Inweekly June 29 2023 Issue

winners losers

MARGIE AND ALAN MOORE The Moores have made an impactful gift to Baptist Health Care Foundation to benefit the new Baptist Hospital campus. The Foundation will name the surgery discharge lounge and the fourth-floor conference room in the hospital's cardiovascular intensive care unit in their honor. The surgery discharge lounge will provide a quiet discharge area for outpatient surgery patients. This space will have a dedicated elevator between the surgery floor and the lounge waiting area, offering increased privacy.

TORCH AWARD FOR ETHICS The Better Business Bureau Foundation serving Northwest Florida announced the recipients of the 18th annual Torch Award for Ethics program from its District 1: Century 21 Amerisouth Realty of Pensacola and Hometown Contractors, Inc. of Pace. Hometown Contractors crossed all three districts.

DEPUTY WILLIAM HOLLINGSWORTH The Escambia County deputy and a motorist are lucky to be alive after being sucked into a flooded drainage pipe and pulled under U.S. 98 when the deputy tried to help the driver escape rapidly rising water. Deputy Hollingsworth rushed to his aid when he witnessed the driver go underwater in the early morning hours of Friday, June 16. The pair was sucked into a drainage pipe and swept under the four-lane roadway. They were submerged for approximately 30 seconds and traveled nearly 100 feet underwater before resurfacing. The rescue was captured on the deputy's bodycam and has gone viral on the web.

MICHELLE MOBLEY The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners recognized Mobley, an administrative claims specialist in the Risk Management division within the Human Resources department, as the June 2023 Employee of the Month. Her duties include adjusting general and auto liability claims by initiating investigations, determining liability and responding to claimants on the status of their requests. Recently, Mobley took ownership of the Certificates of Insurance Program, making much-needed changes and improvements to the workflow.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD Last week, the Escambia County School Board approved an emergency rule empowering Interim School Superintendent Keith Leonard to remove any book challenged for its sexual content from the schools by July 1 to comply with a new Florida law passed this spring. One reason for firing Leonard's predecessor, Tim Smith, was he didn't get the challenged books off the shelves quickly enough. Now, we know the books would be removed by the end of June no matter what Smith and the board's review committee decided. The emergency rule would have passed regardless of if Leonard or Smith was the school superintendent. The school board continues to give Pensacola parents reasons to secede from the Escambia County School District and create a city school system.

BANK YOUR VOTE

Gov. Ron DeSantis has worked with the Florida Legislature to make voting by mail more difficult. The GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump has cast doubt on early voting and mail ballots for years. However, the Republican National Committee is spending millions on a "Bank Your Vote" campaign to urge Republican voters to embrace early voting and mail ballots. They want to harvest votes for their party, even though Florida lawmakers have tried eliminating the practice.

FLORIDA SUPREME COURT The justices rejected Andrew Warren's request to be reinstated as Hillsborough County State Attorney because he waited too long to file his petition. Gov. Ron DeSantis removed the Democrat from office after Warren signed a pledge not to prosecute abortion-related crimes. Federal Judge Robert Hinkle said DeSantis violated Warren's First-Amendment rights, but he didn't have the authority to reinstate him. Under the state constitution, the suspensions are to be referred to the state Senate for a trial. Even though the Republicans hold a 28-12 advantage, Justice Charles Canady wrote that the lawmakers would "be just" in carrying out their "solemn duty." When was the last time the Florida Senate stood up to DeSantis?

Margie and Alan Moore

Photo Courtesy of Baptist Health Care Foundation

outtakes

By Rick Outzen

IN HISTORY PART 2

On Saturday, July 1, Inweekly will have been in print for 24 years. Last week, I covered our publication's first tumultuous dozen years and how hard we worked to survive and build a national reputation.

For the next 12 years, we have had a frontrow seat as Pensacola evolved and began to reach the potential leaders had bragged about for more than 450 years, covering the highs and lows.

The Community Maritime Park opened in 2012 with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos playing their first game in a stadium that would eventually bear its name. The Studers built the Maritime Place office building, and Beck Partners built on the northeast corner, but three city administrations have failed to lease the other parcels. The city rejected leases for a downtown YMCA, a proposed UWF Center for Entrepreneurship and a mixed-use development that would've included condos, retail and a luxury hotel.

Inweekly was at the forefront as the City of Pensacola dealt with racist elements of its past. The Escambia County Commission and Pensacola City Council voted to remove the Confederate flag from all public buildings. Mayor Grover Robinson took down the Confederate statue at the top of the hill on North Palafox Street, and the University of West Florida renamed the T.T. Wentworth Jr. Museum when it was discovered the museum's namesake was a Ku Klux Klan leader.

Meanwhile, Inweekly worked with Maria Goldberg, the Merrill family and Visit Pensacola to get a Mississippi Blues Trail marker for BelmontDeVilliers. Only the second in the state of Florida, the marker honors the neighborhood's rich blues, ragtime and jazz history and its role in the famous Chitlin' Circuit that included such performers as Sam Cooke and B.B. King.

The paper didn't stop investigating injustice. When county officials claimed no one smelled gas leaking before the county jail exploded, the prisoners and correction officials told us a much different story later confirmed by state investigators. The next year when others dismissed six jail deaths as routine, we pointed out that deaths in county jails

were rare nationally. The corrections director was fired, and the jail deaths fell dramatically.

Two of our most significant investigations were in public education. "Tarnish Turnaround" covered School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas' disastrous attempt to make Warrington Middle School the top middle school in Florida. The article was a finalist for the Sunshine Awards, and the school continued to decline. Earlier this year, the state Board of Education made the school district hand the school over to Charter Schools USA.

In 2015, we broke the story of financial issues and possible grade tampering at schools run by Newpoint Education Partners. Our reporting led to the closure of the schools and statewide investigation into the charter operators, 15 schools in six counties. CEO Marcus May was convicted and sentenced to 20 years for racketeering and fraud.

Unfortunately for Thomas, the state continued to raise its education standards, and the Escambia County School District couldn't keep up. While graduation rates continued to improve, other metrics slipped. For the 2015-16 school year, the district's total score of 543 placed it in the bottom 15 school districts in the state.

Navy Federal, Gulf Power, Baptist Hospital and Sacred Heart created Achieve Escambia to turn around the public schools, but kindergarten readiness and reading scores didn't improve. In 2018, voters approved making the school superintendent an appointed position. Tim Smith was hired in 2020 and fired this spring in a latenight move by three school board members. We expected the effort to return to an elected superintendent to come up again if Tate High School can't control the position.

Only some of the news was terrible. We saw downtown Pensacola become revitalized after the opening of the Maritime Park. People want to live inside the city limits, particularly within walking distance of downtown. Food trucks have become a regular fixture, and we have a world-class skatepark. The airport is booming, and ST Engineering brings us a new industry.

Our stories are far from over.

{in} rick@inweekly.net

Inweekly was at the forefront as the City of Pensacola dealt with racist elements of its past.

