Inweekly Feb 18 2021 Issue

Independent News | February 18, 2021 | Volume 22 | Number 7 | Christian Costa, Kade Ansel, Jay Bixler, Annie Blanks & Eliza, Kimberly Scott | Photos by Natalie Allgyer

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winners & losers

outtakes

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5

news 6, 8

I have no business being on TikTok...

cover story

buzz 9

GRAPHIC NOVELS

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publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Tim Bednarczyk

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Jeremy Morrison, C.S. Satterwhite

KIDS BOOKS

contact us info@inweekly.net

happenings 18

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

FIRST TIME HOME BUYER SPECIALIST

Voted Best Real Estate Agent

909 N. 12th Avenue

pensacolapopcomics.com 22

SIMONE SANDS, Realtor © cell 850-293-2292 office 850-434-2244

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Great Flavors Fun Classes F E B R U A R Y FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26 Lunch & Learn: Oil & Vinegar Basics (vinegar, marinade, etc.) $30 Join us for an educational lunch on how to use olive oils and vinegars in your kitchen, featuring Bodacious oils and vinegars!

M A R C H MONDAY, MARCH 1 Cast Iron Filet & Shrimp $65 Cooking in cast iron can be intimidating, but this class will show you how to make pan-seared filet alongside a fabulous shrimp dish!

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3 Soup & Salad Lunch & Learn $30 We will be featuring different soups and salads to make and eat throughout the evening!

MONDAY, MARCH 8 Seafood & Stuffing Cooking Class $65 Join us at Bodacious as we learn the best tips and tricks for cooking the best that the Gulf has to offer!

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 Date Night Class: Bouillabaisse for 2 (Charcuterie for 2 & Strawberry Shortcake for 2, pair of tickets for $90) $90 We will we teaching how to make this three-course romantic dinner for two guests as well as serving you the courses for a romantic dinner meal!

FRIDAY, MARCH 12 St. Patrick’s Day Dinner $95 Enjoy five chef-curated courses to celebrate the best foods that the Irish have to offer!

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 Heritage Cooking Class: Eastern European $65 We will be highlighting different dishes from all over Eastern Europe to create a fun and interactive cooking class experience!!

Always

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24 BBQ Beef Brisket & Chicken Cooking Class with special White BBQ Sauce (traditional sides) Lunch & Learn $30 This cooking class will be showing you all how to be the best pit master for BBQ in your own home!

FRIDAY, MARCH 26 Crab Cake Lunch & Learn (on a bed of salad with a dessert) $30 This class will cover the art of cooking and enjoying crab cakes!

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31 Cast Iron Ribeye & Crab Cake $65 Learn how to master the art of cooking with a cast iron skillet! You will be a skilled surf and turf chef by the time the class has concluded!

A P R I L FRIDAY, APRIL 2 Stuffed Lobster Tails with Lobster Risotto & Lobster Bisque $65 We will demonstrate how to utilize whole lobsters to make a luxurious lobster risotto topped with stuffed lobster tails and a delicious lobster bisque!

MONDAY, APRIL 5 Brunch Favorites Lunch & Learn $30 We will be demonstrating how to create a wonderful brunch spread ranging from French Toast to decadent bacon and eggs!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7 Hibachi Steak & Gulf Shrimp $65 Join us for our Steak & Shrimp Hibachi class and learn how to put on the best Hibachi menu from the comfort of your home kitchen!

FRIDAY, APRIL 9 Ramen Lunch & Learn $30 Join us for a special lunch class featuring homemade Ramen!

MONDAY, APRIL 12 Cast Iron Ribeye & Crab Cake $65 Learn how to master the art of cooking with a cast iron skillet! You will be a skilled surf and turf chef by the time the class has concluded!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14 Curry Cooking Class (kebabs, thai & Indian curry entrée) $65 In this class, Chef Nick will be demonstrate different ways to cook Thai & Indian curry!

MONDAY, APRIL 19 Morel Mushroom Cooking Class $65 Learn how to cook this decadent mushroom at home!

Spend an evening learning about the delectable and wild Morel mushrooms!

Our Chefs will be demonstrating how to create a gorgeous dish made of Morel mushrooms and how to highlight the mushrooms flavor.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21 “Don’t Tell Grandma” Southern Vegan L&L $30 In this class, Chef Jernigan will be showcasing how to make decadent and delicious vegan food, with a Southern twist!

MONDAY, APRIL 26 Carpaccio & Beef Wellington Class $65 The Chef’s at Bodacious are excited to demonstrate how to make this classic Beef Wellington at home! We will also be featuring Carpaccio as our first course of this class!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28 Hungarian Cuisine Cooking Class $65 Chef Nick will be creating a three-course cooking class demonstration celebrating the cuisine of his heritage and showing you all how to make it from your own home!

bodaciousshops.com •

/BodaciousShops

Your health and safety remain our TOP priority. At Bodacious, all cooking classes are demonstration style (hands off) at this time. Food and beverage staff are practicing the highest safety standards with daily temperature readings and wearing medical-grade face masks and gloves at all times. Guests will remain at recommended distances while enjoying a gourmet meal, a delicious glass of wine and a fresh Bodacious cooking experience. Due to limited product availability during COVID, our Chef may have to make menu substitutions based on the availability.

Cooking Class Cancellation Policy: Classes must meet a minimum of 10 reservations. We reserve the right to cancel and undersold classes will be rescheduled.

Reservation fees will be refunded within 24 hours. Full refund if cancellation is 48 hours before the date of the event. If cancellation is not 48 hours before the event, you can transfer your credit to an upcoming class. You cannot receive a full refund after the 48-hour mark. Thank you for your understanding!

February 18, 2021

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winners & losers

John Sunday, Jr. / UWF Historic Trust

winners JOHN SUNDAY PLAZA The Pensacola

NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION In what

UWF HISTORIC TRUST Florida Historical Commission has approved changing the T.T. Wentworth Museum's name to the Pensacola Museum of History at the University of West Florida. The change comes after records were uncovered last summer that revealed T.T. Wentworth was a former cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s.

The next step is receiving an official letter from the State Historic Preservation Officer confirming the name. Then, the UWF Historic Trust will forward that letter to the Internal Improvement Trust Fund.

DANIEL UHLFELDER A three-judge panel

City Council approved a recommendation from Mayor Grover Robinson to name the northeast corner of the Pensacola City Hall property in honor of John Sunday. The Black business leader served in the Florida Legislature and on the Pensacola City Council after the Civil War. He became the wealthiest African American in Pensacola in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

LEGION FIELD The City of Pensacola has completed new smart lighting improvements at Legion Field, with 34 fully solar fixtures that also feature smart technology for maximum efficiency. The lights automatically boost to a 100% brightness setting when joggers or walkers approach.

The lights will work at 70% brightness during those off-hours when not in high demand for added efficiency. A partnership between the City of Pensacola Parks and Recreation Department and SESCO Lighting made the project possible.

LORI LOCUST AND MARAL JAVADIFAR The Tampa Bay Buccaneers has two female coaches on its Super Bowl-winning staff.

Assistant Defensive Line Coach Lori Locust has been with the team for two years.

Maral Javadifar is also in her second season as the assistant strength and conditioning coach. Both were brought on by Head Coach Bruce Arians. In 2015, Arians, then the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, hired Jen Welter to his coaching staff as an intern, making her the first woman to hold a coaching position in any league.

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losers appears to be an effort to get what it wanted built at Outlying Landing Field 8 (OLF-8), the largest credit union in the world had its public affairs manager be one of the leaders of the Beulah Coalition, a group that claims to speak for Beulah residents and Navy Federal employees. The credit union's public affairs manager doesn't even live in the Beulah area. Emails show that he communicated with DPZ CoDesign team members during office hours, presumably while on the credit union's payroll. According to public records obtained by Inweekly, only 10 Navy Federal employees living in Beulah appeared to have registered for the OLF-8 charrettes.

of the 1st District Court of Appeal recently asked the Florida Bar to consider imposing sanctions against the Santa Rosa Beach lawyer because of an appeal he filed in a lawsuit that sought to force Gov. Ron DeSantis to close the state's beaches during the pandemic. Uhlfelder has traveled throughout the state in a macabre costume of the Grim Reaper to criticize DeSantis' actions during the COVID pandemic.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Republican state lawmakers continued to try to make it harder to change the Florida Constitution. Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, a Doral Republican, has filed a proposal that would ask voters in 2022 to require future constitutional amendments to receive support from twothirds of voters to pass. Currently, constitutional amendments can pass with 60% of the vote.

BLUEBERRY FARMERS Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is disappointed that the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled blueberries are not being imported in large enough numbers to harm the domestic industry. In a prepared statement, Fried said, "The data proves that Florida's seasonal growers have suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in economic injury from foreign blueberry imports." Fried this month testified before the commission that Mexico's blueberries' market share was up 2,100% since 2009, while blueberries grown in Florida were down 38% since 2015. inweekly.net

DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL-SEVILLE SQUARE AREA

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outtakes

By Rick Outzen

Current use is law firm and mediation office. Could be converted to residential. Beautiful historic wrought iron fence with gate and matching sign post. Brick walkways. Historic marker on site. Roof to be replaced due to Sally damage. Beautiful hardwood floors throughout except full-size kitchen, laundry room, downstairs bath and adjacent hallway are ceramic 16 x 16 tiles and 1 x 1s in entry to full bath.

Call or text Cheryl Young at 850-712-4742 to see today!

THE LAW WORKED The saga of the OLF-8 emails recently released by DPZ CoDesign shows the importance of Florida's public records law.

Without the obligation of local government and its vendors to allow the public to review its records, we would never learn how and why certain actions occur and how decisions are made. All government business would happen behind closed doors.

The public records law is at the heart of nearly every reporter's investigation into city, county and state government.

The Florida Attorney General's website states that the tradition of open government began with the passage of Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, known as "Public Records Law," in 1909. The law provides that any records made or received by any public agency in the course of its official business are available for inspection unless specifically exempted by the Florida Legislature.

DPZ's contract with the Escambia County required the consultant to make its records available to the public—"The Consultant acknowledges that this Agreement and any related financial records, audits, reports, plans, correspondence and other documents may be subject to disclosure to members of the public pursuant to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, as amended."

It took several email exchanges—and the county attorney's intervention—to get DPZ to release the public records. DPZ partner Marina Khoury first told me that we had to send any request to the county "as it has to come directly from them." I informed her that she was the custodian of the record, and her contract stated otherwise. The county attorney agreed with our position.

To help, we clarified that we only wanted emails with @navyfederal.org and @pnj.com and the emails to/from Florida CEO Scott Luth and narrowed the request to only seven members of DPZ's OLF-8 team. To help keep costs down, we asked for digital copies and even offered to review the records on their computer if they had one locally with the documents.

After a couple days of deliberation, DPZ told us, "…in our interest to keep this as simple as possible … the fee should be a max $1,000, maybe less if there aren't too many."

I protested, "We believe that fee you want for a very simple public record is prohibitive and set to avoid having to fulfill our request."

"Please understand we will not stop seeking these public records," I added, and then we asked the county attorney to intervene. She did, and DPZ dropped its fee to $150.

"Our intention was never to obstruct or create an undue burden on public records access," Khoury told us. "Despite assumptions to the contrary, this is the first time to my recollection that DPZ has received a public records request like this in Florida.

We do have a system for capturing public records through our email servers, but even those take time to capture, review and manage across our team of consultants."

DPZ is a Miamibased company that has done work all over Florida, including the Perdido Key Master Plan and rewriting the guidelines for Pensacola's CRA, but I let it slide. When the records were released, only five of the seven people had any emails that matched our criteria.

