, in this case, would be Showcase. I just want to remind you that your chair (Bear) has asked for an Auditor General audit that may or may not come." She continued, "But one of the things they look at is your procurement process. You may not know this, but this board has requested a demand that you follow their procurement process. I'm not sure that that has happened yet. I wanted to bring it to your attention because this has been a conversation from the board." Commission Chair Robert Bender made it clear that Childers wasn't voicing any concerns the board had with Visit Pensacola. He pointed out that its accounting and procurement procedures were changed over a year ago when former County Administrator Jack Brown filled in as the tourism organization's interim executive director. As of Tuesday, Aug. 17, no independent audit has been conducted of the county's and clerk's bed tax expenditures. {in}

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talking deep into the X's and O's, he talked more about eternal life and wanting to care about us as people versus football players." Ingram said Coach Bowden took pressure off his players, especially the quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs. "Coach Bowden asked all of us just to do our best, not to be a star and not to try to go above and beyond," he shared. "Just do your very best, and then everything will take care of itself." Ingram added, "And I always thought that was a great way to lift the pressure off of young men who were feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders during a football game that's going to be on TV and in front of everybody."

BROADBAND ACCESS Steven Barry has

Bobby Bowden / Photo Courtesy of Florida State University

THE BOWDEN HOUSEHOLD Legend-

ary Florida State University football coach Bobby Bowden died Sunday, Aug. 8, at age 91, about two weeks after announcing he had a terminal illness. "Coach Bowden impacted the college football scene tremendously, but he also impacted lives," FSU President John Thrasher told The News Service of Florida. "And not just football players, he impacted lives all over this country. Anybody who met Bobby Bowden understood what a genuine, honest, sincere person he was—A person of faith and a person of great leadership." Inweekly publisher Rick Outzen interviewed on NewsTalk 1370 WCOA State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden, the youngest of Bobby and Ann Bowden's six children. She shared some of the challenges growing up in the Bowden household. "I think one of the most challenging aspects was for my mother," said Madden. "Anyone who's been around coaching knows that coaches are on the go 24/7. You go from football season to recruiting season to booster tours to spring ball to summer conditioning to back to August again. So dad was gone a lot; it was very challenging for mother." She continued, "When we were young, daddy wasn't Bobby Bowden. Daddy was head football coach for the Mountaineers. We didn't have a lot of money. Mom was raising the six of us. We divided up the chores, and it was a very busy household but very loving household. We were all involved in a lot of activities. We were allowed to have fun. And yet, we were taught how to work hard too. So it was great. It was a good life." Mealtimes for the Bowden kids were special. She said, "Our mother always made 88

sure that we sat down to the dinner table together. And so those were really special times because with a family as large as ours, those were some of the few times, especially Sunday after church, that we all sat down and enjoyed each other's company. And before you stood up from the table, you thanked your mother and told her how good the meal was."

"JUST DO YOUR BEST" Pensacola native Clay Ingram played as the long snapper for Florida State University's 1999 championship team. What was his fondest memory of Coach Bobby Bowden? "It was the day before we were going to play Duke, my first college football game," said Ingram on WCOA's "Real News with Rick Outzen" the day after Coach Bowden passed away. "I wasn't a star prospect or anything; I was lucky to be there. And Jeff Bowden found me and said, 'Clay, dad wants you to start tomorrow.' And it took me a minute to process who dad was, but that was Bobby Bowden. It took me a while for that to sink in, and then I got to meet with him as we were going through game plan. That was pretty special." What was it like at halftime with Coach Bowden? "The speeches were very similar," said Ingram, who is the chief legislative affairs officer for FSU. "I think if you asked any of the guys in any era that played for Coach, they'd tell you the same thing—That most of the time, we were ahead. And when we were ahead, the one thing that sticks in your memory from that time is … he was speaking to the defense, he said, 'If the other team doesn't score, we win the game.'" He added, "Friday nights were more of a devotion. When he could have been

represented Escambia County's District 5 since November 2012. The district is the county's most rural and stretches from Nine Mile Road to the town of Century. He has tried for years to improve internet access for his constituents. Thanks to the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act, the county has the funds to expand high-speed internet to every home. "The CARES money last year really gave us the opportunity to dive deep into a Broadband Feasibility Study," Barry told Inweekly. "Before I could really ask my colleagues and advocate for this big improvement in broadband access, we needed to certify that it was a real issue." Magellan Advisors conducted an assessment and found almost no resident in the more northern parts of Escambia County had any access to the internet at speeds defined as broadband by the Federal Communications Commission. According to Magellan, broadband access directly impacts its citizens' and businesses' abilities to compete for economic development opportunities, gain access to online education and health care and participate in the same quality of life as other parts of the county. "The study identified more than half of the geographical square miles of Escambia County lacked access to any type of high-speed internet," said Commissioner Barry. "Even if a homeowner has unlimited resources, the family just don't have access to it. It was eye-opening, I think for a lot of my colleagues, but it wasn't necessarily surprising to me." After listening to Magellan's presentation in January, the Board of County Commissioners voted to reserve $650,000 in CARES Act funding for design engineering, detailed business and financial planning, and grant services and applications toward a county broadband network. It essentially will create a plan for moving forward if commissioners determine the network is fi-

nancially feasible. The plan would examine developing a fiber-based wireless network in north Escambia in areas starting in Molino to the north Florida-Alabama border. The estimated cost for a speed of 150/50 Mbps would be $79 per month. Last month, the board approved a contract with Magellan to begin the work. At the meeting, Barry told his colleagues, "Even though the franchising and licensing of cable and internet companies is not an Escambia County government right or responsibility, I have thousands of constituents whose quality of life, work and education is negatively impacted by the quality of their internet connection, so it is a huge priority of mine."

"I have thousands of constituents whose quality of life, work and education is negatively impacted by the quality of their internet connection, so it is a huge priority of mine." Steven Barry Commissioner Barry told Inweekly what's the next phase. "It's beginning to design and look at what the build-out for this highspeed fiber backbone would be in Escambia County. We're going to have an internal daylong workshop with Escambia County staff, Magellan Advisors, as well as some of our agency partners, which is going to include, at a minimum, Florida Department of Transportation, City of Pensacola, Escambia County Sheriff's Office, FloridaWest and some of our other internal partners that are on the public side of the equation." He explained the successful rollout of the county-wide broadband program will take multiple partnerships for Escambia County to make it work. Barry said, "We'll need partnerships on the private and public sides, and the workshop will bring them into the equation to see where each of them may fit into the solution." The District 5 commissioner is committed to building the broadband network so that high-speed internet will be available in "every household from Escambia River to Perdido River, all the way to the state line north."

COVID SAFETY AT UWF University of West Florida President Martha Saunders shared her school's plans for curbing COVID cases on campus this fall. "I'm trying to keep it very, very simple," said Dr. Saunders. "We think everybody should be vaccinated, and we're making it as easy as we can for our students and our employees to get vaccinated. We have had vaccination days; we're having some more scheduled—prizes, fun, carnival and trying to make that an appealing thing to do." inweekly.net

Face masks will be required indoors. She explained, "We have taken our advice from the Florida Department of Health throughout the pandemic. It's paid off for us. And they're telling us whether you're vaccinated or not, at least for a while, everybody needs to wear a mask indoors, and that's what we're asking people as well." Despite the pandemic, UWF had a record enrollment and led the state in students who were employed after college. Saunders said, "We still move forward. And I think that's why I'm encouraged about this year. If we could do that last year, we can do anything."

