Independent News | July 9, 2020 | Volume 21 | Number 28
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winners & losers
outtakes
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news 6, 8
If we're not tearing down everything that's connected to it, then you might as well leave it right there.
best of the coast
buzz
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contact us info@inweekly.net
publisher Rick Outzen
graphic designer Tim Bednarczyk
editor & creative director Joani Delezen
contributing writers Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Jeremy Morrison, C.S. Satterwhite
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Independent News is published by Inweekly Media, Inc., P.O. Box 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591. (850)438-8115. All materials published in Independent News are copyrighted. © 2018 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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winners & losers
Joe Zarzaur / Courtesy photo
winners JOE ZARZAUR The board-certified
civil trial lawyer and founder of Zarzaur Law, P.A., has been voted by his peers as one of Florida’s Legal Elite™. This distinction was based on success in service to the State of Florida and legal skills in civil trial law in representing plaintiffs in personal injury cases. The Legal Elite elections process invited all members of The Florida Bar to nominate lawyers they have worked with personally or would recommend to others. The votes were tallied by an independent research firm, and a Blue Ribbon Panel of prominent lawyers reviewed the list of attorneys who garnered the most votes.
ED MEADOWS & TERI LEVIN In June
2000, following their tragic deaths, the Rotary Club of Pensacola began the annual Grover III and Sandra Robinson Awards in memory of their outstanding community leadership. The couple exhibited the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self,” in all areas of life—professional, community and family. Each year, a community leader is selected for these awards based on their work for making our community a better place. This year, the Grover Robinson III Award was presented to Dr. Ed Meadows, president of Pensacola State College, for his outstanding leadership in providing education degrees, training and certificate programs to foster lifelong careers. Selected for the Sandra Robinson Award was Ms. Teri Levin, philanthropist and co-owner of Levin Rinke Realty, for her support and contributions in building an additional wing to the Gulf Coast Kid’s House and for making our community a better place to live.
NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION For
the second year in a row, Navy Federal Credit Union ranks in the top 10 for IDG’s Computerworld 2020 Best Places to Work in IT. This is the credit union’s sixth consecutive year to make the list, ranking ninth among 52 large organizations. Navy Federal remains the only credit union among the large organizations. Navy Federal’s Information Services Department provides support for the credit union’s 21,500 employees and over 9.2 million members.
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Mike Hill / Courtesy of myfloridahouse.gov
losers MIKE HILL The man considered the least
effective Republican state representative in the Florida House got caught in another fib, or at least, his campaign workers got him in trouble with the National Rifle Association. At a recent gun show, Hill displayed his campaign literature on a table sponsored by the NRA. His campaign folks told people that the NRA had endorsed Hill in his re-election bid against Michelle Salzman. Marion Hammer, NRA past president and executive director of Unified Sportsmen of Florida, found out and fired off a message to all her members stating that the NRA and USF won’t endorse Hill. She said, “He is NOT a candidate we can support. Mike Hill files legislation he KNOWS will not pass just so he can say he filed a bill.” In his two years as the District 1 representative, Hill has pissed off the current and future House Speakers and the state’s most powerful lobbyist and failed to get any of his bills passed. Hardly a successful term on which to run for reelection.
MILTON CITY COUNCIL Led by council members Jeff Snow and Shannon Rice, the Milton City Council caved into public pressure and unanimously voted to rescind Mayor Heather Lindsay’s emergency order requiring face covering inside city businesses. For the five days following the vote, the Florida Department of Health reported 330 new cases—a 69% jump in cases among Santa Rosa County residents. Hospitalization due to the virus increased by 11 patients—a 38% increase. SEGWAY China-based Ninebot will halt production of the Segway PT, short for personal transporter, on July 15. Twentyone staffers will be laid off at its Bedford, N.H., plant. The Segway PT made a splash in December 2001 when it was unveiled on Good Morning America. Former Sheriff Ron McNesby bought half a dozen for his deputies on Pensacola Beach, where one deputy promptly ran into the Gulf with cameras rolling—one of our favorite YouTube videos. inweekly.net
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MCCAIN VS. BRAGG Few presidents have done more to demean war veterans of the Vietnam War era than the current occupant of the White House. Instead, President Trump has become obsessed with the Civil War and the Confederacy, which is odd for a Yankee whose ancestors immigrated to this country long after Lee surrendered to Grant. Sen. John McCain was a war hero. The naval aviator, who trained at NAS Pensacola, was taken prisoner after being shot down over Hanoi in 1967. Both his arms and a leg were broken when ejected from his A-4E Skyhawk. He remained a prisoner for five and a half years—repeatedly beaten, tortured and starved. He was held in solitary confinement for two years. When his father was named commander of all U.S. forces in the Vietnam theater, the North Vietnamese offered McCain early release to curry positive publicity in the international media. McCain turned down the offer unless every man taken in before him was also released. He and his fellow officers had made a pact to be released in the order in which they were captured to prevent the enemy from using prisoners for propaganda. For his resistance, his captors bound and beat him every two hours. In an interview with the Arizona Republic, McCain later admitted that the torture and his injuries nearly led him to commit suicide. He was released on March 14, 1973, along with 108 other prisoners of war. His injuries left him permanently incapable of raising his arms above his head. When he campaigned for president in 2008, longtime friend Nancy Fetterman shared with me that the senator would have to bend over and have an aide comb his hair before he made a public appearance. For his military service, McCain was awarded the Silver Star, two Legion of Merit Medals, the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Star Medals, two Purple Hearts, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and the Prisoner of War Medal. During his presidential campaign, his character shined. Our staff covered the
presidential debate at the University of Mississippi and walked away impressed with his performance. He made his points without attacking Barack Obama. At a campaign event in Minnesota, when a supporter told him she did not trust Obama because "he's an Arab," McCain respectfully corrected her, "No ma'am. He's a decent family man that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues." However, McCain and his place in American history have earned him the scorn of the commander-in-chief. The senator withdrew his support of Trump during the GOP primaries because he had serious about Trump's "uninformed and indeed dangerous statements on national security issues." Four years later, we have plenty of evidence that McCain may have been justified in his concerns. For his stance, Trump went after the decorated war hero for being captured. McCain further earned the president's ire when he voted against a partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act. When he died, the White House reluctantly lowered the flag to half-mast in McCain's honor. Another Vietnam War hero that has been repeatedly attacked by Trump has been former FBI Director Robert Mueller. Mueller served as a Marine Corps officer and received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Of course, his "sin" was conducting the investigation into Trump's campaign—even though Attorney General William Barr says the Mueller Report cleared the president of any wrongdoing. Contrast Trump's attacks on these heroes with his defense of military bases, like Fort Bragg, which are named after Confederate generals. General Braxton Bragg lost nearly every battle his troops fought. He was relieved of his command after being routed in Chattanooga. According to Wikipedia, Bragg is among the worst generals of the Civil War and was "extremely unpopular with both the men and the officers of his command." I'm a life-long Southerner, and I would choose McCain over Bragg any day. Most Americans would. {in} rick@inweekly.net
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CONFEDERATE STATUE DEBATE REVISITED
By C. Scott Satterwhite After the violence of the 2017 "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Va., protests erupted throughout the United States. As much of the fight in Charlottesville centered upon Confederate statues, many Americans looked at their own hometown Confederate monuments as sites to focus their energy. Pensacola was no different. In a radio interview, then-Mayor Ashton Hayward caused a stir when he initially called for the removal of the Confederate statue in Lee Square. Dedicated in 1891, the statue towers over the city with a Confederate soldier facing south, looking over the city. After an uproar, Hayward soon backtracked from his remarks and said, "While my opinion has not changed—the monument should be moved or put in its proper context—I am not advocating for unilateral action." Instead, the mayor urged the Pensacola City Council to take action concerning "preservation of historical resources." As a petition made the rounds calling for the removal of that confederate monument, a counter-petition also gathered signatures. Inweekly ran an article entitled "Which Side Are You On?" (Aug. 24, 2017), giving the history of the statue going back to Pensacola's brief time in the Civil War, through the Reconstruction period and into a less-studied period known by historians as "Redemption"—an era where white Southerners actively reversed racial progress gained through the Reconstruction era. 66
The statue in Lee Square is dedicated to "Our Confederate Dead," with separate panels for Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Confederate General and Florida Governor Edward Perry. Despite the image that large statue might convey, for most Pensacolians, the Confederacy itself was brief. After Florida seceded from the United States in 1861, the area itself saw only brief action at Fort Barrancas and minor skirmishes. Fort Pickens never fell to the Confederacy, and the city itself went back to Union hands within less than two years. For years, however, the story of Pensacola's entry into the Civil War and the subsequent years that followed placed the city's role in the conflict as that of tremendous sacrifice to the Confederate cause, which was in almost every way a cause fought by and for white Southerners.