At Committee of the Whole on Thursday, Feb. 11, Khoury said the delay in releasing the emails happened because her team was busy and she didn't know who Rick Outzen was, which drew smiles from the commissioners and chuckles from county staff.

I don't know if Khoury was trying to insult me, but the name of the person asking for the public record doesn't matter under Florida law. June Bug, Fat Tony or Tom Brady should have their requests answered promptly. Wealth and position aren't factors either. Everyone has the right to review the OLF-8 records and get a peak in the behind the scenes of its master plan process.

Thanks to Florida's public records law, we did. {in} rick@inweekly.net

I don't know if Khoury was trying to insult me, but the name of the person asking for the public record doesn't matter under Florida law.

February 18, 2021

SEVILLE SQUARE REALTY, LLC Cheryl Young Licensed Real Estate Broker

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A NEW LEGACY FOR THE SCOTT SISTERS what we went through, in and out of prison.

It can bring you down, not just physically, but mentally. Now, we have purpose."

The story of the Scott Sisters is incredible and unusual, but it's not what they want to be known for, said Jamie.

"We want people to think of us and say they helped this community."

'YES, YOU CAN'

Gladys and Jamie Scott / Photo by Jennifer Leigh

By Jennifer Leigh Ten years ago, sisters Gladys and Jamie Scott made headlines when they were released from a Mississippi prison after 16 years. The condition was that the younger sister, Gladys, donate a kidney to Jamie, who was in renal failure.

The case was highly unusual and caught the attention of national media. After release, they moved to Pensacola, where their mom, Evelyn Rasco, was living. Since then, they've built a life in the city, reconnecting with their children and working in the community.

But now they want to give back and be a second chance for others—the way they got a second chance—with the nonprofit Sisters of Hope working with people to get their GED and make better life choices.

"Just working at a job, there was this empty void," said Gladys. "It wasn't fulfilling. That's when I decided to leave my job and go full force in Sisters of Hope. That's what God wanted me to do."

16 YEARS AND 32 DAYS

Sixteen years and 32 days. That's how long the Scott sisters were in jail. They were convicted and sentenced to life on charges that they led men into an ambush in which they were robbed of about $11 at gunpoint.

No one was injured.

Three boys and a young man, aged 14 to 18, were convicted but served lesser sentences. They had already been released from custody years before the Scott sisters were in 2011.

There were multiple grassroots efforts to free them during their incarceration, but it was Jamie's kidney failure, and, ultimately, the cost of dialysis treatment that would eventually fall on the state, that led Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour to indefinitely suspend their sentences.

There is still an effort for the sisters to be fully pardoned by the state, but for now, they are still under parole.

"A lifetime parole doesn't stop us," said Jamie. "We don't want anyone to go through

When the Scott sisters decided to be of service, they knew they wanted to do something in education. And so they founded Sisters of Hope in 2019.

Escambia County has seen major improvements when it comes to its graduation rates. The class of 2020 was at 86.5%—a big jump from 10 years ago when it was only 57.7%. The sisters say they want to be a resource for that gap of underserved kids and young adults so that they don't miss an opportunity to get a GED. Working and taking classes at Pensacola State College, Jamie said there's no reason for anyone to say, "I can't do it."

"Yes, you can," she said. "We just have to be able to encourage them."

The Sisters of Hope mission is to provide people—no matter their age or background—with the tools they need to start or complete their GED. They've partnered up with Pensacola State College and CareerSource Escarosa. Around the corner from their office at DeVilliers Square, they've secured space for a GED course that will be open to 10 people at a time (for now) to ensure proper social distancing.

Sisters of Hope also aims to provide career training—resumes, interview coaching and even interview attire—something Jamie noticed was in dire need. "(At PSC), I saw a lot of young people who didn't know how to type up a resume," she said. "We want to teach them the dos and don'ts of interviews."

Gladys and Jamie were sentenced to prison at 19 and 21, respectively—ages when young adults might be furthering their edu-

cation or entering a career. And in prison, they saw a revolving door of inmates.

"Seventy-five percent of inmates go back (to jail)," said Gladys. That percentage comes from a 2015 study from the Department of Justice. "When you're coming out of prison, those first 72 hours are critical."

When it comes to looking for gainful employment, Gladys said it's that much harder without a GED. "If you're a convicted felon without a high school diploma, you've already got strikes against you," she added.

CALLING ON THE COMMUNITY

Like most other nonprofits, Sisters of Hope has been hit hard by the pandemic.

Since they've started, they've helped over a dozen people get their GED. When schools reopened for in-person instruction last year, they donated 3,000 masks alongside gloves and sanitizer to help out teachers.

But to truly make the impact they want to make, they need donations.

A top priority is laptops for the classroom.

A little further down on the wish list would be a van to pick up those in the GED classes.

As a young organization, Jamie and Gladys said they're open to collaboration in the community. They also want more community leaders to take an interest. They both credit Commissioner Lumon May for providing guidance. They call their pastor, Lonnie D. Wesley III of Greater Little Rock Baptist Church, their mentor.

"He prayed over our office," said Jamie.

"We don't take a step without calling him."

They want to be a blessing to the community, and they will need blessings to help make it happen.

"We want to go further than just Escambia," said Jaime. "That's my dream."

"They need this education," added Gladys. "We're going to get it. I'm excited." {in} For more information about Sisters of Hope and to make a donation, visit sistersofhopereentry.net.

You can also contact them at 542-4202.

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inweekly.net

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.

February 18, 2021

7

BEHIND THE OLF-8 DEBATE

OLF-8 / Photo courtesy of Public Record Request

By Rick Outzen Since early December, the Escambia Board of County Commissioner has been struggling to get its consultant, DPZ CoDesign, to provide a master plan for Outlying Landing Field 8 (OLF-8) that would help create high-paying jobs and also offer amenities for Navy Federal Credit Union employees and Beulah residents.

Twice, the Pensacola News Journal's editorial board has blasted the board. On Dec. 12, the daily newspaper wrote, "Escambia County commissioners' arrogant bungling of a recent presentation of proposed plans for OLF-8 was an utter embarrassment for the board and a brazen insult to the citizens of Beulah and the professionals who taxpayers hired to research and develop the best potential uses for the land."

At the end of January, the newspaper accused Commissioners Steven Barry, Robert Bender, Jeff Bergosh and Lumon May of conspiring to attack DPZ. Last week, Inweekly obtained emails between DPZ and its OLF-8 project team that appeared to show the team coaching the daily newspaper's reporters on their coverage and exposed how deeply Navy Federal employees have been involved in the Beulah Coalition and lobbying the commissioners on behalf of the master plan options that limited the commerce option at OLF-8.

At its Committee of the Whole on Thursday, Feb. 11, DPZ had to answer several questions about the emails and whether the consultant's team had undermined the master plan process. Commissioner Bergosh, who represents Beulah, won re-election last fall while advocating for a commerce park at OLF-8. He couldn't hide his frustration with DPZ. 88

"My district does not want any more housing," Bergosh said. "There's a small vocal minority that does, but as we see from these emails, they are being coached. The majority of District 1 wants no more residential to be built period—and especially on that field we spent $18 million to acquire for jobs."

"We've never wanted to undermine the process," said DPZ partner Marina Khoury.

"We've given you a lot of options that we think are rooted in some good data. We're not trying to predispose the outcome."

Pensacola-based Impact Campaigns has handled DPZ's stakeholder engagement during the process. Its owner, Travis Peterson, told the board, "This is not going to be a no commerce park or all residential.

This is not an either/or choice. So as you'll see, in some of those emails, we try to encourage some of these very vocal residents to not plant a flag in the ground that there's going to be no commerce park."

The email to which Peterson referred was one sent by Khoury to the Beulah Coalition in early January. The email string included Jordan Conti and the Beulah Coalition's chief organizers Theresa Blackwell and Bill Pearson. Pearson is Navy Federal's public affairs, and Conti is the assistant manager, mortgage operations at Navy Federal. Pearson does not live in the Beulah area.

"We are in the process of setting up a Facebook group for people interested in learning more about us or being involved in moving our goals forward to stop a commerce park, actually a commerce park plan, to be more specific," Blackwell wrote Conti on Jan. 8. "I think you outlined our goal clearly last night."

Blackwell followed up with another email on Jan. 11—"Just talked with Bill Pearson about our organization going forward,

and he agreed that it should fall out like this." The strategy shared with DPZ and Navy Federal was to continue as the Beulah Coalition, have Nature Trail recruit more subdivisions and help others not in a subdivision to organize.

Adding the goal was to have speakers at the Jan. 21 commission meeting, she said, "We need to show that we are organizing and growing and will bring it to them. Letters to the editor would be great, too, to publicly embarrass them."

In her email, Khoury tried to get Blackwell to tone down her message. She wrote, "Instead of 'no commerce park,' you should consider 'Not only a commerce park,' as having high paying jobs on the site should be welcome, but the site is too large to only accommodate amenities and office jobs with no housing."

She advised them how to lobby for the DPZ master plans. Khoury told them to ask the commissioners to consider how much land is reasonable to set aside for commerce only. She told Blackwell, "Advocate for some housing on the site too, as if not here, where else in Beulah?"

However, there was another email from Peterson that caused problems for the commissioners. When it presented its four master plan options on Dec. 8, the board grilled DPZ about the limited space for a commerce park in three proposals, creating high-paying jobs and each option's economic impact.

Hours after the meeting, Peterson sent an email to PNJ reporter Madison Arnold with the subject line "first thoughts" that appeared to undermine the commissioners' positions. He argued that there already was enough land in Escambia County for economic development; the RFP stated DPZ was "to balance the needs of jobs with the needs of the Beulah community;" and that only 18% of the 271 people that took DPZ's survey voted for the Commerce Park option.

Arnold did not use Peterson's talking points in her article on the meeting. Inweekly sent emails to Khoury and Peterson asking them to explain the email to Arnold.

They did not reply.

NAVY FEDERAL'S ROLE

The credit union has a significant role in the master plan process. Two years ago, it agreed to reimburse the county for the cost of hiring a consultant to create the plan. The offer came with several strings attached.

Navy Federal got to select four members of the seven-person selection committee, approve the county's project manager

and have final approval of the master plan chosen by the county commission before it reimbursed all DPZ's invoices.

Khoury told Inweekly that her firm did not give the study to anyone other than the county. She wrote, "No one on the DPZ team has given final or draft reports or deliverables to any community member or organization before commission meeting.

We have systematically provided drafts to the county staff who themselves have made them publicly available."

However, the DPZ team emails showed Pearson and Navy Federal senior leaders received a draft copy of the market analysis as early as Aug. 14—10 days before the daily newspaper published the report and three weeks before DPZ's presentation to the county commission.

Inweekly has asked the county to investigate whether its staff gave the study to Navy Federal, the Beulah Coalition and the daily newspaper.

In its Jan. 31 editorial, the PNJ accused several commissioners of creating boogeymen—"…time after time, there's always an enemy. Always a boogeyman." The DPZ emails appeared to show that Pearson had created a boogeyman—FloridaWest, the county's economic development authority.

After the News Journal published an article on the Downtown Tech Park not receiving any offers on Nov. 13, Pearson sent an email circulated among the DPZ team bashing FloridaWest.

"If our community is struggling to fill a two-acre lot in the bustling downtown, what kind of market will there be for hundreds of acres in Beulah that, like the tech park, is designed to attract high-wage jobs?" asked Pearson.

The DPZ emails also show that Navy Federal leaders may have gotten a private briefing before the consultants met with the board on Dec. 8.

