Independent News | March 19, 2020 | Volume 21 | Number 12
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winners & losers
outtakes
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news
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6, 8, 10, 12
As you've probably guessed, all of us are being invited to re-evaluate everything we think we know about what it means to be human.
buzz 14
free will astrology 17
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
news of the weird 17
Independent News is published by Inweekly Media, Inc., P.O. Box 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591. (850)438-8115. All materials published in Independent News are copyrighted. © 2018 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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䄀挀挀椀搀攀渀琀 ☀ 䤀渀樀甀爀礀 䰀愀眀礀攀爀猀
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GRAPHIC NOVELS
by Joani Delezen
KIDS BOOKS
909 N. 12th Avenue
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If you're a regular Inweekly reader, you know that I don't do these kinds of letters often. Or ever really. But strange times call for strange editorial decisions. So here we are. When we started working on this issue last week, our initial concern was accuracy. How do you keep an up-to-date event calendar when things are getting canceled or postponed left and right? But that debate didn't last long. Once we took a deep breath and really started looking at the sobering and alarming evidence, we accepted that publichealth measures like social distancing are the only way to "flatten the curve" of COVID-19. We agreed as a team (a tiny team, but a team none the less) that we have to do our part to promote that strategy, even
March 19, 2020
if that means publishing our first issue ever without a proper Arts & Entertainment section. So that's exactly what we're doing this week. But we don't plan on doing that again. We plan on adjusting to this new, temporary reality and figuring out how to still promote the best of what's happening around town—even when very little is happening. We plan on still being the best advocate we can for the small businesses and cultural organizations that make this city special and keep this newspaper alive and worth reading. We plan to have their back and yours during the coming weeks, no matter what they hold. We plan to be here, doing our best to keep you informed and entertained, just like we do every week.
Granted, we've still got a lot to figure out, just like everybody else, but we're working on it. So while what you read from us, and even how you read it, might look a little different for a while, we'll be here. Just like your favorite bar. They might be closed today, but they're still here, eager to reopen their doors as soon as it's safe again. And when they do, Inweekly will be here to tell you all about it, because when our city recovers—like it has so many times before and will again—we're all going to need those happy hours, art exhibitions and stage performances more than ever. Until then, I really hope you all have Netflix and at least one good book to keep you occupied. Stay healthy. Look after each other— and your city. {in} joani@inweekly.net
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winners & losers
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winners GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE
The National Park Service welcomed more than 5.6 million visitors to America's largest national seashore in 2019. The park is now number 10 on the "Top 10 Most Visited National Park Service Sites." Gulf Islands National Seashore experienced about a 1.4 million increase over visitation in 2018. The increased visitation can be attributed to several factors, including the overall increase in visitation to national parks in 2019, good weather throughout the recreational season and better data tracking throughout the park.
PENSACOLA CIVITANS The Pensacola Civitan Club celebrates its 80th anniversary on April 1. Many aspects of the club have changed over the years, but community service is still a cornerstone of the organization. The Pensacola Civitan Club chartered in March 1940 at the Hotel San Carlos in downtown Pensacola. SANTA ROSA ISLAND TRIATHLON The
Santa Rosa Island Triathlon gifted $50,000 to two University of West Florida athletics programs. The organization created an endowed scholarship for a UWF student-athlete in swimming/diving and a student-athlete in cross country.
MR. ROBBINS' NEIGHBORHOOD The
charity was selected as the March beneficiary of the program by store leadership at the Winn Dixie located at 3319 Gulf Breeze Parkway. MRN will receive a $1 donation every time the $2.50 reusable Community Bag is purchased at this location during March unless otherwise directed by the customer.
Andrew Gillum / David Herring / Shutterstock.com
losers
ANDREW GILLUM The former Tallahassee mayor was found last Thursday in an "inebriated state" in a South Beach hotel room, where a man reportedly overdosed. Three small bags of suspected crystal meth were found in the room, police said, but Gillum later denied doing drugs. Gillum narrowly lost the 2018 race to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and has worked as a political analyst for CNN since the loss. In a statement released Sunday night, Gillum said that after "conversation with my family and deep reflection, I have made the decision to seek help, guidance and enter a rehabilitation facility at this time." He admitted, "Since my race for governor ended, I fell into a depression that has led to alcohol abuse." FLORIDA COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Larry Keefe, the U.S.
attorney for the Northern District of Florida, has launched an investigation into the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, according to media reports and the coalition's attorney. Last month, state lawmakers passed a bill to end the state contract with the coalition, which had been the clearinghouse for $52 million in annual state and federal funding for 42 domestic violence shelters in Florida.
ERIC PRINCE The security contractor with
close ties to the Trump administration has in recent years helped recruit former American and British spies for secretive intelligencegathering operations that included infiltrating Democratic congressional campaigns, labor organizations and other groups considered hostile to the Trump agenda, according to interviews conducted by the New York Times.
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outtakes
By Rick Outzen
FIGHT FOR INFORMATION The facts surrounding the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, have changed rapidly as government officials have tried to come to grips with the spread of the virus through our country. The initial reaction of some was to downplay the virus as something unrelated to Northwest Florida. Even after Santa Rosa County had its first death, officials were reluctant to activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Escambia County or share details of what they were doing behind the scenes. This newspaper early realized the potential scope of this crisis and fought for more information. When the local health department director, Dr. John Lanza, insisted the media not be allowed at a closed-door meeting with government officials and local agencies, we demanded that County Administrator Janice Gilley hold a press conference. News Journal editor Lisa Nellessen Savage agreed with our position and intervened with Gilley to get a short presser during the Committee of the Whole last Thursday. Lanza refused to participate in the presser—saying his superiors in Tallahassee prohibited it, which left county officials facing our questions about the lack of testing data, the existence of test kits and how the county would know if the virus was being transmitted throughout the county. I received criticism from some for my aggressive tone and pointed questions, but I’ve reported on hurricanes, the largest oil
spill in U.S. history, ice storms, floods and a jail explosion. The public’s need to know the facts outweighs the possible hurt feelings of those paid by taxpayers. To her credit, Gilley admitted the problem. "I think that while this is not completely like a hurricane or maybe even BP or some other things where we've activated the EOC, I think that's why we've had a void,” she said. “When you have that activation, we have that consolidated coordinated effort, so you know throughout the day that you're going to get that information.” The next day, Escambia County established a Joint Information Center to streamline distribution of public information regarding COVID-19. The county committed to disseminating coordinated releases at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, consisting of any updates from all partner agencies related to COVID-19 preventative actions, cancellations or preparedness activities. The timetable fell apart Monday, March 16, as events overtook the county’s attempt to coordinate information. The morning update wasn’t sent until 11:06 a.m. The 2 p.m. update wasn’t received until 4:23 p.m. and failed to include information of the county’s first COVID-19 case, a male patient who had been tested on March 11. The EOC finally was activated Tuesday, March 17. We hope the communication will improve so we can keep you informed. {in} rick@inweekly.net
The public’s need to know the facts outweighs the possible hurt feelings of those paid by taxpayers.