HISTORY NOT ON DISPLAY
Nowhere is this viewpoint more clearly illustrated than at the foot of the Confederate statue in Lee Square. The words "Our Confederate Dead" speak to a universality that was never the case. The graves tell another story. As the 2017 article pointed out, buried at Barrancas National Cemetery are 252 soldiers alone from the United States Colored Troops—the name most Black soldiers fought under during the Civil War. In that same cemetery, only 72 Confederate soldiers are buried. Nowhere in the city is there a memorial to Pensacola's Union dead, nor its Black soldiers who fought in the war
or those who suffered enslavement until the Union victory brought an end to slavery. At the end of the war, Pensacola began its period of Reconstruction in which the city and county saw its first African Americans in local government. Locally, figures such as Zebulon Elijah, Salvador Pons, and John Sunday became prominent figures in local politics, holding multiple municipal and state offices. Some of the men who held these positions had once been enslaved and grew to become well-respected figures in local government, winning praise from those within Pensacola's Black and white communities. This period of racial progress ended with the 1885 election of Gov. Perry, featured prominently on the Confederate statue. As the 2017 debate raged about removing the Confederate statue, local historian John Appleyard published an article in the Pensacola News Journal (PNJ) entitled "Real History of How Pensacola's Confederate Statue Came to Be" (Aug. 23, 2017) . Appleyard described the rise of Gov. Perry—"In 1885, Pensacola attorney Edward Perry was elected Florida's governor. Prior to that, Perry had served in the War Between the States [Civil War] ... With the coming of peace, he returned to Pensacola and for two decades became extremely popular for his service to veterans and to many in commercial circles. In 1884, those followers urged him to seek the governor's chair, for Florida was suffering from results of a constitution imposed in 1867." Appleyard continued, "Perry agreed to run … and from his inauguration, he suc-
cessfully pursued popular goals. The constitution was written and passed. Pensacola received a new charter, which brought elective status to many local offices, and the means to begin a public school system." What was left out of that 2017 PNJ article is that Perry was not popular within all quarters of Pensacola, specifically within Pensacola's Black community. He ran on a platform to rid the state of its "carpetbagger" Republican governments, which at the time were multiracial. At the time of Perry's election, Pensacola's Black population was among the highest in the state. According to the 1880 census, among the 12,000 residents of Escambia County, 45% were African American, and most voted Republican. According to historian Matthew Clavin, white Pensacolians during the Reconstruction era had two options—"they could join the Northerner conquerors in reconstructing a South that was free, progressive and multi-racial or fight to the death to retain as much of the traditional Old South culture as possible." Perry and his allies chose the latter course. Although Perry didn't carry Escambia County in the election, he won across the state. One of Perry's first acts as governor was to abolish Pensacola's city charter, which allowed the governor to remove all Republican black public officials. The mayor and marshal were arrested, the local officials replaced with hand-picked Democrats, including his friend and former Confederate officer William D. Chipley, a man with alleged ties to a Ku Klux Klan assassination in Georgia and statue of his own downtown. In one legal maneuver, Reconstruction was over, and the city of Pensacola would not see a multiracial government for another century. Furthermore, when Perry took office, he overturned the 1867 constitution, arguably the most progressive constitution the state would see for over a century. Perry's constitution codified systemic racism by legally segregating public schools and banning interracial marriage, along with many other issues. In 2017 and 2018, Inweekly ran two articles ("Which Side Are You On?"; "Tear Them Down/Bring Them Up") describing this history, specifically Gov. Perry's role in this story. Despite Mayor Hayward's stated desire that the memorials come down, the city council did not follow suit. Two years passed, and the monument remains.
THE 2020 DEBATE
Then came the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25. As protests gripped the nation, many focused their attention on what they saw as local symbols of racism— inweekly.net
which quickly turned to the unresolved issues around the Confederate statues. As with several cities throughout the South, Pensacola's Black Lives Matter movement spread its focus to include the statue honoring "Our Confederate Dead" in Lee Square. Since the protests, Mayor Grover Robinson proposed changing the name of Lee Square to Florida Square. However, he was reticent to call for the monument's removal, which would require a council vote after a 30-day wait period. City Councilwoman Sherri Myers got the council to start the 30-day clock last month. Thanks to her efforts, a proposal is now before the city council to officially change the name of the park and remove the Confederate statue and is expected to be decided on Tuesday, July 14. Since the protests, several Pensacolians have come out in support of removing the statue, most notably businessman Quint Studer. Another sign of a shift in attitude is the competing online petitions at change. org. A petition calling for the statue to remain in Lee Square has less than 600 signatures, while a petition calling for the statue's removal has over 22,000 signatures. Furthermore, the changing viewpoint in the editorial section of the PNJ is yet another indicator of broader change. Nearly three years after Appleyard wrote his laudatory article about the Confederate statue's "real history," the PNJ published a frontpage historical article about the statue in which the paper took a very different stance than their previous position. Backing up the recent historical article, also listed as a "real history" of the monument, the paper published a strongly worded apology for decades of indifference and hostility to Civil Rights issues to blatant anti-Black racism in the paper's early years. In 2017, Inweekly interviewed Trina Ramos for our article "Which Side Are
You On?" Ramos was an organizer with the original Pensacola Black Lives Matter movement in 2014. Speaking about the statue removal, Ramos said that she would like to see the statues come down but was less optimistic about the statue's removal being much more than a symbolic gesture. "The bigger issue is stopping the systemic issues that are plaguing our cities and town," said Ramos in 2017. From her perspective, removing the Confederate statue was not "stopping school-to-prison pipelines. It's not stopping racism. It's not stopping poverty. It's not stopping the wage gap." "So we took the [Confederate] flag down, but you still have a third of the population here that's illiterate," Ramos said. "You still have a humungous wage gap. You still have poverty in this town. You still have people profiting off of the poverty here in Pensacola, Fla. So if we're not addressing these issues, if we're not stopping these issues, taking down the statue is doing absolutely nothing. It's just taking down a statue." "If we're not tearing down everything that's connected to it, then you might as well leave it right there," Ramos continued. In a recent Facebook post, Ramos indicated that she felt similar. "This movement [Black Lives Matter] has become trivialized," wrote Ramos. "Black folk are demanding police accountability and equality as it pertains to jobs, housing, the legal system, economic power," she said. "Instead, all I see are commercials and cute quotes filled with idle promises. They are doing everything but what we've asked." Though the larger systemic issues Ramos mentions are not up for a city council vote on July 14, the fate of the Confederate statue is expected to be decided. Only time will tell if the statue will be removed and then what further systemic actions happen as a result. {in}
Photo by Tim Bednarczyk
CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION On Tuesday, June 7, City Administrator Keith Wilkins sent a recommendation to Mayor Robinson that called for the city council to approve the removal of the Lee Square Confederate Monument and to give the mayor the authorization to award a contract to implement Council's approval. "Under careful consideration and with Pensacola's collective heritage and historic landscape in mind, staff has determined that Lee Square and the monument does not reflect our current values nor strive to create a more inclusive City," wrote Wilkins. "Although the Confederate monument July 9, 2020
remembers those that lead, fought and died for the Confederacy, it also promotes a postReconstruction "Lost Cause" narrative that memorializes a divisive time in American history reflective of "white supremacy" and the Jim Crow era. The Square and Monument are not equitable representations of all our citizens." The council will consider the recommendation at its special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 14 at Pensacola City Hall. The council can accept, reject or amend the recommendation, and Mayor Robinson has the option of vetoing the decision. The full memo is available with the online version of this article at inweekly.net. 7
THE CASE THAT SHOOK PENSACOLA
David Morgan / Photo by Steven Gray
By Rick Outzen Eleven years ago, the murder of a Beulah couple threw Pensacola and its newly-elected sheriff into the international spotlight. The crime exposed an underbelly of Escambia County that few locals wanted to admit existed and established Sheriff David Morgan has one of the top law enforcement leaders in the country. With his time in office ending this year, Inweekly caught up with Morgan to talk about the case. On a hot, humid night om July 9, 2009, April Spencer had helped Melanie Billings bathe two of her daughters, Katie and Emma. The small Black lady lived in a trailer on the property and was a part-time nanny for the Billings. When she left a little after 5 p.m., Bud Billings was watching TV, and Melanie was preparing dinner in the kitchen. Around 7:15 p.m., Adrianna Billings, 11, pounded on Spencer's door, yelling, "Come, Mom and Dad are dead." Leaving the young girl at her home with her daughter, Spencer ran to the Billings' residence to find someone had kicked in the laundry room door. She smelled gun powder as she entered the house and saw drops of blood on the floor. Ten-year-old Jacob "Jake" Billings stood in the living room, pointing to his parents' bedroom. Jake had Down syndrome and couldn't speak and communicated only through sign language. Spencer walked into the master bedroom and found Bud lying in front of the dresser, face down in a pool of blood. He wore blue jean shorts and was shirtless. Melanie laid face-up in a hallway that led out of the master bedroom. Both had been 88
shot multiple times. Spencer grabbed Jake, ran to her trailer and called 911. The deputies arrived at the home on Mobile Highway and found seven special needs children in the house and a home surveillance system. With the help of the couple's son, the investigators watched a video of an old red van drive up to the residence. Three masked suspects in black exited the van and entered the home. A few minutes later, the suspects jumped in the van carrying a small safe and sped off the property. Sheriff Morgan remembers getting a call from his Public Information Officer Sergeant Ted Roy, who kept him briefed on the investigation. "My policy was not to go to the scene of a homicide," he explained. "If I show up, then reporters wanted to talk to the sheriff, and I became the news story. My policy was to let the investigators do their job and fill me in later."