On Dec. 1, Peterson wrote Pearson, "We're doing quick briefings with BOCC members on the OLF-8 plans and wanted to make sure we offered the team at NFCU the same. Would you and/or some of the NFCU senior leadership want an overview prior to the presentation to the BOCC next week?"

On Feb. 11, Khoury told the commissioners, "I will state publicly that we have not gone behind your back to Navy Federal.

I don't want them to feel they've gotten a bad rep through this because they really haven't. They've maintained impartiality, and they have worked very hard to not try and influence this process."

She offered to give the county all DPZ's emails regarding the master plan. Khoury said, "When we send you our emails, I think you're going to see that it was never our intention to undermine the process."

Inweekly will publish its analysis of the emails once they are released. {in} inweekly.net

as the number two for Greater Pensacola Operations, Navy Federal's largest operations site employing more than 8,400 people. Navy Federal is on track to reach its commitment to employ 10,000 people in Escambia County by 2026. Before her current role, Cardona served as vice president for the credit union's branch operations.

CYBERCOAST CAMPAIGN

Keith Hoskins / Photo courtesy of Gulf Power in 2016

HOSKINS PROMOTED Navy Federal Credit

Union has announced that Capt. Keith Hoskins (USN Retired) has been named to the role of executive vice president, branch operations, and Kara Cardona has been selected to serve as the new leader of Greater Pensacola Operations. Hoskins has served as lead executive for Greater Pensacola Operations since April 2019.

"Keith Hoskins has been a tremendous leader for Greater Pensacola Operations," said Debbie Calder, the chief operating officer for Navy Federal and Hoskins' predecessor in Pensacola.

"Between that experience and his 27 years of service in the U.S. Navy, Keith truly understands our members," said Calder. "I'm confident he will help our growing branch team meet the evolving needs of our members around the world."

Hoskins takes the branch team's helm from RADM Dietrich Kuhlmann (USN Retired), who was named chief real estate lending officer. Before joining Navy Federal, Hoskins was the western district manager for Gulf Power Company. His military service transition came after 27 distinguished years in the U.S. Navy, where he retired as Commanding Officer for Naval Air Station Pensacola. He also served as an F-18 pilot on the Blue Angels flight demonstration team.

"One thing I have learned in my time so far with Navy Federal is this team, no matter where you serve in the credit union, has an unwavering commitment to be there for our members, each other and our communities," said Hoskins. "I am proud to be part of it and look forward to leading our branch team."

Cardona has been with the credit union for over 21 years, the last three years serving February 18, 2021

With blizzards hitting the Northwest, FloridaWest, the Escambia County's economic development authority, has launched a campaign to lure frozen businesses and remote workers to live and work in the Pensacola area. Security Magazine picked up the story within hours of the campaign's release—"Cyber pros: Pensacola, Florida wants you."

The press release read— "as snow piles deeper, and the winter weather grows harsh across much of the Midwest and Northeast, Pensacola is reminding cyber workers (and their employers) that relief can be found just a few hours south.

A new series of social media ads presents images of the region's emerald waters and sugar-white sands, but officials say that's only the beginning of what the area has to offer information security professionals."

"The ads are designed to start conversations—among coworkers, family members and cybersecurity company executives," said Scott Luth, CEO of FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance. "The next step is to get them here so that they can experience our quality of life firsthand and start considering doing their current job remotely, finding a new job with one of our many cybersecurity employers or, in some cases, moving their company here."

Northwest Florida is home to a host of military, government and private-sector cybersecurity assets, many of which are featured on cybercoastflorida.com, the centerpiece of FloridaWest's cybersecurity strategic plan. The ads will drive traffic to the site and promote the area's advantages in terms of climate, commute times, cost of living and overall quality of life.

FloridaWest is also working with local tourism officials, hoteliers and real estate companies to offer incentives for qualified cybersecurity professionals to try out a remote-work week in the area.

Luth noted that attracting people who already have jobs complements the more traditional effort to attract companies.

"Organizations with high-demand, highwage specialties like cybersecurity thrive where they can find the best talent in the highest

numbers," he said. "FloridaWest is leveraging this trend to keep our homegrown cyber talent here and bring in more from other places. If we have the people, the companies will follow."

GOOD YEAR FOR PORT Despite challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Sally, the Port of Pensacola saw an overall revenue increase of 13% in 2020, which included increases in cargo tonnage and vessel dockage days.

"Given the trying times we all had to try to navigate, I am both pleased and proud that the Port of Pensacola team was able to drive growth in every major metric of port success," Port Director Amy Miller said. "I have every reason to believe this positive momentum will continue in 2021."

The Port of Pensacola also continued to attract new business development in 2020 while cultivating various existing industries at the port. The city council approved a lease for Streamline Boats to be a tenant in 2021 and renewed Cemex's lease. The council also approved a lease for a hotel on Port of Pensacola property, expanding the port's waterfront development consistent with its master plan.

"We're incredibly fortunate to have the Port of Pensacola as such a valuable asset for the City of Pensacola," Mayor Grover Robinson said. "I'd like to commend Port Director Amy Miller and her team for working hard to keep moving the port forward and create success, even during such a challenging year. I'm excited to see what the future has in store for the Port of Pensacola."

To read the Port of Pensacola's annual report, visit bit.ly/36YJuJZ. NEW HOMELESS TASK FORCE A com-

munity partnership in Northwest Florida has formed to better streamline services to homeless individuals and families with the ultimate goal of offering essential resources in helping them achieve a life God intended for all citizens in the two-county area. The Homeless Reduction Task Force of NWF will increase public safety and strengthen the Northwest Florida community by reducing the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

John Johnson, executive director of Opening Doors NWFL, the lead agency for Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties Local Continuum of Care, and Connie Bookman, founder and CEO of Pathways For Change, chair the task force.

"Our community is finally coming to grips with the devastating effects of our tolerating men, women and children sleeping in our neighborhood woods and on our downtown sidewalks," Johnson said. "Private citizens, government, faith-based, health and social organizations along with business leaders are all coming together with the formation of our new Homeless Reduction Task Force."

Every January, Opening Doors coordi-

nates the Annual Point in Time homeless census in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

The 2020 census revealed an increase in the unsheltered homeless. The goals of the task force are to achieve this year 15% increases in shelter capacity for families and women, funding to providers of homeless services, and utilization of mental health and treatment services and follow-up case management services to those newly housed.

The task force also wants to add 50 Permanent Affordable Housing beds, reduce the "homeless hot zones" by 15% and reduce ER visits and court interaction by the homeless by 10%.

Bookman will work directly with homeless service providers to create a cross-section of operating and cooperative Memorandums of Understanding. Such agreements bridge communication gaps and streamline each organization's referral processes to another Continuum of Care member. Bookman is also scheduled to host a weekly podcast, inviting providers to highlight their mission, services and successes along with interviews and insights into individuals and families coming out of homelessness in the two-county area.

Bookman and Pathway's research specialist court liaison, Brittany Austin, M.S., will manage the Opening Doors grants software and provide funding identification and grant writing services to each task force nonprofit leader. Pathways will also assist current Opening Doors staff in coordinating and implementing the HMIS (homeless management information system), utilizing undergraduate social work and criminal justice interns.

CLEANING BAYOU TEXAR By completing three stormwater improvement projects, the City of Pensacola will stop 15.3 tons of pollutant solids annually from discharging into Bayou Texar, enhancing the bayou's water quality and connected waterways.

"Pensacola has long been a community with a strong connection to our waterways, and it's so important that we preserve and protect them for future generations," Mayor Grover Robinson said. "I'm excited that the City of Pensacola is continuing to complete important projects like these to improve our water quality and provide opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy cleaner, less polluted waterways in Pensacola."

The City of Pensacola's Public Works and Facilities Department has recently completed the following projects as part of the city's ongoing efforts to improve local water quality: •East Cross, Yates, Escambia and Osceola Outfalls at Bayou Texar Stormwater Treatment Enhancement Project—Estimated 6.1 Tons of Pollutant to be Removed Annually •Scott, Yates, Lakeview and Strong Outfalls to Bayou Texar Stormwater Treatment Enhancement Project—Estimated 5.8 Tons of Pollutant to be Removed Annually 9

•Bayou Boulevard, Perry, Blount and Avery Outfalls at Bayou Texar Stormwater Treatment Enhancement Project—Estimated 3.4 Tons of Pollutant to be Removed Annually These projects provide treatment for several stormwater basins that previously discharged into Bayou Texar with no form of treatment. All of the stormwater treatment units installed through these projects collect stormwater runoff and trap sediment, trash, oils, greases and other pollutants inside and allow cleaner water to be discharged into Bayou Texar and Pensacola Bay. Previous issues with standing water along the shoulder of Bayou Boulevard have been addressed through the Bayou Boulevard, Perry, Blount and Avery Outfalls at Bayou Texar Stormwater Treatment Enhancement Project, making the roadway safer for both motorists and cyclists.

The completion of these projects is an integral part of the city's ongoing water quality improvement program. These projects will help to provide improved recreational experiences for those who use and enjoy local area waterways.

"These new treatment units will capture pollutants during rainfall events before they reach the bayou, which greatly benefits the marine estuary environment of the bayou," City of Pensacola Public Works and Facilities Director Derrik Owens said. "We're looking forward to future opportunities to implement projects like this to further enhance water quality in Bayou Texar and Pensacola Bay for years to come."

IT'S OFFICIAL The Pensacola Blue

Wahoos have signed a Professional Development License through Major League Baseball to serve as the Miami Marlins' Double-A affiliate.

"Our organization is very excited to join the Professional Development License system as an affiliate of the Miami Marlins," Blue Wahoos owner Quint Studer said. "Already, the Marlins have been excellent partners to our team, and

we're excited to begin forming what we hope to be long-term relationships on and off the field with Miami and their affiliates."

The Blue Wahoos were officially invited to become an affiliate of the Marlins in December as part of the new Professional Development License system designed to modernize the player development system and provide affiliated teams access to Major League Baseball's partnerships, tools, technology and content to enhance fan experience.

The Marlins become the third affiliate for the Blue Wahoos franchise. The team was previously a member of the Cincinnati Reds organization (2012-2018) and the Minnesota Twins (2019-2020). In addition to the Blue Wahoos, the Marlins minor league system will also include the Jupiter Hammerheads at the Class-A level, the High-A Beloit Snappers and the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

BASICS INSIGHTS SIGN-UP We are at 1,075 children and counting in Basics Insights, and the Studer Community Institute (SCI) needs your help to reach its goal of 5,000 children enrolled in its text messaging program by the end of 2021.

Basics Insights is part of SCI's Basics Pensacola partnership with Harvard economist Dr. Ronald Ferguson. A CivicCon speaker in 2020 and 2019, Ferguson founded the Basics Learning Network with the Achievement Gap Initiative, which uses research-grounded tools to help close the "achievement gap," a gap in learning skills that shows itself as early as age 18 months and a gap that disproportionately impacts children of color.

Research shows Basics Insights texts can nudge parents from all socioeconomic backgrounds to talk and engage more with their young children. The twice-weekly texting tool sends tips, advice and knowledge to parents of children ages birth to 3. The tips are tailored to the age of the child. To sign up your child or grandchild or a friend, visit bit.ly/33NXTpv.

COX GRANTS Cox employees will give more than $50,000 to schools in its Southeast service area through the Cox Charities Innovation in Education program. Pre-K-12 teachers are invited to apply for grants of up to $2,500 at coxcharitiesser.org until Feb. 28.

Innovation in Education grants support technology, programs and curricula that promote students' academic success and enhance the educational experience.