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COVID-19 TESTING EVOLUTION By Rick Outzen When asked about how local, state and federal governments had been handling the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, before Thursday, March 12, author and pundit Mike Lupica said, "If you don't control the narrative, the narrative will run over you." Escambia County government last week got a taste of what Lupica meant. County officials went from debating whether coronavirus test kits exist to the county finding out it had its first positive test in a matter of four days. Dr. John Lanza, director of the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County, gave a COVID-19 update to the Escambia County Commission during its Committee of Whole meeting last Thursday morning. As of 9 a.m. that day, Florida had 34 positive test results and had 482 tests that were pending or completed. However, Lanza could not tell the commissioner how many people had been tested in Escambia County. Sources shared with Inweekly that we may never know how many tests were conducted in each county. As our reporting deadline—noon on Tuesday, March 17, Florida had 192 positive tests and a total of 2,004 cases that have been pending or completed. The Escambia County positive result was from a test of a male patient that was taken on Wednesday, March 11. A local hospital official shared the average turnaround on getting test results has been a week. The actual test results only take 30 minutes, but the delay is the backlog at the state labs. At the Committee of Whole, the commissioners received few specific details about the coronavirus in Escambia County, but Lanza did talk about how DOH was investigating the death of a Santa Rosa County resident that occurred at Baptist Hospital on March 6. "My epidemiologic staff are proceeding, opening investigations of people who are PUIs, Persons Under Investigation, usually from travel," he said. "We've had, I think, 13 or 14, at least, that we're aware of that we follow. We have a couple of right now where we follow that are associated with travel from the Level 3 countries, which is China, Iran, South Korea, Japan and Italy." Commissioner Jeff Bergosh asked about the availability of coronavirus test kits. Lanza said that test kits didn't exist. The health director said the same testing material used for other viral respiratory issues, such as strep and flu, could be used with COVID also. Lanza said, "So there aren't kits, as such. Most of the practices already have the test materials." Inweekly interviewed a local hospital 66
official who wasn't sure what Lanza meant. His hospital has ordered commercial coronavirus test kits. The kits are collection kits, so maybe Lanza was focusing on the word "test." Bergosh asked Lanza, "So there's no fear of shortage of the screens for the virus, so we're adequately prepared if there was an outbreak to be able to screen?" Lanza replied, "Well, the situation is that people have what they have, and we're to get more, depending on how the situation evolves." The next day, Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference at a Department of Health warehouse in Tallahassee and reported that he had directed the purchase of 2,500 testing kits that will give qualified labs throughout the state the capacity to process tests for up to 625,000 people. Each kit allows 500 tests, but two tests per person are necessary. DeSantis said the state would be strategically distributing kits to hospitals. The kits would allow hospitals to test without having to send the samples to labs, expediting the process. Local hospitals cannot do the testing but hope within two weeks to have their equipment and supplies to conduct the test in-house. Until recently, the test were conducted by either state labs or the CDC, which allowed for 40-60 tests a day, but the testing has been expanded with the help of private laboratories.
NEW HIGH-THROUGHPUT TESTING
At a White House press briefing on Sunday, March 15, Vice President Mike Pence said, "Based on the unprecedented speed of the FDA, which last week approved highthroughput coronavirus testing for Roche and Thermo Fisher, we will now have access in the days ahead to more than 2,000 labs across the country that have the equipment today to process coronavirus tests much more rapidly and a much higher volume for the American people." He continued, "In terms of delivering those services, more than 10 states—in addition to CDC labs, public health labs and labs that states can now authorize in their states—have implemented their own drivethrough testing sites." Admiral Brett Giroir, a four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps that serves as the Assistant Secretary for Health, said at the same briefing that the new "high-throughput testing" had been developed over the prior 72 hours. "We're going from somewhat manual, relatively slow phases to a testing regimen that we can test many tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of individuals per week and maybe even more," said Admiral Giroir. "We will have 1.9 million of these high-throughput tests available this week with numerous labs, up to 2,000, starting
to turn the lights on beginning this week and rolling out over the week." He added, "That is really a gamechanger for us because the back-of-theshop testing capability is there."
"Well, the situation is that people have what they have, and we're to get more, depending on how the situation evolves." Dr. John Lanza On Monday, March 19, Ascension Medical Group launched drive-through testing for COVID-19 for area residents experiencing fever, cough and symptoms of respiratory illness. Nasal swab samples are collected from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. and sent to a state-approved laboratory for analysis. "We are collaborating closely with the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County to ensure that community members experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 can be tested for the virus, while limiting exposure to keep the health and safety of our patients, associates and visitors as top priority," said Justin Labrato, chief operating officer of Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart. Ascension Medical Group also will activate a call center, 746-2684, for over-thephone screenings. The screening involves answering a series of questions about symptoms, travel history and potential contact with COVID-19 patients. Ascension shared with Inweekly the key questions asked during the screening: •Do you have a fever, cough or difficulty breathing? •Have you had a fever? •Have you traveled outside of the country in the last 14 days? •Have you been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19? Patients who meet the criteria, which is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will be directed to Ascension Medical Group's drive-through testing site, where nurses will collect a nasal swab, with patients staying inside their cars. Patients will be registered and insurance information will be collected for follow-up purposes, but no patients will be turned away, and there is no upfront charge for testing. Swab samples are sent to a state lab for processing, which can take up to a week. Then Ascension Medical Group will contact patients with test results. Positive results will be alerted to the Florida Department of Health. According to the CDC, symptoms of COVID-19 can range from mild to severe and may appear 2-14 days after being exposed to the virus. Symptoms seen with the infection with COVID-19 are not specific, with cold-like symptoms in mild cases. Symptoms
could include a fever, along with cough and shortness of breath. If someone is elderly or has other medical conditions, such as heart or lung disease, diabetes or cancer, they may get sicker from the virus and develop pneumonia or other lung problems. On its first day, Ascension Sacred Heart's drive-through testing site did nasal swabs on 61 people at our COVID-19 testing site, according to hospital spokesperson Mike Burke. Commissioner Lumon May hopes to expand the testing even further. He spent the weekend discussing access to testing for all citizens with Baptist Health Care CEO Mark Faulkner and Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson. "We hope to set up resources to do testing in the "pockets of poverty" in those neighborhoods that sometimes don't have access," Commissioner May told Inweekly. Meanwhile, Escambia County activated its Emergency Operations Center at a Level 2 at 8 a.m. Tuesday, March 17. The county also declared a local state of emergency. A Level 2 EOC activation is a partial activation that includes essential Emergency Support Functions related to this type of incident for response and recovery. "We are proactively activating the EOC and declaring a local state of emergency to ensure we have the appropriate resources for this unprecedented event, " Escambia County Emergency Manager Eric Gilmore said. "We encourage the public to follow CDC guidance for social distancing and proper health and hygiene to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Escambia County." {in}
MORE INFORMATION The Department of Health updates Florida's COVID-19 information page daily. Please visit flhealth.gov/covid-19 for the latest information. For citizen questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the department's dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling (866) 779-6121. The call center is available 24 hours a day. Inquiries may also be emailed to COVID-19@flhealth.gov. For media inquiries about healthrelated issues, contact the Florida Department of Health at 595-6500 ext. 6000, or email PIO.CHD17@ flhealth.gov. The Escambia County Joint Information Center can be reached at 4716400 or cmr@myescambia.com.