"If I show up, then reporters wanted to talk to the sheriff, and I became the news story. My policy was to let the investigators do their job and fill me in later." David Morgan From what Roy told him, Morgan realized it would be an intriguing case. He said, "We knew it was going to generate quite a bit of interest. And for us, a double homicide is something, of course, that doesn't happen every day and especially a double homicide in a home with so many children present.
ROCKY START
Morgan's first six months in office had been rocky. His election dumbfounded the daily newspaper and many of the county's most powerful. Although many now might claim they predicted it, few truthfully believed that Morgan would beat the most formidable politician in Escambia County, Sheriff Ron McNesby, in the 2008 Republican primary. There could be no more opposites than Morgan and McNesby. Morgan was tall, thin and handsome. Morgan was Wyatt Earp, the Wild West sheriff whom a friend recalled: "somehow like a mountain or desert; he reduced you to size." The new sheriff was the consummate outsider, having grown up in Missouri, and never served as a sheriff's deputy. Instead, his law enforcement experience came from the military. McNesby was short, fat, bald and the poster child for the "good ol' boys." He had grown up in the Escambia County Sheriff's Office. He never attended college but knew how to dole out favors. McNesby, a two-term incumbent whose nickname was "Teflon Ron" because of his ability to deal with political controversy and grand jury investigations, had raised $229,381 for his 2008 campaign to Morgan's $59,008. His supporters included attorneys, developers and business leaders—the wealthiest people in Escambia County. The News Journal endorsed him—"Our perception of the Sheriff's Office is that it runs as effectively as it has in a long time and that most voters are comfortable with law enforcement they believe they can depend on." Inweekly saw the race differently. We recommended Morgan—"It's time for a change.
Eight years are enough for Ronnie Mac and his cronies. Too much money has been wasted on helicopters, boats, flat-screen televisions and, now, imitation Segways." On the night of the primary, Morgan took an early lead that he never relinquished. When every voted was tallied, Morgan had outpolled McNesby, 13,565 to 10,354. Two months later, he trounced Democrat Larry Scapecchi in the general election, leaving the News Journal and the power brokers scratching their heads, wondering how they could have been so wrong. During his administration's early days, the daily newspaper appeared to be hellbent on making Morgan a one-term sheriff. "A week after I was sworn, the Department of Justice sent a letter stating it was investigating the Escambia County Sheriff's Office for past civil rights violations," said Morgan. "I was also told I needed to cut $6 million from my budget." When the DOJ handed him their preliminary findings later that spring, they told Morgan that the Escambia County Sheriff's Office was 20 years behind the rest of the country when it came to police procedures and policies. However, the daily wanted to point the finger at Morgan, not his predecessors. To compound the problem with the News Journal, Sheriff Morgan developed an aggressive strategy to deal with prostitution—drafting a "Dear John" letter to be sent to registered owners of vehicles "involved in an arrest for violation(s) of Florida's laws prohibiting prostitution." The letter warned that a person's vehicle "can be seized" if used in violation of the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act. The editors at the daily jumped all over Morgan because the Forfeiture Act only applied if the vehicles used in the commission of a felony. On the day the Billings were murdered, the paper published an editorial titled, "County sheriff should lead and not mislead." The Billings case changed that narrative.
PRESS CONFERENCES
The morning after the home invasion, Pensacola awoke to another hot Friday. Excitement filled the town because the hometown favorite Blue Angels were set for their Saturday air show. The investigators briefed Sheriff Morgan at 9 a.m. His communication team stayed close. They wanted to have a press conference as soon as possible to disseminate information widely and combat the attacks coming almost daily from the News Journal. At the briefing, Morgan told investigators, "Tell me what you need. My job is to remove all impediments to a successful resolution of this case. If you need more personnel to help with collection and analysis, let me know because that's my job." The sheriff later shared with Inweekly, inweekly.net
"In the military, we used to say there must be collective suffering which forces a bonding. One of two things will happen. Either the organization will coalesce, or it will fragment and fly apart." The sheriff's office coalesced very quickly, and roles were defined early. Morgan took the advice of his team and used press conferences to locate suspects and propel the investigation. Within five days, they had arrested all eight suspects. At the first press conference regarding the Billings case, Morgan enlisted the media and the public. "We wanted the press involved because there was so much information that we had to have processed right away, like finding the van," he said. The van had an unusual grill and had been converted to a passenger van. Morgan said, "We asked the public, 'If you have any information about this van, these individuals, etc., please contact the Escambia County Sheriff's office.'" Within a matter of hours, the sheriff's office was flooded with phone calls from people who had witnessed the van at different places. A former owner called and told investigators he had sold the van to a Gulf Breeze woman for her son, Patrick Gonzalez, Jr. Deputies located it at the home of Gonzalez's father, and the investigation took off. The public followed the subsequent arrests as Morgan kept holding press conferences, often four or five a day. Reporters from CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS and national newspapers and magazines descended on Pensacola. News vans filled the parking lot of the sheriff's office. The networks would break into regular programming to broadcast the latest reports. "We were leaving a press conference, and my phone rang. My mother said she had seen me on TV" he recalled. "And I said, 'You're watching CNN or Fox?' She said, 'Oh, no, no. I was watching one of my soap operas … They break into everything. The only channel you weren't on was Nickelodeon.' So I learned this was a big deal." The press conferences quickly become a critical investigative tool. "We found the press conferences worked so well," said Morgan. "I'm throwing touchdown passes here. Why would I stop? And so when we developed another person of interest that we wanted to come in and talk to, we would enlist the help of the press. And if they
didn't come in, we found them pretty quick because of the tips that we had." He credits a press conference in locating Pamela Long Wiggins, who provided guns and hid the stolen safe. Investigators knew she and her husband had a boat and suspected they were probably going to head for parts unknown. Morgan said, "We literally had just finished that press conference saying, 'We want to know the whereabouts of Pamela Long Wiggins. We need to speak to her about her potential involvement with this, and she's a person of interest.' Of course, she's plastered, again, all over the news, and we began receiving phone calls." A boat mechanic in Orange Beach saw the broadcast and called to say the couple had asked him to make repairs to their boat and were still at the marina. "They're walking out the door of his business and he's looking at the TV and he's saying, 'Jesus, that's who they're looking for,'" said Morgan. "He picks up the phone, and within two hours, we had her in custody. That was the power of the media working with us on this case. These folks could not move without us getting a call from somebody." The relationship with the media began to fray after the arrests. Many of the witnesses talked about the Mexican mafia being involved in the murders. "We had a couple of difficult decisions to make on releasing information," said Morgan. "It became apparent that there was potentially organized crime involvement here, specifically the Mexican mafia." He continued, "We got this information from suspect after suspect after suspect. They were in fear for their lives because they had been threatened that, 'If you ever divulge any of this, we'll kill you.'" Morgan was faced with the dilemma of whether he should sit on information that he potentially had organized crime working in the community, who have now murdered two very prominent citizens with special needs children involved. "Had I not divulged that information and it came out later, I'd have been pilloried for that. 'Sheriff, why did you lie to us?' Why did you hold that information back?'" said the sheriff. He pointed out that witnesses at Gonzalez's trial affirmed fears of organized crime's involvement. "It was a difficult decision to make, but
if I had to do over, I'd do the same thing," said Morgan. "I won't criticize the state attorney. That's their call. We gave them the evidence, and they determined eventually what charges were made and who's going to be prosecuted. The state attorney's office successfully prosecuted all the cases. The trial of Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr. for the home invasion robbery and murders of Byrd and Melanie Billings was over five days in the fall of 2010. There was no melodrama or surprises, and the trial concluded as many had predicted. Gonzalez was found guilty, and the jury recommended the death penalty. The prosecutors proved that Patrick Gonzalez, Jr. was a broke, desperate father of six who assembled a team to invade the Beulah home of Byrd Billings and Melanie Billings. Gonzalez thought Billings, who was in the used car business and had a finance company, had $13 million in a vault in the house—or so Gonzalez told his crew. Frederick Thornton and Rakeem Florence cut plea deals and testified how the murders and robbery took place. On July 9, the men drove onto the property and broke into the Billings home through three doors. Donnie Stallworth kicked in the front door. Thornton and Florence kicked in the laundry room door, and Gonzalez and Wayne Coldiron came through a third door. Gonzalez's father stayed in the old red cargo van. Gary Sumner was the lookout, driving up and down Nine Mile Road and communicating with Gonzalez via a walkie-talkie. Gonzalez demanded money from Byrd Billings. When Billings told him there was no money, Gonzalez shot him in the legs twice. Gonzalez and Stallworth took the couple into the master bedroom. Byrd was shot in the cheek and then twice in the back of the head as he fell. Gonzalez and Stallworth spotted a small safe in the linen closet in a hallway off the bedroom. When Melanie wasn't able to give them the combination to the safe, she was shot in the face and then three more times while she was on the floor. All shots fired were from a 9mm pistol. According to Florence and Thornton, the only person carrying such a gun was Gonzalez. The men took the safe, only staying inside the property for five minutes. The safe and guns were handed over to Pam Wiggins, the
defendant's boss and landlord. The safe would later be found hidden in her backyard. She would hide the murder weapon in a Buick owned by her husband. She and Hugh Wiggins would take some of the guns to a friend in Mississippi. Gonzalez sits on Death Row in Stark, Fla. He insists that he was framed, that all the evidence against him is circumstantial and that those who helped to convict him were only protecting their own hides. He has lost all of his appeals but has a scheduled rehearing on his sentence.