CITY EVENT PERMITS In response to

a rising number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the Pensacola area, the City of Pensacola is implementing new restrictions and guidelines for city-permitted events, along with reinstating certain protocols at city facilities. Effective immediately, the City of Pensacola will not issue new event permits for indoor events at city venues. This will remain in effect through Sept. 15 and will be re-evaluated at that time based on current COVID-19 conditions. Events that have already been issued a permit or events currently in the permitting process between now and Sept. 15, located at outdoor city venues, will be allowed. Indoor events that were already permitted at City of Pensacola venues between now and Sept. 15 will be allowed to continue at 50% capacity or less. These restrictions only apply to City of Pensacola-permitted events at city venues and do not apply to private events. The city will work with event organizers to reschedule events as needed.

SLOWER THAN THOUGHT Inweekly

asked Escambia County Commissioner Robert Bender what has surprised him about county government during his first term.

August 19, 2021

"I would say things move a lot slower than I thought," said Bender, who was elected in 2018. "I had a little bit of trouble with that when I first came in. I was talking with someone who used to work at the Pentagon. They have the same thing in the military. They say it's to prevent bad things from happening quickly, but it also prevents good things from happening quickly." He continued, "We talk about issues and give direction to staff. Then you may not hear about it for a while. When I was working for the county as their insurance agent, you were involved in that. You were involved in the day-to-day. You were in the meetings with the staff and working through the issue. Now, you just hear about it when they need a decision or money."

GALLERY NIGHT GOES VIRTUAL Due

to the recent spike of COVID-19 and Delta Variant cases in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, Gallery Night Pensacola decided to not hold its Aug. 20 event in person in Downtown Pensacola. Gallery Night Pensacola is planning a virtual event with Pensacola Artists Live, presented by Publix. "We do not make this decision lightly," said Gallery Night Pensacola Executive Director Sydney Robinson. "But during conversations with the board and local leadership, we ultimately decided that hosting an event of our size is just not possible in August based on the volume of COVID cases in our community. Our thoughts are with the health care industry as they struggle to find placement for the sick." Publix Presents Virtual Gallery Night on Aug. 20. The event will feature live musical performances and a live art auction highlighting local artists and performers. The event will be produced by Pensacola Artists Live and will be streamed live on Facebook with the opportunity for viewers to bid live on local art as well as enjoy music from local talent. More details to come. Check Gallery Night Pensacola's social media pages for updates.

While the event will be fully virtual, Gallery Night plans to host a vaccination drive on the day of the event with participating Gallery Night downtown businesses Casks and Flights, The 5 Barrel, Tin Cow and others offering discounts and coupons to incentivize vaccinations. Gallery Night Pensacola is also closely monitoring updates provided by trusted resources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Escambia County Department of Health.

SNAPPER SUCCESS On Tuesday, Aug.

3, the Blue Wahoos' sister team, the Beloit Snappers, played their first game in their new ballpark, ABC Supply Stadium, in Beloit, Wis. On NewsTalk 1370 WCOA, owner Quint Studer said the new stadium, which seats 3,850 fans, is very similar to Pensacola's Blue Wahoos Stadium, but there are some differences.

"In Pensacola, the stadium was sort of the beginning of a downtown revitalization. (In Beloit), the stadium is probably the final piece of the downtown transformation." Quint Studer "In Pensacola, the stadium was sort of the beginning of a downtown revitalization," said Studer. "(In Beloit), the stadium is probably the final piece of the downtown transformation." The ABC Supply Stadium has a deck that allows fans to walk around the entire park. Instead of one clubhouse for fans to enjoy the game, the Beloit ballpark has one on the first base side, sponsored by Lake Health System, and another by third base, sponsored by Bank of Beloit. "Because the stadiums built in Wiscon-

sin, they're air-conditioned and heated with garage doors that can open, so they're all year-round banquet and meeting facilities," said Studer. He added, "We own the third smallest AA affiliation for a population, and now we own the smallest High A, which means you've got to work real hard. You've got to do a whole bunch of other things besides baseball." According to Studer, downtown Beloit has seen an impact since the new stadium opened. "Beloit's always had a rough road of it," said Studer. "They need to get people from Rockford and Janesville to come to their downtown to really make it work. We're seeing people from other communities come to it. This week alone, we had six games and probably drew about 12,000 to 15,000 people."

PENSACAN 2021 Build team registrations are being accepted now for PensaCan 2021, an event led by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Florida Northwest to fight hunger in our community. This year's event will take place Sept. 30-Oct. 8. Teams are strongly encouraged to register in August, though teams will be accepted through Sept. 10. PensaCan is a competition where architectural firms create impressive structures made entirely out of full cans of food. However, this year, teams from businesses, organizations, civic clubs, schools or any other group are welcome to register and participate. Digital designs are welcome, too. Following a week-long display of the structures and posters with images of digital designs at Cordova Mall, all food is then donated to Manna for distribution in need in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. A panel of judges will vote on the structures on Friday, Oct. 1, in categories such as Best Meal Award, Best Use of Labels Award, Structural Ingenuity Award and more. People's Choice Award votes will be accepted online at mannahelps.org from Oct. 1-8. For more information, visit mannahelps.org/events/pensacan. {in}

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The race to be Pensacola's next mayor is wide open. Mayor Grover Robinson announced in late March that he would not seek a second term. At his March 29 presser, Mayor Robinson told reporters that he had been considering whether to run again since December when he discussed the issue with his family. He noted how his father and grandfather had passed away in their 60s and said he had decided to turn his focus beyond political service. "No Grover Robinson has lived past the age of 66," Mayor Robinson said, reflecting on his mortality. "My father served 14 years, and he always said the first 12 were great, and the last two, he wasn't having fun anymore." Then, earlier this month, former Sheriff David Morgan withdrew from the race. In a letter to the Supervisor of Elections, Morgan wrote, "It is with regret that I must inform you, friends and political supporters, of my decision to withdraw from the 2022 Mayoral Race. Family medical issues which I had prayed would resolve by year's end will not." He continued, "Those with political experience know that campaigns are high energy and intensive affairs, where candidates and their families must be solely committed to the effort. It is not fair to a candidate's supporters, and the process itself, to continue knowing you cannot remain fully engaged." The mayor is a powerful position, and pressure comes with the power. The mayor is the chief executive officer and supervises all departments, including, but not limited to, the power to appoint, discipline and remove all officers and employees unless otherwise provided in the city charter. It's a full-time job that pays $100,000 annually. Only two people have been elected to the position since the charter was passed in 2009—Ashton Hayward and Grover Robinson. To run for mayor, a person has to be a city of Pensacola resident, a qualified Florida elector and assigned a voter registration number by the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections to vote in a city precinct. Also, the candidate must have lived and been registered to vote in the city not less than one year before the end of the qualification period, which is in mid-June. 010 1

Three candidates have pre-filed for the office, and another has been rumored to be on the verge of throwing his hat in the ring. All four were interviewed last week on NewsTalk 1370 WCOA's new morning show, "Real News with Rick Outzen."

JEWEL CANNADA-WYNN

Jewel Cannada-Wynn served on the Pensacola City Council from 2004-2010, representing District 6, and 2012-2020, representing District 7. Twice, her fellow council members elected her council president. In November, she retires as an Escambia High School dean after 27 years with the Escambia County School District. If elected mayor, Cannada-Wynn wants to complete some of the initiatives she started during her last term, especially her goal to build 500 affordable homes in the city in five years. "I want to see that through," she said. "I also think that my experience on the council for two different terms and especially with two different types of structures have given me views of how the old system worked and how the new system works. I think that we can come together and deal with some challenging issues in our city and be able to move through and get them done." She admitted that 500 homes in five years is a bold goal. Cannada-Wynn said, "You have to set that bar high. You have to set the expectation that you want. Sometimes we get comfortable just at a certain level. Since we're comfortable at this particular level or this particular effort, like in the housing, we're kind of comfortable where we are just getting the federal dollars for every person and just maybe building 20 houses a year or 15 houses; that's just not good enough." She continued, "That is not good enough to meet what we need in our community. And we need to set that bar high so that we can work as hard as we can and make that happen. We are creative people here in Pensacola. We're innovative here in Pensacola. We can make this happen."