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Congratulations 2 0 2 0 PAC E AWA R D W I N N E R S EMERGING LEADER OF THE YEAR
Robin Zimmern Major Gift Officer University of West Florida BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR
Will Condon President of Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart PROFESSIONAL LEADER OF THE YEAR
Don Snowden Head of the Performing Arts Department, Director of Bands and Assistant Professor Pensacola State College COMMUNIT Y LEADER OF THE YEAR
Brent Lane Radio Personality Cat Country 98.7 A D V O C AT E L E A D E R O F T H E Y E A R
BACK: Carol Carlan, Kim Krupa, Robin Zimmern, Kim LeDuff; FRONT: Don Snowden, Will Condon, Brent Lane
Dr. Kim Krupa Executive Director Achieve Escambia L E A D E R I N E D U C AT I O N
Dr. Kim LeDuff Vice President for Academic Engagement and Student Affairs University of West Florida SPIRIT OF PENSACOLA
Carol Carlan President Ascension Sacred Heart Foundation
The Greater Pensacola Chamber Pace Awards recognize the region’s business and community leaders who have made significant contributions to the area’s economic, educational and community progress. This year’s award winners were recognized at a special ceremony on March 4 at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front Hotel.
PACE Award Pioneer Honoree John Appleyard with Justin Beck, Board Chairman, Greater Pensacola Chamber.
P I O N E E R AWA R D
John Appleyard Pensacola Historian
T H IS AD IS SP ONS OR ED BY TH E ST U DER FAM I LY March 19, 2020
7
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
By Jeremy Morrison Students depend on the public school system for a quality education. Locally in Escambia County, many of them also rely on the school district for their daily nutrition. When kids are out of school, such as they are currently for spring break, continued access to a healthy diet is always a concern. But now, with ever-increasing precautions surrounding the novel COVID-19 coronavirus, spring break just got a little open-ended. As students left school for what would typically be an idyllic week of academic reprieve, Escambia County School District announced it would join a host of other schools and institutions around the country in closing for some time—in this instance, a tentative two weeks—to limit public exposure to the coronavirus and to curb the rate at which the disease spreads. Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May immediately raised concerns about the students who depend on the schools to fulfill their nutritional needs. "The only meal that many kids get will be the ones they get at school," May said. The commissioner stressed the importance of figuring out the logistics of providing food assistance even as the coronavirus precautions disrupted the various facets of everyday life. 88
"The CDC has advised us not to have these group gatherings, but a grab and go," May suggested. "Get children in, get them fed and give them the resources that they need to be safe." The state of Florida had the same concerns, bringing the Department of Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried to fire up the infrastructure used to distribute meals to students during the summer break. "Social distancing and avoiding crowded areas, like school cafeterias, are critical to slowing the spread of COVID-19. But we can't let Florida's children go hungry in the meantime," said Commissioner Fried in a statement.
"Certainly, keeping up food and proper nutrition is essential to your immune system and fighting COVID." Grover Robinson To fill the gap during this extended closure of schools—which officials have indicated could increase in duration—the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have activated so-called Summer BreakSpot sites around the state. The sites, part of the state's Summer Food Service Program, provide free meals to children under 18 when school is not in session.
Shortly after making the initial announcement, the state listed approximately 1,000 participating Summer BreakSpot sites. These initial sites, beginning operation March 16, were located in a collection of 21 counties. By March 23, almost 40 more counties are scheduled to have sites open. Escambia County is not among these listed locales. "They have to send us a letter of intent saying they want to participate," explained Karol Molinares, Fried's deputy communications director. The Escambia County School District is apparently still working on the paperwork involved with the state program but announced that its extended-break foodservice would also begin March 23 regardless. While no food services will be available during spring break—meals are not typically provided during spring break—the district will open up five facilities beginning Monday, March 23, when students would ordinarily be returning to school, "It's not at every school," said Deputy Superintendent Norm Ross. "It's really an effort to have something in every district, but even that's a challenge." Ross said he didn't know what kind of participation rate in the meal program to expect during the district's closure. "Until you actually get started, you're not going to have an idea about how many people are going to show up," he said, adding that some students and their families may find it difficult to make their way to a meal site. "It's just hard. I think people think everyone has a car. People don't like to walk." Officials with both Escambia County and the city of Pensacola have reached out to the school district to offer assistance in providing meals to students during the coronavirus-related suspension. Commissioner May has suggested opening county community centers up for the purpose, while Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson pointed towards the use of municipal kitchens. "Certainly, keeping up food and proper nutrition is essential to your immune system and fighting COVID," said Robinson. Kaycee Lagarde, the city's public information officer, said it would likely be after spring break before the three entities were able to coordinate. Ross said he wasn't sure how the city or county might be able to help, though he did mention staffing issues at the five sites the district is planning to open. "They may be able to provide some volunteers," Ross said. The five food sites the district plans to open will be located at local schools. The sites will be located at Bratt Elementary School, Bellview Elementary School, Warrington Middle School, C.A. Weis Elementary School and Booker T. Washington High School.
These sites will provide children and teens under the age of 18 with a 9 a.m. breakfast, as well as a lunch at noon. The sites will not serve the food at the schools, but rather distribute the meals to students curbside. The food items will be in to-go containers and should be either eaten immediately or refrigerated for consumption later. Ross said that the district will evaluate how much participation each site is getting—as well as any continuation of the closure beyond two weeks—and may adjust its meal delivery plan later, either adding or deleting sites to accommodate demand. According to Jaleena Davis, director of the school district's food services department, about 10,000 students receive a free or reduced-cost breakfast each day during the school year. Another 20,000 get a free or reduced-cost lunch. The district did not have numbers for participation in its meal program during the summer, when students also may receive food assistance from various community nonprofit organizations.