Cox employees donate to the program through recurring payroll deductions and one-time gifts. Funds raised locally support nonprofits and educators in the areas where Cox employees live.

"Cox remains committed to helping students reach their full potential, whether it's in a digital, hybrid or traditional classroom," said Erin Monroe Wesley, vice president of government and public affairs. "Our employees are passionate about supporting programs that bring innovative technology and skills development to students across our footprint."

Cox's Southeast Region includes Acadiana, Baton Rouge and New Orleans, La; Florida's Gulf Coast (Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach); Central Florida (Gainesville and Ocala); and Middle Georgia (Macon and Warner Robins).

Branded under the theme "Give Where You Live," Cox Charities was created to strengthen Cox communities by supporting programs that positively impact communities in the areas of education, technology, social issues, conservation and the arts. In addition to the Innovation in Education grants, Cox Charities offers Community Investment grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.

Last year, employees in the Southeast Region pledged over $150,000 to Cox Charities.

STRIVETOGETHER GRANTS StriveTogether, a national network working to bring communities together around data to make decisions and improve results for kids, recently announced Achieve Escambia as an awardee of an $85,000 grant from its Challenge Fund.

The funding will be used to launch a regional, equity-centered, public-facing data dashboard in partnership with numerous cradle to career providers. The dashboard— set to begin this summer—will be an interactive learning, engagement and mobilization tool centered on the social determinants of health with a call to action of dismantling racism and racial inequity by revealing where racial disparities "live" in the two-county Escambia-Santa Rosa metro area.

"This dashboard will be a one-stop shop for more than 50 cradle-to-career partners and eliminate 'dashboard duplication' within our region," said Dr. Kimberly Krupa, executive director of Achieve Escambia.

Altogether, StriveTogether has provided $20 million in grants since the onset of the pandemic in 2020 and will award another $12 million by the end of 2021. Multi-year commitments from several long-time investors in StriveTogether helped make this possible.

SCI LEADERSHIP CERTIFICATIONS

The Studer Community Institute (SCI) has the "Leader Certification" program to help individuals gain essential leadership skills, and local businesses attract talent.

"Comparable certification courses through Cornell and other national organizations start at $3,000 per person," said SCI Chief Leadership Development Officer Rachael Gillette." We're very excited and proud to be offering leaders in our community an opportunity to become certified for just $750."

Based on leadership experience and training needs, SCI offers three certification pathways. Similar to university courses, participants will earn 15 training credits during 12 months through a combination of live training symposiums and on-demand courses.

Participants complete all required homework and upload it into their online training portal. Upon approval, an SCI Leadership Certificate is awarded, which is good for one year. To register, visit studeri.org. {in}

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inweekly.net

Quality of Life Survey This poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling Strategy, Inc of Washington, D.C. in late fall 2020.

Mason-Dixon is a nationally known independent polling group. This insures non-biased data that uses proven strategies for polling. The survey is coordinated by the Pensacola Young Professionals and funded by Quint and Rishy Studer.

Comparing results from 2008 to 2020 The Quality-of-Life Survey gains insights into people’s perception of key indicators in Escambia County.

The Quality of Life Survey was first conducted in 2008.

The tables below show the quality of life questions comparing the results from 2008 to 2020. These are the standard quality of life survey questions, though every year some non-standard questions are added by Pensacola Young Professionals.

The good news is there has been positive improvement in almost every category since 2008. Pay careful attention to those that didn’t show a lot of improvement. This could be because it was already rated high.

For example, the availability of outdoor parks playgrounds and beaches showed an improvement of 16% with 67% positive in 2008 and 78% positive in 2020. Some quality of life questions showed a giant improvement, but some of that is due to being ranked so low in 2008.

The good news is that we’re moving in the right direction.

However, many of these areas show we still have room to improve. By working together, we can continue the positive movement in Escambia County and the City of Pensacola.

(A few categories were added after 2008, as noted.)

RIGHT TRACK, WRONG TRACK Do you think that Escambia County is heading in the right direction, or are things on the wrong track?

RIGHT DIRECTION WRONG TRACK NOT SURE

2008

2020

22%

63%

54%

27%

24%

11%

186% improvement from 2008 to 2020

Do you think that the City of Pensacola is heading in the right direction, or are things on the wrong track?

RIGHT DIRECTION WRONG TRACK NOT SURE

2008

2020

27%

64%

52%

24%

25%

12%

137% improvement from 2008 to 2020

This information is brought to you by the Studers February 18, 2021

11

Quality of Life Su

Comparing results from 2008 to 202 VISION & LEADERSHIP I am familiar with and confident in the vision, plans and leadership for the revitalization of City of Pensacola?

AGREE

DISAGREE NOT SURE

2008

2020

42%

66%

48%

28%

11%

5%

57% improvement from 2008 to 2020

ECO

I am familiar with and confident in the vision, plans and leadership for economic development for Escambia County?

2008

2020

42%

57%

50%

37%

8%

6%

AGREE

DISAGREE NOT SURE

36% improvement from 2008 to 2020

How would you rate the City of Pensacola’s success in addressing new challenges, and in attracting economic opportunity and job growth?

City of Pensacola POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

9%

37%

90%

62%

1

2%

311% improvement from 2008 to 2020

How concerned are you about the security and future of your own job, or the jobs of any close family members in Escambia County?

JOB PERFORMANCE Job Performance: County Commissioners

Job performance: Mayor Grover Robinson

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2019 2020 53%

56%

28%

34%

19%

10%

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2014

2020

32%

36%

63%

57%

5%

7%

2014

2020

28%

35%

44%

49%

29%

16%

Job Performance: Pensacola City Council

Job Performance: School Board First asked in 2014

First asked in 2014

2014

2020

46%

43%

42%

48%

12%

9%

First asked in 2014 POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW City Voters Only

2008 CONCERNED

NOT CONCERNED NOT SURE

2020

58%

51%

38%

46%

4%

3%

12% improvement from 2008 to 2020

How would you rate economic conditions in Escambia county?

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

14%

35%

86%

65%

0

0

150% improvement from 2008 to 2020

Mason-Dixon Polling

This poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling Strategy, Inc of Washington, D.C. in late fall 2020.

Mason-Dixon is a nationally known independent polling group. This insures non-biased data that uses proven strategies for polling.

Those interviewed were selected randomly from the commercially available Florida State voter registration file and fairly reflected the demographics of the Escambia County voting population.

The margin of error was below 5%, meaning that the “true” figure would fall within a less than 5% range of difference if the entire population (all voters) were sampled.

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urvey

20

RATING ESCAMBIA AS A PLACE TO LIVE Recent college grads looking for jobs

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

ONOMY Five years from now, do you think that the economy in Escambia County will be better off, worse off, or about the same as it is today?

2008

2020

BETTER

30%

35%

SAME

22%

27%

40%

35%

8%

3%

WORSE

NOT SURE

17% improvement from 2008 to 2020

Escambia County POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

7%

31%

93%

68%

0

1%

343% improvement from 2008 to 2020

How effective do you think the growth of Pensacola’s Waterfront, including the Maritime Park and baseball stadium, have been in improving economic opportunity for the City of Pensacola?

First asked in 2012 EFFECTIVE

NOT EFFECTIVE UNDECIDED

2012

2020

66%

76%

10%

23%

23%

1%

15% improvement from 2012 to 2020

2008

2020

9%

26%

90%

71%

1%

3%

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

30%

39%

64%

58%

6%

3%

189% improvement from 2008 to 2020

30% improvement from 2008 to 2020

Families with children

People living below poverty line

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

52%

57%

48%

42%

0

1%

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

10%

18%

81%

78%

10%

4%

10% improvement from 2008 to 2020

80% improvement from 2008 to 2020

Entrepreneurs & new businesses

Immigrants from other countries

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

How would you rate Escambia County’s success in addressing new challenges, and in attracting economic opportunity and job growth?

Young single people

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

30%

45%

65%

53%

6%

2%

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

32%

41%

54%

55%

14%

4%

50% improvement from 2008 to 2020

28% improvement from 2008 to 2020

Retirees

Racial & ethnic minorities

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

72%

78%

27%

22%

0

0

8% improvement from 2008 to 2020

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

39%

46%

56%

50%

6%

4%

18% improvement from 2008 to 2020

RATING OVER ALL QUALITY OF LIFE How would you rate the over all quality of life in Escambia County?

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

51%

66%

49%

34%

0

0

29% improvement from 2008 to 2020

Over the next 5 years do you think that the quality of life in Escambia County will improve, deteriorate or stay about the same?

IMPROVE

DETERIORATE

STAY THE SAME

NOT SURE

2008

2020

32%

36%

15%

14%

53%

49%

1%

2%

12.5% improvement from 2008 to 2020

February 18, 2021

13

Quality of Life Survey Comparing results from 2008 to 2020 RATING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FACTORS IN ESCAMBIA COUNTY Quality of the public schools

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

27%

34%

67%

66%

6%

1%

The availability of outdoor parks, playgrounds, and beaches

Availability of affordable housing

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

34%

31%

65%

66%

1%

3%

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

67%

78%

33%

21%

0

1%

9% decline from 2008 to 2020

16% improvement from 2008 to 2020

Public transportation

Effective leadership from elected officials

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

19%

27%

73%

64%

8%

9%

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

16%

38%

84%

61%

1%

2%

26% improvement from 2008 to 2020

42% improvement from 2008 to 2020

137.5% improvement from 2008 to 2020

The availability of cultural opportunities, such as theater, museums, and music

Public safety and low crime

A shared vision and effective plans for economic development and job growth

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

40%

51%

60%

49%

1%

1%

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

28%

37%

72%

62%

0%

1%

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

9%

35%

86%

63%

6%

3%

27.5% improvement from 2008 to 2020

32% improvement from 2008 to 2020

289% improvement from 2008 to 2020

Offering job opportunities in your field

Availability of quality healthcare

Being able to get from place to place with little traffic

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

20%

41%

71%

53%

10%

7%

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

55%

58%

44%

40%

1%

2%

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

28%

33%

72%

66%

1%

2%

105% improvement from 2008 to 2020

5.5% improvement from 2008 to 2020

18% difference from 2008 to 2020

Having a vibrant nightlife with clubs, bars, restaurants etc.

Natural beauty & physical setting

Welcoming and inviting to people of diverse backgrounds, ethnicity and culture

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

33%

54%

45%

37%

21%

9%

64% improvement from 2008 to 2020

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

70%

77%

30%

22%

0

1%

10% improvement from 2008 to 2020

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

DON’T KNOW

2008

2020

43%

61%

51%

38%

6%

1%

42% improvement from 2008 to 2020

Download the full Quality of Life Survey: pensacolayp.com/quality-of-life-report Questions? Contact: Claire Kirchharr, Vice President of Quality of Life, at clairemk14@gmail.com

The Quality of Life Survey is coordinated by Pensacola Young Professionals and funded by Quint and Rishy Studer.

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@evocationcreationart @costamakessushi

@anniemorgan6 @signedbyscott

By Sydney Robinson

@polar_express_conductor February 18, 2021

Photos by Natalie Allgyer 15

Social media app TikTok is probably familiar to you in one of two ways—you either know it and are addicted to it or you stay as far from it as you can, ever lured by the siren song of your friends and family who promise that it's "just so fun," especially in a pandemic.

In 2020, unsuspecting Americans, bored by the usual "Netflix and chill" routine in quarantine, turned in increasing numbers to TikTok—a haven of 15-second to one-minute-long videos in an oh-so-scrollable format paired with an algorithm that seems to peer deep into the soul of each eager user.