The two-time council president believes her city experience gives her an edge. In describing her leadership style, she said, "I am a hands-on type of person. I'm a taskoriented leader. My job is if this is my task to do, then we're going to do it, and I'm going to pull those people together and make sure it happens, including the city council members as well as the community together." Cannada-Wynn added, "I also want to be able to make sure that we have that consensus that we need. We're not going to always agree on everything, and many times people did not agree with me but then we could come to a consensus where we know that this is the best move for the city." As a council member, she held regular town hall meetings to stay connected with her constituents. Cannada-Wynn said, "I would do that as mayor. I like being with them, listening to what they have to say and incorporating their ideas into my decisionmaking for the city of Pensacola." Mayor Robinson has complained about getting the city council on the same page. Cannada-Wynn said, "I think that the mayor needs to be able to mold that council into looking at the broader pictures of things, those broader things versus just those districts." Believing her past experience helps, she added, "And I think that I have done that as a council person. I fought hard for my district, but I fought just as hard for those things that impacted the city as a whole."

TIM HORTON

Tim Horton graduated from Woodham High School in 1982 and served a stint in the U.S. Navy until he was injured in the first Gulf War. He came home and went to college. He has been a director with Jain-King, handling 17 locations in five counties, and currently owns a Changing the Future Outcome franchise. He also works with a property management business, overseeing the laundry and housekeeping operations for 200-plus properties on Pensacola Beach. "I'm fifth-generation Pensacola. My great-great-great-grandfather, four grandfathers ago, came across in Spain," said Horton.

"Francis B. Bobe, a three-time mayor of Pensacola, was two great-grandfathers ago. He served between 1855 and 1859, 1862 and 1863, which was the time of the Civil War and Pensacola was taken over and changed flags. Then he came back, served 1863 to 1866." He added, "And from there, it trickles down. My mom and dad, fantastic people, are still alive. They're retired now. And I've got one sister—a nurse, a fantastic person. And I have a beautiful 12-year-old little girl that is my pride and joy." After knocking on doors in all seven city districts, Horton has three issues on his radar. He said, "Number one is the homeless. Soon as you come off the Interstate 110, you come down on Garden; you have the first little camp there. My idea is to take some of the mayor's discretionary funds and also apply to get some federal grant and retrofit some old federal buildings and old government buildings that we have downtown, make them one-bedroom little efficiency apartments." Horton would have counselors work with homeless individuals to help them deal with their issues and help them find jobs with local companies. "You've got somebody wanting to work; they get two to three paychecks under their belt," he explained. "The counselor finds them a place in town to live, preferably close to where their new employer is. They move out. We go in; we repaint; we make sure that the place is clean, ready to go for the next candidate to come in. One by one, we can straighten out Pensacola." Horton said on the radio show that he has been in touch with a major online retailer that has been trying for the last two mayors to come into Pensacola. He said, "I won't go on the air for the reason why that they were turned away. We have the Port of Pensacola, empty warehouses with access to the waterway to bring goods in. We have a railway, and we have a roadway. Pensacola can be the hub for this online retailer, which they loved the idea." Horton continued, "They wanted to wait to see if I got into office before making the move. Pensacola can be the hub for this retailer for the simple reason; we are three hours from everything." inweekly.net

He said he would ask the company to hire 75% of its workforce from Escambia County. Horton added, "You bring 3,000 to 5,000 jobs to Pensacola, look at what the income for the area will be because these people will buy houses; they'll buy cars; they'll buy food; they'll buy clothes. The economy will rebound real quick, and we will be back to being a prosperous city." The last issue on Horton's radar is job training. He wants the city to partner with local businesses in training workers. Horton said, "The city would pay $5 to a starting wage for on-the-job training for a candidate to be trained to do whatever job that employer needs. The employer would pay $5. Now, this is just temporary until the person in the on-the-job training program gets trained and certified for whatever job that they are going for. Then, the employee is hired. The employee receives the scale; the tax breaks go for the company and the city. It's a win-win operation." Horton plans to continue knocking on doors. He said, "I believe that I can help Pensacola. I believe Pensacola needs a leader with direction, drive and the enthusiasm to take us to a level where we are a viable community."

JAMES HILBURN

James Hilburn described himself as a common man looking to help the city out. He said, "I'm running for mayor and hoping that I can just help out my city that I love and was born and raised in." If elected, Hilburn wants to help low-

August 19, 2021

income families and other segments of our community. He said, "I will try to help with lower utility bills for them. I will help our military out. I will help our police force out." Hilburn continued, "I will try to make Cervantes Street safer and Mobile Highway a safer area for families to live in it. I would deal with the COVID situation. And we're still dealing with that. And I will help bring jobs into the city to make our city grow and be better than what it already is." He plans to host meet-and-greet campaign events. Horton said, "Maybe we can get together. Let's talk about the issues that the city needs to be addressed."

D.C. REEVES

One of the worst-kept secrets in downtown Pensacola is D.C. Reeves, the co-owner of Perfect Plain Brewing Co. and the CEO of The Spring, plans to file for mayor in September. On "Real News," he announced, after much prompting, the exact date. "I could get hit by a bus out here right after this interview, and then I will never have filed, but I think it's safe to say it's certainly our intent to file in or around Sept. 1," said Reeves. "I think that if I were to give you a lead, I would say that I would be checking our Escambia Votes Facebook feed around Sept. 1." Reeves grew up in Pensacola. He said, "My granddad lived off Barcelona right here in downtown, and we'd walk to Buccaneer Trade Shop to buy baseball cards and not see a soul on a Saturday."

After graduating from college, he returned home as a sports reporter for the daily newspaper and then left for similar gigs in Tallahassee and Tuscaloosa. Reeves said, "Then I came back in 2015, a big reason of which was because we started to see that semblance of vibrancy in downtown, and that's what attracts young folks back here and builds our talent pool." He continued, "I've been back six years, worked for Quint Studer and been able to work on a lot of impactful community projects like appointed superintendent, the mayor's transition team for Mayor Robinson, the SCAPE waterfront plan with that amazing group out of New York. And at the end of the day, I just believe these next four or five years are maybe as important as ever." He believes Pensacola is on the precipice of significant growth. Reeves said, "And instead of comparing Pensacola to the next Charleston or the next Savannah or the next Greenville, I think we have a golden opportunity these next five years not to be a comparison anymore, but really join that group." What would a Reeves administration look like? He answered, "I think we've got to enhance the vibrancy of our downtown core. That doesn't just mean the way it looks for locals and for tourists, which does matter, but really treating it like the economic driver." Reeves continued, "The cities I mentioned, Savannah, Charleston, Greenville, get thrown around here as, 'Can we be the next one of those?' All of those cities have done a really good job of truly treating their downtowns as the economic driver of their city."