"During times like these, we see an increased need among people who do not typically face hunger." Dan Emery Feeding the Gulf Coast announced Monday afternoon that it's prepared to serve the central Gulf Coast as concerns around COVID-19 continue to increase. "Feeding the Gulf Coast is no stranger to working through times of crisis to assist the most vulnerable in our community," says Dan Emery, newly appointed president and CEO for Feeding the Gulf Coast. "During times like these, we see an increased need among people who do not typically face hunger." Emery added, "The threat of coronavirus adds even more pressure to the already strained finances of those we serve and so many more. The food bank remains a critical lifeline to anyone who is struggling with hunger, especially during an unforeseen crisis." The "Find Help" feature at feedingthegulfcoast.org provides information for families and individuals seeking assistance. Individuals can also call 888-704-FOOD (3663). Feeding the Gulf Coast is working to develop solutions to meet the anticipated increase in need in the community by developing strategies for the distribution of emergency food boxes for those affected by school closures, quarantines and the growing economic impact of this crisis. Community support is always needed, especially during these uncertain times. Now more than ever, healthy volunteers and donations are critical. Individuals looking to donate or volunteer can do so by visiting feedingthegulfcoast.org. {in} inweekly.net
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9
THE BIG COUNT agency's public campaign rolled out in earnest at the beginning of the year. An official recognition marking the count, Census Day, isn't until April 1, but you may have already received a letter in the mail requesting your participation. By the end of the year, the count will be completely wrapped up.
WHY IT MATTERS
By Jeremy Morrison Once every 10 years, the United States government conducts a census, attempting to compile a statistic and data-packed portrait of the country's population. The 2020 Census season is currently getting into full swing. The census is important to state-level and local-level governments around the country because information gathered through the census process is used to determine both representation and funding at the federal level. "The U.S. Constitution mandates that a census of the population be conducted once every 10 years for the purposes of reapportioning Congress," explained Greg Engle, a spokesperson with the U.S. Census Bureau's Atlanta Regional Census Center. "Census data is also used to determine how more than $675 billion in federal funds are distributed back to states and local communities every year for services and infrastructure, including healthcare, jobs, schools, roads and businesses." While the census bureau has been preparing for the 2020 headcount for a while now, the
The United States' first census was conducted in 1790 by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, as well as President George Washington, had concerns that the count was inaccurate, reflecting several hundred thousand residents less than the new country actually had. Accuracy aside, the census has been conducted every 10 years since that initial foray. It provides the best record of the country's growth and evolution. It tracks population changes pertaining to categories such as age, race, gender, religion, ethnicity, education and geography. For that first census in 1790, which cost a mere $44,000 to conduct, only six questions were asked. The census found that there were just over 3.9 million people living in the country, with just 4.5 people per square mile of land. The biggest city at that time was New York City, with 33,131 residents, followed by Philadelphia and Boston. Comparatively, the 2010 Census—still pretty slim, at 10 questions—cost nearly $13 billion to conduct and found that there were 308,745,538 people living in the country, which was nearly a 10% increase since the 2000 Census. As always, New York City was the most populated place, with more than eight million people living there, followed by Los Angeles and Chicago. Locally, the 2010 Census revealed that Florida had more than 18 million residents. Zoom in a bit closer, and Escambia reported
297,620 residents (that number is estimated to exceed 300,000 now), and Pensacola reported 52,009 residents. Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson said that getting accurate data during the census drive is vitally important to local governments and the citizens they serve. "I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the 2020 Census," the mayor said, referring to participating in the census process as a "civic duty." Robinson said that it's important that people understand how census data directly impacts the flow of federal dollars to the local level. For example, the census has the potential to impact the city's Community Development Block Grant Program, for which it typically receives between $650,000 and $800,000 and for which there is a 50,000-resident threshold requirement. "An accurate census count is incredibly important for the city of Pensacola and our community as a whole since it impacts how billions of dollars in federal funding are distributed to state and local governments," Robinson said. "Data from the census will help ensure adequate distribution of funding for a variety of federal, state and local programs, including Section 8 housing assistance, transportation planning and construction, school breakfast programs, community development block grants and more. We hope that everyone in the city of Pensacola and Escambia County will participate and be counted in the 2020 Census to help shape the future of our community."
THREE WAYS TO ANSWER
In addition to the so-called decennial census taken once every decade, the U.S. Census Bureau also conducts other counts. Every five years, it conducts an economic census, which provides industry-specific statistics. Also, every five years, there's the Census of Governments, which tracks about 90,000 state and local governments across the country. The agency also conducts the American Community Survey, which gathers population
and housing data as well as demographic surveys, economic surveys and surveys on behalf of other government agencies. But the decennial census is the big one. And the bureau has been laying the groundwork for 2020 since 2018. In addition to developing the census questions, the feds have established partnerships with community groups in an attempt to more efficiently handle the census. Currently, residents should be looking for something in the mail from the census bureau. From there, there's a number of ways to reply and participate in the process. "This year, there are three ways to complete the questionnaire," explained bureau spokesperson Engle. The primary and preferred way of participation is online. Following the agency's first round of invitations, people can follow the instructions to go online and complete the census questionnaire. Also included in that mailing will be a telephone number people can call to speak with a sworn census taker. "If you don't respond, you will get several reminders," Engle said. "With the second reminder, a paper questionnaire will be included. If you don't respond by the end of May, expect a visit from someone with the U.S. Census Bureau."
THE CENSUS AND COVID-19
Like everyone else, the U.S. Census Bureau is continually tracking developments concerning the COVID-19 coronavirus. On March 11, the agency put out a statement announcing the establishment of the Census Bureau COVID-19 Internal Task Force. In the statement, the bureau said that its primary concerns were ensuring the health and safety of both its staff and the public. As such, it's hoped that the need for door-to-door, faceto-face census takers will be limited. "It has never been easier to respond on your own, whether online, over the phone or by mail," the statement noted, "all without having to meet a census taker." {in}
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March 19, 2020
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IRIS—SAVING SIGHT
Dr. Sunil Gupta / Photo courtesy of IRIS
By Rick Outzen Ask Dr. Sunil Gupta what he does, and he will say, "I take care of patients with some very sophisticated sort of therapeutics that have come into the market both in terms of the biologics as well as the surgeries and the laser and things like that." Huh? He explained that 40 years ago, the leading cause of blindness in working-age patients was diabetic retinopathy, which damages the blood vessels in the tissue at the back of the eye. Today, diabetic retinopathy is still the leading cause. "So we've come 40 years, and we haven't really moved the needle significantly," said Dr. Gupta in a recent phone interview. "However, in terms of innovation, we now can basically stop people from going blind." He continued, "So people talk about these moonshots with cancer and other things, but for diabetic retinopathy, we've got a solution that if we identify those patients at the right time, we can actually prevent them from losing any sight." If an ophthalmologist can diagnose diabetic retinopathy early enough, the same medicine used to treat the complication in later stages can actually reverse it by two levels. Dr. Gupta said, "If you can identify the patients just in time before 212 1
they're going to go into that high-risk phase of losing vision, we can then reverse their disease and prevent them from going over that edge." To help more patients keep their eyesight, more screenings need to be done earlier, which is why he founded Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems, also known as IRIS. When he started IRIS in 2014, about 40% of the patients were getting screened, even though all patients with diabetes should have their eyes checked once a year for diabetic retinopathy. The fact that 60% of the patients were going undetected bothered Dr. Gupta. "Why am I getting patients at a stage when I can't fix them?," he asked himself. "And I hate not being able to fix things. I hate losing to a disease state. I'm very competitive." Dr. Gupta and IRIS see diabetic retinopathy as their competition. He wants to get his patients as close to 20/20 vision as possible. The genesis of IRIS was to catch the complication earlier so that treatment can be started sooner and blindness avoided.