Unlike Instagram, TikTok seems to reward authenticity rather than polished perfection. Unlike Facebook, it's easy to stay far away from unsavory politics and feel like you are sharing videos in a place devoid of family and employers. Unlike YouTube, TikTok requires relatively little start-up costs, no

Christian Costa @costamakessushi

44K

Followers

412.1K Likes

Kade Ansel

@evocationcreationart

108.6K

Followers 616 1

1.8M Likes

fancy editing software or high-quality cameras. Unlike any of the long-established apps with long-established stars, TikTok seems eager to elevate unknown creators every day, making the possibility of "blowing up" something anyone can achieve.

On a regular day, TikTok is populated with dance routines set to popular music, animal videos, cooking tutorials, outfit of the days—you know, typical social media content. But during times of turmoil—like the Jan. 6 insurrection, the 2020 election and this past summer's civil unrest in the wake of George Floyd's death—the app serves as a direct and unfiltered line to people on the ground, providing insight that rivals that of Twitter or your local news.

Outside of breaking news, TikTok has taken on a surprising role as a diagnostic tool, with many users learning things about themselves they have never even considered.

Sushi chef Christian Costa is known in Pensacola for his talents behind the sushi bar. But his skills with rice vinegar and ahi is drawing attention from all over the country—and the world—thanks to his newly viral TikTok account.

Formerly of downtown's Nom Sushi Izakaya, Costa moved to Hawaii before returning to the Pensacola area in mid-2019. Since then, he has worked at The JellyFish Restaurant in Perdido and has dabbled in social media content creation on Instagram and YouTube.

But it wasn't until 2021 that Costa's commitment to high-quality sushi content hit pay dirt when some of his younger coworkers suggested he check out TikTok. Within days, Costa got his first viral hit through a fan request for a bacon cheeseburger sushi roll.

"I was like, you know what, of course I can do that. I can do anything.

When Kade Ansel joined TikTok in the summer of 2020, their plan was clear—use the platform to promote their art, because who doesn't love a good in-progress art video? What they didn't anticipate was how much they would get out of the app and how so much of their content would end up being a mix of art and real life.

In the early days of the pandemic, Ansel contracted COVID, and as they recovered from the virus, they discovered something disturbing—they could no longer recognize the faces of their friends and family.

An artist with lots of experience capturing faces in many mediums, Ansel learned from doctors that they had developed prosopagnosia, or face blindness.

Doctors guessed that the baffling disorder was the result of a small stroke brought on by coronavirus.

Though their TikTok page was meant for art, the video Ansel posted about prosopagnosia was one of the first to go viral on their page.

Content about ADHD, autism, bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses is shared often based on similar symptoms and experiences. The almighty algorithm has also helped users find community and support to come out as bi or gay or, in a deeper identity discovery, find their place as a trans or nonbinary person. The sense of community for these users is such that some have remarked that they forget how the "real world" is after experiencing a comfortingly queer space on the app.

Whether as a creator or merely a user, people—especially young people—are flocking to TikTok, including some notable locals who have used the app to make it big.

Inweekly spoke with a few of the more prominent creators in the Pensacola area to discover what drew them to the app and what is keeping them there a year or more later. {in}

Costa says some may judge his I made [the roll], uploaded it and it just wild content, particularly in the strict exploded," Costa told Inweekly. world of sushi where technique and Overnight, Costa's account simplicity are king, but he sees what jumped from 36 followers to 4,000 he's doing as entertainment first. and hasn't stopped growing.

"I can get [viewers'] attention by "It was crazy and exciting. I feel doing something crazy; now let me very blessed," he said. show you something real," Costa said.

Costa's TikTok page is primarily As for the future, on TikTok and about crazy sushi made using nontrabeyond, Costa said he plans to conditional ingredients like Chick-Fil-A, tinue creating viral content on his page Doritos, Vietnamese pho and more. and is preparing to launch a merchanHis more traditional videos showcase dise line using his own illustrations. his knife skills and provide his young viewers with the basic how-tos for sushi making.

"I get flack for [doing "I was like, you know nontraditional sushi] all the what, of course I can do time. I like to post these crazy, unorthodox videos for fun and that. I can do anything. I entertainment, but I also like to made [the roll], uploaded show I know what I'm doing. [I] it and it just exploded." showcase cooking rice, vegetable prep and breaking down fish. I Christian Costa get tons of questions about the basics," he said.

"It has resonated with a lot of people who also feel that COVID is really serious. I can't see faces anymore. I have to use an inhaler now. I have chronic fatigue now. Just because you survive doesn't mean you are going to be OK," Ansel said.

"My goals right now are to expand my following, create a Patreon where I can sell tutorials and long-form videos and get more of a stable income."

Kade Ansel The same week Ansel launched their TikTok account, they also launched their Etsy account. Though talented in many mediums, Ansel's Etsy and TikTok accounts focus on wood burning, and followers can watch the artist create intricate wood-burning portraits and scenery.

Ansel, who works at a local financial

institution, says their plan is to gain enough of a following on both TikTok and Etsy to earn a living as an artist.

"My goals right now are to expand my following, create a Patreon where I can sell tutorials and long-form videos and get more of a stable income.

I'm getting to the point where I can transition to doing my art as my fulltime job," they said optimistically.

More than any other creator featured here, Ansel says that the success they have seen on TikTok has come with significant drawbacks in the form of online harassment, insults and even death threats due to the personal nature of their content.

"At first, if people said something mean to me, I'd have to lay down for three days," Ansel joked.

"I had to grow thicker skin. When people say [my] work sucks or say homophobic things to me, I have to be indiscriminate with the block and delete buttons. My page is not the public square."

Despite the negativity, Ansel says that their time on the app has been a resoundingly positive experience. inweekly.net

Annie Blanks @anniemorgan6

31.2K

Followers

1M

Likes

Annie Blanks, a reporter for the Pensacola News Journal, traditionally works in the written medium telling other people's stories. But when her own story went viral, it was thanks to a special dog named Eliza who stole the internet's heart.

Blanks says she was drawn to TikTok for the funny animal videos, though her younger sibling teased her about being too old to be in the space. But when Blanks, a longtime foster for the Santa Rosa County

Jay Bixler

@polar_express_conductor

459.4K Followers

6M

Likes

What is an actor to do when plays aren't playing and castings aren't casting? If you're local actor and educator Jay Bixler, you make the best of a bad situation and turn a homemade costume into half a million TikTok followers.

One of the best aspects of TikTok is the way in which the app creates a specific user experience for each person based on their likes and dislikes. It's how something as niche and specific as a cosplay of a single, seasonal character can turn into viral gold.

44-year-old Bixler says that he picked up TikTok as a way to practice his video editing skills. Using his background as a longtime stage actor and making use of a homemade costume, Bixler began making short videos using the persona of the train conductor from the 2004 holiday film "The Polar Express."

Kimberly Scott @signedbyscott

8,035

Followers

173.1K Likes

Unlike so many TikTok users who made their way onto the app during the surreal early months of the pandemic, teacher and creative Kimberly Scott was using the app back when it was called Musical.ly, the lip-syncing predecessor.

Scott's content is focused on positivity and pop culture, and her goal is to provide a bit of happiness and sunshine to those who follow her account.

"Every day, I try to laugh and smile.

I call myself the CEO of positivity," Scott told Inweekly.

Scott says her role as an educator means that many of her videos are February 18, 2021

Animal Shelter, took home a battered pup shortly before Christmas, she uploaded a video of the dog that went viral overnight, drawing a wave of supportive fans to Eliza's plight.

The video tugged at users' heartstrings, and it's no secret why. In it, Eliza avoids eye contact and shrinks away from human touch, her broken hips rendering her immobile in the sterile environment of the shelter. "[Going viral was] really overwhelming at first," said Blanks.

"There's so much pressure to post content; people were sending me donations and wanted updates."

Blanks says that for her, it's not about being a creator. She just wants to ensure that Eliza's fans are kept up to date. She feels it's the least she can do after her supporters raised thou-

sands for Eliza's care, an outpouring of support that covered the pup's hip surgery in December.

"I raised a little more than $4,000 in about a week," Blanks said, "some of which I donated to the shelter, and the rest went to her surgical cost, which was $2,100. The rest has been for her vet care."

Blanks is a veteran foster and is used to rehabbing animals before sending them on to their forever homes, but it didn't take long for her to decide that Eliza was home right where she was.

"It has been a really fun ride. It's fun to share her journey with people and show people the life of a rescue dog. [I want to show] how a dog that was in a shelter and so scared and sad can really blossom," Blanks said.

"[The movie] is a Christmas tradition for a lot of people, and from the comments, [people say] things like 'I watch it all the time,' or 'I watched when I was a kid.' There's a lot of nostalgia for the character," Bixler said.

Bixler's first viral videos were created downtown, in and around the Pensacola Little Theatre, and filmed and edited in just a few minutes.

"The name of the game is the low effort posts; you don't want to spend half your day coming up with a video," Bixler explained. "You get a moment of inspiration, you film it, do a little editing and then you put it out there. TikTok is turning attention and time into money," he said. "You never expect the ones [that] go viral to go viral."

Now that Christmas is long over, the Conductor is in hibernation, awaiting the return of the 2021 holiday season. Until then, Bixler says he plans to work on some other characters

on other accounts and hopes to turn his success with TikTok into a way to promote the Pensacola Little Theatre, where he works educating students.

"With coronavirus, it has actually given me a performance outlet," said Bixler. "I'm hoping someday to maybe turn it into a fundraising stream for the theatre."

Bixler recognizes that it may be a little strange for a Gen X-er like himself to be so active on an app billed for kids, but he says that his familiarity with the medium has made him a better teacher.

"I have no business being on TikTok, [but] it's good because I can keep up with my students because they're all in that demographic," said Bixler. "It helps me keep up with their lingo and what they talk about and what they're concerned about. It's a good barometer for the way young people think and view the world."

informational, providing tutorials on tie-dying clothing, meal prepping, as well as giving tips to fellow educators on how to navigate virtual learning.

"TikTok is just looking for authenticity," explained Scott. "Videos will go viral with [people whose] hair is not done, whereas on Instagram you have to be perfect. TikTok just wants you to be yourself. If you focus on being yourself and creating, the numbers don't matter anymore."

Scott has noticed that many of her followers are very young, drawn to her bubbly energy and educator spirit.

"I teach middle schoolers. I feel like middle schoolers know the trends and songs, and it helps me know what's going on in their world," she said.

Scott says that she got her biggest boost of followers during the summer of 2020 when major creators on the platform collaborated to promote Black content creators as part of a "blackout" to protest the way they

felt the app treated Black users. Scott says that the blackout was a success for her account, boosting her 100 followers to around 2,000.

"As a Black female who has this platform to speak on social justice, I do try to do that while also being true to what I want to be," said Scott. "I try to focus on educating people."

"This summer when a lot of things were happening with George Floyd and civil unrest, I would say, 'Here's some resources that will help you understand the Black experience.' That was the approach that I chose."

Scott says that her efforts on TikTok are part of a deliberate plan to grow her online following, with hopes that she will be able to join the apps creator fund soon. She is also considering other social media platforms like Twitch.

"I don't have the biggest platform in the world, but I do have more than most people, so I use those opportunities to educate," Scott said.

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a&e happenings bara Grice Memorial Clinic Facebook page or by calling 898-3380.

Spay/neuter surgery appointments are available Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and can be made as mentioned above. Drop off is at 7:30 am with 2 p.m. pick up for dogs and 3 p.m. pick up for cats. The Pensacola Humane Society and Barbara Grice Memorial Clinic are located at 5 N. Q St.