Douglas A. Bates Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights Lawyer

Pensacola | Destin | Santa Rosa Beach | Tallahassee

EMPOWERING WOMEN IN ROTARY

nya). Their efforts include providing resources for physicians and ophthalmologists and building ecological restrooms for four schools.

For Schultz, improving the lives of children is the highlight of each trip.

"You go there and work with these kids, and you bring a soccer ball and their entire lives change," said Schultz, who has made five Rotary mission trips to Africa. "They're very happy living simple lives. They just want to hug you and play with that ball and do very simple things."

That motherly touch is another example of how Rotary benefits from an increasing number of female members. Rotary is taking steps to ensure the presence of women continues to increase long into the future.

THE DEI JOURNEY

In 2021, Rotary launched its Empowering Girls Initiative. Projects include gender-based violence awareness and prevention in South Africa and South America, vocational skills training and micro-lending programs in India and menstrual health and hygiene education, products and gender-specific bathrooms in schools worldwide.

McNally is about to begin her second year as the District 6940 Empowering Girls advocate and director. Local Empowering Girls initiatives in 2022-23 included a grant with Pensacola MESS Hall to host events that encourage elementaryage girls to buck a disturbing trend concerning STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

"Studies show girls lose interest in STEM in fifth through eighth grade," McNally said. Rotary is reaping the benefits from successfully bringing women into the fold, but improving its diversity, equity and inclusion remains a challenge. In 2019, Rotary adopted a DEI statement. Its board of directors and DEI taskforce recently strengthened the statement.

The statement opens with, "At Rotary, we understand that cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture is essential to realizing our vision of a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change."

The statement concludes with, "In line with our value of integrity, we are committed to being honest and transparent about where we are in our DEI journey as an organization, and to continuing to learn and do better."

proposed an enactment to delete the word "male" from the Standard Rotary Club Constitution. Other clubs around the world proposed degendering until the late 1980s, when efforts to shatter the glass ceiling finally paid dividends. The U.S. Supreme Court played a prominent role in breaking the barrier. In 1987, a club in California took its appeal before the highest court. The Supreme Court ruled Rotary clubs may not

women pushed for admittance partially for the networking opportunity. Rising joined Rotary six years ago after resigning as a math teacher to be a realtor.

"I started out wanting to network, but then I really became a Rotarian," she said. "I caught the vision for service. It wasn't until I caught the vision for service that I started to get some business."

Rotary members worldwide invest hundreds of millions of dollars and countless vol -

to form an assembly line and package meals for Manna Food Bank. The Rotary Against Hunger project produces 40,000-50,000 meals that day, according to Olevia McNally, a founding member and former president of Seville Rotary.

Sometimes the philanthropic efforts by local Rotary clubs extend beyond the region and U.S. border. Rotary Club of Gulf Breeze is active in Kenya, Africa. Gulf Breeze partners with Rotary clubs from Tallahassee and Kakamega (Ke -

Winborne traveled to Australia in May for the Rotary International Convention, where she was delighted to see thousands of fellow women. The few Black men or women among the 30,000 members somewhat tempered her excitement, though. The crowd mirrored her own club, which includes only one other Black member.

"I was asking people at that conference how many minorities did they have," said Winborne, who will become the first Black president in SubWest club history. "They had lots of females but very few African-Americans. One of the things I'm doing in my leadership role is hoping to bring in more diversity, making it more available, inclusive and welcoming to people who look like me." {in}

Rotarian Kerry Anne Schultz in Kenya / Photo Courtesy of Pensacola SubWest Rotary

Celebrating a Landmark Victory in the Battle Against the Opioid Crisis

Levin, Papantonio, Rafferty Deliver Results

We proudly celebrate the outstanding achievements of Peter Mougey, Jeff Gaddy, and the entire Levin, Papantonio, Rafferty team for their extraordinary efforts in tackling the prescription opioid crisis.

Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Teva, and Allergan have agreed to pay over $18.5 billion to state and local governments aiming to resolve lawsuits concerning the opioid epidemic. This settlement will provide funding to support communities that continue to grapple with the unprecedented addiction and overdose crisis.

Peter and Jeff’s remarkable efforts as part of the legal team have been instrumental in attaining this landmark settlement. This achievement stands as a testament to their exceptional legal skills, strategic acumen, and extraordinary commitment.

We salute you for your remarkable achievements and the lasting impact you have made. Thank you for leading the charge against the opioid crisis.

Peter Mougey

Jeff Gaddy

WORST DECISION EVER

On June 20, 2013, the Escambia County Commission made the worst decision in Inweekly's history when the board voted 4-1 to take over the Escambia County Jail. The move followed fruitless negotiations with the Escambia County Sheriff, spurred by a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into Sheriff Ron McNesby's administration that mandated the county address issues at the jail.

The negotiations became a battle between Sheriff David Morgan and Interim County Administrator George Touart and County Commission Chairman Gene Valentino. Morgan asked for $5.2 million to address understaffing at the jail, and Touart told his board he could take over the jail for about $2.6 million. Anything else would require a tax increase, according to Touart. Only Commissioner Lumon May voted against the switch.

Valentino ended the discussion with: "No blinking on this one. This has got to work like clockwork."

It didn't.

Less than a year later, the Escambia County Jail's central booking and detention center exploded because of a ruptured gas line in the laundry. Two prisoners were killed, and a detention guard was paralyzed. The county paid for other counties to house its prisoners for the next eight years.

A grand jury found that prisoners and correction officers had complained about a gas odor most of the day after a downfall had flooded the basement and parking lot. However, the chain of command failed to deal with the danger.

Sheriff David Morgan has since retired. He told Inweekly, "The commissioners didn't understand the intricacies of running the jail. It is a law enforcement function. I've told folks that I would never argue that point. It probably is rightly under law enforcement because of the similarities, and it's also part of the criminal justice system. You have to have an executive running the jail. You can't run it by committee."

He pointed out that the county had hired an independent consultant to determine how much it would cost to upgrade and staff the jail to DOJ standards. Morgan said. "When they saw the price tag was $5-6 million, they refused to pay for the report."

The sheriff hoped the county would help him with DOJ. He said, "We thought we could negotiate with the DOJ by saying this is our three-year or five-year plan, but we need the county commission to sign on. They weren't interested."

GULF COAST LOVE STORY Award-winning filmmaker Dayna Reggero of the Climate Listening Project brings her latest documentary, "Gulf Coast Love Story," to Pensacola on Wednesday, July 19. Healthy Gulf will host the screening at 5:30 p.m. at the downtown Pensacola library.

"Gulf Coast Love Story" brings to the screen

the hopes and struggles of Gulf Coast communities on the front lines of fossil fuels and climate change. The film listens to a poet, chef, musician, dancer, photographer and painter along the Gulf Coast beaches and bayous.