He pointed out that making downtown an economic driver doesn't mean favoritism. Reeves said, "It means to be able to enhance infrastructure, to be able to do a lot of the things that you want to do as a city. At the end of the day, you need more tax space to be able to do those things." He added, "And so, where's the place that we can get the best ROI? And ultimately, you can hear from the way it sounds, is treating the city as a $232 million business that has a budget to balance, that wants to build revenue, wants to have happy customers and wants to have happy employees. And those are all things we're going to focus on." {in}

CANDIDATES' CONTACT INFORMATION Jewel Cannada-Wynn Email: jewelcw9@gmail.com Phone: (850) 346-7264 Timothy Floyd Horton Email: timhortonforpensacolamayor2022@gmail.com Phone: (850) 791-5734 James Hilburn Email: hilburnj6@gmail.com Phone: (850) 480-3553 D.C. Reeves Check escambiavotes.com on Sept. 1 for candidate information

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It only takes one person to slash the statistics.

Did you know that 1 in 10 children Escambia County are victims of child abuse? It’s time to change that number. Visit KnowChildAbuse.org to learn to recognize, report and reduce child abuse.

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inweekly.net

a&e happenings and Sunday between Downtown Pensacola and Pensacola Beach. Ferry trips last approximately 50 minutes, and all-day free parking is available at each of the departure sites. To plan your trip and purchase tickets, visit pensacolabaycruise.com.

DRIVE, BIKE OR WALK OVER THE BOB SIKES BRIDGE When you drive

over the Bob Sikes Bridge to Pensacola Beach, there is an electronic toll in place. Cash and coins are no longer collected in person. The county encourages motorists to plan ahead and use electronic toll collection devices (i.e. SunPass, E-Pass, Annual Pass, NC Quick Pass, Peach Pass, E-ZPass), tolling apps (i.e. PayTollo) or TOLL-BY-PLATE from SunPass.

WAYS TO GET TO PENSACOLA BEACH

The Pensacola Bay Bridge is now open, which is perfect timing for beach season. Escambia County reminds eager beachgoers of the various ways to get to the beach. Live Pensacola Beach traffic video and beach conditions are available at myescambia.com.

ECAT BUS Escambia County Area Transit discontinued service for the Route 61 detour across the Garcon Point Bridge with the Pensacola Bay Bridge opening. Normal schedules for Route 61 and Route 64 Beach Jumper will restart. Note the following schedules: REGULAR SERVICE: Routes: 1, 2, 32, 44, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 55, 57, 58, 59X, 60, 61 and 64 Beach Jumper MODIFIED ROUTES: •Route 31, 43, and 63: Runs Monday-Saturday, every two hours (Saturday Schedule) •Route 45: Runs Monday-Saturday, only every hour, 6 a.m.-5 p.m. UWF TROLLEY: •(Summer Schedule) UWF Express Service runs Monday–Saturday Schedules are located on goecat.com and the ECAT Ride guide. FREE TROLLEY SERVICE The Santa Rosa

Island Authority (SRIA) will have free openair trolley service along Pensacola Beach. The service runs Monday-Sunday, 4 p.m.midnight, through Labor Day weekend.

FERRY Pensacola Bay Cruises Ferry

Service offers service Friday, Saturday August 19, 2021

PENSACOLA BEACH TRAFFIC HOTLINE

Residents and visitors can report beach traffic issues via the Pensacola Beach Traffic Hotline at (850) 595-0862 or by emailing traffic@myescambia.com, offered by the Escambia County Transportation and Traffic Operations Division.

NONPROFITS + FUNDRAISERS HABI-HOUR AT GARDEN & GRAIN

Join Pensacola Habitat for Humanity Thursday, Aug. 19, from 5-7 p.m. to learn more about Women Build. This is an opportunity to network with other women builders and teams and learn how you can get involved.

PENSACOLA HABITAT FOR HUMANITY'S WOMEN BUILD YARD SALE

Help support the Women Build effort to build affordable homes for families in need Saturday, Aug. 21, from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. The Women Build Yard Sale will be at Hillcrest Church Parking Lot, 3960 Spanish Trail Road, and will help raise funds to build a home. For more information, visit facebook.com/pensacolahabitat.

FLORIDA HUMANITIES ANNOUNCES NEW EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANTS FOR HUMANITIES ORGANIZATIONS AFFECTED BY COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Florida Humanities is offering up to $2 million in grant funding for general operating support to humanities organizations that continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Florida Humanities' American Rescue Plan grants will direct funds to eligible organizations for short-term, general operating support. Funding is intended to meet immediate operational needs in order for organizations to maintain the delivery of public

humanities programming and resources in their communities. Funding is available for general operating support, such as salaries for internal staff and contracted employees, rent/ mortgage, utilities, insurance and technology. Awards will be up to $25,000 for eligible organizations with annual budgets of less than $2 million. Applications will only be accepted from organizations such as museums, archives, historical societies and cultural centers whose primary mission is humanities-focused or can demonstrate a substantial track record of regularly occurring public humanities work. All applicants must also be able to demonstrate continued financial hardship due to the direct effects of the pandemic. Applications for the Florida Humanities' American Rescue Plan grant are due Sept. 1 at noon. To review the full eligibility requirements and application instructions, as well as register for the virtual informational webinar, please visit floridahumanities.org/arp.

"FRIEND OF FOO" APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN The Foo Foo Festival Com-

mittee is now accepting applications from nonprofit and for-profit entities who are interested in playing a part in this year's events as a "Friend of Foo." Nonprofits in the Pensacola area who recently applied and did not receive a grant for this year's festival but would still like to participate, or local for-profit businesses such as hoteliers, restaurants and bars who are interested in participating and benefitting, are encouraged to apply. To review the application process, visit foofoofest.com. "Friend of Foo'' participants will receive local, regional and national visibility during the 12-day event via the festival's regional marketing campaign. When applying, entrants should be prepared to provide the name and title of their prospective event; the date, time and location for the event; its respective category; and details and imagery to support the concept. The deadline to submit to be a "Friend of Foo" is Friday, Oct. 1, by noon. The Pensacola Foo Foo Festival will take place Nov. 4-15, 2021.

ARTS & CULTURE

VIRTUAL AUGUST GALLERY NIGHT

On Friday, Aug. 20, Gallery Night Pensacola will host a fully virtual event on Facebook from 6-9 p.m. The virtual event will feature live music performances and a virtual art auction. Plans are underway to set up a vaccination drive on Aug. 20 to provide access to quick and convenient vaccinations in Downtown Pensacola as well as discounts and incentives. Visit facebook.com/gallerynightpensacola for updates.

PENSACOLA OPERA'S 39TH SEASON

Tickets are on sale now for Pensacola Opera's 39th season of bringing professional opera to Northwest Florida. Join the opera in 2022 for uplifting productions of two of the most beloved operatic masterpieces of

all time, featuring nationally renowned artists and creative teams in colorful, vibrant stagings. Experience Mozart's mystical side with "The Magic Flute" on Jan. 28 & 30, and laugh along with Rossini's effervescent "The Barber of Seville" on March 11 & 13. Both productions will be performed live on stage at the Saenger Theatre. Visit pensacolaopera.com for information and tickets.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY WRITERS' GUILD ANNUAL AWARD All writers are

welcome to submit work for the Santa Rosa County Writers' Guild Annual Award. The award is given to one winner for a poem or book written by a Santa Rosa County resident who submits their writing or book to srcwg@mediacombb.net by Sept. 10. There is no entry fee. The winner is chosen solely in the discretion of the Guild. By submitting, you are granting permission to the Guild to have your writing and/or book's title and the award appear in any publications connected with the Santa Rosa County Writers' Guild, including Issue VI of the Blackwater Literary Journal. All rights remain with the person submitting.