CAT AND KITTEN ADOPTIONS Animal Allies will be hosting cat and kitten adoptions Saturday, Feb. 27, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., at Pet Supermarket, 6857 N. Ninth Ave. Visit aaflorida.org for more information.

CALL TO ARTISTS

VENDORS AND CRAFT EXHIBITORS FOR JAZZ PENSACOLA 2021 Jazz Pen-

Attending "normal" events might not be happening yet—but that doesn't mean local businesses and nonprofits aren't still keeping the community connected in creative ways.

NONPROFITS + FUNDRAISERS

GULF COAST KID'S HOUSE EAST HILL YARD SALE Gulf Coast Kid's House

(GCKH) is hosting the first ever East Hill Yard Sale from 8 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Feb. 27. The sale is free to attend. Vendor spots are available for a suggested donation of $25. Any unsold items can be donated to Teen Challenge. Pensacola EggFest will be grilling up tasty grub for purchase. Funds raised allow GCKH to help child victims of abuse. To become a vendor, email outreach@gulfcoastkidshouse.org. For more information, visit gulfcoastkidshouse.org.

IMPACT 100 DRIVE-THRU MEMBERSHIP EVENTS The 2021 Membership

Season for IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area is going on now. In the coming weeks, IMPACT 100 offers many events to introduce prospective members to the process for funding transformative grants in the Pensacola Bay Area. Membership deadline is March 1.

New and renewing members can attend the following events to drop off membership contributions and pick up IMPACT 100 specialty items. Drive-thru participants can drop off membership contributions and see the impact of IMPACT on vehicles that IMPACT 100 has funded. Women 18 years of age and older are welcome to attend any of the Meet and Mingle drive through events. More details can be found at impact100pensacola.org.

Thursday, Feb. 18—4:30-6 p.m.

Drive-thru Celebration at Fish House Pensacola, 600 South Barracks St. Participants will enjoy grab-and-go treats from the Fish House and can take advantage of this final opportunity to join or renew IMPACT 100 membership in person.

PENSACOLA HABITAT FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL RETURNS IN MARCH Pen-

sacola Habitat for Humanity will be hosting 818 1

their fifth annual award-winning Pensacola Habitat Food Truck Festival on Friday, March 12, and Saturday, March 13, at Community Maritime Park, located at 351 W. Cedar St. Pensacola Habitat for Humanity has been working hard to plan a safe, unique event during these difficult times in order to continue raising funds to support their mission of building homes, communities and hope in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

Each week, Pensacola Habitat will release a "habi-hint," or clue, to the public regarding exciting, new elements of the festival. Participants will be entered into weekly drawings to win various prizes. Visit Pensacola Habitat's Facebook page, facebook.com/pensacolahabitat, for more information.

$108,000 AVAILABLE FOR 2021 SUNDAY'S CHILD GRANTS Sunday's Child

held its annual Kickoff Event on Thursday, Jan. 21, via a COVID-safe virtual meeting.

This year, there will be four grants awarded for $27,000 each, for a total of $108,000 raised by 161 members. These grants will be bestowed to nonprofit organizations that place value on diversity, inclusion and equality within the Pensacola Bay Area.

Sunday's Child will award the four grants of $27,000 in June. Letters of intent may be submitted now through Feb. 24, 2021. For further information, visit sundayschild.org.

To learn more about Sunday's Child, donate or apply for a grant, visit sundayschild.org. Send press inquiries to press@ sundayschild.org.

CLINIC AT PENSACOLA HUMANE SOCIETY NOW PROVIDING WELLNESS SERVICES The Barbara Grice Memorial Clinic at Pensacola Humane Society is now offering low-cost wellness services each Friday for the public.

Services include wellness exams, vaccinations, microchipping, deworming, heartworm testing, ear cleaning and more.

Wellness visits are available on Fridays only from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Appointments are required and can be made online through the link on the Pensacola Humane Society website at pensacolahumane.org or Bar-

sacola is calling arts and crafts exhibitors to submit applications for the 2021 Pensacola JazzFest planned for May 15-16 at Seville Square in historic downtown Pensacola.

Application forms can be downloaded at jazzpensacola.com. Only original art and handmade crafts will be accepted. No commercial/mass-produced products will be accepted.

All entries are $200 for a 10-by-10-foot canopy or smaller. All fees go to support Pensacola JazzFest, a free event for the community. For more information, call Jazz Pensacola administrator Alice Crann Good at (850) 433-8382, Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., or visit jazzpensacola.com.

ARTISTS/GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: 2021 JAZZFEST POSTER Jazz Pensacola

invites fine artists/graphic designers to submit renderings for the official 2021 Pensacola JazzFest poster. The commission is $500.

Submissions should conform to a vertical orientation using a ratio that will fit, with margin, on a final poster size of 18 inches wide by 24 inches high. All content must be the submitter's original creation and must be unpublished. The submitter must have all rights to images and graphics used in the final artwork and during the design process.

The poster must include the name of the festival—2021 Pensacola JazzFest.

The festival event information, including date, location, sponsors and any additional information, will be added to the poster in the graphic production process.

There is no need to include this information within the artwork.

Any mixed media suitable for twodimensional mechanical reproduction is allowed, including both hand-drawn and computer-generated graphics.

Rough drafts or sketches can be submitted, but, if selected, the final art must conform to the submitted draft or sketch.

Substantial deviation from the submitted sketch or draft will result in forfeiture by the artist of the cash prize and the selection of a new winner by Jazz Pensacola.

Submissions must be in low-res (72 ppi) JPEG format and emailed to info@ jazzpensacola.com. There is no limit to the

number of entries by a single artist. Each entry must include the artist's name, address, email and telephone number.

The submission deadline is March 8, 2021. If selected, the completed art deadline is April 19, 2021. For more information, visit jazzpensacola.com.

FOO FOO FEST GRANT APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN Pensacola's Foo Foo

Festival officially announced its plans for its seventh annual events, taking place Nov. 4-15, 2021.

In 2021, the Pensacola Foo Foo Festival will once again fund top-scoring grant applicants, with the number of grants to be awarded contingent upon the number of submissions. This year, the Foo Foo Festival will provide up to $315,000 in grant funding, and grant applicants can apply for up to $100,000 in grant funding. All organizations, businesses and community partners are encouraged to participate as "Friends of Foo," receiving visibility at the 12-day event. To apply for this year's Foo Foo Festival, visit foofoofest.com.

The Foo Foo Fest team will continue to monitor developments surrounding COVID-19 leading up to November's events and will fully cooperate with any instructions heeded for Escambia County by local and state officials and the CDC. The Foo Foo Fest grant application is Friday, April 30, 2021. On Wednesday, May 12, 2021, there will be an announcement of the public grant scoring.

For more information, visit foofoofest.com.

ARTS & CULTURE

PENSACOLA SYMPHONY OPENING NIGHT PSO's opening night for 2021 is

Saturday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. Violinist Jennifer Frautschi will be the guest musician. For tickets, visit pensacolasymphony.com.

GULF BREEZE HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA PRESENTS: YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN The Gulf Breeze High

School Drama department will have two performances of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" on Feb. 20 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Hilton on Pensacola Beach, 12 Via De Luna Drive. For more information and tickets, contact dramagbhs@gmail.com.

PENSACOLA CHILDREN'S CHORUS: ONE WORLD, MANY VOICES Pensaco-

la Children's Chorus' (PCC) center season performance, "One World, Many Voices," will be Sunday, Feb. 21, at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m.

In addition to the multicultural aspects, audience members will experience gorgeous contemporary music filled with lush harmonies, moving poetry and rhythmic excitement. Each performance will open with an uplifting "virtual choir"-style presentation featuring PCC's exclusively online choir, eSing. An original composition written by five of PCC's middle schoolers will receive its first live premiere. Entitled "Ignite the Spark," its message is one of inweekly.net

a&e happenings resilience and determination that directly responds to the hardships of the pandemic.

The piece is their message of hope and resilience in response to the hardships of the pandemic.

Pensacola Children's Chorus will be also be offering a live stream option for both performances. The cost of streaming is $18 per concert. To purchase this option, please visit pensacolasings.org.

Tickets to view the production inperson can be purchased by visiting the Saenger Theatre Box Office or ticketmaster. com. Tickets range from $16-$30. For additional information, visit pensacolasings.org.

BROWN BAG OPERA Visit Pensacola

Opera at 75 Tarragona St. for a free midday performance from artists in residence on Tuesday, Feb. 23, at noon. Performance is free. Masks required. For more information, visit pensacolaopera.com.

CELTIC WOMAN CELEBRATION Gram-

my-nominated, multi-platinum international music group Celtic Woman will perform at Saenger Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $42 and up. If you purchased a ticket for a 2020 tour date that was postponed, it will be honored. For more information, visit pensacolasaenger.com.

EVOLVE 'N THRIVE THIRD ANNUAL GAY…LA The third annual Gay…la hosted

by Evolve 'n Thrive events will be Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Sanders Beach-Corinne Jones Resource Center, located at 913 S. I St. Performers include Raven Samore, Monica Heart, Wyntier Kandiey, Sunny Daze, Alastina Jade Samore and Snowy Marie. Tickets are $49 each and help support more inclusive events in the South. For more information, visit evolventhrive.com.

PENSACON RESCHEDULED FOR MAY 21-23 After extensive consultation with

partner venues, Pensacon organizers have announced the convention will now take place May 21-23.

To ensure safety, attendees will be required to wear face coverings while on all Pensacon grounds and within all Pensacon venues, outside of designated, distanced eat-

ing spaces. Among other precautions, handsanitizing stations will be set up throughout the convention, and social distancing policies, including seating/capacity limitations at some venues, will be employed.

For those who have already purchased tickets for the original February dates, your tickets are already rolled over to the new dates. For those who are unable to attend in May, your unused tickets will be rolled over to Pensacon 2022, which is expected to return to the convention's usual February timeframe.

Those who still need tickets can get them at pensacon.com. Weekend passes, which include admission for all three days of the convention, are $80. Single-day tickets are available at a cost of $35 for Friday, May 21; $45 for Saturday, May 22; and $40 for Sunday, May 23. VIP Experience weekend passes are $155 and include early admission to the Pensacola Bay Center, preferred seating at panel venues, front-ofline privileges for celebrity autographs and photo ops, and exclusive T-shirt, spaceavailable parking and other perks. Additional taxes and fees apply to all tickets.

For a complete list of guests scheduled to appear, visit pensacon.com.

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.

ON VIEW AT THE PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART "Youth Art Focus" will

be on display through Feb. 28. "Antarctica" is another new exhibition on view through April 4 at the downstairs gallery. Other exhibitions include "Pretty/Ugly" the UWF BFA exit show of Madisen Pooton and "In Memoriam," from Panhandle Slim, which honors the lives of Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson, Airman Mohammed Haitham and

Airman Cameron Walters, who were killed in a terrorist attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola. For more information and hours of operation, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

NEW EXHIBITIONS AT ARTEL GALLERY Three new exhibitions will be on display at Artel Gallery through Feb. 25. In the main gallery is "Celebrating Diversity" with various artists. In the vault is "Black Arts Matter" from artists Carter J., Kenneth Burrell, Ashley Gibson, Alys Richardson and Bobby Booker. And in the alcove is "Shadowland"

by Diane Collins. For more information and hours of operation, visit artelgallery.org.

GREAT GULFCOAST ARTS FESTIVAL 2020 LIMITED-EDITION POSTER AVAILABLE ONLINE With the cancel-

lation of this year's Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival due to COVID-19, the festival committee invited local artist Kreg Yingst to create a poster for 2020 in his original woodcut print design.