"However, in terms of innovation, we now can basically stop people from going blind." Dr. Sunil Gupta "I'm an engineer by training, and I grew up since seventh grade with my father actually aggregating data on oil wells," said Dr. Gupta.
An environmental engineer with degrees from UC Davis and Princeton, his father built a computer code that tracked data from 10,000 wells. Dr. Gupta said, "We would analyze that data, and then we'd be able to say, 'Look, there's environmental contaminants that are going to contaminate the drinking water in X amount of time.'" With the onset of cloud computing—a network of remote servers hosted on the internet to store, manage and process data—Dr. Gupta saw an opportunity to create a similar data analysis system for IRIS that would expand screening for patients. "Microsoft introduced a system that created HIPAA compliance that made it very easy for entrepreneurs to set up a system in the cloud that could do things that IBM does for large hospital systems," he said. "It also allowed somebody like me to create a system in the cloud that would connect IRIS to camera systems in primary care clinics." A technician in the primary care doctor's office could take a picture of the retina with a completely automated camera. The photo is uploaded to the cloud where the software analyzes it and identifies the pathology. Then retina specialists and ophthalmologists can read the image. "It's a triage model that allows us to get the patient to the ophthalmologist and retina specialists just in time to be treated," Dr. Gupta explained. "And so that is what IRIS does."
GAME CHANGER
He credited Quint Studer, founder of the Studer Group and an original board member of IRIS, for helping him test his systems and work out any kinks. Studer told him, "You got to do this thing one in a row." When Dr. Gupta asked him to explain what he meant, Studer said, "Let's just pick one client and get it all right with them." IRIS took Studer's advice and picked one client. The company submitted a bid for Harris County, Texas, which covers Houston and is the largest federallyqualified health clinic in the country. The patient population included underserved, underinsured people for all sorts of demographic groups. "They're truly doing population health where the government, the federal government and Harris County, give them $1 billion," he said. "But for that $1 billion, they got to take care of all the people that are underserved, that don't have insurance or have Medicaid. And so they were struggling with what to do with these patients." IRIS won the contract and embedded the cameras in all 12 of their primary care clinics that were spread out in different neighborhoods all over Houston. Gupta said, "We trained up their technicians to do this. And lo and behold, their rate of screening for diabetic retinopathy was 40%. Today, they're at 90%."
He boasted, "Literally an underserved, underfunded organization has taken their quality measure for primary care—which is, 'Hey, how many of your diabetics are you getting evaluated for retinal damage?'—from a one-star rating to a five-star rating, and I can tell you, there are very few five-star rated HEDIS compliant for diabetic retinopathy." Dr. Gupta knew that if they could turn around Harris Health, IRIS could be a game-changer.
"And now, within a week, if somebody's got a hemorrhage in the retina, they can get into that clinic." Dr. Gupta "The beauty was that the retina clinic in that institution had a three-month wait for their patients that were severe," he said. "We were able to pull out all the normal exams out of that clinic and put in there all the abnormal exams for the doctors to treat. And now, within a week, if somebody's got a hemorrhage in the retina, they can get into that clinic." The work with Harris Health proved that if you could create the right structure and the vertical integration of primary care to a specialist centered around the patient, the model allows you to really have an effect on the population. IRIS also has been successful in catching other medical conditions during the screenings. "Because diabetics also have hypertension and the number two cause of vein occlusion is diabetes, we're picking up patients that have vein occlusions and they don't even know they have it, and we can grab it early and treat it if it's affecting their sight," said Dr. Gupta. "We are now picking up things like scar tissues on the surface of the retina." The second biggest target for the screenings is a condition called glaucoma. He said, "The optic nerve gets damaged because the pressure in the eye is too high and you lose peripheral vision, but you don't realize it because you're losing it so slowly. So we are actually picking up patients that we suspect have glaucoma now as well." Other tech giants have noticed IRIS's success. In late January, Microsoft's AI for Good initiative announced its new $40 million, five-year program, AI for Health, that aims to use artificial intelligence to help solve health problems around the world. IRIS was one of a handful organizations selected for the grant program. Today, the IRIS team continues to rally around the mission to end preventable blindness. Since 2014, the IRIS solution has scanned over 564,000 diabetic patients, identifying 205,000 cases of pathology among them. The Pensacola-grown organization now employs close to 50 people, a number that continues to grow. {in} inweekly.net
March 19, 2020
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Guest speaker Cathy Brown, associate director of Education at The Fund Raising School, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, will present "Building Blocks for Sustainable Success." All nonprofit organizations in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are invited to attend and learn about the grant process, get tips for writing a successful grant and be inspired to create a winning project for the 17th year of giving. Additional information is available on the IMPACT 100 website at impact100pensacola.org.
SIDEWALK MILESTONE The
Photo courtesy of IMPACT 100
IMPACT 100 IMPACT 100 Pensacola
Bay Area, a local women's philanthropic organization, last week announced its 2020 Membership Drive concluded with a total of 1,166 members. IMPACT 100 will give back $1,166,000 by awarding 11 transformative project grants of $106,000 each to nonprofit organizations serving Escambia and Santa Rosa counties on Oct. 11. This is the 17th anniversary year of IMPACT 100 awarding grants to local nonprofits. After awarding the 2020 grants, IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area will have funded 120 grants, totaling $12,830,000. "The tremendous generosity displayed by the women in our area never ceases to amaze me. It is what has continued to make IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area the largest Impact organization in the world but, more importantly, the one that has given back the most to our community," said Brigette Brooks, president of IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area.