UWF HISTORIC TRUST 9/11 EXHIBIT

An exhibit honoring victims lost and others impacted by the tragedy on Sept. 11, 2001, is now on display on the second floor of the Pensacola Museum of History. The University of West Florida Historic Trust curated the exhibit, 9/11 Remembered, which runs through January 2022, with items on loan from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York and the History Museum of Mobile. The gallery includes a section of the I-beam from one of the World Trade Center towers and a helmet and other items worn by first responders who responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Visitors can also view a video of newsreels from 20 years ago on projectors and a video from NAS Pensacola that features military members who responded to the 9/11 attacks. For more information on UWF's Historic Trust, visit historicpensacola.org.

FINDING 1821 Finding 1821 is part of the

UWF Historic Trust's Suddenly American exhibit. Using historic newspapers, maps and documents, it is possible to locate where businesses stood in the 1820s. From taverns to parasol shops, each site on the Finding 1821 trail reflects a local establishment that was near that location 200 years ago. Outside each business is a QR code that links to a corresponding advert from an early 1820s newspaper. Over a dozen sites have been identified so far. Take a stroll around town, visit local shops and explore the history of Pensacola through today's technology. Visit historicpensacola.org for more information.

BALLET PENSACOLA'S 2021-2022 SEASON IS HERE The Ballet Pensacola

season is here. The season will open at the historic downtown Cultural Arts Center on Friday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. with Artistic Di13

a&e happenings rector Darren McIntyre's original production of "Dracula." This haunting and legendary tale is sure to spookily delight your taste and ballet bite as it travels from Transylvania to London in a pursuit of chaotic seduction, lust and frightful encounters inspired by Bram Stoker's original fable. Other seasonal performances include "The Nutcracker," Dec. 17-19, and Wizard of Oz, April 22-24 and April 30-May 1. For more information, visit balletpensacola.org or call (850) 432-9546. Season Tickets are available for purchase for as low as $73 for all three performances, plus applicable facility fees, through the Ballet Pensacola website at balletpensacola.org/ performances/ticket-information.

NEW HOURS AT PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART PMA is now open from

10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and noon-4 p.m. on Sunday. For tickets and information, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

DRAG SHOWS AT DOLCE AND GELATO Head to Dolce and Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave., for regular drag shows. Next dates are Aug. 20-21. For more information, visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola.

PMA EXHIBITION TOURS Join PMA

Director Nick Croghan for a brief tour of "A

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Dead Reckoning: Navigating Contemporary Ceramics" from 1-1:30 p.m. On Thursday, Aug. 26, from 1-1:30 p.m., PMA curator Anna Wall will host a brief tour of "End of Century" featuring glassware and prints from the permanent collection. Tours are free with museum admission and, as always, free for members. For more information, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

WHAT'S SHOWING AT PENSACOLA CINEMA ART For upcoming dates and

more information, including links to virtual screenings, go to pensacolacinemaart.com. All tickets are $8. Reserve your seats by emailing jpncinema@gmail.com or texting (863) 446-7300. PCA is located at 220 W. Garden St.

RODNEY CARRINGTON: LIVE Comedian, actor, singer and writer Rodney Carrington will take the Pensacola Saenger stage at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21. Tickets are $52.50-$202.50. For more information, visit pensacolasaenger.com. FUNHOUSE: THE CYBER BALL HOSTED BY TERRAH CARD Celebrate

Terrah Card's birthday at her monthly drag show at Dolce & Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave., Friday, Aug. 27, starting at 7 p.m. Admission is $10. Visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola for more information.

OPEN STUDIO: SARAH HUMMEL JONES The Aug. 28 Open Studio is

inspired by ceramic artist Sarah Hummel Jones. Participants will use polymer clay to create simplified and idealized food sculptures similar to those in her piece "Cry On Demand" currently on view in the exhibit "A Dead Reckoning." Open Studio is Saturday, Aug. 28, from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cost is $12 for adults and $10 for children under 13. Visit facebook.com/pensacolamuseum to visit the link for tickets.

"A DEAD RECKONING: NAVIGATING CONTEMPORARY CERAMICS" EXHIBIT AT PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART "A Dead Reckoning: Navigating

Contemporary Ceramics" is now on view at Pensacola Museum of Art, which asks viewers, "Where is the field of American ceramic art going?" For more information, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

"END OF CENTURY" EXHIBIT AT PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART End

of Century, an art exhibit featuring Art Nouveau glassware and works on paper, is a new exhibit at the Pensacola Museum of Art. This special exhibit includes items from the museum collection as well as the collection of local art supporter and educator Dr. Patrick M. Rowe. Dr. Rowe received his Ph.D. in Art History at Florida State University in 1989 and

taught art history at the University of West Florida and Pensacola State College until his retirement in 2010. He has served on the Pensacola Museum of Art Board and on the PMA Collections Committee and has acted as a dedicated supporter and resource for museum staff throughout the years. In 1988, Rowe began taking an interest in 18th and early 20th century printmaking, which led to his impressive collection of works from the time period, many of which are showcased in End of Century. End of Century will be on view at the Pensacola Museum of Art until Oct. 10. Visitors can learn more about the exhibition, sign up for additional programming opportunities and purchase tickets through pensacolamuseum.org.

NEW EXHIBIT AT BLUE MORNING GALLERY The current Spotlight on Art

is "Serendipity," a collective show featuring potter Tammy Caspersen and photographer Suzanne Tuzzeo. The show promises bold color and unique finds and twists with a fun, carefree feel and is on view starting July 3 at Blue Morning Gallery, located at 21 S. Palafox. Visit bluemorninggallery.com for more information.

PENSACOLA BEACH ART WALK ON THE BOARDWALK Stroll the Pensacola

Beach Boardwalk Sundays through October from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and check out local art

inweekly.net

a&e happenings vendors, listen to live music and enjoy local restaurants and bars at 400 Quietwater Beach Road.

SCRIPTEASERS WITH PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE Scripteasers, Studio

400's and Pensacola Little Theatre's Script Reading Club invites you to monthly script readings at PLT, 400 S. Jefferson St. Want to bring your scripts for the group to read and discuss? Contact Pensacola Little Theatre to get in queue. The group reads prospective scripts for future seasons as well as new scripts that need a table read before the next edit. Not a playwright but love to read out loud? This is your easy, fun theatre night. Fascinated by the play selection process? Sit in for a listen and usually a lot of laughs. Visit facebook.com/pensacolalittletheatre for more information and the latest dates.

SEVILLE HAUNTED TOURS Seville

Quarter's haunted tours offer a different look at Pensacola's history as guides weave tales of ghosts, debauchery, murder, mayhem, paranormal activities, history and more. Choose your experience from three ongoing tours—Seville Haunted Luncheon and Ghost Tour, 11 a.m. every third Tuesday of the month; Seville Haunted Gallery Night Tours, 7 p.m. every third Friday of the month; Seville Sunday FunDay Haunted Tours, 4 p.m. last Sunday of each month. Tickets are available at pensacolaghostevents.com.

OPEN MIC AT THE GORDON Show off your talents on the second Thursday of every month at The Gordon's Open Mic showcase from 7-10 p.m. Admission is free. The Gordon is located at 306 N. DeVilliers St. Visit thegordon.org for more information. STAND-UP COMEDY AT THE REX THEATRE Visit The REX Theatre every

Friday at 8 p.m. for national stand-up acts. Tickets are $26-$35 at the door. For more information, visit rexpensacola.com.

COMEDY MAGIC SHOW AT THE REX THEATRE Comedy magician Tom Coverly,

known as "The Illusionist," performs Saturday nights at The Rex Theatre, located at 18 N. Palafox. Shows start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10-$35. For more information, visit rexpensacola.com.