"I definitely think of myself more as a listener than a documentary filmmaker," Reggero said. "The end goal is to make something that we can share with the world that can help others to listen to and know that they're not alone, and to inspire them to share their stories and to listen to others, too. This 25-minute short film shares these beautiful stories of hope from the Gulf Coast."

Reggero is an award-winning documentary film director and healing listener who lives in Northwest Florida. She is a graduate of the University of West Florida and began appearing with animals on WEAR-TV at 19. Reggero has worked in Florida, educating local communities about wildlife, preserving forests, supporting clean energy and listening to people impacted by climate change for two decades.

Her activism and film work have garnered national attention. When her first short film won Best Documentary, the judges noted, "It is especially the enthusiasm, love and respect Reggero shows for her subjects, the feathered and the humankind, that makes us look forward to her next projects."

In 2021, Reggero was honored with a Special Hero Award as part of the Dan Eldon Documentary Activist Award, and last year, she won the Maya Deren Short Film Innovation Prize for "her insightful, essential documentaries but also her human spirit to make the world more aware of itself through her various projects."

"This film kind of connects people along this fight to keep the Gulf Coast protected and beautiful for future generations and for people now to protect us against climate change," the filmmaker said of her new documentary. "We have these oil and gas threats to the Gulf Coast that we're always trying to say, 'No, we have a vision for the future that's healthy.'"

Reggero traveled from Port St. Joe to the Texas-Mexico border following stories. "We had an opportunity to listen in New Orleans, Houston and some smaller communities, all these really interesting folks. We have a mix of these amazing folks and beautiful nature from the beaches to the bayou."

Learn more at daynareggero.com.

HUNTING FOR DOLLARS On June 13, Mayor D.C. Reeves traveled to Washington, D.C., to build relationships in his quest to acquire federal dollars to expand Pensacola International Airport.

The mayor said, "We met with several members of Congress that are on the transportation committee, as well as with the national staff at the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), and just said, 'Hey, we've worked hard in the last six months to get the design money, but what we don't want to do is have a design come off the

printer and then wait two more years to figure out how to construct it.'"

Reeves would like to start the construction of a second terminal in late 2024 or early 2025, and he felt he made the right connections to line up the funding.

"What we laid out to both the FAA and the members of Congress is the demand is there," he said. "We have the same number of gates we had about a decade ago, yet we have one million more people going through those same gates."

He explained that personal connections would be critical to getting federal help. "I don't think it really comes down to whether Pensacola needs the expansion or not. It's just competitive. There are other airports that need it that will make the same claim we do."

Mayor Reeves hopes to get $22 million from the federal government to cover about a third of the construction costs. The rest will come from state funds and a bond issue.

"We should have, you know, a full design for a new terminal with five new gates by next summer," he said. "My expectation is that I've got to get us ready to go funding-wise so we can go right into construction."

SPEARMAN BREWERY On May 18, 1935, the Spearman Brewing Company opened for business with a state-of-the-art production facility at 1600 S. Barrancas Ave. The brewery was the brainchild of Guy M. Spearman, who moved to Pensacola in 1929 and formed the Crystal Ice Company. After visiting a brewery in Mexico, Spearman came up with the idea to build his own beer factory.

Michael Moon and Stephen Struck have spent the past five years researching the history of Pensacola's first brewery for a collector's guide that they published earlier this month, "The Spearman Brewing Company, 1935-1964."

"Guy Spearman wanted to get into brewing because it was a natural fit since he owned the ice company," Moon said. "Along with a couple of other businessmen, he wanted to start the Gulf Brewing Company. For a while, they went through everything, they tried to put a stock out for $2.30 a share to get that going, but it never worked out."

He continued, "Guy Spearman, being the person he was, was adamant about not wanting to use secondhand equipment, which everyone else wanted to use, so he withdrew and decided to do his own and use the same lot that they were looking for the Gulf Brewing Company."

The special ingredient that set Spearman Beer apart from others was pure water. Directly in front of the factory was a large pump that brought water into the brewery at a rate of 1,000 gallons per minute. The water came from a reservoir 300 feet below the surface and tested 99.993% pure. The brewery's slogan always remained "The Pure Water Does It."

By 1939, the brewery was successfully producing thousands of barrels of beer per year, but the onset of World War II brought many

changes. Large influxes of soldiers were training at Pensacola Naval Air Station and other area military bases. The government tapped Spearman Brewery to provide libations for the men while on leave.

"A lot of the Navy folks and military, they would go through like 50 to 70 kegs a night," Moon said.

Following the war, the brewery's market share began to slip. In 1948, Guy Spearman announced that $100,000 would be spent on advertising. The postwar push failed despite some clever marketing.

"Spearman Brewing put out the little metal six-pack holders because back then, you could go to the store and only buy one or two," Moon said. "They wanted to increase sales, so this metal six-pack carrier helped to encourage you to buy six. They gave them away to all the distribution people, package stores or wherever you could buy their beer."

After a revolving door of brewmasters and managers, Spearman and Pearl Zilker, the widow of his silent partner, Charles Zilker, sold the plant to the Hertzberg family of New York.

Moon said, "They operated it for four years, until 1964. Then they closed up shop, but from what I understand, they did keep the building open as a distributorship until about 1970. Then they closed it."

If you are interested in buying the book about the Spearman Brewing Company, contact Mike Moon at spearmanbeerguy@gmail.com.

PORTLAND LOOS Pensacola City Councilwoman Jennifer Brahier is excited that the city is buying Portland Loos® to meet the need for public restrooms. The restrooms are prefabricated, less expensive than brick facilities and address many of her concerns.

"It looks like we'll be able to put one potentially at the Brian Doyle Skatepark, Bruce Beach, Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza and Veterans Memorial Park," she said.

Portland, Ore., pioneered the stainless-steel restrooms to deal with its rising homeless population. City officials realized public restrooms open 24 hours a day would alleviate disturbance to local businesses and help keep sanitation under control, prevent unsightly waste throughout public areas.

The units have rounded anti-graffiti wall panels, open grating, easy-to-clean coating and motion sensors that let you know if someone is inside.

"When you're thinking about down at Veterans Memorial, if it were to flood, the water just washes right through it because of the gradings at the bottom," the councilwoman said. "You don't have the same kind of conditions that you would be doing a very hard, solidwalled structure."

Brahier added, "The same amount of money that has previously been allotted to Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza is going to offer this for many locations, and that's very exciting." {in}

Summer Movie Preview

By Joshua Encinias

Barbie. Ken. A fedora. One beetle. Campy theater kids. Some teenage turtles. And an atomic bomb. Add them all up and you get the ingredients for 2023's crop of summer movies.

This season's big screen releases feature tons familiar faces and a lot of new ones too. The return and final goodbye for Indiana Jones in "Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny" opens this weekend, and "Joy Ride," an allfemale comedy rivaling "The Hangover" in gross-out humor, drops in early July.

July 21 is when things really heat up though. Yes, we're talking about Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" and Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," which are set open the same day, giving movie fans a truly wild double-feature opportunity.