HEALING
The Billings case tested Morgan's leadership and built a strong connection with his deputies and staff. "At the Sheriff's Academy, they teach you that when you come in, you get rid of everybody and bring in your own staff," said Morgan. "In the military, no one votes for you to go to the next job assignment. No one wants you to show up there. So you're always the new guy; you're always coming in to assess an organization and make it right." He continued, "I knew the sheriff's office was broken because of a lot of the past deeds, which was one of the reasons why I got elected sheriff, and the community wasn't that happy with the sheriff's office." Morgan was determined to heal his organization. He gave them time to get used to who he was and understand his character and integrity. He worked with the people that he had. "Captain Bruce Wood headed up the investigating team. Rusty Hoard was the case manager, and we assembled a team not because they knew and liked me, but folks based upon their capabilities," he said. "They just hit the ball out of the park. I mean … every time they got up to the plate, they hit a home run." Does he consider the Billings case the most significant part of his legacy as sheriff? "In all seriousness, I never consider a legacy. I've found that people that are concerned about a legacy are not worth a whole lot," he answered. "Go to work every day, do the best job that you can do, earn your pay, and be straightforward and honest with people, especially when you make a mistake," said Morgan. "And if people say, 'Hey, that guy showed up and we took a chance on Morgan and he did the best job he could do,' that's fine. That's good enough." {in}
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9
Dr. John Lanza / Photo courtesy of floridahealth.gov
PESKY KIDS On Thursday, July 2, Dr. John Lanza, director of the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County, updated the Escambia County Commission on the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Escambia County—only his third public briefing to the commission since a state of emergency was declared in March. He echoed Gov. Ron DeSantis' assertion that young people not following the CDC guidelines are at the root of the outbreak. "With the opening of the restaurants, with the congregation of individuals together who are not wearing masks, not social distancing or not washing their hands, they are passing disease around—that's what we're seeing," said Lanza. "If everyone was wearing a mask when they couldn't social distance or just wearing a mask period, social distancing, washing their hands, staying away from large groups if you can't social distance, then we wouldn't be having this problem." The Pensacola City Council voted last week to validate Mayor Grover Robinson's executive order that mandated masks inside local businesses. The council's ordinance established fines—$50 for the first offense, $125 for the second offense, $250 for the third offense. A fourth violation carries a fine of up as much as $500 and potentially 60 days in jail. The heads of Ascension Sacred Heart, Baptist, West Florida Hospital and Community Health sent a letter to the city supporting the order. They wrote, "We strongly believe that our community of Pensacola, as one metropolitan statistical area (MSA), would benefit greatly from consistent public masking across both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties." Escambia County has chosen to do a $250,000 marketing campaign to encourage residents to "mask up," even though the 010 1
county's COVID cases almost doubled during the last 10 days of June. Dr. Lanza supported the marketing plan. He said, The "Mask Up, Escambia" project, I think, is a way of getting social awareness out there, awareness to especially the young folks—anything that we can do to get the word out that this is a disease, you can get it, you can pass it onto folks who may not do as well as you will if you have the disease, such as your parents and your grandparents." When asked whether any of the new cases are tied to Pensacola Beach, Lanza said, "We have not seen any link from going to the beach, just from the fact that you went to the beach. We have seen the link between going out to the island and then go to a bar or another location where you were around people where you weren't socially distancing and not wearing a mask, mostly in the younger population." As part of the marketing campaign, the county will distribute free reusable cloth masks to Escambia County citizens while supplies last at the Escambia County Extension, 3740 Stefani Road, all public libraries and the community centers in Brownsville and Ebonwood. Disposable paper masks will be available on Pensacola Beach at Lifeguard Tower 4 or directly from any lifeguard.
JAIL JINX On Thursday, July 2, Escambia
County reported three inmates at the county's jail had tested positive for COVID-19 as of that morning. The press release stated, "Over the course of four months, the jail has tested over 30 inmates and these are the first three inmates who have tested positive." The county, however, didn't mention how many jail employees had tested positive. The public and county commissioner didn't find out those numbers until Escambia County Corrections Chief Rich Powell appeared before the board at its agenda review later that morning. When questioned by the commissioners, Powell said that he currently has 12 employees that have tested positive for COVID. Another 13 employees are waiting for test results. Three days later, the county reported 38 more inmates had tested positive out of the 44 inmates tested. Two of the units in the jail have been turned into isolation zones to house the inmates who have tested positive to try to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Good luck.
CLERK & COVID When asked by Inweek-
ly, Escambia Clerk of Courts Pam Childers told the newspaper that her offices at M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building and Escambia County Administrative Complex have had employees test positive.
"Positive tests require those persons to be out for at least three weeks," Childers told Inweekly. She said the positive were "low interaction" and did not require contact tracing. "Both situations happened on a Thursday, which allowed us time for employees to be away from the office and report to work Monday assuming no symptoms," she said. "Many co-workers chose to get tested, and all were negative results. Both confirmed contracting the virus from outside sources." She added, "Our offices were reconfigured a few years ago to give everyone greater space between each other, which has proved to be a healthy setup. Then about 18 months ago, we changed out all of our desk stations to laptops so employees could 'unplug and go,' which readily allows a work-from-home option." Masks and gloves are optional at the clerk's office, except for certain situations— i.e., court and domestic violence interviews. "We have not changed any of our measures as we feel we are taking the correct precautions every day," said Childers. "We will continue on this course until this proves ineffective."
SUPER UPDATE The Escambia County
School District closed the application period for those seeking to be the district's first appointed superintendent. Twentyseven people have applied to be Escambia County's new school superintendent. The daily newspaper reviewed the applicants and found a mix of principals and administrators from 15 different states and one from Kuwait, with more than half having doctorates and seven either current or former superintendents. As Inweekly predicted, the inside favorite Keith Leonard, former Tate coach and current assistant superintendent for Human Resources, is on the list, as is Claudia S. Williams, a former District 3 school board member who ran unsuccessfully three times for superintendent. In July, the district's 26-member citizen advisory committee will review the applications and come up with a list of finalists from which the school board will interview and select the new superintendent by the end of August.
PROTESTOR ARRESTED On Thursday,
July 2, Pensacola Police Department arrested Jason Uphaus for a misdemeanor. Uphaus was under investigation for hopping on a vehicle that charged into protestors on the Pensacola Bay Bridge in early June. "It's been almost an entire month since this peaceful protest was interrupted by an angry and threatening driver who disobeyed the police officer directing traffic by aggressively driving into a standing crowd of people," said Chris Klotz, Uphaus' attorney, in a written statement.
PPD had called Klotz the previous day and agreed to allow Uphaus to make arrangements for taking care of his child and would be allowed to turn himself at the end of today. The police reneged on that agreement. "Despite their promise to allow a single father to make childcare arrangements before self-surrendering, as generally happens in a minor misdemeanor charge, they pulled him out of his home in front of his young child and transported him to jail," said Klotz. The attorney continued, "We look forward to trying this case, telling the whole story of what happened on the bridge, showing the reckless and callous history of the driver and getting justice for Mr. Uphaus. We'll have more to say in the coming days about this case." Mayor Grover Robinson's police oversight committee is going to have its hands full. Meanwhile, on Saturday, July 4, a man was arrested on two counts of vehicular assault after his white Jaguar struck and critically injured two women during a protest along a closed stretch of Interstate 5 in downtown Seattle.