OPEN MIC COMEDY AT BIG TOP BREWERY Try out some new jokes or enjoy

some homegrown talent every Monday at 7 p.m. for Open Mic Comedy at Big Top Brewery, located at 21 W. Romano St. Everyone gets five minutes depending the number of sign-ups. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m.

NEW CLASSES AT MIXON MAGIC PERFORMING ARTS Mixon Magic Per-

forming Arts (MMPA), a boutique performing arts studio located at 1010 N. 12th Ave., Ste. 238, will be offering a limited class schedule this fall. MMPA offers professional dance, fitness and "Mommy and Me" August 19, 2021

instruction for all ages and skill levels with weekly classes including, but not limited to, Creative Movement, Ballet/Jazz Combo, Broadway, Tap, Showstoppers, Acting and Voice. Classes will be provided for children as young as 2 years old (with a parent or guardian) through adult. MMPA is dedicated to the safety and well-being of all students and families and has implemented protocols based on guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Masks are required for entry into the building and studio. More information about Mixon Magic Performing Arts can be found at mixonmagic.com, by contacting hello@mixonmagic.com or emily@mixonmagic.com or by calling (850) 221-7438.

BLACK CITIZENSHIP IN THE AGE OF JIM CROW "Black Citizenship in the Age

of Jim Crow," a traveling exhibition from the New York Historical Society Museum & Library with additions from the African American Heritage Society of Pensacola, is now on view at Artel Gallery. To learn more about it, visit africanamericanheritagesociety.org. Artel Gallery is located at 223 S. Palafox.

CRAFT CLASSES AT STUDIO SOUTH ON NINE MILE Learn a new craft or meet

up with other makers at Studio South. Tuesday is Knit Night 4-7 p.m., and Sit & Stitch is Saturdays 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Both classes are free. For a full calendar of events, visit studiosouthon9mileroad.com. Studio South is located at 955 E. Nine Mile Road.

CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS AT FIRST CITY ART First City Art Center of-

fers a wide range of classes and workshops for artists of all levels. Classes include glass blowing, ceramics, painting and drawing, kiln-forming, stained glass and more. For a complete list of classes and times, visit firstcityart.org.

LIVE MUSIC

BANDS ON THE BEACH Bands on the Beach is back. The free concert series features shows each Tuesday night, from 7-9 p.m., from April to October at the Gulfside Pavilion at Casino Beach. UPCOMING DATES: •Aug. 24: Mass Kunfuzion •Aug. 31: High Time Band BLUES ON THE BAY The Blues on the

Bay free concert series continues at Community Maritime Park, located at 351 W. Cedar St. Concerts are 6 p.m. on select Sunday evenings. Bring your coolers and lawn chairs and take a spot in front of the Hunter Amphitheater. Last date is Aug. 29 with Modern Eldorados.

DELTA BLUES Frank Delta will be playing the blues at Dolce & Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave., on Saturday, Aug. 20, starting at 5 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola. 15

a&e happenings NICK ANDREWS AT GARY'S BREWERY & BIERGARTEN Musician Nick An-

drews will be performing 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, at Gary's Brewery & Biergarten, located at 208 Newman Ave. Visit facebook. com/garysbrew for more information.

KATIE DINEEN AT DOLCE & GELATO

Musician Katie Dineen will perform at Dolce & Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave., on Saturday, Aug. 21, at 11 a.m. and Sunday, Aug. 29, at 3 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola.

TYLER OVERHEU Musician Tyler Over-

heu will perform at Dolce & Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave., on Saturday, Aug. 28, at 5 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola.

LIVE MUSIC AT RED FISH BLUE FISH PENSACOLA BEACH Head to Red Fish

Blue Fish for live performances from local bands Fridays and Saturdays all day. For musician lineups, visit facebook.com/redfishbluefishpensacolabeach.

SAXOPHONIST JIM ANDREWS AT ALICE'S RESTAURANT Saxophonist

Jim Andrews will be performing at Alice's Restaurant, located at 1504 W. Intendencia St., on the first Friday of every month from 6-9:30 p.m.

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CURT BOL JAZZ QUARTET Visit Five

Sisters Blues Café, located at 421 W. Belmont St., Sundays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and listen to Curt Bol Jazz Quartet. Visit curtbolband.com for more information.

OPEN JAM AT ARTEL GALLERY Artel

Gallery is open from 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays for open jam with Pensacola Folk Music Society. Feel free to visit and listen to music. Artel Gallery is located at 223 S. Palafox.

KARAOKE AT MUGS AND JUGS Sing

your heart out Sundays at Mugs & Jugs, 12080 Scenic Highway, or just enjoy drinks friends with $4 Smirnoff and $6.50 domestic pitcher drink deals from 7 p.m.-3 a.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/mugsjugs.

LIVE MUSIC AT HUB STACEY'S Sit back with good food and live music at Hub Stacey's, located at 312 E. Government St. For a full calendar of bands, check hubstaceys.com. MONDAY NIGHT BLUES AT SEVILLE QUARTER Seville Quarter and the Blues

Society of Northwest Florida bring the "Blues" back to the Seville Quarter Entertainment District, located at 130 E. Government St. every Monday night in End O' the Alley starting at 7 p.m. For more information, visit sevillequarter.com.

TUESDAY NIGHT JAZZ AT SEVILLE QUARTER Enjoy smooth jazz with Me-

lodious Allen and The Funk Heads every Tuesday night at Lili Marlene's in Seville Quarter, located at 130 E. Government St. Show starts at 6:30 p.m. Visit sevillequarter. com for more information.

FITNESS + RECREATION

ARGONAUT 5K Pensacola Runner's

Association presents the 2021 Argonaut 5K starting at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, on the UWF campus at 11000 University Parkway. This is a fundraiser for the UWF Men's and Women's Cross Country Teams, and 100% of the proceeds will be going directly to support the teams this upcoming season. Registration is $25-$30. Race start time will be at 7:30 a.m., and roads will be partially closed at 7:15 a.m. Register at runsignup.com.

WEEKLY FRIDAY DANCE Get moving

every Friday night with a dance sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Eagles. Enjoy food from 6-7 p.m. Dancing is from 7-10 p.m. A variety of bands and music provide the tunes. Cost of admission is $6. Dances are located at 105 Kenmore Ave. in Pensacola. For more information, call (850) 476-5696.

PENSACOLA FERRY SERVICE The

Pensacola Bay Cruises Ferry Service is open with service on Friday, Saturday and Sunday

running between Downtown Pensacola and Pensacola Beach. Ferry trips last approximately 50 minutes, and all-day free parking is available at each of the departure sites. Tickets are $26 roundtrip for adults; $20 roundtrip for military, disabled persons and students; and $15 roundtrip for children 3-15. Children 2 and under ride for free. A locals card may be purchased for additional discounts. The ferry service operation schedule is available on pensacolabaycruise.com.

PENSACOLA PARKRUN The Pen-

sacola Rec Plex North parkrun is 7:30 a.m. Saturdays. The weekly timed 5K run or walk takes place at the University of West Florida and is open to everyone, regardless of fitness level. For more information, visit facebook.com/rpnparkrun or email recplexnorth@parkrun.com.

BREATHE AND READ AT BODACIOUS BOOKSTORE AND CAFÉ Recenter

yourself at this monthly event at Bodacious Bookstore and Café, with an instructor-led beginner yoga class and a group book discussion at 9 a.m. on the first Saturday of every month. Bodacious Bookstore and Café is located at 110 Intendencia St. For more information, visit bodaciousbookstore.com.

for more listings visit inweekly.net

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THE FRONT DOOR TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Launched in early 2020, The Spring Entrepreneur Hub is a new program of Studer Community Institute and exists to empower, connect and grow small businesses in Northwest Florida, serving as the front door to our community’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and a hotline to help. Focusing on three key areas – mentorship, connection to resources, and scaling/acceleration – The Spring brings structure and aid to local small businesses in our area.