The 250 limited-edition posters are each signed and numbered by the artist. Festival posters have become a local collector's item and are available online this year only.

The posters are available at ggaf.org for $27, including shipping and sales tax.

Yingst, a long-time GGAF artist, received his B.A. from Trinity University in San Antonio after attending the University of Texas and his M.A. in painting from Eastern Illinois University. After graduation, he taught art for 13 years and has been a full-time artist since 2003.

The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival returns Nov. 5, 6 and 7, 2021, at Seville Square, Fountain Park, Bartram Park and Museum Plaza in Downtown Pensacola.

DRAG SHOWS AT DOLCE AND GELATO Head to Dolce and Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave., for regular drag shows. The next date is Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola

PENSACOLA OPERA AL FRESCO Pen-

sacola Opera's outdoor live concerts return Saturday, Feb. 20, at 2 p.m. in the UWF Historic Trust Museum Plaza. For more information, visit pensacolaopera.com.

OPERALIVE: THROWBACK THURSDAYS Take a walk down memory lane with friends of the Pensacola Opera. Learn more about the craft and look back on past productions with live discussions on Facebook Live Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Viewers are encouraged to join in the conversation. Tune in at facebook.com/pensacolaopera.

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" 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 221-7438.

NEW SHOWING AT PENSACOLA CINEMA ART Coming soon to Pensacola

Cinema Art on Feb. 19 and 20 is "Blithe Spirit" at the Studer Community Institute building, 220 W. Garden St. Admission is $7. Face masks are required, and there will be 50% maximum seating capacity. Tickets can be reserved by calling or texting 863-446-7300 or emailing jpncinema@gmail.com. For more information, visit pensacolacinemaart.com.

BLACK CITIZENSHIP IN THE AGE OF JIM CROW On view at Voices of Pensacola

is "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. To learn more about it, visit africanamericanheritagesoci-

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

127 Palafox Place Suite 100 (850)466-3115 autumnbeckblackledge.com February 18, 2021

19

a&e happenings ety.org. Voices of Pensacola is located at 117 E. Government St. and open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

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.

GALLERY NIGHT PENSACOLA PRESENTS: ARTIST TALKS Join Gallery Night

Director Sydney Robinson as she interviews Pensacola area artists about their creative process. The Artist Talks series is a biweekly virtual event available on Facebook Live. Join in by visiting facebook.com/ gallerynightpensacola.

SUNDAYS ON THE MEZZANINE Enjoy a full-length concert series on select Sundays at 3 p.m. on Facebook. Tickets are $9.99 and can be purchased online at facebook.com/pensacolaopera.

LIVE MUSIC

VINYL NIGHT WITH DJ DADD Head to Odd Colony on Friday, Feb. 19, at 8 p.m. for a night of vinyl appreciation with DJ Dadd.

For more information, visit facebook.com/ oddcolony.

BIG JIM BROWN AND THE SPEED KINGS AT DOLCE AND GELATO Enjoy live

music at Dolce and Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave. on Sunday, Feb. 21, from 4-6 p.m.

DUKEXDUTCHESS PRESENTS: INDIE MUSIC NIGHT HIP HOP EDITION See

live performances from local hip hop artists at Dolce and Gelato, on Tuesday, Feb. 23, starting at 7 p.m. For tickets, visit dukexdutchess.com.

JORDAN RICHARDS AT ODD COLONY Local musician Jordan Richards will be performing at Odd Colony Brewing Co. from 7-10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27. Masks are required. For more information, visit facebook.com/oddcolony.

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

PENSACOLA ICE FLYERS HOME GAMES Pensacola Ice Flyers 2020-2021 season has begun. Tickets are sold in

groups of two starting at $18. Tickets for groups of three or more are also available, and prices vary. To purchase tickets, go to ticketmaster.com. Home games are at the Pensacola Bay Center, located at 201 E. Gregory St. For more information, visit pensacolaiceflyers.com.

UPCOMING HOME GAMES: •7:35 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19, vs. Macon •7:05 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, vs. Birmingham •4:05 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, vs. Huntsville

PUBLIC SKATE AT PENSACOLA BAY CENTER Take a few laps around the rink

after Ice Flyers games. All sessions will be reduced capacity and limited to one spectator per skater to allow more room for social distancing. Cost is $12 with skate rental or $9 to bring your own skates.

UPCOMING DATES: •Friday, Feb. 19, at 10 p.m.

•Saturday, Feb. 20, at 9:30 p.m.

•Sunday, Feb. 21, at 6:30 p.m.

•Saturday, Feb. 27, at 1:30 and 4 p.m.

•Sunday, Feb. 28, at 1:30 and 4 p.m.

KEEP PENSACOLA BEAUTIFUL THIRD ANNUAL COMMUNI-TEE CUP

Keep Pensacola Beautiful (KPB) is hosting their third annual Communi-Tee Cup fundraiser at Goofy Golf, located at 3924 W. Navy Blvd., Thursday, Feb. 25, from 5:30-8:30 pm.

This year's Communi-Tee Cup will feature three food trucks, a snack bar with a keg donated from Big Top Brewery and lots of drawing prizes from local businesses.

Trophies will be awarded to the first, second and third place teams.

Individual and Team tickets are on sale now. Each ticket includes a round of minigolf, a drawing ticket and a drink ticket.

Individual tickets are $25, and team tickets are $90 for four-player admission. All proceeds will benefit KPB's youth education programs like the Youth Advisory Council, Waste-In-Place activities for students in K-eighth grades and online resources for distance learning.

Masks will be required and sanitization stations will be available throughout this event.

For more information, visit keeppensacolabeautiful.org/communi-tee-cup.

PENSACOLA SPORTS LAUNCHES HOLE-IN-ONE MILLION DOLLAR SHOOTOUT Pensacola Sports, along with

several area golf courses, announced a new golf program to build excitement in the local golf scene. The program includes Marcus Pointe Golf Club, Scenic Hills Country Club and Tiger Point Golf Club.

All golfers can choose to participate when they sign in at the respective pro shop before their round. All participating golfers from all three courses will be entered into the same pool, increasing the amount the golfer can win. The entry fee is $3, and that entry is valid for that round only. If a participating golfer hits a legitimate hole-in-one, after proper verification, the golfer will win a third of the entire pot, with a minimum guaranteed winnings of $200.

Full rules and event information can be found at pensacolasports.org/holeinone.

In addition to the original winnings, all players who hit a hole-in-one during the program will be invited to participate in a $1 Million Dollar Shootout. The date and location of the Pensacola Sports' Million Dollar Shootout will be announced at a later date.

Players who make a hole-in-one must notify Pensacola Sports with their information that day. If multiple holes-in-one are hit in the same day, the prize will be divided evenly. The competition starts over immediately after a qualified winner is determined. There are approximately 144 reported holes-in-one at the Pensacola area courses annually.

The Pensacola Sports' Hole-in-One Million Dollar Shootout is also a fundraiser for Pensacola Sports, a private not-forprofit sports event and tourism company.

RELEASE & RENEW AT FITNESS IMPACT TRAINING At 8:15 a.m. on Mon-

days, Wednesdays and Fridays, release into a yin yoga flow centered around low-stress training for high-stress individuals. The focus will be on the basics of breath and openness in the shoulders, hips and spine.

For more info, go to mindandmetta.online.

Cost is $12 per class, and the location is 375 N. Ninth Ave., Ste. B. Limited space available. Ask about membership pricing.

GULF COAST BREWERY RUN Thursdays at 6 p.m., join Pensacola Runners Association

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a&e happenings for a 5K fun run. Enjoy a free beer after the run and complimentary games such as cornhole, ping pong and more. Gulf Coast Brewery is located at 500 E. Heinberg St. For more information, visit facebook.com/gulfcoastbrewery.

BEER GARDEN YOGA Join Coastal

County Brewing Company Saturdays at 9 a.m. for the new Yoga in the Garden Series.

Classes will be led by Tara Taylor, a highly experienced instructor from Breathe Pensacola. All skill levels are welcome. Cost is $10 and includes a pint of beer after the class.

Coastal County Brewing Company is located at 3041 E. Olive Road. For more information, visit facebook.com/coastalcounty.

SOUL FLOW YOGA AT BEAUTIFUL YOU STUDIO Every Tuesday at 7 a.m.,

flow and vibe with some soulful music to start the day. This hour-long class will center around engaging the core through smooth yet strong yoga sequences. Cost is $10 per class or $99 for an unlimited 30-day pass.

Located at 513 W. Intendencia St. For more info, go to mindandmetta.online.

YOGA CLASSES AT EVER'MAN Beginner Yoga with John is 10 a.m. Thursdays, 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and 12:15 p.m. Wednesdays.

Funky Yoga Flow is 6 p.m. Tuesdays. And Vinyasa Yoga Flow is 6 p.m. Thursdays. All classes at Ever'man, 327 W. Garden St. For a full calendar of events, visit everman.org.

OCEAN HOUR BEACH CLEAN-UPS

Ocean Hour has picked up its weekly beach clean-ups in the Pensacola area Saturdays at 8:45 a.m. On Saturday, Jan. 30, volunteers will be at Philip A. Payne Bridge. Supplies will be provided, but volunteers are welcome to bring their own. For locations, visit oceanhourfl.com.

FOOD + DRINKS

DINNER & AN ARIA Enjoy a delicious dinner at Jackson's Steakhouse featuring performances from Pensacola Opera's artists in residence during Dinner & an Aria at 5 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18. Reservations can be made by calling 469-9898.

CAST IRON RIBEYE & CRAB CAKE

Learn to make a surf and turf staple with Bodacious chefs at Bodacious, located at 407-D S. Palafox. Class is 6-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19. Cost is $65 per person. To sign up, visit bodaciousshops.com.

PENSACOLA COOKS KITCHEN: CRAVIN' ASIAN During the month of

February, Pensacola Cooks Kitchen will host Asian cooking classes. Classes are held at PCK, located at 3624 Barrancas Ave. Cost is $45 per person. To register, visit pensacolacooks.com.

DATES: •Japanese Flavors: 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20 •Thai Flavors: 7-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26

PARKS & RECREATION TRIVIA Bring

your Pawnee knowledge and join Odd Colony for Parks & Recreation trivia and tamales on February 18, 2021

Tuesday, Feb. 23, starting at 7 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/oddcolony.

CAST IRON FILET & SHRIMP COOKING CLASS Learn to create a surf and turf

favorite in one pan. The cooking class is 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24. Cost is $65.

To sign up visit bodaciousshops.com.

ANGELENA'S SUPPER CLUB: AN EVENING WITH ORNELLAIA Ange-

lena's Wine Director Brooke Parkhurst and Chef James Briscione, with the help of the Florida director of sales for Vintus wines, Brian Bergeron, will present a night of food and wine pairings as well as impart the love, knowledge and history that comes from one of Italy's premier wineries, Ornellaia.

Event is Thursday, Feb. 25, at 6 p.m. Cost is $175 per person. Reservations are required.

To reserve your spot, call 917-573-1613 or email brooke@angelenaspensacola.com.

OLIVE OIL & VINEGAR BASICS LUNCH AND LEARN Enjoy a presentation about

olive oil and vinegars in-house at Bodacious noon-1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26. Cost is $30. To sign up, visit bodaciousshops.com.

THIRD ANNUAL GIRL SCOUT COOKIES & CRAFT PAIRING Support Girl

Scouts and local breweries all in one with Gary's Brewery & Biergarten annual event.

Gary's will have four beers paired with cookies at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb 27. MELT food truck will also be in the biergarten.