SEAL OF COMMITMENT The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) has launched a new standard for hospitality safety and sanitation practices, the FRLA Seal of Commitment. The Seal of Commitment demonstrates that the establishment meets thorough safety and sanitation standards as designated by FRLA. In a post-COVID-19 atmosphere, when guests see an FRLA Seal of Commitment sticker on an establishment's door, they can be confident that the business is sanitary and safe and the staff is well trained. "With the Seal of Commitment program, we have built on the foundation of those excellent standards to do even more to ensure cleanliness and safety and help build consumer confidence," said Carol Dover, FRLA president and CEO. "Establishments can display their awarded seal as a promise to guests of their strict adherence to these rigorous standards." To qualify for the FRLA Seal of Commitment, businesses must have all managers trained with a current ServSafe™ Manager certificate, all employees must have a current SafeStaff™ Food Handler certificate or brand equivalent, and all employees must complete an FRLA COVID-19 Sanitation & Safety Course. Additionally, establishments must meet specific sanitation standards outlined in the FRLA Seal of Commitment Guidelines. Once compliance with these guidelines is confirmed, FRLA will award the Seal of Commitment. To learn more about the FRLA Seal of Commitment or to apply for designation, visit frla.org/sealofcommitment. BOARD MEMBERS SOUGHT Visit
Pensacola is seeking volunteers to join the board of directors on October 1. inweekly.net
We all know it’s important to register to vote and then to, you know, actually show up and vote. The major federal races get plenty of resources and airtime, but what about local and state elections? How do these critical votes directly impact our communities? What is the role of the voter after ballots are cast, results are tallied and our public servants take their seats? Pensacola Votes is a nonpartisan voter education and civic engagement guide developed by the team at Inweekly to empower local voters to show up and stay focused. In a period where many of us are looking for ways to get involved and make a positive impact, Pensacola Votes will bring you educational resources to help you help your community. From now until the general election in November, you can check back here for a weekly column dedicated to the election, focusing primarily on local and state governments. We’ll be breaking down critical election information, demystifying municipal budgets and functions and giving you guidance on how to get your voice heard. You know what "Serving on the Visit Pensacola Board of Directors is a rewarding personal and professional experience," Visit Pensacola President Darien Schaefer said. "Board members are given the unique opportunity to directly impact the hospitality and tourism industry in Escambia County." Current open positions on the Visit Pensacola Board of Directors include sports/recreation and retail/attractions. Those interested in applying need to have an association with those categories. If you would like to be a part of the success of tourism and Visit Pensacola, please fill out an application. Applications will be used by the board's nominating committee to identify and evaluate potential board candidates. Completing this form will also help you understand the skills, time and resource commitments of these leadership positions. Interested parties need to complete the form online at visitpensacola.com under "Board of Directors" on the About page.
65-HOUR SENIOR CHILL OUT For the
fourth year in a row, Council on Aging of West
Florida will partner with Home Instead Senior Care to solicit monetary donations as part of the annual Senior Chill Out drive, which provides air conditioners and fans to elderly adults. The online fundraiser, called GIVE65, takes place July 15-17 at give65.org/acs. During a normal summer, high temperatures inside a home without reliable air conditioning can be dangerous. The Council on Aging is seeking to help seniors by raising funds for air conditioners and fans with the hopes of receiving up to $5,000 in matching funds from the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation. "The need for relief from the heat seems like it grows each and every year," said John Clark, president and CEO of Council on Aging, "and this year even more so. Fortunately, because of wonderful donors in the community and partners such as Home Instead Senior Care, we are able to meet that need." The 65-hour GIVE65 Event begins at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, July 15, and concludes at 10 p.m. on July 17. Prescheduled gifts can begin July 13 in order to ensure that donation receives matching funds. Once $125,000 in matching funds have been expended nation-
they say—the squeaky wheel gets the grease. What they don’t tell you is you don’t even have to be very squeaky to get stuff done at a local level. It just takes a little guidance, some consistency and belief in a brighter future for our area. To kick things off, here are the key dates you need to know this election cycle: July 20: Primary Election Voter Registration Deadline Aug. 10: Primary Election Vote-by-Mail Ballot Request Deadline Aug. 18: Local Primary Elections Oct. 5: General Election Voter Registration Deadline Oct. 24: General Election Vote-by-Mail Ballot Request Deadline Nov. 3: General Election To check your registration status, go to escambiavotes.com. Got burning questions you need answered? Email pensacolavotes@gmail.com, and we’ll add your query to our list. And make sure to follow us on Instagram: @pensacolavotes.Get mad. Stay mad. Vote!
wide, donations will no longer be matched. All donations are 100% tax-deductible. This event is an initiative of the local Home Instead Senior Care office, the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation and the nation's first and only crowd-fundraising platform focused on helping nonprofit organizations across the country raise funds for programs and services benefiting seniors. "This year, the need is greater than ever," said Stacy Robello, owner of the local Home Instead Senior Care. "There are many older adults who are isolated at home due to COVID-19 in fear of catching the virus, but they may be putting themselves at great risk of heat-related illnesses if they don't have any fans or ACs to help keep their house cool. We are hoping our community can reach out to help our most vulnerable population stay safer at home as long as possible."
CAMP CONNECT Losing a loved one is es-
pecially hard for children. Before they graduate from high school, one out of every 20 children will lose a parent—and that number doesn't include those who experience the death of
a brother or sister, a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, or a friend. Children simply haven't developed the skills to cope with tragedy. Camp Connect helps give children ages 6-17 the tools needed to understand their grief and cope with their feelings while making connections with other children in similar situations. Through confidence-building exercises and artistic activities, Camp Connect helps children find laughter and strength and helps in their journey through grief. Thanks to generous community support, Camp Connect is free and open to any child in our community. Camp Connect begins with check-in at 8:30 a.m. at Blue Wahoos Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. Parents arrive for evening family activities at 4 p.m. and stay for dinner and a movie at the ballpark. Advance registration required at choosecovenant.org/ camp-connect-registration-form or email campconnect@choosecovenant.org. All current recommended and mandated health precautions will be strictly adhered to. Because of growing health concerns, Camp Connect may be canceled closer to the event. {in}
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▶rules Like we have every summer for the last 20 years, we’re asking you all to play favorites and vote in our annual Best of the Coast poll. Even though this July looks a little different, we aren’t going to let the pandemic cancel that tradition.
Just remember that each Best of the Coast cycle reflects the entire year, not just the voting period. So if one of your favorite places is closed right now, you can (and should) still vote for them. {in}
•No photocopies or faxes will be accepted. •Vote in at least 25 categories. Ballots with fewer than 25 will not be counted. •Ballots must be postmarked by July 31, 2020.