A new movie opens nearly every weekend this summer, so whether you like action, comedy or drama (or all three), there's something for every taste coming to a theater near you soon. And of course, there's plenty of movies to stream as well—if that's more your thing.

ASTEROID CITY (OUT NOW)

What begins as a celebration to honor the achievements of the Junior Stargazers becomes ground zero for an alien sighting. Director Wes Anderson's "Asteroid City" reunites the director with actor Jason Schwartzman and introduces Tom Hanks to his acting troupe.

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (JUNE 30)

Harrison Ford dons his iconic fedora one last time in Indiana Jones' latest adventure. Set in 1969, the American archaeologist and adventurer's story is set against the backdrop of the Space Race, as he looks for the legendary Dial of Destiny. His final on-screen adventure sees him battling Nazis again.

JOY RIDE (JULY 7)

When Audrey's (Ashley Park) business trip to Asia doesn't go as planned, she calls on her childhood best friend Lolo (Sherry Cola) for help. Also along for the ride are Kat (Stephanie Hsu), her college friend turned Chinese

soap star, and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), Lolo's eccentric cousin. Their epic journey is filled with Seth Rogen approved levels of debauchery (his production company Point Grey Pictures produced the film).

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE DEAD RECKONING PART ONE

(JULY 12)

Tom Cruise's domination continues. Last summer he lit up the screen in "Top Gun: Maverick," and this summer he's back as super-spy Ethan Hunt in "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One." If you're going to see it in theater, you might as well see his deathdefying stunts in IMAX at the AMC location on Bayou Boulevard.

THEATER CAMP (JULY

14)

Tony Award winner Ben Platt and Molly Gordon star in the comedy "Theater Camp" as Amos and Rebecca-Diane, lifelong best friends and drama instructors at a rundown camp in upstate New York. When clueless tech-bro arrives to run the camp into the ground, the duo and their fellow camp counselors band together with students to stage a show to keep the camp afloat.

BARBIE (JULY 21)

Robert Oppenheimer might've dropped his first bomb 15 years before Barbie debuted, but they're both getting their first major motion picture July 21. "Barbie" is (probably) the only one getting a sequel, though. Oscar nominee Greta Gerwig directs this movie about the iconic doll that follows Barbie (Margot Robbie) as she ventures into the real world with Ken (Ryan Gosling).

OPPENHEIMER

(JULY 21)

Christopher Nolan explores the life of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his contributions to create the first atomic bomb. Cillian Murphy plays the physicist, who you might remember played Scarecrow in all three of Nolan's "Batman" movies.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM

(AUG. 2)

The newest take on "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" looks like it's going to be to millennials what "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is to Gen Z. Not to bring him up again, but Seth Rogen is behind the relaunch, and from the looks of it, these turtles are played by actual upand-coming teen actors.

PROBLEMISTA

(AUG. 4)

Comedian Julio Torres makes his directorial debut as Alejandro, an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. When his work visa runs out, he takes an assistant job with an artist (Tilda Swinton) that takes him on a surreal adventure through the treacherous worlds of New York City and the U.S. Immigration system.

BLUE BEETLE (AUG.

18)

This writer has already seen "Blue Beetle," and I can tell you it's the best DC superhero movie in a long time. Xolo Maridueña of "Cobra Kai" fame plays the titular beetle who becomes a superhero when he comes into possession of an ancient alien biotechnological relic. Beetle's family plays a big role in the movie, and the story is all the better for it.

BOTTOMS

(AUG. 25)

PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) start a fight club at their high school as a way to lose their virginities to cheerleaders, and somehow, their plan works. The club gets totally out of hand and the duo must find a way to lower the temperature on campus before their plan is exposed.

PAST LIVES (HONORABLE MENTION)

A24's new romance hasn't opened in Pensacola, yet. If it doesn't, we'll be the first ones to stream it later this summer. "Past Lives" follows Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, who are torn apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. They reunite in

New York City 20 years later and confront destiny and love in this modern romance.

STREAMING FLICKS BROOKLYN 45

(STREAMING NOW ON SHUDDER)

The movie follows one terrible yet liberating evening in 1945 for five World War II veterans. What seems like a normal invitation for cocktails becomes an impromptu séance where all hell breaks loose.

WHAM!

(STREAMING JULY 5 ON NETFLIX)

This documentary uses footage of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley of WHAM! to tell the amazing story of how in four years they dominated the charts around the world with timeless and classic pop songs.

BIRD BOX BARCELONA

(STREAMING JULY 14 ON NETFLIX)

The sequel to "Bird Box" moves the action to the desolate streets of Barcelona after a mysterious force wipes out the world population. Uneasy alliances between survivors form, but a sinister threat grows beneath the surface.

THEY CLONED TYRONE

(STREAMING JULY 21 ON NETFLIX)

This sci-fi mystery stars John Boyega, Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris as three people who find themselves wrapped up in a government conspiracy after experiencing "a series of eerie events," presumably, the cloning of Tyrone.

YOU ARE SO NOT INVITED TO MY BAT MITZVAH

(STREAMING AUG. 25 ON NETFLIX)

The newest Adam Sandler movie stars his reallife daughters Sadie and Sunny as Stacy and Lydia, best friends who have always dreamed about having epic bat mitzvahs. But things start to go comically awry when a popular boy and middle school drama threatens their friendship and rite of passage. {in}

F ront R-L: Charles James, Megan Fry, Daniel Harrell, Alfred Lojo*

Back R-L: Bruce Partington + , Glenn Lovett*, Douglas Bates + , Scott Remington, Jeremy Branning

*indicates Super Lawyers ® Rising Stars + indicates 10 years or more as Super Lawyers ® honoree

Super Lawyers® is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. This selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.

Arts & Entertainment

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

Harm Reduction Never Felt So Hot

By Terrah Card

don't know. They just don't know about Narcan. They don't know about fentanyl. They don't know about fentanyl test strips."

What jumpstarted Brooks' passion for HRH was the unfortunate loss of her sister's brother. While he had been clean for more than two years, he took an ecstasy pill unknowingly laced with fentanyl and passed away.

"I had lost so many people, but for me that was the final straw," Brooks said. "This is going to keep happening and I'm going to have to keep going through this, but I have to find a way to make my grief useful and do something."

Brooks started HRH while living in Louisiana, where she hoped to receive support from the community immediately. It wasn't until she moved to Pensacola in the beginning of 2023 that she started to get assistance from local volunteers and organizations.

grow, especially in Escambia County, 28-yearold Jay Brooks has taken it upon herself to aid the Pensacola community in her own way.

Brooks started Harm Reduction Hotties (HRH) a little more than a year ago as a passion project to help bring awareness to drug overdoses and to educate those unaware of fentanyl and how to potentially save lives through education and means of resources.

HRH is an advocacy group dedicated to spreading awareness on the drug crisis, however, it also provides free Narcan—a naloxone nasal spray that can help treat narcotic overdoses in emergency situations—as well as Plan B, pregnancy tests, condoms and more. Brooks hosts volunteer meetings and sets up information tables at places people are more likely to go, such as local bars.