Tickets for the tasting are $13. Sign up at facebook.com/garysbrew.

MARDI GRAS BRUNCH Enjoy a menu

of New Orleans-inspired sliders and other season delicacies prepared by Chef Dan Dunn at Odd Colony from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 28. For more information, visit facebook.com/oddcolony.

JACKSON'S STEAKHOUSE OPEN FOR LUNCH Jackson's will be offering its

standard lunch menu Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. As always, during lunch service Wednesday-Friday, the first martini is free.

Enjoy lunch menu favorites, including Chef Irv's jumbo lump crab cakes with red sweet pepper and charred sweet corn-offthe cob relish. Chef Miller has also created some new additions to add to the lunch lineup, including the Ole Hickory's fried chicken sandwich with double-dusted crispy chicken breast. Jackson's Steakhouse is located at 400 S. Palafox. For more information, visit greatsouthernrestaurants.com.

TAMALE TUESDAYS WITH THE TAMALE TRUCK Visit Odd Colony Brewing

Co. every Tuesday from 5:30-9 p.m. (or when sold out) to grab dinner from The Tamale Truck. Odd Colony is located at 260 N. Palafox. For more information, visit facebook.com/oddcolony. for more listings visit inweekly.net 21

free will astrology WEEK OF FEBRUARY 18 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Atheists like to confront religious people with accusations like this: "If God is so good, why does he allow suffering in the world?" Their simplistic, childish idea of God as some sort of Moral Policeman is ignorant of the lush range of ruminations about the Divine as offered down through the ages by poets, novelists, philosophers and theologians. For example, poet Stéphane Mallarmé wrote, "Spirit cares for nothing except universal musicality." He suggested that the Supreme Intelligence is an artist making music and telling stories. And as you know, music and stories include all human adventures, not just the happy stuff. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Aries, because the coming weeks will be a favorable time to honor and celebrate the marvelously rich stories of your own life—and to feel gratitude for the full range of experience with which they have blessed you. P.S. Now is also a favorable phase to rethink and reconfigure your answers to the Big Questions.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Blogger Rachel C. Lewis confides, "I love being horribly straightforward. I love sending reckless text messages and telling people I love them and telling people they are absolutely magical humans and I cannot believe they really exist. I love saying, 'Kiss me harder,' and 'You're a good person' and, 'You brighten my day.'" What would your unique version of Lewis's forthrightness be like, Taurus?

What brazen praise would you offer? What declarations of affection and care would you unleash? What naked confessions might you reveal? The coming days will be a favorable time to explore these possibilities.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): It's a good

time to become more of who you are by engaging with more of what you are not.

Get in the mood for this heroic exercise by studying the following rant by Gemini poet Adam Zagajewski (who writes in Polish), translated by Gemini poet Clare Cavanaugh—"Read for yourselves, read for the sake of your inspiration, for the sweet turmoil in

By Rob Brezsny

your lovely head. But also read against yourselves, read for questioning and impotence, for despair and erudition, read the dry, sardonic remarks of cynical philosophers. Read those whose darkness or malice or madness or greatness you can't yet understand, because only in this way will you grow, outlive yourself, and become what you are."

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): You're on the verge of breakthroughs. You're ready to explore frontiers, at least in your imagination.

You're brave enough to go further and try harder than you've been able to before. With that in mind, here's a highly apropos idea from Cancerian novelist Tom Robbins. He writes, "If you take any activity, any art, any discipline, any skill, take it and push it as far as it will go, push it beyond where it has ever been before, push it to the wildest edge of edges, then you force it into the realm of magic." (I might use the word "coax" or "nudge" instead of "force" in Robbins' statement.)

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): In her story

"Homelanding," Margaret Atwood writes, "Take me to your trees. Take me to your breakfasts, your sunsets, your bad dreams, your shoes. Take me to your fingers." I'd love you to express requests like that. It's a favorable time for you to delve deeper into the mysteries of people you care about.

You will generate healing and blessings by cultivating reverent curiosity and smart empathy and crafty intimacy. Find out more about your best allies!

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): You're about

to reach the end of your phase of correction and adjustment. To mark this momentous transition, and to honor your ever-increasing ability to negotiate with your demons, I offer you the following inspirational proclamation by poet Jeannette Napolitano—"I don't want to look back in five years' time and think, 'We could have been magnificent, but I was afraid.' In five years, I want to tell of how fear tried to cheat me out of the best thing in life, and I didn't let it."

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): It's not a good time for you to be obsessed with vague abstractions, fear-based fantasies, and

imaginary possibilities. But it is a favorable phase to rise up on behalf of intimate, practical changes. At least for now, I also want to advise you not to be angry and militant about big, complicated issues that you have little power to affect. On the other hand, I encourage you to get inspired and aggressive about injustices you can truly help fix and erroneous approaches you can correct and close-at-hand dilemmas for which you can summon constructive solutions.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): "The

most beautiful things are those that madness prompts and reason writes," declared author André Gide. As a writer myself, I will testify to the truth of that formulation. But what about those of you who aren't poets and novelists and essayists? Here's how I would alter Gide's statement to fit you—"The most beautiful things are those that rapture prompts and reason refines." Or maybe this—"The most beautiful things are those that experimentation finds and reason uses." Or how about this one—"The most beautiful things are those that wildness generates and reason enhances." Any and all of those dynamics will be treasures for you in the coming weeks.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): The poet Nayyirah Waheed has some advice I want you to hear. She writes, "Be easy. Take your time. You are coming home to yourself." I will add that from my astrological perspective, the coming weeks will indeed be a time for you to relax more deeply into yourself—to welcome yourself fully into your unique destiny; to forgive yourself for what you imagine are your flaws; to not wish you were someone else pursuing a different path; to be at peace and in harmony with the exact life you have.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): "The

chief object of education is not to learn things but to unlearn things," wrote author G. K. Chesterton. He was exaggerating for dramatic effect when he said that, as he often did. The more nuanced truth is that one of the central aims of education is to learn things, and another very worthy aim is to unlearn things. I believe you are currently in a phase when you should put

an emphasis on unlearning things that are irrelevant and meaningless and obstructive.

This will be excellent preparation for your next phase, which will be learning a lot of useful and vitalizing new things.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Sergei

Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) ultimately became one of the 20th century's most renowned composers. But his career had a rough start. Symphony No. 1, his first major work, was panned by critics, sending him into a four-year depression. Eventually he recovered. His next major composition, Piano Concerto No. 2, was well-received. I don't anticipate that your rookie offerings or new work will get the kind of terrible reviews that Rachmaninoff's did. But at least initially, there may be no great reviews, and possibly even indifference. Keep the faith, my dear.

Don't falter in carrying out your vision of the future. The rewards will come in due time.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Ancient Greek playwright Euripides was popular and influential—and remains so to this day, 2,400 years later. But there's a curiously boring aspect in five of his plays, "Andromache," "Alcestis," "Helen," "Medea" and "The Bacchae." They all have the same exact ending: six lines, spoken by a chorus, that basically say the gods are unpredictable.

Was Euripides lazy? Trying too hard to drive home the point? Or were the endings added later by an editor? Scholars disagree. The main reason I'm bringing this to your attention is to encourage you to avoid similar behavior. I think it's very important that the stories you're living right now have different endings than all the stories of your past.

THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Listen to and download my music for free at soundcloud.com/ sacreduproar.

freewillastrology.com

freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2021

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news of the weird BRIGHT IDEA Parking spots are hard to come by in the snowy West Ridge neighborhood of Chicago, and resident Adam Selzer has become the talk of the town for the novel method he's using to save his spot—freezing pairs of pants and standing them up on the street like traffic cones, WBBM-TV reported. "Soak a pair, put outside. In about 20 minutes you can form them to shape, and in another 20 they're solid," Selzer posted on Twitter. Next, Selzer is planning to perfect a frozen shirt.

"We'll see if this works," he said.

NEW THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT Bradford Gauthier of Worcester, Massachusetts, had a bit of trouble swallowing when he woke up on Feb. 2, but he went about his day after drinking some water. Later, "I tried to drink a glass of water again and couldn't," he said, and that's when he realized one of the AirPods he sleeps with at night was missing and "felt a distinct blockage in the center of my chest," he said.

KVEO reported that it didn't take doctors in the emergency room long to discover the AirPod lodged in Gauthier's esophagus.

An emergency endoscopy removed it and Gauthier went home feeling much better.

OOPS Tessica Brown of New Orleans was out of hairspray in January as she got ready to go out, so she reached for the only spray she could find, Gorilla Glue, to shellack her hair into place. "I figured ... I could just wash it out," she told WDSU-TV, but "it didn't." Brown and her mother tried olive oil and vegetable oil, to no avail, and the local hospital could offer little help. She cut off her ponytail to reduce the weight, but the spray on her scalp continued to painfully tighten and harden. On Feb. 10, she posted on Instagram, she was scheduled to fly to Los Angeles to meet with plastic surgeon Michael Obeng to undergo a procedure that costs more than $12,000—for free.

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

second time she refused to answer when called upon. "That sounds like my name, Your Honor, but I want to see it in writing," she said. The Otago Daily News reported Kellahan, a local artist, denies being a person, saying, "I'm a living being on the land."

The judge told her, "You are a living being, which means you are a person" and entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf. Her trial is set for April 28.

KEYSTONE CAR CHASE In the wee hours of Jan. 26, police in Bellevue, Washington, spotted a car running a red light, so they ran the tag and discovered the car was reported stolen. The driver failed to yield when officers attempted a traffic stop, KOMO-TV reported, but a mechanical problem prevented the vehicle from exceeding 25 mph. The driver also observed all traffic laws as the pursuit continued for about a mile and a half until the vehicle burst into flames and became fully engulfed. The suspect male driver fled into a nearby nature park and escaped; a female passenger was detained by police and taken into custody.

WEIRD ANTIQUITIES Bidding is underway in Boston-based RR Auction's special Presidents Day online sale of presidential artifacts, which includes locks of George and Martha Washington's hair, John F. Kennedy's Harvard cardigan sweater and the pen Warren G. Harding used to officially end U.S. involvement in World War I, reported The Associated Press. The auction, which continues through Feb. 18, features around 300 items from "America's esteemed commanders-in-chief," said company spokesperson Mike Graff. Last year, the company sold a lock of Abraham Lincoln's hair wrapped in a bloodstained telegram about his 1865 assassination for $81,000.

•Neighbors in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, called police on Feb. 8 after witnessing an unidentified man apparently take a joyride on an excavator parked in the street, knocking it into power lines and making a getaway on a bicycle. WPLG-TV reported the incident resulted in every sports fan's worst nightmare: a power outage just before the big game. "About 30 to 40 minutes before the Super Bowl started, (the power) just went all the way out," said Bubba James. Crews from Florida Power & Light attended to the problem, and the power was back on by halftime.

THE ARISTOCRATS Rapper Lil Uzi Vert, whose real name is Symere Woods, revealed on Instagram in early February that he has had a $24 million 10-carat pink diamond implanted in his forehead, reported Rolling Stone. According to Simon Babaev, spokesman for the New York-based jeweler Eliantte & Co. that implanted the stone, Uzi fell in love with the marquise-shaped diamond when he saw it in 2017 and has been making payments on it as he determined what he wanted to do with it. "We didn't think he was serious about it," said Babaev, but as it became clear that he was, "we engineered a specific mounting that clips and locks in place. There's a whole mechanism involved." {in}

WAIT, WHAT? Jane Louise Kellahan, 49, of Wanaka, New Zealand, appeared before Judge Russell Walker in Queenstown District Court on Feb. 2, her second appearance on a charge of assault and the

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

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