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"The philanthropy of our members and the power of collective giving allows us to continue to fund transformative projects of nonprofit organizations that serve our area and make a positive difference for us all," she continued. "Reviewing the new project ideas submitted is always exciting, and we look forward to the opportunity to help bring many of these to fruition." Two grants will be awarded in each of five focus areas—Arts & Culture, Education, Environment, Recreation & Preservation, Family and Health & Wellness. Due to the overwhelming response to the Membership Drive, one additional grant will be awarded in one of the five focus areas for a total of 11 transformative grants. IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area is hosting a free Nonprofit Workshop on Thursday, April 16, at Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. De Soto St. Registration is at 8:30 a.m. with the workshop being held from 9 a.m. until 12:15 p.m.
City of Pensacola's Public Works and Facilities Department has repaired approximately 16,000 linear feet of sidewalk and installed 215 curb ramps as part of the city's Americans with Disabilities Act Sidewalk Assessment. Approximately 12,000 additional linear feet of sidewalk is expected to be repaired by 2023, along with an additional 1,806 curb ramps. The city completed an ADA Sidewalk Assessment in 2017 to evaluate existing sidewalks for ADA deficiencies, identifying approximately 28,100 linear feet of sidewalks and another 2,021 new curb ramps needed in order to achieve an acceptable level of ADA compliance. "I'm excited to see these projects completed as we continue to make our sidewalks more accessible to all of our residents," Mayor Grover Robinson said. "Repairing over 16,000 feet of sidewalk is an amazing achievement by our Public Works and Facilities staff, with many more projects still in the works to further enhance sidewalk accessibility throughout the city of Pensacola." Sidewalk repair projects were also prioritized in the survey to create a master sidewalk improvement project list, which is available on the city's website.
Projects began on the west side of the city and are moving eastward, with the next set of projects planned for the Community Redevelopment Area Urban Core District, which is primarily the downtown area. Three sidewalk projects within the CRA Urban Core and two sidewalk projects outside of the CRA Urban Core are expected to be completed by the end of Fiscal Year 2020.
FORTE SHIFTS TO CITY The City of
Pensacola has selected David Forte to fill the new Capital Improvement Projects Manager position, responsible for managing and facilitating a variety of construction and capital projects in the city. Forte's first day with the city is Monday, March 9. Forte joins the City of Pensacola from Escambia County, where he most recently served as the Transportation & Traffic Operations Division Manager in the county's Engineering Department. He previously worked as a Transportation Program Manager, Development Program Manager and Urban Planner for Escambia County. "I couldn't be more excited," Forte said of being selected for the position. "Pensacola has always been a part of my life—I was born and raised in Pensacola. Having the opportunity to serve the citizens of Pensacola is something I've always looked forward to doing, and, fortunately, with this position, I'll be able to do that." Forte earned a Master of Business Administration from Florida International University, along with a Bachelor of Science in housing and construction design with a minor in urban and regional planning from Florida State University. He also holds certifications in Advanced Maintenance of Traffic, Local Agency Program, National Development Council and Accessibility for Highway Design, Pedestrians and Facilities, among others. Working in local government for most of his career, Forte said he's always enjoyed the public service aspect of his job, whether it's helping a citizen with a small request or completing a large-scale public project. "Just being able to see a project go from the planning stages to full completion is really
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rewarding," Forte said. "I studied that in school, and now I'm able to apply that in my career." As the city's Capital Improvement Projects Manager, Forte's responsibilities will include planning and coordinating activities to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget, along with ensuring the projects are of the highest quality within the available resources. Forte will also support community engagement efforts for major projects and act as a liaison with federal, state, local and other governmental agencies. Forte said his experience working with the city on projects during his time at the county will be beneficial in his new role, along with his ability to adapt and find innovative ways to complete projects. "That's something I've always prided myself on is being able to take something and run with it and figure out a way to accomplish whatever you're looking to achieve," he said. "I know a lot of the staff at the city are built in that same way, so I think it will be a great fit." Forte will work in the Office of the Mayor under the supervision of Deputy City Administrator Kerrith Fiddler. "I'm excited about this new position and the benefit it will provide to our citizens by continuing to move forward the many projects happening in Pensacola," Mayor Grover Robinson said. "I'm especially looking forward to having David Forte's experience and innovation here on the City of Pensacola's team, and I'm confident he will be a great asset for the city."
ADDY WINNERS The Pensacola chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) presented the American Advertising Awards for advertising creative excellence in 2020 on Saturday, March 7. The annual dinner and awards presentation was attended by more than 250 individuals of the local advertising and media businesses. Of the more than 270 professional entries received by AAF Pensacola, 66 gold ADDY awards and 107 silver ADDY awards were presented. Of the 225 student entries, 50 gold ADDYs and 78 silver ADDYs were presented. Entries were judged based on creativity, originality and creative strategy. Top awards of the evening went to the Best of Show winners. Hail Studio took home Best of Brand Identity for its She Warrior visual identity. "Our ultimate goal was to create a great experience for our client and her customers, but to win an award is a wonderful added bonus," said Jenni Carlson, project manager at Hail Studio. "One of the most fun and most rewarding aspects of an identity campaign is creating a whole persona and brand that didn't exist before, helping a new business get started off on the right foot, giving it personality and a sense of legitimacy to potential customers. We're very passionate about helping our clients' businesses sucMarch 19, 2020
ceed, and that all starts with a solid foundation built upon the visual identity." Idgroup captured Best of Video for its Bright Bridge brand video. Best of Print was awarded to University of West Florida's (UWF) fall 2019 Connection Magazine. The Judges Choice awards were presented to idgroup for UWF Stories of Impact, Lensea Film for Ride Society brand film and UWF for Argonaut football theme. In the student category, Alan Wyatt from Pensacola Christian College took home Best of Show for his animation video, A Woodcarver's Boy. The Judges Choice awards went to Jay Dunham from Pensacola State College (PSC) for Digital Thinkers – Tokyo, Courtney Goodman from PSC for Not Your Trophy and Lam Nguyen from PSC for PHXDW Conference. The American Advertising Awards competition is sponsored by AAF Pensacola, a member association comprised of advertising and media professionals. Winners at the local level now move on to compete at the district level against entries from AAF clubs across Florida.
PARK FEES WAIVED At the request of Park Superintendent Dan Brown, the National Park Service South Atlantic-Gulf Regional director has approved a fee suspension for the first Saturday of May from 9 a.m. to noon in honor of the sacrifice paid by Rosamond Johnson and his family. The entrance fee suspension will cover all park areas and will be in place until there is a change in park leadership or the entrance fee rate. In those instances, a new request would need to be made. After enlisting in the U.S. Army at 15, Johnson died in combat two years later on the Korean Peninsula. While engaged with the enemy on July 26, 1950, Private Johnson carried two wounded soldiers to safety. He was fatally wounded while attempting to save a third wounded man. On August 21, 1950, Rosamond was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart for wounds he sustained while saving his fellow soldiers. At the time of his death, Pensacola beaches were racially segregated. The Sunset Riding Club, Inc. leased a countyowned recreational area in 1950 for the sole use of bathing and recreational facilities for "colored citizens." In honor of his ultimate sacrifice, and in recognition as the first Escambia County resident to die in the Korean Conflict, the recreational area became known as Rosamond Johnson Beach. The area became part of Gulf Islands National Seashore in 1971, and the name was retained. Today, a monument and exhibit honors Private Johnson and his service. On the first Saturday in May each year, the National Park Service is proud to partner with Escambia County, the Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce and Florida
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In addition to Johnson Beach at the Perdido Key Area, entrance fees at Opal Beach and the Fort Pickens, Fort Barrancas and Okaloosa areas will also be free during the suspension period. Fee suspensions may only be authorized by the NPS regional director, the secretary of the interior or the president.