"Pensacola is one of Florida's hot spots for the fentanyl crisis and overdoses. Most of Escambia County does not know that. I want to make sure that the community knows it's happening before it's someone else's son or daughter."

Brooks felt a sense of disconnect with the locals of Louisiana, but she started to gain a following within two weeks of being in Pensacola that continues to grow. Brooks spends a majority of her free time working on HRH.

"I was born into addiction. My whole life has been addiction," Brooks said. "I've watched it. I've dealt with it myself. What I've noticed is, the most painful thing for me is, people in the grips of addiction need people and community support in their darkest times, and the support is just not there."

When Brooks needed the help, some of her friends turned a blind eye. The last thing she wanted to feel at that moment was isolation from people who should be there for her, she said.

"I think it's important for people to realize the addicts are also just humans," Brooks said. "Just because they are struggling with addiction does not make them any less worthy of love. It doesn't make them less worthy of support. If anything, we need it more when we are in the depths of our addiction. I don't want anyone to have to go through addiction alone."

Brooks hosts weekly meetings for HRH at Easy Going Gallery most Sundays. The HRH Instagram account gains followers daily, and Brooks uses it to register potential volunteers.

Approximately

15 Floridians die a day from drug overdoses, according to the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County website.

The opioid receptor, Narcan, can be useful in saving someone's life. Brooks recommends everyone have Narcan at home—even if drugs are not present in the household, it could save someone else nearby.

"I've lost so many people," Brooks said. "My little sister lost her brother, and it's very important to me that people are prepared for these kinds of situations because a lot of people just

"The community here has been super receptive, and that means everything to me, truly," Brooks said. "It was very hard to do everything on my own. Since I moved here, we have been having regular meetings, and I hope once that gets rolling we'll start to bring in the funds that we need to become a nonprofit."

To have the Pensacola community encourage not only HRH, but also Brooks personally, makes her feel welcome in Pensacola and hopeful for the future of overdose awareness.

One of the main things Brooks hopes to share with people through HRH is the sense of humanity that's sometimes forgotten when talking about things like addiction and overdosing.

Volunteering for HRH consists of spreading education on drug overdoses, as well as gathering supplies and dispensing them to anyone who needs them. Narcan is available over the counter, and Brooks suggests everyone have four to five treatments in their home—one overdose can call for a minimum of two to four Narcan treatments, and in serious cases, as many as eight to nine.

"I'm happy to be serving a grateful community," Brooks said. "Harm reduction is love. Your prevention is your power." {in}

Stay updated and learn more about Harm Reduction Hotties by following @harmreductionhottiespcola. For more information on drug overdoses and Narcan visit escambia. floridahealth.gov.

Jay Brooks of Harm Reduction Hotties / Photo by Terrah Card Tired of suffering from droopy eyelids?  Uplift your eyelids with the once daily eye drop, Upneeq. Call now to schedule your appointment with the eye care specialists at Terrezza Optical: 850-434-2060

a&e happenings

FOURTH OF JULY

FOURTH OF JULY 5K Start the Fourth with a flat—and hot—5k run on Pensacola Beach 7 a.m. Tuesday, July 4 starting at 69 Via De Luna. Register online at register.chronotrack. com/r/70788.

SYMPHONY SPARKS & STARS Pensacola

Symphony Orchestra performs a free concert of patriotic favorites at Community Maritime Park, 351 W. Cedar St. The music begins at 7:30 p.m. with fireworks following the performance.

PENSACOLA'S FOURTH OF JULY The fireworks begin at 9 p.m. Tuesday, July 4. Watch from William Bartram Memorial Park, 211 Bayfront Parkway. Visit pensacolafireworks.com for details.

PENSACOLA BEACH FOURTH OF JULY

FIREWORKS Fireworks will light the sky over the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk at 9 p.m., Tuesday, July 4 when the show is set to start. Arrive early to reserve your spot on the sand or Boardwalk for the best views. For more information on the July Fourth Fireworks show, visit pensacolabeachchamber.com.

FOURTH OF JULY AT FISH HOUSE Enjoy a four-course wine dinner at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St., Tuesday, July 4 and get a prime waterfront view of the Fourth of July fireworks, which begin at 9 p.m. Table reservations are for 7 p.m. Cost is $125 per person. For reservations, contact Taylor Dawson at (850) 287-0200 or email taylor@goodgrits.com.

FLORA-BAMA FOURTH OF JULY PARTY

Enjoy barbeque, watch the Miss Firecracker Bikini Contest, participate in the annual Freedom Run, listen to live music and watch the fireworks from the beach at night at Flora-Bama, 17401 Perdido Key Drive. Visit florabama.com/4th-ofjuly-party for details.

RED, WHITE AND BLUES WEEK Enjoy live music, food and drink specials while taking in the Fourth of July Fireworks show over Pensacola Beach at Felix's, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. Fireworks start at 9 p.m. Tuesday, July 4. There is no cover charge. Seats are first-come-firstserved. Head back for the Blue Angels Airshow Thursday, July 6-Saturday, July 8.

FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND FLOAT-UP AT SNEAKY TIKI BAR

On Saturday, July 1, cruise over to Island Culture Sneaky Tiki Bar with your MarineMax crew for a day filled with red, white and blue. There will be live music from Tyler Livingston & the Absolutes, a raffle at 1 p.m., plenty of games and all-American eats to fuel your day. Be sure to sign up for the float race kicking off at 2 p.m. with a special prize for the winner.

To register for this event, please fill out the form on marinemax.com. Be sure to reach out to camille.hoskins@marinemax.com with any inquiries.

NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS

BREWS FOR THE BAYS Visit any of the participating breweries and purchase their signature Brew for the Bays during the month of July, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to support restoration, education and monitoring efforts in the Pensacola & Perdido Bay aatersheds. Beer trail passports will be available at each of the participating breweries. Make sure to ask your bartender to stamp your passport when you purchase their Brew for the Bay. Visit facebook. com/ppbepflal for details.

Participating breweries include:

•Gary's Brewery & Biergarten

•Perfect Plain Brewing Co.

•Doc's Hop Shop

•Coastal County Brewing Co.

•A Little Madness Brewing Co.

•Beardless Brewhaus

•St. Michael's Brewing Co.

•J&J's Pizza Shack

ANIMAL ALLIES FLORIDA BINGO Animal

Allies Florida hosts bingo twice monthly at Scenic Hills Country Club, 8891 Burning Tree Road. The cost is 10 rounds of bingo for $10, with cash prizes for winners. Food and drinks are also available for purchase. A full bar and restaurant offer special adult beverages just for bingo nights. You must be 18 to play. For more information, visit facebook.com/animalalliesflorida.