▶mail your ballot to
Best of the Coast c/o Inweekly, PO Box 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591
▶required info Name
Or vote online at inweekly.net now-July 31 community, media & culture Best Nonprofit Best Charity Event Best Nonprofit Grant/Funding Program Best Place to Work Best Boss Best Community Leader Best Rising Leader Best Politician Best Advocacy/Activist Group Best Place to Take Out-of-Town Guests Best Day Trip Best Annual Event Best Food Event Best Parade Best Regular/Reoccurring Event Best Free Event Best Neighborhood Best Pensacola Landmark Best Public Park Best Pet-Friendly Park Best Playground Best Palafox Market Vendor Best Makers/Craft Market Best Reason to Attend a Blue Wahoos Game Best Reason to Attend an Ice Flyers Game Best Youth Sports/Rec Program Best After-School Activity Best Summer Camp Best Place for a Birthday Party Best Local Celebrity Best TV Station Best Radio Station Best Radio Personality Best Morning Radio Show Best Podcast Best Reason to Pick up Inweekly Best Website/Blog Best Scandal Best Person or Business to Follow on Instagram Best Business to "Like" on Facebook Best Way To Get Cultured Best Art Gallery/Museum Best Artist Best Photographer Best Music Venue Best Band Best Concert Best Place to Hear Free Music 212 1
Best Theatre Production
Best Green Business
Best Comedian
Best New Business
services
health & wellness
Best Hair Salon
Best Gym Best Personal Trainer Best Boutique Fitness Studio Best Yoga Best Yoga Instructor Best Pilates Best Fitness Classes Best Free/Community Fitness Classes Best Fitness Instructor Best Bootcamp Best Weight Loss Program Best Running Club Best 5K Best Place to Walk/Run Best Place to Ride Your Bike Best Hospital Best General Care Physician Best Chiropractor Best Dentist Best Orthodontist Best Pediatrician Best Mental Health Professional Best OB/GYN Best Optometrist Best Dermatologist Best Plastic Surgeon Best Physical Therapy Best Pharmacy
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Best Walk-In Clinic
retail Best Car Dealership Best Motorcycle Shop Best Bicycle Shop Best Boutique Best Men's Apparel Best Women's Apparel Best Children's Apparel & Gifts Best Accessories Best Consignment Store Best Thrift Store Best Athletic/Outdoor Store Best Furniture Store Best Home Décor & Accessories Best Antiques Best Vintage Shop/Seller Best Maker/Artisan inweekly.net
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weddings Best Place to Propose Best Place to Buy an Engagement Ring Best Ceremony Venue Best Reception Venue Best Officiant Best Bridal Store Best Place to Rent a Tux Best Bridal Make-up Artist Best Wedding Hair Salon Best Wedding Hair Stylist Best Wedding Planner/Coordinator Best Wedding Photography Best Photobooth Best Wedding Videography Best Wedding Band Best Wedding DJ Best Wedding Caterer Best Wedding Cake Best Wedding Florist Best Wedding Rentals Best Wedding Party Transportation Best Place to Buy a Wedding Gift Best Place to Buy Bridesmaid Gifts Best Place for a Rehearsal Dinner Best Place for Out-of-Town Guests to Stay
restaurants Best Restaurant Overall Best Restaurant–Downtown Best Restaurant–Cordova Area Best Restaurant–East Hill Best Restaurant–North Pensacola/Nine Mile Best Restaurant–West Pensacola/Perdido Key Best Restaurant–East Pensacola Heights Best Restaurant–Gulf Breeze Best Restaurant–Pensacola Beach Best Restaurant–Pace/Milton Best New Restaurant Best Bakery Best Breakfast Best Brunch Best Lunch Best Food Truck Best Greek Cuisine Best Mexican Cuisine Best Italian Cuisine July 9, 2020
Best Chinese Cuisine Best Japanese Cuisine Best Thai Cuisine Best Indian Cuisine Best Vietnamese Cuisine Best Vegetarian/Vegan Cuisine Best Sushi Best Gluten Free Options Best Seafood Best Steakhouse Best BBQ Best Soul Food Best Wine Menu Best Original Menu Best Chef Best Up-and-Coming Chef Best Wait Staff Best Waiter Best Waitress Best Coffee Shop Best Barista Best Outdoor Dining Best Place to Splurge Best Place to Eat Healthy Best Place to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth Best Romantic Dining Best Place for a First Date Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant Best Pet-Friendly Restaurant Best Salad Bar Best Take Out/To Go Best Food Delivery Best Restaurant for a Birthday Dinner Best Restaurant for Sports Fans Best Late Night Eats Best Restaurant to Take Out-of-Town Guests
Best French Fries Best Fried Chicken Best Wings Best Oysters Best Seafood Dish Best International Dish Best Salads Best Bowls Best Place to Buy Local Produce Best Vegetarian/Vegan Dish Best Desserts Best Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt Best Cakes/Cupcakes Best King Cake Best Milkshakes Best Original Menu Item Best Lunch Specials Best Weekly Special Best Local Food Manufacturer Best Local Beverage Manufacturer
bars, drinks & nightlife Best Bar Overall Best Night Club Best Bar–Downtown Best Bar–Cordova Area Best Bar–North Pensacola/Nine Mile Road Best Bar–West Pensacola/Perdido Key Best Bar–Pensacola Beach Best Bar–Milton/Pace Best New Bar Best Happy Hour Best Drink Specials Best Ladies' Night Best Cover Charge Worth Paying
Best Gone-But-Not-Forgotten Restaurant
Best Day Drinking
food
Best Specialty Cocktails
*List the specific menu item if applicable
Best Daiquiris/Frozen Drinks
Best Uniquely Pensacola Dish
Best Bushwacker
Best Bagels
Best Bloody Mary
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Best Mimosa
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Best Burrito
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Best Bartender
Best Deli
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Best Bread
Best Drag Queen
Best Sandwich
Best Sports Bar
Best Chicken Salad
Best Sports Team Club Headquarters
Best Cheeseburger
Best Neighborhood Bar
Best Hot Dog
Best Pet-Friendly Bar
Best Cheese Plate
Best Hotel Bar
Best Appetizers
Best Bar With a View
Best Mac-n-Cheese
Best Bar Ambiance
Best Pastries
Best Bar for Games
Best Omelette
Best Trivia Night
Best Grits
Best Karaoke Night
Best Donuts
Best Bar for Live Music
Best Specialty Toasts
Best Bar Food
Best Drink Menu
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inweekly.net
a&e happenings 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.
own towels, or you may rent a towel for a $1 donation. Pensacola Humane Society is located at 5 N. Q St. For more information, visit pensacolahumane.org.
NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS
ARTS + CULTURE
BISSELL'S EMPTY THE SHELTERS AT PENSACOLA HUMANE SOCIETY After
successfully finding forever homes for 6,231 pets amidst COVID-19, BISSELL Pet Foundation is once again aiming to Empty the Shelters by sponsoring reduced adoption fees across the country starting Friday, July 10, through Saturday, July 11, at the Pensacola Humane Society. You can adopt a pet from one of the 160+ participating organizations for $25, and BPF will sponsor the remainder of the adoption fee. Plus, for one week following this Empty the Shelters promotion, BPF will also cover the same cost for new foster families who fall in love and decide to adopt their pets. All adoptions will be facilitated to adhere to social distancing guidelines. For more information, visit pensacolahumane.org.
WARHAMMER 40K FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER Level Up Gaming is partnering
With Manna Food Pantries of Pensacola to collect food for our community. Manna provides food to families in need in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. The event will be 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, July 11, at Level Up Gaming, located at 1132 Creighton Road. The entry fee for this tournament is 10 items of non-perishable food. Bring additional food items to purchase "cheats" to modify dice rolls, block line of sight, etc. For more information, visit facebook.com/ pensacolalevelupgaming.
DOGGIE BATHE-INS RESUME The Pen-
sacola Humane Society 2020 Doggie BatheIn season has begun, with proceeds going to fund its foster program and kitten supplies. Bathe-ins offer low-cost dog bathing and flea dips during the warm weather season. Events are held the third Saturday of the month, April through October, and continue as follows: July 18, Aug. 15, Sept. 19 and Oct. 17 Charges are based on the dog's weight and range from $8-$11. Please bring your
THIRD ANNUAL TATTOO EXPO Come out for the third annual Pensacola Tattoo Expo, hosted by Ink Masters Tattoo Show, Friday, July 10, through Sunday, July 12, at Sanders Beach-Corinne Jones Resource Center, located at 913 S. I St. Tickets will be available at the door only. Get there before 5 p.m. on Friday for a discount. The expo will be 1-11 p.m., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. Cost per day is $20 at the door, and a three-day pass is $35. All clients must have a mask on at all times, and hand sanitizer will be available throughout showroom. For more information, visit facebook.com/raymond.inkmasterstattooshow. MUSEUMS UPDATES+NEW EXHIBITION
Starting this week, the T.T. Wentworth and Pensacola Museum of Art (PMA) are now open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Both museums are operating at limited capacity. In order to ensure social distancing guidelines are kept, visitors must reserve a $5 timed ticket online. The tickets are good for both museums for one day only. PMA also just opened a new exhibition—"A Question of When." It responds to the changing world during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Throughout history, art has played a unique and crucial role in times of change. Featuring works by Marc Chagall, Walker Evans, Joan Miró and other artists from the museum's permanent collection, "A Question of When" is a visual representation of the collective grief and ongoing sense of hope felt by many as this situation unfolds. The show represents over 100 years of art making across a variety of media. Other exhibitions on display at PMA include Poppy Garcia's "Bless Your Heart," the annual Members Show, and "DocuFlorida 3" and "Lessons in Ink" at T.T. Wentworth. You can also still enjoy virtual tours of exhibitions and collection highlights. For more information on both, visit pensacolamuseum.org and historicpensacola.org.
ARTEL GALLERY'S EXHIBITIONS ON DISPLAY Artel's latest exhibition is titled
"Keep it 100." In the award alcove are works from artists Randy New, and in the vault is pottery from Larry Manning. Dates of the show are now through July 23. For more information, visit artelgallery.org.
COLLECTION UNCORKED: AT HOME
The Pensacola Museum of Art has teamed up with Wine with Hilary Shaffer and Pot Roast & Pinot to bring their popular "Collection Uncorked" wine tasting into your home. Collection Uncorked invites visitors to learn more about our permanent collection through curated wine and art pairings. Chief Curator Anna Wall and Shaffer, a certified specialist of wine, are collaborating to match works of art with wines whose flavor profile or origins complement the art, artist or subject matter. This limited-edition curated box of three wines allows you to recreate the experience at home. Inside, you'll find reproductions of the works of art with narratives to guide you on your journey. Each box is $65. Order by noon on Wednesday of each week and pick up at Pot Roast & Pinot the following Saturday. For more information, visit potroastpinot. com/product/collectionuncorked.
BALLET PENSACOLA VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING The Ballet Pensacola Virtual Programming Series gives ballet fans a look at performances in the comfort of their own homes—or anywhere their devices take them. Utilizing a new soundstage built by the ballet's technicians, the artists will reimagine, repurpose and relaunch two beloved ballets from the Ballet Pensacola repertoire—"Alice in Wonderland" (a 2017 premiere) and "The Matrix " (a 2013 premiere). For more information, visit facebook.com/ balletpensacola.
PENSACOLA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA "VIRTUALLY TOGETHER" Be sure
to follow Pensacola Symphony Orchestra on Facebook to see videos of orchestra musicians performing special works from their homes. To watch, visit facebook.com/ pensacolasymphony.