TEAM MENTORING

CONNECTION TO RESOURCES

Our team mentoring program, The Spring Venture Mentoring Service (VMS), is based on the successful model used by the renowned VMS program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Led by 28 highly skilled experts, 15 local businesses have received 72 hours of mentoring in 2021.

We have connected 54 small businesses with the resources they need to take their business to the next level through what we call our “triage” process.

SCALING + ACCELERATION

CO-WORKING SPACE AVAILABLE IN DOWNTOWN PENSACOLA

SCI and The Spring are partners with gBETA Pensacola, a 7-week program funded by SCI and provided by nationally ranked startup accelerator gener8tor. gBETA accelerates the growth of early-stage companies. $1.2M of funding was raised and 14 jobs were created in our in first cohort capped at 5 high-potential startups.

The Spring, located at 220 W. Garden St., not only serves the needs of local entrepreneurs, but it offers an energetic, creative atmosphere to those looking for flexible shared working and small conference spaces. We provide members with areas to ensure productivity and collaboration. Visit us and take a tour of the space!

Looking for more ways to grow and develop your business?

VISIT THESPRINGPENSACOLA.COM STAFF

BOARD OF DIRECTORS TOSH BELSINGER

JULES KARIHER

CINDI BONNER

VAN MANSKER

President and Founder, Gulf Blue Group

Director Pensacola Rally

RICK BYARS

Regional Manager, Corporate External Affairs, Gulf Power Co.

WILL DUNAWAY

Chief Advocacy Officer, Ascension Sacred Heart

Entrepreneurial Manager gprice@studeri.org (850) 637-5797

MICHELLE SNOW

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS LEADERSHIP MORGAN TUFTO

Retired Managing Member of the Gulf Coast Region Warren Averett, LLC CPAs & Advisors

BERT THORNTON

STEPHANA GAUDIN

Retired, Chief Operating Officer Waffle House

Learning Content Developer sgaudin@studeri.org (904) 923-1463

CivicCon Executive Director thorne@civicconversations.org, (480) 395-7736

TIA ROBBINS

BRUCE WATSON

Leadership Development Coordinator echristianson@studeri.org (515) 451-5662

CivicCon Assistant hmoore@civicconversations.org (850) 324-4964

Co-Owner, Five Sisters Blues Cafe & Angelina’s Ristorante Italiano

LISA NELLESSEN SAVAGE

THOMAS GREEK

MORT O’SULLIVAN III

Founder and CEO, Catalyst HRE

GRACIE PRICE

Chief Entrepreneur Officer dcreeves@studeri.org (850) 232-2949

JOSH SITTON

JEAN-PIERRE N’DIONE

Executive Editor, Pensacola News Journal

CHAD HENDERSON

REGINALD T. DOGAN

Director of Early Learning snickinson@studeri.org (850) 525-2116

Director of Community Health Programs, Baptist Healthcare

Project Manager rdogan@studeri.org (850) 529-6485

Shareholder, Clark Partington Vice President of Learning & Development, Navy Federal Credit Union

ENTREPRENEURSHIP THE SPRING DC REEVES

JOY SHARP

Retired, Heitman LLC

Retired, Regional Vice President of Lowe’s

SHANNON NICKINSON

KATHY SANDSTROM

EARLY BRAIN DEVELOPMENT EARLY LEARNING

Entrepreneur, Co-founder Mr. Robbins Neighborhood

Former NFL Super Bowl Champion and Co-Owner, Bear General Contractors Product Management at Nike, Inc., Entrepreneur and Retired WNBA Player

Executive Director, Escambia County Early Learning Coalition

Training and Marketing Coordinator mtufto@studeri.org (507) 828-2476

ERIC CHRISTIANSON

ARJUNA COLES

Operations Assistant acoles@studeri.org (305) 619-2767

CIVICCON CIVICCON TERRY HORNE

HANNA MOORE

220 W. Garden St. #506 Pensacola, FL 32502

studeri.org

RACHAEL GILLETTE

President rgillette@studeri.org (850) 748-5656

QUINT STUDER

Founder Quint@quintstuder.com (850) 232 4648

The Studer Community Institute is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. August 19, 2021

17

free will astrology WEEK OF AUGUST 19 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): A blogger who calls herself TheSaddestChorusGirlInTheWorld writes, "Having sex with someone is a big deal and involves a ton of vulnerability. And I think it's troubling and gross and unhealthy and, yes, dangerous that we pretend otherwise and encourage people to 'be mature' by compartmentalizing or completely eliminating their deeper emotions from their sexuality. And even worse, any other view is dismissed as prudish and invalid and unenlightened and restrictive." You may agree with everything TheSaddestChorusGirl says here. But if you haven't arrived at her conclusions, now is a good time to meditate on them. Why? Because your assignment in the coming weeks is to deepen and refine your relationship with your sexuality. Be extra reverent about your sensual longings. Ensure that your erotic activities serve your highest ideals and noblest goals. TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): The

popular American TV sitcom "30 Rock" produced 138 episodes in seven seasons. At the height of its success, it crammed an average of 9.57 jokes into every minute. Its comic richness derived in large part from multi-talented Taurus star Tina Fey, who created the show and played one of its main characters. She was also a writer and executive producer. I propose we make her your role model in the coming weeks. According to my projections, you're entering a charismatic, ebullient and creative phase of your astrological cycle. It's time to be generous to the parts of your life that need big happy doses of release and liberation.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): I got an email from a Gemini reader named Jaylah. She wrote, "Hi, not sure if you remember me, but in our past lives, you and I used to write sacred cuneiform texts on clay tablets while sitting across from each other in a cave in Mesopotamia 4,910 years ago. Your name was Nabu. Mine was Tashmetu. I was always a little jealous because you earned more money than I, but it didn't get in the

By Rob Brezsny

way of our friendship. Anyway, if you ever want to catch up about the old days, give me a holler." I loved receiving this inquiry from a soul I may have known in a previous incarnation. And what she did by reaching out to me happens to be the perfect type of activity for you Geminis right now. Secrets of your history may be more available than usual. The past may have new stories to tell. A resource from yesteryear could prove valuable in the future.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Cance-

rian-born Franz Kafka was an interesting writer and a master of language. But even for him, it could be a challenge to convey what he really meant. He said, "I am constantly trying to communicate something incommunicable, to explain something inexplicable, to tell about something I only feel in my bones and which can only be experienced in those bones." Now here's the good news, as far as you're concerned, Cancerian—I suspect that in the coming weeks, you will have more power than usual to do exactly what Kafka aspired to do. You will be able to summon extra ease and grace in expressing your truths. I invite you to be a connoisseur of deep conversations.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): "If we wait until we are ready, we will be waiting for the rest of our lives," declared novelist Lemony Snicket. This is good advice for you to heed right now. I really hope you avoid the temptation to wait around for the perfect moment before you begin. In my vision of your best approach, you will dive into the future without trying to have all your plans finalized and all your assets gathered. I expect you will acquire the rest of what you need once the process is underway. VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Author Katherine Mansfield once told her friend Virginia Woolf, "You put me in touch with my own soul." I'm sorry Mansfield didn't previously have that precious connection, but I'm elated that Woolf helped her make it. In the coming weeks, I expect you will encounter an abundance of influences like Woolf—people and animals and places and experiences that can bring you into more