CARING & SHARING MINISTRY FOOD

DRIVE The Gloria Green Caring & Sharing Ministry is attached to the Historic St. Joseph Catholic Church, 140 W. Government St. The ministry feeds the homeless at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. The ministry's food pantry opens at 10 a.m. and has clothing. Food donations needed are pop-top canned goods, Beanie Weenies,

Vienna sausage, potted meat, cans of tuna and chicken and soups. Clothing donations needed include tennis shoes for men and women and sweatshirts and new underwear for men in sizes small, medium and large. Call DeeDee Green at (850) 723-3390 for details.

KITTEN AND CAT ADOPTION EVENT Visit

Pet Supermarket 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, July 1 at 6857 N. Ninth Ave. to meet adorable cats and kittens available for adoption. Visit aaflorida.org for more information.

CALL TO WRITERS

EMERALD COAST REVIEW SEEKING SUBMISSIONS Emerald Coast Writers (formerly West Florida Literary Federation) is looking for submissions from regional writers and artists to publish in its upcoming 22nd anthology. They are looking to collect poetry, quality fiction, nonfiction, contemporary, emerging and experimental works, along with the best of art, graphic design and photography. Residents from the following counties are encouraged to submit: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton, Okaloosa and Bay (Florida); Mobile, Escambia and Baldwin (Alabama).

To view guidelines and submit work, visit wflf.org/ecr. Submissions close July 15. Accepted submissions will be announced and writers will be notified that their piece(s) will be published in the ECR in Fall 2023.

COMMUNITY NOTES

FORT PICKENS HISTORY TOUR Enjoy a family-friendly tour exploring the historic Fort Pickens. Depart from the Downtown Ferry Landing and cruise over to Ft. Pickens while a National Park Service Ranger gives an overview of Pensacola Bay's history. Upon arrival at Ft. Pickens, guests will be taken on a guided tour of the fort, later returning to the Downtown Ferry Landing.

DOWNTOWN AND FORT PICKENS SUN -

SET CRUISES Enjoy a Gulf Coast sunset cruise with panoramic views of Pensacola Bay and Fort Pickens National Park. These one-and-a-halfhour cruises offer covered interior and exterior seating, a climate-controlled cabin and onboard restrooms. Sit back, relax and enjoy a cold beverage aboard our clean and spacious catamaran-style vessels. Beer, wine, liquor, soft drinks and water are available for purchase.

For more information on all offerings and to book an upcoming experience aboard Pensacola Bay City Ferry, visit pensacolabaycityferry.com.

For more information regarding private charter and special events cruise packages, please visit pensacolabaycityferry.com/private-events.

ARTS & CULTURE

WELL PAIRED: AN EVENING OF BOOK + WINE PAIRINGS Join Bodacious Bookstore and Café and Terroir Wines for an evening of book and wine pairings 5:30-8 p.m. Friday, June 30 at Bodacious Bookstore and Café, 101 E. Intendencia St. Tickets are $55 at eventbrite.com.

PAINT WITHOUT NUMBERS IN THE BIERGARTEN Take in a paint class at Gary's Brewery & Biergarten, 208 Newman Ave., with Yvonne 3 p.m. Friday, June 30. Visit facebook.com/garysbrew for details.

LITTLE RED ROBIN HOOD Pensacola Little Theatre presents "Little Red Robin Hood" a fractured fairy tale written for young audiences. Showtimes are 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Friday, June 30 and Saturday, July 1, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 2. PLT is located at 400 S. Jefferson St. Tickets are $10-$18 at pensacolalittletheatre.com.

PENSACOLA CINEMA ART SHOWTIMES

The next PCA showtime is "The Quiet Girl" 1 p.m. Friday, July 7 and Saturday, July 8 at Pensacola Cinema Art Theatre, located in the Studer Community Institute building, 220 W. Garden St. Tickets are $10 cash. Visit pensacolacinemaart. com for details.

CABARET DRAG SHOWCASE AT AMERICAN LEGION POST #193 Don't miss Cabaret Drag Showcase every second and fourth Saturday at the American Legion Post #193, 2708 N. 12th Ave. Doors open at 8 p.m. Showtime is 10 p.m. For more information, contact show director Taize Sinclair-Santi at taizesinclairsanti@ gmail.com.

SPIRITS OF SEVILLE QUARTER GHOST

TOUR AND LUNCHEON Dine inside Pensacola's oldest and most haunted restaurant and investigate the spirits with actual paranormal equip -

a&e happenings

ment at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Tickets are $12 and include a voucher toward Seville Quarter's menu. Tours are held 11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays and 2-4 p.m. Sundays. Make an appointment by calling (850) 941-4321.

AFTER DARK: SEVILLE QUARTER

GHOSTS, MURDER, MAYHEM AND MYS-

TERY TOUR AND DINNER After Dark Paranormal Investigation and Dinner inside one of Pensacola's most haunted restaurants with actual ghost-hunting equipment 6-8 p.m. Sundays. Listen as your guide weaves tales of ghosts, debauchery, murder, mayhem, paranormal activities, history and more of Seville Quarter and downtown Historic Pensacola. Following your ghost tour, enjoy dinner at Seville Quarter Palace Café, 130 E. Government St. Reservations required. Call (850) 941-4321. Tickets are available at pensacolaghostevents.com.

FOOD + DRINKS

GAMER/JACKBOX NIGHT AT O'RILEY'S Gamers unite at 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Monday nights at O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

BINGO NIGHT AT CALVERT'S IN THE HEIGHTS Play a game (or two) of Bingo, 6-8 p.m. Mondays at Calvert's in the Heights, 670 Scenic Highway. For more information, visit calvertsintheheights.com.

BAR BINGO AT O'RILEY'S Visit O'Riley's Irish Pub for Bar Bingo 8-10 p.m. Tuesdays at 321 S. Palafox. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

SECOND TUESDAY THEMED TRIVIA Visit Perfect Plain Brewing Co. for themed trivia nights 7-9 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month at 50 E. Garden St. Visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco for details.

TRIVIA AT O'RILEY'S Test your trivia knowledge 8-10 p.m. Wednesdays at O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox, p.m. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

TRIVIA AT CALVERT'S IN THE HEIGHTS

Take part in trivia nights 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays at Calvert's in the Heights, 670 Scenic Highway. For more information, visit calvertsintheheights.com.

PITCHERS AND TAVERN TRIVIA O'Riley's Tavern hosts trivia 8 p.m.-midnight Thursdays at 3728 Creighton Road. Visit orileystavern. com for details.

TRIVIA AT WISTERIA Trivia is 6 p.m. Thursdays at Wisteria Tavern, 3808 N. 12th Ave. Visit wisteriatavern.com for details.

THURSDAY BIERGARTEN TRIVIA NIGHT

Gary's Brewery Trivia Night is back by popular demand 7-9 p.m. Thursdays. Test your trivia skills with a glass of beer or wine. Arrive early to grab a spot. Gary's Brewery is located at 208 Newman Ave. For more information, visit facebook.com/garysbrew.