OPERALIVE Pensacola Opera is keep-
ing patrons connected through their new online series OperaLIVE. Episodes typically include things like interviews and performances with artists, plus appearances by Pensacola Opera staff. For updates on new episodes or to watch past ones, visit facebook.com/ pensacolaopera. You can also subscribe to their channel on YouTube.
WORKSHOPS AT STUDIO SOUTH
Face-to-face workshops have resumed at Studio South. Studio South is located at 955 E. Nine Mile Road, Ste. 101. For more information and to see a complete list of June events, visit studiosouthon9mileroad.com.
SINGERS' CINEMA Every Friday after-
noon through August, enjoy a movie pick from the Choral Society of Pensacola. Information on each week's movie and where to find it online will be available on their Facebook page, facebook.com/choralsocietyofpensacola. Some can be viewed free; most are available for rent for under $5. Watch the movie over the weekend, and then join the Choral Society Monday evenings for a Zoom session to share your thoughts.
CALL FOR ARTISTS
POSTER COMPETITION FOR 2020 GREAT GULFCOAST ARTS FESTIVAL The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival is
accepting submissions to its 2020 poster design competition through Aug. 7. The winning artist receives a $1,000 cash award. The winning design will be featured on posters, T-shirts and other GGAF promotional items for the festival. This year's event is Nov. 6, 7 and 8 in Seville Square and Bartram Park in historic downtown Pensacola. Competing artists can find the complete list of rules and requirements at ggaf.org/poster. Entries need to be mailed or delivered to Duncan McCall Advertising, 4400 Bayou Blvd., Ste. 11, Pensacola, FL 32503.
PIECES ADRIFT ART SHOW Keep Pensacola Beautiful is recruiting artists to participate in their Pieces Adrift Art Show and Silent Auction. Pieces Adrift is a Keep Pensacola Beautiful programming
It’s Pet Pic Time! Inweekly is working on our 9th annual Pet Issue and we want to include your pets. Please send pictures of your furry, scaly &/or feathered friends to joani@inweekly.net by Wednesday, July 22 for a chance to be featured in the issue. Make sure you include the pet and owner(s) names.
July 9, 2020
Isabel / Owners Tasha Bronson & Nick Fury 15
a&e happenings fundraiser and pollution awareness event. Artists are welcome to participate with any level of experience, whether hobbyist or professional. Each piece submitted should be comprised of at least 50% litter. Due to COVID-19, KPB recommends using your discretion when picking up litter off the ground. Art pieces may also be created using trash from your home. Artists may also pick through sorted bins of trash at the KPB office left over from last year. "Pieces Adrift is a creative and unique way to unite the community in achieving a common goal—making Pensacola a beautiful place to live, work and play. It brings awareness to the perpetuating issue of litter and ocean pollution on our beaches and roadways. By repurposing trash as art, we hope to inspire our community to be mindful of what and how they throw it away," says Madelyn Newton, Marketing and Development, VISTA. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 1. For more information, please email marketing@keeppensacolabeautiful.org.
LIVE MUSIC
QWIET TYPE: A CONCERT FILM PREMIERE Watch the nine-song, all original
concert written and performed by Matt Powell (Qwiet Type) and accompanied by 10 musicians on stage that was filmed in a studio built by Powell Entertainment and Double A Productions. The film will premiere at The REX Theatre, 18 N. Palafox, Sunday, July 12, from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $5 and only
available for 50% capacity to adhere to social distancing guidelines. For more information, visit facebook.com/qwiettype.
LIVE MUSIC AT HUB STACEY'S Sit back with good food and live music at Hub Stacey's. On Friday, July 10, at 8:30 p.m. Crosstown Band takes the stage. Hub Stacey's is located at 312 E. Government St. For a full calendar of bands, check hubstaceys.com. LIVE MUSIC AT PARADISE BAR & GRILL Enjoy live music at Paradise, located at 21 Via de Luna Drive. For more information and a full calendar, visit paradisebar-grill.com.
LIVE MUSIC AT RED FISH BLUE FISH
Live music is back at Red Fish Blue Fish from 6-10 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. For a calendar of bands, visit facebook.com/redfishbluefishpensacolabeach.
LIVE MUSIC AT WATER PIG BBQ Enjoy BBQ with a view and live music 6-10 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays at Water Pig BBQ. For a calendar of bands, visit facebook.com/facebook.com/waterpigbbq.
FITNESS + RECREATION
CELEBRATE NATIONAL PARKS AND RECREATION MONTH WITH ESCAMBIA COUNTY This July, celebrate the
power and importance of outdoor activities with Escambia County for National Parks
and Recreation Month. Take a look at some of the featured parks below: •Beulah Regional Park, 7820 Mobile Highway. Amenities—basketball court, volleyball court, tennis courts, dog park, walking track and playground equipment. A climbing wall, workout equipment and misters are planned for late 2020. •Wilson Robertson Boat Ramp, 11800 Mobile Highway. Amenities—two boat ramp launch lanes, an ADA-compliant dock, a paddle craft launch, 31 parking spaces for vehicles with trailers and a covered picnic table. •Perdido Kids Park, 10004 Gulf Beach Highway. Amenities—a blue angel-themed portion of the park is truly unique to the area. •Innerarity Point Park, 5828 Cruzat Way. Amenities—Approximately four acres, two playgrounds, picnic pavilions, a swimming area and an ADA-accessible boardwalk and kayak launch. •Lincoln Park, 7865 Aaron Drive. Amenities—brand new playground installed in May, basketball court, workout equipment and a partially-shaded walking track. •Regency Park and Dog Park, 8245 Fathom Road. Amenities—10-acre park with a .33mile walking track around the perimeter of the park, ample green space and playground. •Old Ensley Park, 107 W. Detroit Blvd. Amenities—brand-new playground unit full of fun and classic features, walking track, workout equipment and basketball court. •Ashton Brosnaham Park, 10370 Ashton
Brosnaham Drive. Amenities—new playground and premier stadium field soccer set up. •Molino Athletic Complex (Don Sutton Ballpark), 2340 Crabtree Church Road. Amenities—12-acre grassy park in the north end of Escambia County that hosts youth baseball and softball league practices and tournaments. •Escambia County Equestrian Center, 7750 Mobile Highway. Amenities—151-acre multi-use event facility. The center hosts numerous horse shows, supporting both English and Western style equine events, rodeos, dog shows, 5K and other runs, festivals and other types of events. Visit myescambia.com/our-services/ parks-and-recreation/parks-and-community-centers for more information.
MAKEUP & HEADSHOTS AT PALAFOX GLAMOUR BAR Book your
one-hour mini session for makeup and headshots and update your profile pictures. Appointments are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday, July 9, through Saturday, July 11. Photography from Melissa Bernazzani Photography and makeup by Jo Rich Beauty. Sessions take place at Jo Rich Beauty, 126 S. Palafox. For more information, visit facebook.com/ jorichbeauty. for more listings visit inweekly.net
BEST DAMN BBQ IN THE SOUTH! WEEKLY LIVE MUSIC WEDNESDAY - SUNDAY 6PM - 10PM A BEACHFRONT BBQ EXPERIENCE ON PENSACOLA BEACH SERVING AUTHENTIC, LOW-AND-SLOW SMOKED BBQ DAILY.
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July 9, 2020
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free will astrology WEEK OF JULY 9 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): "As beau-
tiful as simplicity is, it can become a tradition that stands in the way of exploration," said singer Laura Nyro. This is practical advice for you to heed in the coming weeks. According to my analysis, you're scheduled to enjoy an extended engagement with rich, fertile complexity. The best teachings won't be reducible to a few basic lessons; rather, they'll be rife with soulful nuances. The same is true about the splendid dilemmas that bring you stimulating amusements—They can't and shouldn't be forced into pigeonholes. As a general rule, anything that seems easy and smooth and straightforward will probably not be useful. Your power will come from what's crooked, dense and labyrinthine.
TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): You may
think that playing heavy metal music and knitting with yarn don't have much in common. And yet there is an annual contest in Joensuu, Finland, where people with expertise in needlework join heavy metal musicians on stage, plying their craft in rhythm to the beat. The next Heavy Metal Knitting World Championship will be July 15-16, 2021. This year's event was canceled due to the pandemic. If it had been staged, I bet multiple Tauruses would have been among the top 10 competitors. Why? Because you Bulls are at the peak of your ability to combine things that aren't often combined. You have the potential to excel at making unexpected connections, linking influences that haven't been linked before and being successful at comparing apples and oranges.
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): In 1848,
Danish King Frederick VII agreed, under pressure from liberal agitators, to relinquish some of his absolute power. Thereafter, he shared his decision-making with a newly formed parliament. He was pleased with this big change because it lightened his workload. "That was nice," he remarked after signing the new constitution. "Now I can sleep in every morning." I recommend him to you as an inspirational role model in the coming weeks. What so-called
By Rob Brezsny
advantages in your life are more boring or burdensome than fun and interesting? Consider the possibility of shedding dubious "privileges" and status symbols.
CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Cancerian author Mary McCarthy provides you with a challenge you'll be wise to relish during the rest of 2020. She writes, "Everyone continues to be interested in the quest for the self, but what you feel when you're older is that you really must make the self." McCarthy implies that this epic reorientation isn't likely until you've been on earth for at least four decades. But judging from the astrological omens, I think you're ready for it now—no matter what your age is. To drive home the point, I'll say it in different words. Your task isn't to find yourself, but rather to create yourself. Don't wait around passively for life to show you who you are. Show life who you are. LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Some night soon, I predict you'll have an agitated dream while you're asleep—a nightmare that symbolizes an unresolved conflict you're wrestling with in your waking life. Here's a possible example—A repulsive politician you dislike may threaten to break a toy you loved when you were a kid. But surprise! There'll be a happy ending. A good monster will appear in your dream and fix the problem; in my example, the benevolent beast will scare away the politician who's about to break your beloved toy. Now here's the great news—In the days after your dream, you'll solve the conflict you've been wrestling with in your waking life. VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): "Love is the best school, but the tuition is high and the homework can be painful," writes author Diane Ackerman. I'm guessing that in recent months, her description has been partially true for you Virgos. From what I can tell, love has indeed been a rigorous school. And the tuition has been rather high. But on the other hand, the homework has been at least as pleasurable as it has been painful. I expect these trends to continue for the foreseeable future. What teachings about intimacy, communion, tenderness and compassion would you like to study next?
LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): "A single
feat of daring can alter the whole conception of what is possible," wrote Libran novelist Graham Greene. His words can serve as a stirring motto for you in the coming weeks. I sense you're close to summoning a burst of courage—a bigger supply of audacity than you've had access to in a while. I hope you'll harness this raw power to fuel a daring feat that will expand your conception of what is possible.
SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): "It's not
always easy to tell the difference between thinking and looking out of the window," wrote poet Wallace Stevens. That's a problem you won't have to worry about anytime soon. The coming weeks will be a favorable phase for you to both think and gaze out the window—as well as to explore all the states in-between. In other words, you'll have the right and the need to indulge in a leisurely series of dreamy ruminations and meandering fantasies and playful explorations of your deepest depths and your highest heights. Don't rush the process. Allow yourself to linger in the gray areas and the vast stretches of inner wildness.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21):
The coming weeks will be a favorable time to undertake a transformative vision quest, even if the exigencies of the pandemic require your quest to unfold primarily in your inner realms. The near future will also bring you good fortune if you focus on creating more sacredness in your rhythm and if you make a focused effort to seek out songs, texts, inspirations, natural places and teachers that infuse you with a reverence for life. I'm trying to help you to see, Sagittarius, that you're in a phase when you can attract healing synchronicities into your world by deepening your sense of awe and communing with experiences that galvanize you to feel worshipful.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19):
"To love well is the task in all meaningful relationships, not just romantic bonds." The author and activist bell hooks wrote that. (She doesn't capitalize her name.) In accordance with the highest astrological
potentials, I'm inviting you Capricorns to be inspired by her wisdom as you upgrade your meaningful relationships during the next six weeks. I think it's in your self-interest to give them even more focus and respect and appreciation than you already do. Be ingenious as you boost the generosity of spirit you bestow on your allies. Be resourceful as you do this impeccable work in the midst of a pandemic.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): "One-
half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it," wrote author Sydney Howard. Now would be a perfect time to act on that excellent advice. Is there any obstacle standing in the way of your ability to achieve a beloved dream? Is there a pretty good thing that's distracting you from devoting yourself wholeheartedly to a really great thing? I invite you to be a bit ruthless as you clear the way to pursue your heart's desire.
PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Author Ellen Goodman writes, "The truth is that we can overhaul our surroundings, renovate our environment, talk a new game, join a new club, far more easily than we can change the way we respond emotionally. It is easier to change behavior than feelings about that behavior." I think she's correct in her assessment. But I also suspect that you're in a prime position to be an exception to the rule. In the coming weeks, you will have exceptional power to transform the way you feel—especially if those feelings have previously been based on a misunderstanding of reality and especially if those feelings have been detrimental to your mental and physical health. THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Is there a socalled weakness or liability you might be able to turn into an asset?
freewillastrology.com
freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2020
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news of the weird AW, SNAP! A police officer in West Yorkshire, England, shared the thoughts of many after being called to the scene of a wreck involving a $300,000 Lamborghini that lasted only 20 minutes on the road before it was totaled on June 24. "It's only a car," the officer tweeted, but he "could have cried." According to the BBC, the car suffered a mechanical failure during its virgin drive and came to a stop in the outside land of the M1 motorway, where it was rear-ended by a van. The driver of the van suffered nonserious head injuries in the crash. The Lamborghini driver was not identified, nor was it clear whether he was hurt in the crash. IDLE HANDS TikTok user Kevin Wise told KSLA he was looking for his five minutes of fame when he jumped into a fish tank at Bass Pro Shop in Bossier, Louisiana, in late June. "I said that if I got 2,000 likes, I would jump in the tank," Wise said. "I got way more than that and didn't want to be a liar." Shopper Treasure McGraw recorded video of Wise swimming around in the tank before he climbed out and ran through the store, soaking wet. "We heard a big splash, and I thought it was one of the fish," McGraw said. Initially, Bass Pro Shops said it would not press charges, but on June 26, the company filed a complaint with the Bossier City Police Department, noting that it had to empty the 13,000-gallon tank and clean it after Wise's swim. Wise wouldn't recommend the stunt to others. "Don't do spur-ofthe-moment crap like I do," he warned. REPEAT OFFENDER Devin Roberts, 32, of Bardwell, Kentucky, caught the attention of local media after being arrested three times in one week. Carlisle County Sheriff's deputies first encountered Roberts on June 23, WSIL reported, when he called the sheriff's office to say he had taken a case he found next to a dumpster that turned out to contain items belonging to the city. When officers arrived, they determined the case had been removed from a city building. The following Saturday, Roberts was accused of fighting with a grocery store clerk and making lewd comments to female employees. Sheriff William Gilbert found Roberts at his home, passed out in a running vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. He had also left his 3-year-old son at home with another inebriated person. Finally, on June 28, deputies pulling over a car on suspicion of drunken driving found Roberts in the passenger seat, drunk and in possession of alcohol, which violated the terms of his earlier bonds. Roberts faces multiple charges related to all three encounters. QUESTIONABLE JUDGMENTS The Sun reported on June 29 that two Ryanair pilots are in the (chicken) soup after they recorded themselves getting silly with a rubber chicken in the cockpit of a Boeing 737-800.
For Your Specialty
By the Editors at Andrews McMeel
Eye Care Needs!
In the video, thought to be recorded as passengers boarded the plane in Birmingham, England, the first officer and pilot trade off using the chicken to operate the airplane's throttle and making it squeak while mugging for the camera. Other crew members laugh in the background. A spokesperson for Ryanair commented: "These pictures and videos show crew on the ground in a parked aircraft with the engines shut down. While the images are unprofessional, the actions in them posed no risk and safety was never compromised. ... (Nevertheless) we are investigating the matter further." •Merseyside Police responding to the scene of a crash in Huyton, England, in the wee hours of June 28 say they arrived in time to witness a woman "finishing off a glass of wine," according to the Echo. In the collision, a white Mercedes had plowed into a parked Ford Focus, with both cars sustaining significant damage. Photographs from the scene showed the Mercedes to contain an empty wine bottle on the floor of the passenger seat, along with a wine glass, and another full bottle in a storage compartment. Police announced the arrest of two women, 33 and 35, on suspicion of unauthorized taking of a motor vehicle and drunk driving. THIS OLD HOUSE Firefighters were called to a home in Guilford, Connecticut, on June 29 where a resident had fallen through a wood floor in the 177-year-old house and down about 30 feet into a well, WHDH reported. The victim treaded water for about 25 minutes while responders worked to hoist them out. Apparently, the well had been covered over by an addition made to the home during a 1981 renovation. "Some of these older, historical homes may have hazards that were not updated by current code," the Guilford Police Department tweeted. The victim was taken to the hospital but had only minor injuries.
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CHUTZPAH Fisherman Dawson Cody Porter, 22, of Eagle River, Alaska, was arrested June 27 outside the Fisherman's Bar after arriving there driving a stolen fire truck with its emergency lights flashing, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Bristol Bay Borough police said Porter broke into the King Salmon Fire Station around 9 p.m., where he started the truck and drove it through the station's closed bay doors, making his way west on the Alaska Peninsula Highway about 15 miles to Naknek. Police Chief John Rhyshek said Porter caused about $10,000 in damage and put the fire truck out of commission while repairs are made to it. {in}
From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2020 Andrews McMeel
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