intimate contact with your soul. I hope you take full advantage.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): At the age of 70, Libran novelist Magda Szabó mused, "I know now, what I didn't then, that affection can't always be expressed in calm, orderly, articulate ways and that one cannot prescribe the form it should take for anyone else." In that spirit, Libra, and in accordance with astrological omens, I authorize you to express affection in lively, unruly, demonstrative ways. Give yourself permission to be playfully imaginative, exuberantly revelatory and vivaciously animated as you show the people and animals you cherish the nature of your feelings for them. SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Do

you Scorpios lie to yourselves more than the other signs lie to themselves? Are you especially prone to undermine yourselves through self-deception? I don't think so. However, you might be among the signs most likely to mislead or beguile other people. (But here's a caveat—On some occasions, your trickery is in a good cause, because it serves the needs of the many, not just yourself.) In any case, dear Scorpio, I will ask you to minimize all such behavior during the next five weeks. I think your success will depend on you being exceptionally honest and genuine—both to yourself and to others.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): "I like being broken," says Sagittarius actor Jamie Campbell Bower. "It means I can have chocolate for breakfast." I guess that when he feels down, he gives himself special permission to enjoy extra treats and privileges. According to my assessment of the astrological omens, you now have the right to give yourself similar permission—even though I don't expect you'll be broken or feeling down. Think of it as a reward for the brave work you've been doing lately. Enjoy this chocolatey grace period! CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19):

Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907–1972) was a Jewish theologian born under the sign of Capricorn. He wrote, "Indifference to the

sublime wonder of living is the root of sin." That's a different definition of sin from what we're used to! To be a moral person, Heschel believed, you must be in "radical amazement" about the glories of creation. I hope you will cultivate such an attitude in the coming weeks, Capricorn. It would be a mistake for you to numbly take things for granted. I dare you to cultivate as much awe, reverence and adoration as you can muster.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): A blogger who calls herself Hopeful Melancholy wrote a message to her lover. She said, "My favorite sexual position is the one where you work on your paintings and I work on my book, but we're in the same room and occasionally smile at each other." You might want to consider trying experiments comparable to that one in the coming weeks, Aquarius. The time will be fertile for you and your dear allies to work side by side; to cheer each other on and lift each other up; to explore new ways of cultivating companionship and caring for each other. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Dick

Dudley was a 17th-century swindler. Among his many victims was the Pope. Dudley offered an item for sale that he claimed was a divine relic: a piece of the beard of St. Peter, founder of the Roman Catholic Church. The Pope paid Dudley a small fortune for the treasure and kissed it copiously. Only later did the full story emerge: The so-called beard was in fact a sex worker's pubic wig. I hope you don't get involved in switcheroos like that anytime soon, Pisces. Make sure that the goods or services you're receiving— and offering, for that matter—are exactly what they're supposed to be. THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Describe what you're ever so thankful for—newsletter@freewillastrology.com.

freewillastrology.com

freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2021

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䴀䤀䌀䠀䰀䔀匀     䈀伀伀吀䠀

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news of the weird GOALS If you've missed the window to be an astronaut, maybe you can qualify to pretend to be one for a year. NASA is accepting applications for four people who will live inside Mars Dune Alpha, a simulated Martian habitat at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, the Associated Press reported. The 1,700-square-foot structure will have no windows and will be created by a 3-D printer. These paid volunteers will be challenged with spacewalks, equipment failures, limited communication with "home" and restricted food and resources. "We want to understand how humans perform" in the habitats, said lead scientist Grace Douglas. Requirements are strict, but former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield recommends the gig: "Just think how much you're going to be able to catch up on Netflix." FULL SERVICE Brandon D'Marcus Presha, 28, was arrested in Laurens, South Carolina, on Aug. 10 for an incident that took place on Aug. 6 in the McDonald's where he works, The Smoking Gun reported. Late that evening, police said, Presha donned gloves and sat down at a table in the restaurant to ink a tattoo on the arm of a minor—and bystanders posted video of him plying his craft. Presha was charged with tattooing a minor and tattooing without a license. SHOOTING SPORTS Two people died and two others went to the hospital in critical condition after a puzzling car crash on Aug. 11 in San Antonio, Texas. A female driver in her 20s or 30s, traveling at high speed, struck a parked car, police said, and when the owner of the parked car and two others came outside to see what had happened, the woman started shooting at them. The parked car's owner was killed; the other two were critically wounded, WOAI-TV reported. Then another neighbor responded to the ruckus and ended up shooting the driver and killing her. Police are investigating why the woman opened fire on the car's owner. •A 19-year-old woman in Kenosha, Wisconsin, accidentally shot a friend with his own handgun on Aug. 10 while using the weapon's laser sight to entertain a cat, the Associated Press reported. The woman, who had been drinking, according to a witness, picked up the friend's handgun, "turned on the laser sight and was pointing it at the floor to get the cat to chase it," the police report said. The gun went off and a bullet struck the 21-year-old man in the thigh. The victim was charged for violating bond conditions that prevented him from having a gun. ROAD RAGE In King County, Washington, an unnamed 47-year-old suspect was taken into custody on July 30 after several road

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

rage reports, the most striking of which was this: On July 27, the suspect, driving a Jeep, started honking at another driver as both entered a ramp onto I-5, Q13 Fox reported. The victim took an exit to try to escape a confrontation, but the suspect followed and eventually blocked the victim's car with his own. Then, as shown on dashcam video, the suspect exited the Jeep and threw an ax at the victim's car before driving over the median and escaping. Charges for the multiple incidents include felony hate crime, felony eluding and theft.

127 Palafox Place Suite 100 (850)466-3115 autumnbeckblackledge.com

CRIME REPORT On Aug. 12, a woman in Oconee County, South Carolina, saw Garry Chase Coble Jr. riding a horse down the road in the middle of the afternoon and then leading it inside a home. When deputies arrived and entered the home, WSPATV reported, they found horse feces on the floor in the front room. Next, officers discovered the horse standing calmly in the bedroom. Coble was arrested for larceny of livestock; the horse suffered only a small laceration on its front left leg. DON'T EAT THIS A piece of wedding cake from the 1981 marriage of Lady Diana Spencer and Charles, Prince of Wales, sold at auction in western England on Aug. 11 for $2,565, CNN reported. The 28-ounce hunk of confection was taken from one of 23 cakes made for the occasion and features a coat-of-arms, a silver horseshoe and a leaf spray. The piece was apparently given to Moyra Smith, a staffperson for the Queen Mother, at the time of the wedding. Since then, it was kept wrapped in plastic inside a cake tin. After 40 years, auctioneer Chris Albury bragged, "It's an object that's going to last." MISTAKEN IDENTITY Xi Yan of Jurong West in Singapore called animal welfare group ACRES to her home on July 28 because of what she believed was a snake hissing in a cupboard near her bed. She sent a recording of the noise, and ACRES concluded it was probably a black spitting cobra, reported Coconuts Singapore. The rescue team, armed with protective eyewear and snake grabbers, methodically searched her bedroom, but what they came up with was much less threatening: It was a malfunctioning Oral-B electric toothbrush buzzing away. "The problem started because water got into my electrical toothbrush and affected the mechanism," Xi said. "I should really buy a new one. I don't want to go through this again." {in}

Tired of suffering from droopy eyelids? Uplift your eyelids with the once daily eye drop, Upneeq. Call now to schedule your appointment with the eye care specialists at Terrezza Optical: 850-434-2060

Stock Market Losses? Hire a lawyer who is a former Merril Lynch stock broker.

From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2021 Andrews McMeel

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com August 19, 2021

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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