TRIVIA AT SIR RICHARD'S Flex your trivia knowledge 8-10 p.m. Fridays at Sir Richard's Pub -

lic House, 2719 E. Cervantes St. Visit sirrichardslounge.com for details.

FREE POOL AND BAR BINGO AT O'RILEY'S TAVERN Enjoy free pool and play bar bingo 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays at O'Riley's Tavern, 3728 Creighton Road. Details at orileystavern.com.

LIVE MUSIC

PALOMINO BLOND, MOLD, MARIGOLDS APPRENTICE, CAPSULE HOTEL, CANDY CIGARETTE Show is 7 p.m. Thursday, June 29 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $10-$13 at thehandlebar850.com.

EYEHATEGOD Show is 7 p.m. Friday, June 30 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $15-$20. Visit thehandlebar850.com for tickets.

HEAVEN SLEPT, SURRONDER, MID EVIL TIMES, PALMMEADOW Show is 7 p.m. Saturday, July 1 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $5-$10. Visit thehandlebar850. com for tickets.

BLUES ON THE BAY Hi Tide Band plays Blues on the Bay 6 p.m. Sunday, July 2 at Community Maritime Park, 351 W. Cedar St. Admission is free.

DOWN BY LAW, SLAP OF REALITY, GLORIOUS FLAWS Show is 7 p.m. Sunday, July 2 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $18 and available at thehandlebar850.com.

JAZZ JAM AT ODD COLONY Jazz Pensacola's Jazz Jam will be 6:30-9 p.m. Monday, July 3 at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox. Visit jazzpensacola. com for details.

BANDS ON THE BEACH Concerts are held 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays at the Gulfside Pavilion on Pensacola Beach. On Tuesday, July 4, Johnny Earthquake & the Moondogs performs. For details, visit visitpensacolabeach.com/whats-happening-bands-on-beach.

RADIOLIVE The next RadioLive is 6 p.m. Thursday, July 6 with Firekid, Ever More Nest, and Anana Kaye & Irakli Gabriel. Show is at the Museum of Commerce, 201 Zaragoza St. Tickets are $10 and available at radiolive.org.

LIVE MUSIC AT

FIVE SISTERS BLUES CAFÉ

Visit Five Sisters, 421 W. Belmont St., for live music on select days.

•Tuesdays: Greg Bond from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

•Thursdays: John Wheeler from 6-8 p.m.

•Saturdays: Glenn Parker Band from 6:30-10 p.m.

•Sundays: Curt Bol Quintet from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

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 at 7 p.m. every Monday at 130 E. Government St. in End O' the Alley. For more information, visit sevillequarter.com.

for more listings visit inweekly.net

free will astrology

WEEK OF JUNE 29

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Visionary author Peter McWilliams wrote, "One of the most enjoyable aspects of solitude is doing what you want when you want to do it, with the absolute freedom to change what you're doing at will. Solitude removes all the 'negotiating' we need to do when we're with others." I'll add a caveat: Some of us have more to learn about enjoying solitude. We may experience it as a loss or deprivation. But here's the good news, Aries: In the coming weeks, you will be extra inspired to cultivate the benefits that come from being alone.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): The 18thcentury French engineer Étienne Bottineau invented nauscopy, the art of detecting sailing ships at a great distance, well beyond the horizon. This was before the invention of radar. Bottineau said his skill was not rooted in sorcery or luck, but from his careful study of changes in the atmosphere, wind and sea. Did you guess that Bottineau was a Taurus? Your tribe has a special capacity for arriving at seemingly magical understandings by harnessing your sensitivity to natural signals. Your intuition thrives as you closely observe the practical details of how the world works. This superpower will be at a peak in the coming weeks.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): According to a Welsh proverb, "Three fears weaken the heart: fear of the truth; fear of the devil; fear of poverty." I suspect the first of those three is most likely to worm its way into your awareness during the coming weeks. So let's see what we can do to diminish its power over you. Here's one possibility: Believe me when I tell you that even if the truth's arrival is initially disturbing or disruptive, it will ultimately be healing and liberating. It should be welcomed, not feared.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Hexes nullified! Jinxes abolished! Demons banished! Adversaries outwitted! Liabilities diminished! Bad habits replaced with good habits! These are some of the glorious developments possible for you in the coming months, Cancerian. Am I exaggerating? Maybe a little. But if so, not much. In my vision of your future, you will be the embodiment of a lucky charm and a repository of blessed mojo.

We serve the local community by offering gently used merchandise at bargain center prices while generating financial support for the programs of the Ministry Village.

By Rob Brezsny

You are embarking on a phase when it will make logical sense to be an optimist. Can you sweep all the dross and mess out of your sphere? No, but I bet you can do at least 80%.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): In the book "Curious Facts in the History of Insects," Frank Cowan tells a perhaps legendary story about how mayors were selected in the medieval Swedish town of Hurdenburg. The candidates would set their chins on a table with their long beards spread out in front of them. A louse, a tiny parasitic insect, would be put in the middle of the table. Whichever beard the creature crawled to and chose as its new landing spot would reveal the man who would become the town's new leader. I beg you not to do anything like this, Leo. The decisions you and your allies make should be grounded in good evidence and sound reason, not blind chance. And please avoid parasitical influences completely.

a great time for you to engage in an imaginative exercise inspired by the Mayans. Why? Because this is an ideal phase of your cycle to break up your routine, reinvent the regular rhythm, introduce innovations in how you experience the flow of the time. Just for fun, why not give each of the next 14 days a playful nickname or descriptor? This Friday could be Crescent Moon, for example. Saturday might be Wonderment, Sunday can be Dazzle Sweet and Monday Good Darkness.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): From 998 till 1030, Scorpio-born leader Mahmud Ghaznavi ruled the vast Ghaznavid empire, which stretched from current-day Iran to central Asia and northwestern India. Like so many of history's strong men, he was obsessed with military conquest. Unlike many others, though, he treasured culture and learning. You've heard of poet laureates? He had 400 of them. According to some tales, he rewarded one wordsmith with a mouthful of pearls. In accordance with astrological omens, I encourage you to be more like the Mahmud who loved beauty and art and less like the Mahmud who enjoyed fighting. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to fill your world with grace and elegance and magnificence.

Isaac Newton's theories about gravitation. But here's an unexpected twist: Kepler was also a practicing astrologer who interpreted the charts of many people, including three emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. In the spirit of Kepler's ability to bridge seemingly opposing perspectives, Capricorn, I invite you to be a paragon of mediation and conciliation in the coming weeks. Always be looking for ways to heal splits and forge connections. Assume you have an extraordinary power to blend elements no one can else can.