Photo courtesy of Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival, Inc.
Black Chamber of Commerce in honoring Private Johnson. Johnson Beach is one of the most popular beach recreation areas of the national seashore and is open daily from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. "Johnson Beach is an incredibly special place, and the annual commemoration
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acknowledging the beach's namesake is one of the most important events to be held in the park," said Superintendent Brown. "Ensuring that all are able to attend this important ceremony each year has been a top priority of the park, and we are thankful this suspension has been approved."
FOLKLIFE APPRENTICESHIPS The Florida Folklife Program is now seeking Folklife Apprenticeship applications. The Apprenticeship Program creates opportunities for apprentices to study traditional arts with recognized master artists. Traditional arts are expressions of shared community identity that reflect the values and aesthetics of the groups that practice them. Since 1984, this state program has supported 199 apprenticeships in a variety of Florida living traditions including various styles of traditional music and dance, crafts, festival arts and occupational traditions. The application deadline is May 15. Program guidelines and applications can be found at bit.ly/167eMMA. EMERGING ARTISTS SOUGHT Applications are open for the GGAF Emerging Artists program. This program, developed
in in partnership with Artel Gallery, gives new artists a chance to be a part of the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival and offers them guidance in what is involved in being in an arts festival. Applications are open to artists who have limited experience participating in arts festivals and are residents of Escambia or Santa Rosa Counties. Two artists will be chosen to participate in this year's festival. GGAF will waive fees for the two artists and will provide a booth and mentor to help guide them through the process. For an application, visit ggaf.org or artel.gallery.org. The GGAF is Nov. 6, 7 and 8, in Seville Square.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR The Pensacola City Council will hold an Agenda Conference at 3:30 p.m. Monday, March 23, in the Hagler/Mason Conference Room, 2nd Floor of City Hall, 222 W. Main St. The meeting can be watched online, cityofpensacola.com. The regular meeting of the Pensacola City Council is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26, in Council Chambers, First Floor of City Hall, 222 W. Main St. The meeting can be watched online, cityofpensacola.com. {in}
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free will astrology
WEEK OF MARCH 19 We interrupt your regularly scheduled horoscopes to offer insights about the virus-driven turning point that the whole world is now experiencing. As you've probably guessed, all of us are being invited to re-evaluate everything we think we know about what it means to be human. I refer to this unprecedented juncture as The Tumultuous Upgrade or The Disruptive Cure. It's fraught with danger and potential opportunities, crisis and possible breakthroughs. And while the coronavirus is the main driving force, it won't be the only factor. We must be ready for more Rough, Tough Healings disguised as Bumpy Challenges in the coming months. Here's the astrological lowdown— Throughout 2020, there's a rare confluence of three planets in Capricorn—Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter. They are synergizing each other's impacts in ways that confound us and rattle us. In the best-case scenario, they'll also energize us to initiate brave transformations in our own personal lives as well as in our communities. Below is a profile of each planet's meaning. When we are in intense and intimate relationship with Pluto—as we are now— we're invited to dive down deeper, to see life from the soul's perspective rather than from the ego's, to seek wealth and meaning not as they're defined by the material world but as they're understood by the part of us that's eternal. Descending into the mysterious Plutonian depths can be disruptive to our conscious beliefs and intentions but may ultimately be profoundly regenerative. When we are in intense and intimate relationship with Saturn, we're invited to get more serious and focused, to register the fact that we don't have unlimited time and energy, but must firmly decide what's important and what's not. We're asked to be ruthlessly honest about the roles that are most likely to bring out the best in us. When we are in intense and intimate relationship with Jupiter, we're invited to risk growth and expansion, to take proactive responsibility for seeking the rich experiences that our souls long for, to aggressively enhance our lust for life. Now I invite you to meditate on the March 19, 2020
By Rob Brezsny
potent mix of Plutonian, Saturnian and Jupiterian energies. I encourage you to respond to the convulsion by deepening your understanding of how profoundly interconnected we all are and upgrading the way you take care of yourself, the people you love and our natural world. In the horoscopes below, I suggest personal shifts that will be available to you during this once-in-a-lifetime blend of planetary energies.
ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Possible crises in the coming months—1. Your power spot may be challenged or compromised. 2. Your master plan might unravel. 3. There could be disruptions in your ability to wield your influence. Potential opportunities—1. You'll be motivated to find an even more suitable power spot. 2. A revised master plan will coalesce. 3. You'll be resourceful as you discover novel ways to wield your influence. TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Possible crises in the coming months—1. Your vision of the big picture of your life may dissipate. 2. Old reliable approaches to learning crucial lessons and expanding your mind could lose their effectiveness. Potential opportunities—1. You'll be inspired to develop an updated vision of the big picture of your life. 2. Creative new strategies for learning and expanding your mind will invigorate your personal growth. GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Possible
crises in the coming months—1. There may be breakdowns in communication with people you care about. 2. Contracts and agreements could fray. 3. Sexual challenges might complicate love. Potential opportunities—1. You'll be inspired to reinvent the ways you communicate and connect. 2. Your willingness to revise agreements and contracts could make them work better for all concerned. 3. Sexual healing will be available.
CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Possible crises in the coming months—1. Friends and associates could change in ways that are uncomfortable for you. 2. Images and expectations that people have of you may not match your own images and expectations. Potential opportunities—1. If you're intelligent and compassionate as you deal with the transformations in your friends
and associates, your relationships could be rejuvenated. 2. You might become braver and more forceful in expressing who you are and what you want.
LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Possible crises
in the coming months—1. Your job may not suit you as well as you wish. 2. A health issue could demand more of your attention than you'd like. Potential opportunities—1. You'll take innovative action to make your job work better for you. 2. In your efforts to solve a specific health issue, you'll upgrade your entire approach to staying healthy long-term.
VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Possible crises in the coming months—1. Love may feel confusing or unpredictable. 2. You may come up against a block to your creativity. Potential opportunities—1. You'll be energized to generate new understandings about how to ensure that love works well for you. 2. Your frustration with a creative block will motivate you to uncover previously hidden keys to accessing creative inspiration. LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Possible cri-
ses in the coming months—1. You may experience disturbances in your relationships with home and family. 2. You may falter in your ability to maintain a strong foundation. Potential opportunities—1. Domestic disorder could inspire you to reinvent your approach to home and family, changing your life for the better. 2. Responding to a downturn in your stability and security, you'll build a much stronger foundation.
SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Possible
crises in the coming months—1. There may be carelessness or a lack of skill in the ways you and your associates communicate and cultivate connectivity. 2. You may have problems blending elements that really need to be blended. Potential opportunities—1. You'll resolve to communicate and cultivate connectivity with a renewed panache and vigor. 2. You'll dream up fresh approaches to blending elements that need to be blended.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21):
Possible crises in the coming months—1. Money may be problematic. 2. Your personal integrity might undergo a challenge. 3. You could get lax about translating your
noble ideas into practical actions. Potential opportunities—1. You'll find inventive solutions for boosting your wealth. 2. You'll take steps to ensure your ethical code is impeccable. 3. You'll renew your commitment to translating your noble ideals into practical action.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Possible predicament during the coming months—You may have an identity crisis. Who are you, anyway? What do you really want? What are your true intentions? Potential opportunity—You'll purge selfdoubts and fuzzy self-images. You'll rise up with a fierce determination to define yourself with clarity and intensity and creativity. AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Pos-
sible crises in the coming months—1. You'll be at risk for botched endings. 2. You may be tempted to avoid solving long-term problems whose time is up. Potential opportunities—1. You'll make sure all endings are as graceful and complete as possible. 2. You'll dive in and finally resolve long-term problems whose time is up.
PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Pos-
sible crises in the coming months—1. Due to worries about your self-worth, you may not accept the help and support that are available. 2. Due to worries about your selfworth, you might fail to bravely take advantage of chances to reach a new level of success. Potential opportunities—1. You'll take dramatic action to enhance your sense of self-worth, empowering you to welcome the help and support you're offered and take advantage of chances to reach a new level of success. THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: For more on The Tumultuous Upgrade, go to freewillastrology.com
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freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2020
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news of the weird AND SO IT BEGINS Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely is on trial in Athens, Alabama, facing 11 counts of theft and ethics charges related to his job. On March 6, Blakely went to the hospital, where his lawyers told the court he was being tested for COVID-19, the disease associated with coronavirus. But in a special hearing on March 7, Dr. Maria Onoya told Judge Pride Tompkins that while Blakely was indeed admitted to the hospital, and received multiple tests, none of them was for COVID-19. In fact, she said there was no evidence to suggest he should be tested for it, The News Courier reported. Judge Tompkins ended the hearing with harsh words for Blakely's defense team: "I don't know what your tactic is, but it's condemned by the court," he said. He went on to note that he was "very disturbed" by the defense's mention of COVID-19 in the motion to continue, calling it irresponsible, reckless and unfair to the community. •Meanwhile, in Queensland, Australia, people are panicking about running out of toilet paper during the coronavirus pandemic. Which makes Haidee Janetzki of Toowoomba extra popular, after she made an error in her regular online TP order with Who Gives a Crap. "When it asked for quantity, I put 48," she told 7News, "thinking that would be a box of 48 (rolls). Turned out it was 48 boxes." At first she thought it was the online retailer's fault — until she checked her credit card, which showed an expense of $3,260 plus almost $400 shipping. Janetzki is selling the hot commodity to friends at a slight markup, hoping to raise money to send her kids on a school trip to Canberra. She's now known Down Under as the Queen of the Toilet Paper. •Two state attorneys general and the Food and Drug Administration are cracking down on disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker, who is now the host of "The Jim Bakker Show" on cable TV. The New York attorney general's office on March 3 sent a cease-and-desist order to Bakker, and on March 10, the Missouri attorney general filed suit against him. At issue is Bakker's hawking of "Silver Solution," a "medication" made from silver that supposedly cures all sorts of ailments, for use in treating COVID-19. On Feb. 12, The Washington Post reported, Bakker asked a guest on his show whether the gel could cure the coronavirus. "It hasn't been tested on this strain of the coronavirus, but it's been tested on other strains of the coronavirus, and has been able to eliminate it within 12 hours," said "naturopathic doctor" Sherrill Sellman. In the letter, the "extremely concerned" Lisa Landau, chief of the attorney general's health care bureau, called the segment false advertising and said it violates New York law. She gave Bakker 10 days to comply.
By the Editors at Andrews McMeel
•A man in Vilnius, Lithuania, with help from his sons, reportedly locked his wife in their bathroom after she expressed worry to him that she had contracted COVID-19 from traveling to Italy, where she came in contact with some Chinese people. The husband called a doctor, who suggested she isolate herself; she contacted police because her husband wouldn't let her out. It's unclear how long she was locked in the bathroom, but Delfi.lt reported that she was tested for the virus and did not have it. •The U.S. State Department has advised people, particularly older adults, to avoid cruise ships and air travel during the coronavirus onslaught. But some travelers just can't be dissuaded. Take, for example, Ben Stults, a sophomore at Florida State University, who will head out on a cruise to Mexico this week for spring break. He's hoping to "hit the sweet spot" — get there and get home before the virus takes hold in Mexico. To be safe, however, he's bringing along a respirator face mask and a deck of cards in case, you know, quarantine. The Daily Beast asked Stults if he thought his plan was a sound one, to which he replied, "Honestly, no." ANIMAL ANTICS Firefighters were called to a farm near Bramham, Leeds, in England on March 7 to put out a fire in a large pigpen. At this particular farm, the pigs wear pedometers to prove that they're freerange, Fox News reported, but one of those gadgets was the probable cause of the blaze, firefighters said. They theorize that one of the pigs ate one of the pedometers, then passed it in its excrement, sparking a fire in the pen's hay. The culprit was the copper in the battery reacting with the pig poo. No pigs were hurt in the fire; let's hope they're getting all their steps in as usual. CRIME REPORT On Feb. 28, fourth-grade teacher Nancy Sweeney, 45, was arrested in Niles, Illinois, for assaulting a neighbor and calling her "a (expletive) Nazi." According to the Chicago Tribune, Sweeney attacked the 87-year-old woman, who is of German descent, in the parking garage of their condominium building, where the woman was exercising. The victim was struck in the face with a purse and fell, suffering cuts and bruises. The Cook County state's attorney's office approved not only an aggravated battery charge, but also a hate crime charge, based on the Nazi reference. The Park Ridge-Niles school district placed Sweeney on paid leave on March 4 upon learning of the charges, district spokesman Peter Gill said. {in}
From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2020 Andrews McMeel
Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com March 19, 2020
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