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VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): I rebel against the gurus and teachers who tell us our stories are delusional indulgences that interfere with our enlightenment. I reject their insistence that our personal tales are distractions from our spiritual work. Virgo author A. S. Byatt speaks for me: "Narration is as much a part of human nature as breath and the circulation of the blood." I love and honor the stories of my own destiny, and I encourage you to love and honor yours. Having said that, I will let you know that now is an excellent time to jettison the stories that feel demoralizing and draining—even as you celebrate the stories that embody your genuine beauty. For extra credit: Tell the soulful stories of your life to anyone who is receptive.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): In the Mayan calendar, each of the 20 day names is associated with a natural phenomenon. The day called Kawak is paired with rainstorms. Ik' is connected with wind and breath. Kab'an is earth, Manik' is deer, and Chikchan is the snake. Now would be

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): About 1,740 years ago, before she became a Catholic saint, Margaret of Antioch got swallowed whole by Satan, who was disguised as a dragon—or so the old story goes. But Margaret was undaunted. There in the beast's innards, Margaret calmly made the sign of the cross over and over with her right hand. Meanwhile, the wooden cross in her left hand magically swelled to an enormous size that ruptured the beast, enabling her to escape. After that, because of her triumph, expectant mothers and women in labor regarded Margaret as their patron saint. Your upcoming test won't be anywhere near as demanding as hers, Sagittarius, but I bet you will ace it—and ultimately garner sweet rewards.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Capricorn-born Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) was an astronomer and mathematician who was an instrumental innovator in the Scientific Revolution. Among his many breakthrough accomplishments were his insights about the laws of planetary motion. Books he wrote were crucial forerunners of

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

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Dear Restless Runaway: During the next 10 months, life will offer you these invitations: 1. Identify the land that excites you and stabilizes you. 2. Spend lots of relaxing time on that land. 3. Define the exact nature of the niche or situation where your talents and desires will be most gracefully expressed. 4. Take steps to create or gather the family you want. 5. Take steps to create or gather the community you want.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): I'd love you to be a deep-feeling, free-thinker in the coming weeks. I will cheer you on if you nurture your emotional intelligence as you liberate yourself from outmoded beliefs and opinions. Celebrate your precious sensitivity, dear Pisces, even as you use your fine mind to reevaluate your vision of what the future holds. It's a perfect time to glory in rich sentiments and exult in creative ideas.

HERE'S THE HOMEWORK: Find a way to sing as loudly and passionately as possible sometime soon. {in}

freewillastrology.com

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Tell It's a perfect time to glory in rich sentiments and exult in creative ideas. 11 East Romana Street | Pensacola, Fl 32502 genemitchell.org

freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

AWESOME! Visitors to the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam can now bring home a new, and permanent, souvenir of their visit. The Associated Press reported that tattoo artist Henk Schiffmaker and others are doing a residency within the museum called "A Poor Man's Rembrandt," where tourists can get inked with sketches by the famous artist. Schiffmaker calls it "highbrow to lowbrow. And it's great that these two worlds can visit one another." The tattoos cost between $54 and $270.

WAIT, WHAT? Employees of Taqueria Garibaldi restaurants in northern California got an unusual—and unorthodox—perk during work hours, USA Today reported. Employees testified in court that a person who identified as a priest was called in to hear workers' "confessions." "The priest urged workers to 'get their sins out' and asked employees if they had stolen from the employer, been late for work, had done anything to harm their employer or if they had bad intentions toward their employer," according to a release from the U.S. Department of Labor. But the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento said it could find no connection between the alleged priest and the diocese. An investigation found that the restaurants had denied overtime pay and threatened employees with retaliation, among other "sins," and the owners were ordered to pay $140,000 in damages and back wages.

THE TECH REVOLUTION In an office building in Durham, North Carolina, nine scientists are hard at work in Duke University's Smart Toilet Lab, The News & Observer reported. Sonia Grego told the paper that she and her colleagues "are addressing a very serious health problem"—gut health. The toilets in the lab move poop into a specialized chamber before flushing it away. There, cameras are placed for image processing, and the resulting data can give doctors insights into a patient's gut health. Startup Coprata is testing pilot versions of the smart toilets in a few dozen households; after the data is gathered, users can access it themselves on a smartphone app. "The knowledge of people's bowel habits empowers individuals to make lifestyle choices that improve their gut health," Grego said.

INSULT TO INJURY Mark Dicara of Lake Barrington, Illinois, allegedly shot himself in the leg on June 12 while dreaming of a home invasion, Insider reported. Dicara grabbed his .357 Magnum and fired—which instantly brought him to consciousness. There was no intruder in the home. Police found him in bed with a "significant amount of blood." He was charged with possession of a firearm without a valid Firearm Owners Identification card and reckless discharge of a firearm.

IT'S COME TO THIS Cedric Lodge, 55, and his wife, Denise, 63, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, were indicted in federal court on June 14 after it was revealed that they allegedly were stealing and selling human body parts, the Associated Press reported. Lodge was the manager of

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

the Harvard Medical School morgue until May 6, when he was fired. He and his wife offered a shopping opportunity at the morgue, where buyers could pick which donated remains they wanted. The Lodges would then take the items home and ship them through the mail. The parts included heads, brains, skin and bones. Three others were indicted: Katrina Maclean, 44, of Salem, Massachusetts; Joshua Taylor, 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania; and Mathew Lampi, 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota. Prosecutors say they were part of a nationwide network of people who buy and sell human remains. Harvard called the actions "morally reprehensible."

SMOOTH REACTION When Martin Trimble, 30, tried to rob a convenience store in Durham, England, in May, the shop owner got the best of him: He lowered the store's steel shutter, trapping Trimble on his back half in and half out, and waited for authorities to arrive. Once Trimble realized he was pinned to the ground, Fox News reported, he popped open one of the beers he'd tried to steal and drank it as he waited to be arrested. Trimble pleaded guilty on June 16 to attempted robbery and possession of a knife and was sentenced to three years in jail.

BRIGHT IDEA Self-pitying Belgian TikTokker David Baerten, 45, has a morbid sense of humor—or a fragile ego. According to Sky News, Baerten and his family decided to "prank" his friends by faking his own death because he felt "unappreciated" by them. The funeral, which took place in early June near Liege, drew a crowd of friends and family, who were shocked when a helicopter landed nearby and Baerten stepped out. "What I see in my family often hurts me. I never get invited to anything. Nobody sees me," Baerten said. "That's why I wanted to give them a life lesson."

WEIRD SCIENCE KTVX-TV reported on June 21 that snow in the mountains of Utah is turning pink, red and orange—what scientists call "watermelon snow." Experts said the colored snow results from blooming green algae, which is found in mountain ranges. "The snow algae produce a pigment that basically darkens their cells," said Scott Hotaling, an assistant professor at Utah State University's department of watershed sciences. Basically, the algae turn colors to protect themselves. One young visitor said the snow turned his shoes orange. "I thought that was pretty cool," he said.

YOU HAD ONE JO The town of Stuart, Iowa, needed a new water tower to handle its growing population, according to KCRG-TV. But when residents saw the name painted on one side, they cringed. Rather than STUART, the tower was painted with START. Mayor Dick Cook called the social media attention about the misspelling "hilarious," and the tower has been repainted. {in}